[SOLVED] What normally holds a graphics card onto its cooling component?

[Tabs467]

Recently the cooling component of my graphics card came loose (only connected by the wires) and I can't figure out how it stayed on in the first place.

I can see the thermal paste which it connects to but not much in terms of how it is supposed to stay connected to the graphics card

I have been duct taping it together for a while which works somewhat (although at high temperatures).

Graphics card is a 1070 with an EVGA ACX 3.0

Any advice would be much appreciated

 

[hotaru.hino]

The heat sink should be screwed onto the card.

Did you buy this card second hand or something?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

A heatsink will not just fall off. That model would have probably a dozen or so screws holding various components of the cooling assembly on.

Was this a secondhand purchase?

 

[Tabs467]

It was first hand a few years ago and one day I just found the cooling component hanging off just from the wires

 

[hotaru.hino]

I think a few pictures of the card are in order.

I had an EVGA card with an iCX 3.0 cooler and took it apart. That thing had like a dozen screws holding everything in place. So I find it hard to believe the heat sink would just start hanging from its wires if you didn't do anything.

 

[Tabs467]

I think a few pictures of the card are in order.

I had an EVGA card with an iCX 3.0 cooler and took it apart. That thing had like a dozen screws holding everything in place. So I find it hard to believe the heat sink would just start hanging from its wires if you didn't do anything.

https://imgur.com/a/W34zYUD

View: https://imgur.com/a/W34zYUD

 

[Karadjgne]

There's 4 large screws at the chip, then there'll be other large screws around the vrms/vram and another 4-10 or so smaller screws around the edges, some of which pass through the shroud and backplate and screw directly to the heatsink.

As tight as those screws are from the factory, the chances of 1 or 2 being loose is possible, the chances of All of them suddenly dropping out (without the heatsink being tight, even running windows will literally cook the processor and force shutdowns) is next to impossible and you not notice.

The only Plausible explanation was that card was taken apart by someone for water-cooling purposes, which didn't work out, they did a miserable job of putting the screws back in, so they returned the card and you bought it 'new-open box'

 

[hotaru.hino]

Okay, I can see how it could "fall out." The heat sink detached from the cold plate. However, the cold plate should still be mechanically secured with four pins:

But yeah, my guess is someone tampered with this card before you got it.

(Also my memory was hazy, it's only four screws that holds the heat sink down. But I did have to basically tear the whole thing apart when I did)

 

[Tabs467]

Okay, I can see how it could "fall out." The heat sink detached from the cold plate. However, the cold plate should still be mechanically secured with four pins:

But yeah, my guess is someone tampered with this card before you got it.

(Also my memory was hazy, it's only four screws that holds the heat sink down. But I did have to basically tear the whole thing apart when I did)

It seems as though the plate is on the wrong side of the card or is just missing?

https://imgur.com/a/hUKUBzB

View: https://imgur.com/a/hUKUBzB

 

[alceryes]

The cold plate is still on the GPU core. It has detached from the heatpipes. Is this the original cooler for this card? Did you buy this card from a retailer directly?
It's in bad shape. Looks like it was used in dirty, humid environment, maybe for mining. The contact between the cold plate and heatpipes is NOT good at all.

At a minimum, a full disassembly and cleaning is needed and a new cooling solution added. Whether it will work after that is anyone's guess.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Something seems very fishy about the card you have, and it may also challenge my assumption the pins are what's holding it in place. There are neat clear markings underneath the thermal paste on the heat sink and there are clearly divots for the heat pipes to fit into on the cold plate with similar markings. This to me tells me that the cold plate should be soldered onto the heat sink. Which to me makes the most sense for the most effective heat transfer. It was on my mind earlier, but I also think the thermal paste job is really dodgy for being from the factory.

So yeah, someone tampered with this card. You may want to consider getting an aftermarket heat sink. I recommend looking into either Raijintek's Morpheus II or if you can find it, Arctic's Accelero Extreme III or IV

 

[drivinfast247]

The cold plate should be soldered to the heat pipes.