- Joined
- Mar 18, 2012
- Messages
- 168 (0.04/day)
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- In the Ether...probably eating cheetos atm.
System Name | Surprising Mini Duece |
---|---|
Processor | i3-550 3.2ghz/core (nice little gamer, 98% games = dual core code only) |
Motherboard | ASUS P7H55M-LE |
Cooling | Cooler Master Vortex |
Memory | 8GB Patriot Signature Series 1.5v DDR3 1333Mhz w/ spreaders. |
Video Card(s) | Old slugger ... EVGA 8800GTS 640Mb SC edition. Soon to be retired. |
Storage | Segate Sata II 64mb cache 1TB single platter.. fast but chirpy lol |
Display(s) | 1x Asus VS247h-p 2ms LOVE IT, 1x Sceptre 22" Naga 2ms, 1x 20inch Samsung Syncmaster |
Case | Aerocool QX-2000 .. my latest project |
Audio Device(s) | Onboard HD |
Power Supply | Seasonic x650 Gold! Primo 105Celisius Jap cap wonder. |
Software | Whatever I can pirate ;) lol jk .. Windows 7 legit license |
Benchmark Scores | LOL I still get rock steady 57-60FPS in Skyrim on medium settings no AA on this 5 year old video car |
Hello all,
Recently I became the proud new owner of a Diamond 7850pe52g http://www.diamondmm.com/7850PE52G.php (awwwwww) ...
Like many, I can report that this beautiful and short 7850 is a great little over-clocker (especially with aftermarket cooling as some report) and a nice little bang for the buck. Currently I've got it on full maxed CCC over clock with 1050Mhz Core/1450Mhz Memory and 20% over-volting on it and it's purring like a kitten with no hiccups. The over clocking gained me a 15% higher score in 3D Mark 2011 vs. stock clocks and 11FPS total in Furmark at 1920x1080 burn in. I was very impressed with the free boost with just a flick of the slider in CCC Overdrive. However, read on...
Like many I've discovered she can run a bit toasty with V-sync off and full over clock. Considering she has a radial fan similar, but smaller to the MSI R6850, I find it surprising that I'm seeing heat at 93*C at full OC with full load. Radial fans traditionally provide a much better cooling option than the big inline fin blocks popular to the GTX series IMO so why is she kicking up so much heat? I didn't think it to be the heat sink because again, it's a nice radial heat sink much like the R6850 and that one does 71*C full over clock at 960Mhz. So, I thought possibly it could be the Thermal Paste. I decided to take it apart and the answer was kind of shocking.
I was surprised to find out that the factory thermal compound used appeared to actually be of very good quality. It is a silverite compound much Arctic Silver and not the cheap gray clay used on many OEM computers like Dell and HP. In fact the thermal compound had a similar look, feel, pliability and consistency as Arctic Silver. So if it wasn't the heat sink what was it...? Alas, The culprit IS a horribly rough copper heat plate!See attached pictures! It's been machined flat but you can see the saw blade grooves all in it radiating out like a thumb print! Someone made the decision to skimp, well toss out entirely, the idea of providing a mirror finish to the plate. I've never seen a plate like this in person only in pictures. This thing is rough and has more ridges in it than a Ruffles wavy potato chip! lol I've been out of the lapping game for awhile so I'm not sure if this is the "new and improved" way of producing a heat sink copper plate but where I come from it's just horrid... pictures attached.
I Wonder, should I bother to lap it or does it have just too rough of a surface to get it smooth before losing to much cooper for it to even touch the GPU? I'm afraid if I try to lap it with that rough of a finish on it, I could wear it down too much beyond use and possibly even kill the flat edge.
Thoughts?
My final thoughts: I'm really kind of disappointed in this discovery... sure it's still a "good card" and getting me the FPS I want; but, someone obviously decided to skimp and cheap out on good "quality" practices for fit and finish that has directly lowered the cooling solution of the product and in fact cheapened the product... It could have been such a better cooler but some bean counter had to say no to the quality fit and mirror finish. It's obvious that someone decided to cheat the public a little and skimp out on a good finish because who's going to take it apart and see the heat plate right ?
Well I did... And, I for one feel kind of duped!
I was going to to get a second one for Xfire, I may rethink that now
Ps. Power color has an identical model, I wonder if theirs is the same. I'd report this to Diamond but they'd probably void my warranty for taking off the heat sink
Just reply > "sucks to be you" lolz
Recently I became the proud new owner of a Diamond 7850pe52g http://www.diamondmm.com/7850PE52G.php (awwwwww) ...
Like many, I can report that this beautiful and short 7850 is a great little over-clocker (especially with aftermarket cooling as some report) and a nice little bang for the buck. Currently I've got it on full maxed CCC over clock with 1050Mhz Core/1450Mhz Memory and 20% over-volting on it and it's purring like a kitten with no hiccups. The over clocking gained me a 15% higher score in 3D Mark 2011 vs. stock clocks and 11FPS total in Furmark at 1920x1080 burn in. I was very impressed with the free boost with just a flick of the slider in CCC Overdrive. However, read on...
Like many I've discovered she can run a bit toasty with V-sync off and full over clock. Considering she has a radial fan similar, but smaller to the MSI R6850, I find it surprising that I'm seeing heat at 93*C at full OC with full load. Radial fans traditionally provide a much better cooling option than the big inline fin blocks popular to the GTX series IMO so why is she kicking up so much heat? I didn't think it to be the heat sink because again, it's a nice radial heat sink much like the R6850 and that one does 71*C full over clock at 960Mhz. So, I thought possibly it could be the Thermal Paste. I decided to take it apart and the answer was kind of shocking.
I was surprised to find out that the factory thermal compound used appeared to actually be of very good quality. It is a silverite compound much Arctic Silver and not the cheap gray clay used on many OEM computers like Dell and HP. In fact the thermal compound had a similar look, feel, pliability and consistency as Arctic Silver. So if it wasn't the heat sink what was it...? Alas, The culprit IS a horribly rough copper heat plate!See attached pictures! It's been machined flat but you can see the saw blade grooves all in it radiating out like a thumb print! Someone made the decision to skimp, well toss out entirely, the idea of providing a mirror finish to the plate. I've never seen a plate like this in person only in pictures. This thing is rough and has more ridges in it than a Ruffles wavy potato chip! lol I've been out of the lapping game for awhile so I'm not sure if this is the "new and improved" way of producing a heat sink copper plate but where I come from it's just horrid... pictures attached.
I Wonder, should I bother to lap it or does it have just too rough of a surface to get it smooth before losing to much cooper for it to even touch the GPU? I'm afraid if I try to lap it with that rough of a finish on it, I could wear it down too much beyond use and possibly even kill the flat edge.
Thoughts?
My final thoughts: I'm really kind of disappointed in this discovery... sure it's still a "good card" and getting me the FPS I want; but, someone obviously decided to skimp and cheap out on good "quality" practices for fit and finish that has directly lowered the cooling solution of the product and in fact cheapened the product... It could have been such a better cooler but some bean counter had to say no to the quality fit and mirror finish. It's obvious that someone decided to cheat the public a little and skimp out on a good finish because who's going to take it apart and see the heat plate right ?
Well I did... And, I for one feel kind of duped!
I was going to to get a second one for Xfire, I may rethink that now
Ps. Power color has an identical model, I wonder if theirs is the same. I'd report this to Diamond but they'd probably void my warranty for taking off the heat sink
Just reply > "sucks to be you" lolz
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