What aftermarket Northbridge cooler for AMD770 (rx780) chipset?

[cam94z28]

The stock NB cooler on my GA-770TA-UD3 is running at atleast 72C (according to a temp gun), and the heatsink itself is too hot to touch. Software monitoring is showing the core at 84C!!!! I accidentally bumped it while installing my Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus, so I pulled it off, scraped off the Thermal pad, and applied a better compound. Now, the heatsink feels 5x hotter than it was, along with the chip actually running hotter (used to run 78-81C). You'd think if the heatsink was physically hotter, the chip should be cooler. I did scrape up the insulating pad a little bit since I used a razor to remove the thermal pad.


I'm looking for an aftermarket replacement that will fit without getting in the way of my Hyper 212.

 

[Markfw]

Well, I have that motherboard, and http://www.svc.com/hr-05-ifx.html looks like it would fit.

 

[tweakboy]

Or try www.thermaltake.com

 

[cam94z28]

Thanks for the replies. I know most of the options that are out there, but wanted to make sure they would fit my particular north bridge. I think the extreme spirit II might be a downgrade but the tower options out there look pretty nice. I would prefer one that comes with a fan though.

Markfw900,
Would you mind doing the "touch test" on your northbridge after your pc has been booted for 30 minutes or so, and tell me if it's also too hot to touch?

 

[Markfw]

Thanks for the replies. I know most of the options that are out there, but wanted to make sure they would fit my particular north bridge. I think the extreme spirit II might be a downgrade but the tower options out there look pretty nice. I would prefer one that comes with a fan though.

Markfw900,
Would you mind doing the "touch test" on your northbridge after your pc has been booted for 30 minutes or so, and tell me if it's also too hot to touch?

Wow, its hot. and TMPINT2 in hwmonitor says 81c, thats it I guess. Maybe I should get one too. I put a fan directed at it (80mm) and its down to 79c so far

 

[hdfxst]

I have a 770-ud3 rev.1,but all the 770 boards have this issue.I changed the tim and stretched the springs and it went from 79-82 to 77-79 and it's been running for over a year now.How bad did you damage the felt gasket?That keeps the heatsink flat to the chip,that might be why your temps went up.I never used this cooler but it's what people were recommending for my board http://www.svc.com/nhp-2200.html

 

[cam94z28]

Wow, its hot. and TMPINT2 in hwmonitor says 81c, thats it I guess. Maybe I should get one too. I put a fan directed at it (80mm) and its down to 79c so far

Yeah, I've noticed something similar. Oddly enough it's hottest in open air. But, when I have my case assembled with my 80mm, 50cfm rear case fan installed, it stays around 79-80C. The wierdest thing about this heat sink is that the core almost immediately gets to 77C, but the heat sink is cool to the touch. It takes about 25-30 minutes before the heatsink gets to 70C, and it holds that heat at near full temp for another 5 minutes after the PC is shut off. IMO it's just a bad design. As for getting a cooler yourself. From what I've read the chipset model up from the AMD770 lists a max safe temp of 100C. Couldn't find any info on the 770. But the chip is perfectly safe at 80C. I just worry about the components surrounding the heatsink. BTW, I have tried Cooler Master thermal grease, and OCZ freeze on the NB, and neither made a difference in temps.

I have a 770-ud3 rev.1,but all the 770 boards have this issue.I changed the tim and stretched the springs and it went from 79-82 to 77-79 and it's been running for over a year now.How bad did you damage the felt gasket?That keeps the heatsink flat to the chip,that might be why your temps went up.I never used this cooler but it's what people were recommending for my board http://www.svc.com/nhp-2200.html

The felt isn't missing any pieces, it just has a few nicks it. I used a triangle shaped razor blade, rather than square, to scrape the old Thermal pad off. I think my temp increase is more an issue because I can no longer close my case. I have a Antec Three Hundred on the way. But my Hyper 212 is too tall for my current case. Apparently my beefy rear case fan was helping cool it down. My mom has the MA version of this board (same NB and cooler), though, and hers doesn't budge from 79C.

Anyway. That nexus cooler looks pretty nice, but I kind of like the idea of a tower cooler like the HR05, and the ability to make a 60/80mm fan work with it (which some people have done) would help even more.

EDIT:
The HR-05 (this version anyway) is designed, and comes with clips for an 80mm fan. I think thatll be the perfect solution. I've already checked, and it appears it will fit next to my hyper 212 with no issues. But I think I will have to find a low profile fan, if I want to run one.
http://www.svc.com/hr-05-ifx.html

There is also an SLI version that angles under the outer video card, but I wonder if I can turn it the other way parallel to the rear of the case, and have it clear my cpu fan.
http://www.svc.com/hr-05-sli-ifx.html

 

[Lark888]

Let us know the results if you go with an alternate NB cooler. I have a Gigabyte MB with a heat pipe to the VRM modules but would like to try alternate coolers. I also have the 212+ and "think" it will fit between the cooler and video card.

 

[cam94z28]

I think I'm ordering the hr-05 ifx (non sli version). The only thing that concerns me is whether I can squeeze an 80mm fan (even an 80x80x15) between it and my vid card. My board is a non-sli, so there is a little more room between the pciex slot, and hyper 212, but it will still be tight.

 

[fluffmonster]

The wierdest thing about this heat sink is that the core almost immediately gets to 77C, but the heat sink is cool to the touch. It takes about 25-30 minutes before the heatsink gets to 70C, and it holds that heat at near full temp for another 5 minutes after the PC is shut off. IMO it's just a bad design.

Sounds like a contact or TIM problem to me. A crappy design won't shed heat very well, but it should still get hot along with the chip in a much more timely fashion.

 

[manimal]

Reapply with some ceramique. I do that on most of my boards.

 

[cam94z28]

When I first pulled the heatsink off the tim pad had a solid rectangle right in the middle, so it should have been making good contact. If I touch one corner though it rocks back and forth so it could definitely be tighter. The hr-05 ifx uses metal through pins so it will be much more secure.

Just ordered the HR-05 ifx and a few 80/120mm fans from svc. Will update with results once installed.

 

[BD231]

I have the 770 as well, I opted to kill two birds with one stone by getting a Thermal Take V1 though. The cooler pushes a ton of air over the northbridge making the stock sink on the chipset more than adequate.

A lot less work in the end.

 

[cam94z28]

NB is staying at 79C with my new antec 300 case fans on high. That's better than the 82 it was hitting before. I probably have enough airflow now that I won't need a fan on the hr-05 when I get it. Wish I knew how to snip these LED's without cutting power to the fan though. I got the illusion case because it was the same price as standard which came with 2 less fans, now I'm regretting it.