In the PC building community, tinkering and soldering have long been common practices. Enthusiastic builders often push the boundaries with innovative concepts for their next project. One Reddit user, u/Everynametaken9, recently showcased their modded RTX 3080 GPU on the Nvidia subreddit, sparking curiosity and admiration among fellow enthusiasts.
So, what’s the unique aspect of this user’s creation? They have attempted to create a fanless RTX 3080, eliminating the need for any cooling fans. Yes, you read that correctly – a GPU designed to operate without generating any noise. The inspiration for this ambitious project stems from MonsterLabo, a company renowned for its fanless PC case innovations.
MonsterLabo’s “The Beast” is a fanless PC case that garnered attention much earlier. Currently, pre-orders for this case are set to ship in Q1 2024. The case boasts an impressive cooling capacity of 400W for the entire system, making it ideal for achieving a ‘fanless‘ experience, with a recommended GPU power consumption of up to 250W.
The Redditor is contemplating whether to proceed with his endeavor, where his custom GPU cooling solution must meet the power requirement of the RTX 3080 at 320W. There’s a possibility of lowering this power demand by undervolting the GPU while maintaining performance. Currently, the project is in a “Prototype” stage, with no functionality testing of the GPU cooler yet. Seeking feedback, he outlined his approach:
“For this prototype, I’ve opted for a substantial copper bar as a heatsink, measuring 2″ x 3″ x 12″, with coolers affixed to it. In the provided image, you can observe a copper VRAM plate covering them all. However, it’s noted that the die is slightly higher than the plate.”
Despite self-identifying as a non-expert in hardware, the ambitious PC builder has prior experience creating a prototype that yielded 125W of cooling power for an i7-10700K. However, he acknowledges that this setup suffered from numerous thermal gaps.
His current project aims to cool both an RTX 3080 Founders Edition and an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X simultaneously. Under load when used together, this CPU and GPU combination can produce approximately 400-450W of heat.
Modder Issues and Community Reactions
The Redditor has voiced several concerns regarding his experimental GPU modification, which has yet to undergo testing. He worries that the copper bar being utilized might become excessively hot, potentially leading to VRAM overheating. However, there’s a theory suggesting that the overall size of the heatsink could mitigate this issue.
Additionally, he expresses concern about other GPU board components, such as conductors and inductors, potentially heating up. Lastly, he ponders whether the generously sized thermal pad he received with his copper backplate could effectively be employed on the graphics card.
This project has garnered significant attention from various media outlets and the Reddit community alike. One Reddit user remarked, “My 3080 can’t even be cooled by a 4-slot 3 fan design,” prompting responses discussing the potential need for new thermal paste on his GPU.
Another Redditor expressed skepticism, stating, “I seriously question how you got that many heatsinks,” which echoed my initial thoughts. Adding to the humor, another Reddit user dubbed the project a ‘cursed space heater.‘
The evolution of this prototype promises to be fascinating. While some Redditors are optimistic about its potential success, others harbor doubts, offering alternative materials or sharing insights into the optimal products for such a project. Personally, regardless of its eccentricity, I’m rooting for its success.
If successful, this project could establish a new benchmark for passive PC cooling endeavors! I genuinely hope that the project’s overall size doesn’t become excessive. It’s remarkable to witness the lengths people will go to in order to eliminate fan noise.
What’s your take on this fanless RTX 3080 GPU modification? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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