GPU being held together with duct tape, need advice ASAP

Darren

Darren

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Staff member
A while back my computer was dropped about a foot and my GPU cooler essentially broke. The 4 screws that held on the cooler were teeny tiny and through super thin plastic that snapped on impact. Only one of the screws was still in place and I super glued the others back in to place and all seemed good. I opened up my PC today and the cooler is hanging on by one screw. I've since duct taped the cooler back on and it's holding but I don't like the idea of duct tape being in a hot environment like that? Any ideas on how to affix it more securely? Screw holes are basically toast and I don't want to spend more than 10 or so dollars unless absolutely necessary. I'm thinking just some heat resistant tape should do the trick. Pictures coming soon.


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I would try to find a aftermarket gpu cooler unfortunately they dont come cheap. Best do some research what pins you need. Otherwise try using your warranty, i assume you are still covered by a 3 year warranty. All else fails sell the card and perhaps upgrade? Another thing might be trying is maybe soldering the cooler on. Would keep the cooler on but not sure if it voids your warranty if it already isnt lol.
 
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I'm pretty sure I voided my warranty when I overclocked the video card, but I'm not sure if they can tell that and its' completely unrelated to this issue. Also the fact that the computer was dropped is totally at fault.
 
Yeah at that point i would just solder it or find another alternative to keep the cooler pn nice and snug. Shouldnt be to hard to solder granted u have a soldering gun and some solder of some sort. If not you can try to hot glue it as a temporary solution. If you do decide to solder it do it at your own risk and be carefull not to get any solder on the board. Good luck finding a solution. And sorry for any typos. Typing from ipod with autocorrect turned off lol.
 
I don't have any contact points to solder though. I think some tough and heat resistant tape would work fine.
 
Was thinking you could solder where the big peice of duct tape was. Would need alot of solder for that though. But yeah that should work to. But u may need check regularly for peeling.
 
Just replace the cooler,doing a bodge job with tape isnt a good idea imo.

Id create a wanted thread,or look on Ebay for anyone selling a 7850 cooler (usually people who go water cooling have these lying around).

Worth a try. :)
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186063 would be a good solution to your issue, but it is not that cheap, and you could add $10 and get far better cooling.

Not seeing anything cheaper that is compatible on either ebay, Newegg, or frozenCPU.

Edit: Is the heatsink itself still securely attached? If so, some simple electric tape will fix the airflow section. If not, then you need to replace the heatsink.
 
Heatsink is fine. Just fan and shroud are hanging off. All I need is a more permanent way to keep the cooler in place.
 
okay, it is no issue to tape it then. I had good luck with electric tape with a similar problem. Don't look that good though. Just a note, you have to go completely round the card at least once for a snug hold.

20130221_014318 by wolfeking, on Flickr

using some Zip ties might work too. Only real issue there is if you need to remove them later it is kind of a permanent removal.
 
If it is just the shroud your tape will do, or some sturdy string or elastic bands. That 1 screw will keep it all lined up, the holding method just needs to carry the small weight
 
Is it safe to use electrical tape and or string on the PCB? Will electrical tape withstand the heat?
 
Electrical tape will withstand the heat. Only issue is that it will shrink a little, which makes it harder to remove, but a tighter hold.
As for safe, yes. It stands a less chance of shorting than any other tape (not that the risk is ever high with tape), and it is designed to be an insulator (rubber backing).

String, I am not so sure about. It would depend on what it is made out of, and how tight you intend to tie it.
 
Okay I'll see if I can use Electrical Tape. I don't really have a need to remove the cooler ever so I'm not to worried about not being able to remove it. Besides I could probably just make some cuts in the gaps and remove it if needed. I'll post back with results tonight.

Thanks for the speedy help guys.
 
Well went out to Wally World and picked up some long zip ties. Seems to be doing the trick. Have it loose enough to where I can snip it off and isn't putting pressure on the remaining screw. Luckily it broke on that end because if it was the other way around I would have no place for the zip tie to go around since the rest is covered in fans.

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