Good ramsinks

[Ilmater]

I'd like some opinions from those who've actually used them. I'm looking for some decent ramsinks and I'm torn between what I like and what I can afford. I could technically afford to buy Tweakmonster's Ramsinks, but I would like to know if they're really worth $25+shipping apiece? Is there a better alternative in either the performance or price category?

Also, I've seen many people putting ramsinks on the backs of their cards. I have a GF3 Ti200 and I'm not sure where I would put these. Am I supposed to be putting these on the back of the PCB? On some resistor? What's going on?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[jarsoffart]

You could buy this or this heatsink and cut it down to size and then just use Arctic Silver or Alumina Thermal adhesive. I don't think it would be that bad although I haven't tried it.

 

[Chucu]

Go to all electronics and look for some nice heatsinks. I have used all sorts of different ones with the artic adhesive....works just fine and you spend under 10 bucks for the whole mess....granted it doesnt look all that sweet but it is cheap and works....however if you want the finer things in life click on over here Frozen CPU and I think you will find a better price on the nice premade sinks.....


Chucu

 

[Lizardman]

Originally posted by: jarsoffart
You could buy this or this heatsink and cut it down to size and then just use Arctic Silver or Alumina Thermal adhesive. I don't think it would be that bad although I haven't tried it.

These heatsinks look good for vid card ram. I wouldnt get those shiny nickel plated ones if I were you because nickel is horrible at heat transfer.

Check my sig for some pics of my custom ramsinks for my geforce2

 

[Egrimm]

Originally posted by: Ilmater
I'd like some opinions from those who've actually used them. I'm looking for some decent ramsinks and I'm torn between what I like and what I can afford. I could technically afford to buy Tweakmonster's Ramsinks, but I would like to know if they're really worth $25+shipping apiece? Is there a better alternative in either the performance or price category?

They might give you a little more but not that much I'd say, got 12Mhz out of the ram on my GF2Pro (the only card I've bought heatsinks for, my newer ones came with 'em installed) and that was the cheap blue TT ones.

Originally posted by: Ilmater
Also, I've seen many people putting ramsinks on the backs of their cards. I have a GF3 Ti200 and I'm not sure where I would put these. Am I supposed to be putting these on the back of the PCB? On some resistor? What's going on? Any help is appreciated.

Many cards have ram chips on the back of the card too, thus the sinks.

 

[sep]

I used an old V3 Heatsink to make Ramsinks for my G4 ti4200. It looks good, but get almost the same performance with or without.

If you want the card to look and run extremly cool get the tweakmonster ramsinks from ocsystem for $19 plus shipping. That's 8 pieces my friend!

Or if you just want to cool these down and do the mod yourself then get a cheap heatsink to make your own.

Where do these go on the back? Some cards don't have the memory showing on the back side of the cards. If that's the case the heatsinks, 4 of them, only go on the front. I don't know which cards do or don't have these.

*If your going to keep the card for awhile and have a window to show it off...get the tweakmonsters.

-JC

 

[Ilmater]

OK, so just so that I'm clear, if there aren't any RAM chips on the back of the card, I shouldn't put any ramsinks there, right? The only reason I would even question this (because I normally wouldn't even think of doing such a thing) is because I saw a review of a GF3 Ti200 w/ Tweakmonsters where the reviewer put them on the back of his card. Having the same card with the same amount of memory (just different manufacturer), I assumed that he had chips in the same places I did, but he was putting sinks in places I wouldn't.

 

[sep]

CORRECT!

 

[tapir]

different cards have different mem. configurations.
Like my R8500 has half the memory on the back

but no, you shouldn't put a sink where there is no chip... although some do put one on the PCB on the backside of the GPU because that can get very hot

 

[jader]

I have the Tweakmonster RAMsinks on the eight memory blocks of my VisionTek GF4 Ti 4600. I don't know that they do anything for performance really, but they sure do look cool. They are actually made from a copper alloy then they are nickel-plated.

 

[OulOat]

Go passive! My TI200 is completely cooled using just hs, screw those tiny, noisy fans.

My question for you is why do you think you need ramsinks? If your card works fine now, why change anything? My ramsinks do get pretty toasty after I took out the fan, but the comp is stable. So you shouldn't need extra hs for you car since you have a fan on the card.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: OulOat
Go passive! My TI200 is completely cooled using just hs, screw those tiny, noisy fans.

My question for you is why do you think you need ramsinks? If your card works fine now, why change anything? My ramsinks do get pretty toasty after I took out the fan, but the comp is stable. So you shouldn't need extra hs for you car since you have a fan on the card.

You should see the card. The HSF is this monstrous contraption. The actual Ramsinks right now are just bent over the actual chips without any TIM (I didn't know this until recently).

The reason I'm doing this is two-fold:
1) I'm changing the HSF on the GPU to a CrystalOrb, and it obviously won't cool the RAM at all (though the stock HSF barely does either).
2) I'm moving to a case with a window that has a 92mm Panaflo H1A directly over the video card, so passive Ramsinks will work more like an active HSF combo. I can't wait to get the case and see how well it works!!


BTW, does anyone know how to check the temps of the Ram without an external temp sensor? Is there any program that could read it? Is the card even capable of such a thing?

 

[Blain]

Speaking of "passive cooling"...

1. Are aluminum ramsinks preferred over copper for "passive" cooling?
2. Would This Intel PPGA HS be enough to passively cool my non-OCd GF4 4200 GPU?
3. I've also got an Intel SECC2 HS that's a lower profile. By it being longer than the PPGA HS, would it be as good for passive cooling of my GPU?

 

[OulOat]

Actually, I had the Crystal Orb before I switched to passive. Even at 7Vs, the CORB cooled my memory and GPU extremely well. The only reason I got rid of it was because there was a slight humming due to the vibration of the fan. However, if I ever OC my card, I'm going back to the CORB, it's the only Thermaltake product I recommend.

And blain that might be cutting it close. I would say, from your pics, my hs is 150% the Intel PPGA HS size, at the same height, and that's for a Geforce 3 TI200. It gets pretty hot, but you can leave your finger on it. With your hs, I'm predicting that you couldn't even touched it. But you can always try. Just watch it when your benchmarking so it do destory it.

 

[Blain]

I'd have to epoxy it on the GPU. So maybe I'll stick with active cooling. I'm running a lapped Blue Orb on the GF4 right now. I've had it laying around for months now. I figured I'd put it to use after the stock BOish fan started squalling. I don't like the BO's flimsy "feel" compared to the Crystal Orbs.

BTW, Not even #4 screws will fit through the GF4 HS mounting holes. I guess I'm stuck with zip-ties and rubber washers.

I know people hate the sound of Crystal Orbs. But I installed two of them on a Voodoo5 card that I used to have, and didn't mind them at all. I did remove the TT fan guards before installation. I never ran them with the guards.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: Blain
BTW, Not even #4 screws will fit through the GF4 HS mounting holes. I guess I'm stuck with zip-ties and rubber washers.

Zip-ties? That's a new one. I haven't heard of that before.

 

[amcdonald]

Ilmater, If you are going to be using a intake over the card anyway, I'd suggest going with a passive heatsink... I have a corb, and if I didn't have it attached to a rheobus it wouldn't be in my case. Its just plain loud. Taking the guard off definintely helps, but its too much for me.
And with temps, the only way i know to test it is with an external sensor.