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Installing Arctic Silver 5 (AS5) onto BFG 6800gt

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DaveyTN

Senior member
I've got two BFG 6800gt video cards running in SLI mode. They are getting pretty hot under load. I actually decreased the card temps under load by placing a 92mm fan over them.

I'm wanting to remove the stock heat sink and clean off any thermal compound from the factory and put on the Arctic Silver 5 and put everything back together. Anyone ever do this? How difficult is it? Links to info on this? Thanks!!
 
it's not hard. i use isoprophyl alcohol wand a clean lint free cloth to clean it off, some acetone if its really stubborn, just be sure to finish with the alcohol after.

spread a thin layer of the as5 and replace the cooler and you should be good to go.

btw, you still using the stock coolers?
 
Yea, still got the stock coolers. I was wanting to put on an aftermarket cooler but I don't have room between my two sli cards. 🙁

Couple more questions. Where do you get the acetone?

When you apply the AS5, how much do you use? Do you apply it to the GPU and the heat sink or just the GPU? What do you use to spread the thin layer?
 
acetone can be had at any hardware/paint store.

just apply it to the gpu and the rams. youi'll see them kind of encircling the gpu in an L-shape.

also, i have the af700 from zalman and i find myself with 2 6800gts. it looks to me like it will fit in sli. before getting the other card i thought i might need to use the evga back plate but i think it'll work with the whole zalman kit. i also think i saw a few guys at dfi.street using them in sli.

if it works it would be great as the af700 is a great cooler. it definitely would take out a pci slot but no big deal at least for me. that is if i keep the second card, i have it for sale right now.

edit-to spread it you can use an old CC or i just push it about with the nozzle of the tube and then twist the HS a little when its appled to spread it out. believe me, when you tighten the hsf down it will cover.
 
just like a cpu, a small grain of rice or thereabouts. its not gonna kill you but don't get it all over the place. you just want a thin layer. remember its a "thermal interface material" not a heatsink 😉 its job is to transfer the heat to the HSF, not cool the gpu.
 
Thanks again. Ok, one more question. How sensitive are the video cards? I'm always paranoid when handling things like this - afraid I'm going to screw something up.
 
me too. just be very careful with the screwdriver around the PCB and take very good anti static precautions and you'll be fine. i've never had a problem but messing with $300+ cards always make me nervous. but look at it this way, you've been messing around with your cpu/mobo which costs a little bit of money 😛

you'll be fine, take your time.
 
d'oh, thats what i meant.

dang thats a huge drop in performance in sli. wow, i'm stunned at that. i thought the open design of the cooler would really work well, allowing the front case fans to push air over the cards and out the back.

thanks for the link.
 
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