Accelero Xtreme GTX 280 mini review and support

[b1k3rdude]

Meanwhile i took my stock cooler and modded it.
http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/09/04/18/6nn.png
Not bad after 5 hours using badaboom , surfing on the internet and stressing !

Could you do us a favour and take a snapshot of gpuz temps with your modded gtx280 under full load via furmark..? as this is the route Im gonna take untill AC sort thier act out..

 

[OnBoard]

Then I got some thermalpads to fill up the order and this one (Thermalpad 3mm (100x20mm) is planned to go behind the VRMs under the backplate.

Hopefully it's the right thickness, should work from 1.5-3mm and provide some extra cooling to VRMs.

Just to let you know that 1mm is far too THICK on my GTX280. The GPU is unable to make full contact. So as it has to be less than less than 1mm, so am buying the only stuff we can get under 1mm which is 0.5mm. Order today will be here either Sat or Mon.

The tape is going to the backside of PCB and has to fill the height ram chip+stock pads make.

Ok Ive made some progress...

The issue is subtle to be sure, but I now believe the thermal paste wasnt thick enough so wasn't evenly spreading across the whole surface of the gpu. The load temp isnt rising as quickly as before but its still reaching 104c, which means the HS still isnt sitting correctly on the GPU...

Hope the thinner thermalpads do the trick.

This review was a lifesaver, you might recall my problem in this thread.

In my 4 day long project (don't laugh, I do have to make a living ), I did exactly as OnBoard did in the review posts, hacksawed my way trough, and I thought I'd post some updates. I also had to modify my Antec Sonata III by sawing off 2 of the bottom hard disk spaces, since the cooler was too big to fit in the case.

I do have one problem though, the upper RAM-heatsink doesn't stick at all, and I'm wondering how glue behaves in those temperatures.

I'd like to thank OnBoard and other posters in this thread for the great methods you decided to share. I would've also posted pictures about the project if my camera would work.

Glad it worked out for you. Those are some nice temps, now you got good GPU temp to go with the already good VRM temps

As for the ramsink not sticking, the top one was a bit tricky. As it goes along the PCB that has a slight bend to it, the middle one didn't want to stick (at least on mine). I just held it there pressed for couple minutes and it did stick.

If you can get it to stay there, it'll stick better when the ram warms up.

---------

As for my VRM mod part 3 parts, package didn't arrive this week, so it's next week then.

 

[mudkip]

Could you do us a favour and take a snapshot of gpuz temps with your modded gtx280 under full load via furmark..? as this is the route Im gonna take untill AC sort thier act out..

I now have my Accelero GTX280 back on but I can remember that full load was about 80 degrees for GPU and about 120 for the vrm's

 

[Calneon]

Hey OnBoard, I just made an account so I can link you to my log which I posted on OcUK.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18049396

I think you might find it interesting. Without your guide to use the stock VRM cooler i'd have never thought of that and had to make do with the terrible supplied one, so thanks for that!

I also noticed I have lower core temp than you, by quite a lot. I don't know why that is.

 

[BababooeyHTJ]

Hey OnBoard, I just made an account so I can link you to my log which I posted on OcUK.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18049396

I think you might find it interesting. Without your guide to use the stock VRM cooler i'd have never thought of that and had to make do with the terrible supplied one, so thanks for that!

I also noticed I have lower core temp than you, by quite a lot. I don't know why that is.

His GPU is drawing more under furmark, could be different settings in furmark or Nvidia control panel or different clocks (I didn't really check). Both are impressive none the less. I may have to do the same, I didn't notice how much better the vrms perform than with my enzos.

 

[Calneon]

His GPU is drawing more under furmark, could be different settings in furmark or Nvidia control panel or different clocks (I didn't really check). Both are impressive none the less. I may have to do the same, I didn't notice how much better the vrms perform than with my enzos.

AFAIK, settings in Furmark don't change temperatures much.

I just tried overclocking, before I installed the Accelero all I could manage was 650 core, i'm quite impressed with the results:

That's a 22% overclock and max temps are 61 degrees on air!

 

[BababooeyHTJ]

AFAIK, settings in Furmark don't change temperatures much.

I just tried overclocking, before I installed the Accelero all I could manage was 650 core, i'm quite impressed with the results:

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj279/Calneon/overclock.jpg

That's a 22% overclock and max temps are 61 degrees on air!

I thought you were talking about vrm temps, those core temps are impressive. Comes very close to my HR-03. If you are forcing AA or AF in Nvidia control panel (which I'm guessing that you don't have enabled) it can really drop the load.

Edit: Apparently airflow in your case as well as ambient temps can make a bigger difference than I figured. I just replaced all of the case fans on my Antec 1200. I had 1900rpm Scythe Slipstreams and I replaced them with low speed Yate Loons. While the Yates are impressive I just saw my core hit 60c for the first time while playing Sacred 2 maxed out with 4x aa and the elite textures, I had seen the HR-03 top out at 57c in the past. I'm not sure what was more of a factor the 82F+ ambient or the slower fans but the massive reduction in noise was worth it.

 

[b1k3rdude]

That's a 22% overclock and max temps are 61 degrees on air!

I thought you were talking about vrm temps, those core temps are impressive.

er, yeah... but look at the VRM's, at 142c those little chips I would have thought are well out of spec temperature wise and I would expect them to fail in short order.

 

[b1k3rdude]

I now have my Accelero GTX280 back on but I can remember that full load was about 80 degrees for GPU and about 120 for the vrm's

Ah so no real gain in your DIY cooling then..?

 

[b1k3rdude]

when I fitted the Enzotech MOS-C1 sinks into the Thermalright vrm plate! I fit the plate back on. Unfortunately, not much improvement in temps. though. But no worries about the sinks falling off with the plate pinned on. Perhaps there would be a bigger improvement with the sinks bonded to the plate with solder or thermal glue, and thermal paste applied to the vrm's. I doubt it would help much though.

Hi Retro, have you gotten around to using thermal epoxy to bond the Enzotech sinks to the thermalright plate yet...? as to me this seams like the best idea so far for a third part vrm plate that will work with the A.C. Accelero.

 

[BababooeyHTJ]

I have to know what you are using for a case.

 

[Retro*]

Hi Retro, have you gotten around to using thermal epoxy to bond the Enzotech sinks to the thermalright plate yet...? as to me this seams like the best idea so far for a third part vrm plate that will work with the A.C. Accelero.

Actually, it was BababooeyHTJ who had this idea and I just decided to give it a quick go, as I was using the Enzo sinks at the time, and wondered if it would help the vrm temps.
But I didn't use any kind of epoxy or soldering and it didn't make much difference from using the sinks on their own. If BababooeyHTJ had done this mod I think it would have been done better and had better results

I haven't done anything with the TR plate/Enzo sinks as I sold my 280 and picked up a 275 on sale to hold me over until the 300 series are out. Although I may try an Accelero on it in the meantime. Maybe

 

[mudkip]

Ah so no real gain in your DIY cooling then..?

well , less noise and still about -10 over all btw

I think that the temp for gpu core was about 75 and 120 for the vrm's

 

[b1k3rdude]

I have to know what you are using for a case.

Who me..? I have an Antec 900 with 3x120mm Xigmatech fans and the 1x200mm Antect bigboy.

 

[OnBoard]

Hey OnBoard, I just made an account so I can link you to my log which I posted on OcUK.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18049396

I think you might find it interesting. Without your guide to use the stock VRM cooler i'd have never thought of that and had to make do with the terrible supplied one, so thanks for that!

I also noticed I have lower core temp than you, by quite a lot. I don't know why that is.

Hehe, seems I'm responsible for most ruined stock heatsinks Good that it worked for you too

About the temps. Pretty much all of that first page stuff is with 40% fan speed, you have it at 80% -> that's the difference.

edit: once I'll get my parts for VRM mod #3, you'll (and rest) get my temps with current voltages/dynamic fan.

er, yeah... but look at the VRM's, at 142c those little chips I would have thought are well out of spec temperature wise and I would expect them to fail in short order.

Think that shot is still with the stock VRM plate (anyhow with a massive OC), here is with hacked off part:
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj279/Calneon/DSC04190.jpg

Anyhow, that is indeed too much. Don't use (Calneon) those clocks too extensively, although games don't raise VRM that much.

I haven't done anything with the TR plate/Enzo sinks as I sold my 280 and picked up a 275 on sale to hold me over until the 300 series are out. Although I may try an Accelero on it in the meantime. Maybe

Do that, I bet Accelero fits on GT300 cards too

 

[b1k3rdude]

well problem solved, I traded my GTX280 and 2x sticks of 1Gb DDR400 and £25 in my local CEX for a gainward GTX285.

So far Ive had it upto 700/1596/1296 and the core temps dont get higher than 65c, but GPUZ dosent show the VRM temps or Amperage useage on this card... is there any way to get Rivatuner to monitor this card so it shows the vrm temps..? And it looks like nBitor wont allow me to edit the voltage IC settings to I can undervolt the card in 2D and over volt in 3D... maybe there are some tools on gainward's site...


.

 

[Calneon]

Think that shot is still with the stock VRM plate (anyhow with a massive OC), here is with hacked off part:
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj279/Calneon/DSC04190.jpg

Anyhow, that is indeed too much. Don't use (Calneon) those clocks too extensively, although games don't raise VRM that much.

That shot was with the hacked off stock VRM cooler. I've reduced the clock to 700 because any extra wouldn't really benefit me much in games. I think the VRMs are rated up to 150C max so 140C is still relatively safe (but not advised ofc). In normal games, they don't exceed 100C.

For anyone who wants to know, I have a HAF 932 case (HAF = High Air Flow) maybe that's why my temps are low .

 

[OnBoard]

well problem solved, I traded my GTX280 and 2x sticks of 1Gb DDR400 and £25 in my local CEX for a gainward GTX285.

So far Ive had it upto 700/1596/1296 and the core temps dont get higher than 65c, but GPUZ dosent show the VRM temps or Amperage useage on this card... is there any way to get Rivatuner to monitor this card so it shows the vrm temps..? And it looks like nBitor wont allow me to edit the voltage IC settings to I can undervolt the card in 2D and over volt in 3D... maybe there are some tools on gainward's site...

Nice trade

You are out of luck with VRM temps or voltages, 55nm cards don't support that (they don't have the IC chip). Anyhow, you gained easier to cool VRMs and now you can go Accelero too, if needed

 

[OnBoard]

New thread title (added support), thanks Mussels.

My box of goodies arrived. Starting from left it's some thermal pads (0.5mm&1mm) and 3mm is the one sideways that's planned to go back of VRMs. Then there is the heatpipe RAM coooler, dang that thing is BIG! I had no idea it was going to be that huge In the right couple 140mm 1000rpm Yate Loons (one goes for input fan in case). Blue 80mm fan just there for size reference.

Won't be an easy project and I have to plan how to fit all that heatpipe under the cooler and where to position the fin part. I was wondering before I got this if one of these would be enough.. ..kinda makes me laugh now and no wonder that thing cools one stick of memory so well Oh, for those who haven't followed that closely, that cooler is going to cool my VRMs if I manage to fit it somehow to the card

 

[b1k3rdude]

update: Re - the gainward GTX285.

Via nbitor and furmark: under volts to 1v for idle and 1.15 for load and thus far stable settings with no artifacts are 702/1584/1296. And I dont know if over/under volting works via bios editing on this card as there is no way to measure.

idle..........................................................................load

 

[OnBoard]

Here's my current temps for Calneon (and others interested). Much has changed since the start of thread. New case, new fan profile, new voltages, few cooler remounts

Idle, now with working 2D clocks (23.6C ambient)

5min FurMark, dynamic fan keeping RPM still low, but better than 40% and wanted it like that.

Now to take card off the case to see how and where I could fit that heatpipe-thing.

 

[mudkip]

so maybe new pics of your card onbaord?

 

[AddSub]

Wow, what a thread! I would have returned that cooler to the place of purchase within hours. Nobody should put up with that much trouble just to get the darn thing to work as advertised. Especially at $50-$60 a pop.

 

[Retro*]

Wow, what a thread! I would have returned that cooler to the place of purchase within hours. Nobody should put up with that much trouble just to get the darn thing to work as advertised. Especially at $50-$60 a pop.

I wish it was that easy! The fact is, no aftermarket air cooler manufacturer for the 280 series cards has been able to provide a decent solution to cooling the vrm's. Certainly not Thermalright either. But the gpu cooling results with heatsinks such as the Accelero are excellent. Thus the attempts at dealing with the vrm cooling, of which I tried several
I think OnBoard is on to something good with VRM Mod #3, with the use of a heatpipe-equipped ram sink

 

[OnBoard]

so maybe new pics of your card onboard?

Yep, coming when I get the mod done.

But the gpu cooling results with heatsinks such as the Accelero are excellent. Thus the attempts at dealing with the vrm cooling, of which I tried several
I think OnBoard is on to something good with VRM Mod #3, with the use of a heatpipe-equipped ram sink

Thanks for the confidence Almost went :shadedshu when bending the pipe a crack appeared. Tried to solder it and soon realized that you can't solder a heatpipe Just didn't get hot enough for solder to stick, heat just got transferred instantly all around. But good thing is I learned that it still works, fins got quite hot after poking the pipe with soldering iron.

Accelero is now in pieces (literally ), ram-cooler bent to approximate shape and placement thought. Need to thermal adhere it in there, not sure if I'll file the VRM part at all for better fit. It'll have multiple contact points anyways with the pipe being so long. Also less chance for anything to go wrong, as I've already done hours of work with this mod.