RockstarRunner wrote on 2024-01-16, 19:07:
Ok, so I'll leave it be and stick a fan on.
Probably the best option if you're just concerned with longevity.
Rockstar is talking about adhesive, not thermal transfer compound, which is a different beast together. These are good tips though, absolutely the backside can be an indication of heatsink efficiency, still a voodoo science though. Speaking of voodoo ...
Rockstar, may I have your opinion on a matter, since there is no definitive consensus on whether this modification is of hindrance or benefit. 3dfx chose tiny heatsinks and fans for the Voodoo 5500 & 4500, presumably to fit the card to the single slot form factor, and it is known that these cards get hot on backside behind the GPUs. There are little holes behind the GPU, presumably to allow heat to escape more freely from between the GPU and the PCB. Other video cards don't have little holes, so is that their purpose? Are these hole there to compensate for the anemic cooling properties of the heatsink and fan? Here's the million dollar question, do you think adding a MOSFET heatsink that covers the little holes would end up being of benefit or hindrance to cooling properties of these cards? This isn't meant to alienate you, it's a question I have that nobody really knows the answer to. There is one person I can think of who might know for sure, his name's Hank, he designed these cards, he could probably tell us what the holes were for and his opinion about covering them would be the word of truth. I can add some pictures if you don't know what I'm talking about.