Included accessories
4x spring screws
6x M2 screw
2x M2 hex nut
Thermal pads
Requirements
Philips screwdriver
Thermal paste
Step 1: Remove the backplate and PCIe bracket
Unscrew the two screws that hold the PCIe bracket. Don't pull off the bracket just yet, as it's still fixed to the PCB.
Unscrew eight screws on the back of the card. Remove the backplate and PCIe bracket.
Step 2: Remove the heat sink
The heat sink is attached by four screws through the retention bracket. This bracket acts as a spring for the screws. Squeeze the bracket and heat sink together while unscrewing the screws, so the bracket doesn’t spring back.
When all screws are unscrewed, take off the retention bracket and the heat sink. The heat sink may be glued to the die due to the thermal paste. In that case, carefully tilt it to the left and right until it comes off.
Step 3: Thermal pads and paste
Replace the original thermal pads for the memory on the heat sink side of the PCB withthe ones included. Leave the ones on the backplate side in place.
Wipe the original thermal paste off the die using a lint free cloth. Clean the die using a bit of Isopropyl or other cleaning alcohol. Apply a dot of thermal paste in the center of the die, about the size of a grain of rice.
Step 4: Mount the new cooler
Lay the cooler upside down, with its fan against the rear of the card, and plug in the fan header. Then pivot the cooler into place on the card.
Step 5: PCIe bracket and backplate
We need to attach the PCIe bracket to the backplate first. Use two of the included M2 screws and hex nuts to mount the bracket to the backplate.
Mount the backplate to the card with the remaining four M2 screws. The two rear screw holes of the backplate remain empty.
You have successfully installed the single slot cooler! For optimal temperatures, it is highly recommended to adjust the fan curve. The stock fan keeps the fan spinning at low speeds, even when the card is running hot. Please visit the this article to read more about this.
Step 6: Fan curve
The stock cooler comes without a fan, so the card does not have a fan header. That's why the adapter is included, which allows you to run the fan from one of your motherboards PWM headers.
In order to have the fan adapt its speed to the temperature of the graphics card, you will have to set a custom curve. While a fan curve may be up to personal preference, I advise a linear or exponential curve that increases the fan speed from 30% to 100% between 40°C and 80°C.
Custom fan curves can be configured using software like Fan Control. There are many guides available online about creating a fan curve using your graphics card temperature sensor as input.
Step 7: (Recommended) Undervolt
Undervolting your card means tweaking the voltage the chip uses at a chosen frequency. Chips usually have a very conservative voltage/clock speed ratio, meaning you can reduce the voltage a lot without reducing the clock speed by a lot. Your card will draw less power, run cooler and more silent,, and be more power efficient.
While not required, cooling the card with such a small cooler is challenging so it will benefit from the reduced power draw. For an in-depth guide on undervolting, please refer to this article.
How did it go?
Congratulations with your single-slot graphics card! I would love to hear about your experience and value all feedback very much.
If you have any question, issue or suggestions, don’t hesitate to get in touch! You can join the Discord server for live support or to meet like-minded builders.
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