ragejg did up some ramsinks for ChrisRay's hot 9700NP... (56K WARNING... PICS)

[ragejg]

this thread very basically details the installation of ramsinks on a 9700 Non-Pro... Performance improvements will be reported when ChrisRay gets the card. :)

Ok, so a few months ago I had an R300 itch, and I obtained one for $160... It was a Sapphire 9700NP, flashed with the Pro BIOS... I quickly obtained cat4.2 and enjoyed ATI goodness for a while. Although I missed DV, I was ok with the card due to its *equal to 5900XT* performance and great looking AA.

I wanted to make use of the card, so I benched it vs. the BFG 5900XTOC I reviewed... http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/bfg_geforce_fx_5900_xt/page_5.shtml

The card kept the pro speeds up just fine during the review, but afterwards, with some games, there were issues with the clockspeeds.... So using radlinker, I kicked it down to 310/290, still a respectable speed for a 9700np.

The card was sold with my primary rig (need AMD64), and thus was sittin pretty happily with a mobile barton, gigabyte NF2 mobo, 1gb RAM, and an 8mb cache HD...

The new owner of the system is a MOHAAhead, a member of the UiS clan, and games all the time. He needed stability. So the mobile barton was downclocked to 2.2ghz, and the radeon was kept at 310/290...

Well, the new owner expressed displeasure with the supposed OpenGL improvements present in cat4.7, and didn't quite like the performance in MOHAA... I had vowed to come over and tweak to get him his frames, but another situation arose that was even better...

CHRISRAY NEEDS AN R300!!

Hm, and he had an nv35 to trade for it! Cool! So we cross shipped, and Jesse the MOHAAhead will be happy with a nice 5900, and Chris will have the R300 he needs for his performance and IQ investigations...

Before I shipped it to him, I decided that I wanted the ram chips to be a bit cooler. Sorry, but I wasn't about to pay a total of $30 for some nice ramsinks...

2 years ago I ramsinked my ti4200 and was able to get 580 outta my cheap RAM on the card... the 4200 died a couple weeks ago, so there, I have some heatsinks layin around!! let's operate!!

They're made from cut up Socket7 coolers, and placed on a hot stove to burn the black off...

So, required for the following operation:

- Video card

- 8 ramsinks

- Alcohol

- Antistatic measures (footstrap, grounding mat, whatever)

- 400 grit sandpaper

- 2 part epoxy

- Artic Silver 5

Optional and not pictured:

- Loctite Clover compound (liquid abrasive for lapping)

- Polishing sheet or compound

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6806&stc=1

continued on next post...

[zoomy942]

i am all about ramsinks.. but one thing.. you didnt need thermal epoxy? just regular?

[ragejg]

EDIT: Zoomy, I use Dexter brand Hysol Epoxi-Patch, part number EPK 608...

...

First off was to get the ram chips cleaned off... So using the 400grit and a dab of clover compound I gently sanded the ram chips... the lettering remained intact, and after abeing cleaned with alcohol the chips were clean and ready for ramsinks...

Then it was time to get the ramsinks ready...

I admittedly placed them on my ti4200 with no resurfacing, so this time I wanted to do better. Using the sandpaper and some clover compound, I ground as flatly as possible and created a much smoother surface than what was there before... the resurfaced one is on the right..

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6807&stc=1

Continued in next post...

[ragejg]

So now the ramsinks and ram chips are ready...

now for the application...

Look, with the epoxy, it does need to take temperature increases, and what I used is the stuff I've used for years on things like fixing electronic assembly fixtures in loctions where a soldering iron is used (700-850 F)... it is in fat your basic 2 part stuff though..

I poured 4 piles and mixed two, as the frontside needs to be done and allowed to dry, then the backside is to be done...

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6808&stc=1

When applying to the ram chip, there are several ways to do this. One is to mix the AS5 with the epoxy, another way is to epoxy only the edges of the chips and have the AS5 in the middle...

Well, I recently had the blue orb on my ti4200 pop off due to a bad mix, and I didn't want anything like that to happen to ChrisRay, so I did the "edges" method... much pressure had to be applied to insure proper contact, and as I said before, the front side was done, allowed to dry, and then the backside sinks were applied.

here's the card with just the frontside sinks installed. OK they're a bit fugly, but they do the job. :p

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6809&stc=1

[ragejg]

...And here it is with the fronts and backs installed...

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6810&stc=1

I feel that now, the core is just begging for an aftermarket or cobjob HSF, as that stock unit is just way too dinky...

Now, as i said before, I was able to clock it fairly succesfully @ 325/310, but I turned it down when it decided to act just a bit funky...

Let's hope ChrisRay has success, and enjoys cooler ram chips. The card is in transit as we speak. Chris will report back with performance results, I'm sure. ;)

And everybody: Prod Chris into prying off that stock hsf :p:p

BTW this thread was meant to possibly help some people understand this quick and easy mod, and possibly feel better about doing it themselves on their *I don't care about the warranty* video card.

:D

PS: if I left stuff out, I'll return and insert it.

[EMunEeE]

So now the ramsinks and ram chips are ready...

now for the application...

Look, with the epoxy, it does need to take temperature increases, and what I used is the stuff I've used for years on things like fixing electronic assembly fixtures in loctions where a soldering iron is used (700-850 F)... it is in fat your basic 2 part stuff though..

I poured 4 piles and mixed two, as the frontside needs to be done and allowed to dry, then the backside is to be done...

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6808&stc=1

When applying to the ram chip, there are several ways to do this. One is to mix the AS5 with the epoxy, another way is to epoxy only the edges of the chips and have the AS5 in the middle...

Well, I recently had the blue orb on my ti4200 pop off due to a bad mix, and I didn't want anything like that to happen to ChrisRay, so I did the "edges" method... much pressure had to be applied to insure proper contact, and as I said before, the front side was done, allowed to dry, and then the backside sinks were applied.

here's the card with just the frontside sinks installed. OK they're a bit fugly, but they do the job. :p

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=6809&stc=1

For maximum efficiency, you want to rotate those heatsinks on the vertical memory row 90 degrees. So the air passes through the fins...nice job though!

[Ninja Prime]

Is it just me, or are those aluminium sinks that have a copper coating on them...?

[ragejg]

For maximum efficiency, you want to rotate those heatsinks on the vertical memory row 90 degrees. So the air passes through the fins...nice job though!

Bah! I should have done that! Oh well, they'll still work though.. :p

Thanks btw for the props. :)

[ChrisRay]

Looks good rage.. Just need.. for friday to arrive... then.. me.. can test! :ORDER:

[D.K.Tronics]

I've got exactly the same card (same make, cooler etc..), albeit a Pro version. Great cards.
What you could do is to take off the cooler, remove the shim, slap on some AS5, and see how far you can get that core.
On mine, after the above method, and using the same cooler, I can hit a 365 core, and it's completely stable.
Unfortunately, Sapphire's choice of RAM is pretty poor for overclocking, as mine goes a measly 10 mhz over. Anything else and it craps out, and the same goes for my mate's Sapphire NP.

I also have a tweaked BIOS, with all the timings right at their limits. It works well for both me and my mates NP, and gives a nice small boost in games.
If you want to try this BIOS out, Chris, just let me know and I'll post it somewhere.

[ragejg]

Chris, sounds like D.K.Tronics can set you up real good!!

Oh and you'll be able to play with something I didn't have the time for in cat 4.7... temporal AA!!

[Sazar]

man I shoulda lent you guys my card to test out :)

its stable @ 370/360 stock/air... :D

though I never keep it @ that... heh... I can feel the bugger warmin up though :)

if its simple enough to mod an hsf or something I might give it a decko...

-edit-

edited for typo's :D

its 370/360... not 380/370...