How should i cut up my 6870 heatsink
 

Question: Which way should i cut my heatsinks

option 1: I would like to make the more smaller cut on the top part of the heatsink so the tubing goes out through the top.
Option 2: The other option is that i cut the heatsink directly over where the gpu lies.

The problem:

Which option is going to have a more negative effect of the vram and gpu temperatures?

If i do option 1, will there be better airflow in underneath the heatsink, and how will there be any heat coming off the gpu block that it would elavate the ambient temperature within the heatsink?

If i do option 2, will this make the fan essentially useless? and how will a hole in the middle of the heatsink effect the amount of air flowing through the heatsink, particually on the left of the gpu?

**If anyone wants to do this, you have to sand down the inner part of the original heatsink's unisink because the Rasa GPU block is JUST A FEW MM to big to fit in the space that is cutout in the unisink, i just used a dremmel

Interesting idea , I have thought about doing something similar with my 285gtx

i got the rasas' for $31 each at ncix (thank you ASPM) and i bought the sapphire heatsinks from Hiti for $40 for the pair, so this mod is costing me just $50each to water cool my 6870's, i think thats a much better deal than buying a full block. Yes, i know i could have just bought the ram sinks, but the vram? on the left of the gpu is so god dam tiny that its really hard to find ramsinks to fit in there, also i think this way will look way cooler as well.

First, get rid of that horrid Sapphire sticker :bleh: Paint it flat black, something like that. If you can pull off the tubing through the side, I'd say do that route for aesthetics alone.

that was actually exactlly what i was going to do, i just forgot to pick up the paint when i was at cdn tire today, i bought a mastercraft dremmel kit on sale from $89.99 for $24.99, i picked it up even though i had a descent job mate one lying around here, i thought the extra 100pieces alone were worth the money.

Nice, nice. I picked up one of the CT rotary tool kits for like $15 on sale a while back. The plexi cutoff wheels were worth it alone. As for something I was thinking, maybe just cut a rectangle out of the side of the shroud, instead of trying to do holes for the tubes. I think it's be too hard trying to get a clean circle in plastic. (Or if you were thinking of doing that already I'll shut up :whistle:)

^i was gonna pick up the dremmel kit with 300pcs at costco for $33.99 ( i saw it at cdn tire for $99) but it was soldout at the costco i got to in Vancouver. Im just trying to go with the option with better airflow but i was thinking about just cutting off the top just for the asethetics, i mean it would looks pretty dope seeing the heatsinks yet there is piping connecting the two, hmm i guess im gonna go have to buy one of those wc crossfire bridges from dazmode. Now i have more to think about, we'll see what others have to say.

OH thats the main reason why i bought this particular mastercraft one instead of the $15 jobmate, this kit you can turn it into a miniature drill press, so cutting holes wont be that hard.

You can also start with a thin sheet of aluminum or copper.This will save your shroud in case you decide to go back to air or if you want to sell the card.

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum...0484f7425c.png

^this is why i bought 2 extra heatsinks, i wanted to keep my xfx heatsinks so that i could always slap them back on if ever i had to rma them.

i would vote out the top that giant hole would 1) look terrible 2) not much air will get to the vrm's.