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Live Testing

Date Log; May 17, 2006

We have spent a considerable amount of time developing the Radiical GPU block to the stage were we are happy with the weight and performance characteristics. The materials used in construction have been repeatedly evaluated to provide a good match between lightness and strength. Stainless steel fitting screws and a robust plastic top provide durability and corrosion free operation. Weighing in at 100grams the Radiical GPU block is about half of the weight of other blocks in the same performance range.

The Radiical GPU block design is based on our popular chipset block.The internal design is a cross flow micro channel system incorporated in a small contact footprint area of just over 40mm. A number of micro channels are used to create increased surface area and turbulence. The base is edge recessed to permit ease of fitting and will not interfere with video card surface components.

Barb sizes are fully adjustable with barb fitting capability from 10 mm compression fittings to a full 1/2" barb size. One size of barbs are supplied at the point of sale.

The GPU block mounting plate is able to rotate a full 360 degrees. This permits adjustment of the direction that the barbs point in. The benefit of the two point mounting plate increases ease of fitting by permitting the use of any of the video card mounting holes. The additional effect of full rotation of the mounting plate is that it reduces any torsion induced forces added to the block by the tubing. The block will simply rotate to the least point of resistance. Base plate contact is also increased with this design by removing the tendency for the block to tilt on the GPU die.

A full set of fitting screws, a back plate (discussed later) and some TIM joint material are supplied with the block.

Handy Hint

If you want to convert the threaded rod supplied with the block to a screw head first check to ensure that the nut can be screwed along the full length of the threaded rod then simply place a small amount of Loctite 243 onto the end of the screw thread after installing one of the nuts onto it. The result is that the Loctite stops the nut placed at the end of the threaded rod from rotating. We found this helpful in fitting the GPU block to the video card.

Fitting the GPU block

The first task is to remove the existent air cooler from the video card in preparation for fitting the GPU block. A basic cleanup of the GPU die and surrounds to remove all previous TIM material is also required. Then its on to fitting the backing plate. Care should be taken to install the backing plate with the insulated side against the video card.

The plate should be checked for clearance and should not be tilted against components on the card.

Handy hint;
Although the backing plate is included in the kit we no longer fit the backing plate as we find that it is easier with most cards to simply fit the screws with the nylon washers to insulate the fixing screws as shown below.

Fit both screws taking care to install insulated nylon washers on the other side of the card to avoid contact with any components. You should end up with something like this.

I prefer to fit the tubing to the GPU block before final fitting to the card. That way I have the least disruption to the GPU block contact when the block is fitted on the card.

This gives me the opportunity to leak test the block away from the video card and outside of the case. After leak testing I can then do a trial fit of the block to check if the tubing clamps are easily accessible and if they will foul either the card or any ram sinks that are fitted. Trimming back tubing can be done as a final step when the block is fitted to the computer.

Next I fit any ram sinks to the card under where the barbs will sit when the card is installed. Then its on to TIM.

Thermal Interface Material or TIM

It is a good practice to re mix the TIM material in the syringe before use. This is done by pulling back on the plunger then moving the plunger back to its original position. Repeat this activity until any carrier fluid ( the liquid part) is mixed back into the paste. A small amount of paste on the GPU die (about half a grain of rice size) is enough TIM to fit the block.

The Block is GO

Final fitting is to place the GPU mounting plate onto the two already fitted screws and then with the springs in place adjust the tension on the mounting plate by screwing down equally the knurled nuts. This can be done by counting the number of turns used on each knurled nut. A handy measure of correct fitting tension is is when the GPU block resists gentle turning. As a final check I like to eyeball an equal spacing between the GPU base and the video card all round the block prior to fitting the video card into the motherboard.

In this picture you can see the mounting plate in place and the compression of the springs holding the GPU block down.You can also see that the design of the block allows for the fitting of ram sinks to the card with the block in place. The ram sinks used here are made by OCZ.

Performance

When we tested the Radiical GPU block we were able to establish substantial drops in both idle and load temps for the Nvidia 7600GT card we used.

For example with an ambient temperature of 25 degrees we observed a temperature drop from 53 degrees to 31 degrees at idle and from 63 degrees to 40 degrees at load. obviously every card will be different so care should exercised in interpreting these results.

In the final wrap up of this FAQ it is important to note that the Radiical GPU block should not be opened or disassembled. The 'O' ring seals will be rendered useless by removal of the top. You will also void the warranty. We can include, if requested, at the point of sale, a picture of the internal micro channel design to satiate any interest.