One easy way to fix the problem is to remove the bracket from the block, then get yourself some medium grade sandpaper and find yourself a flat surface. Start sanding the standoffs all at the same time rotating the bracket a quarter turn at a time every few strokes. It would also be helpful to find yourself a good quality ruler to measure the standoffs and try to keep them as even as possible.stopthekilling77 wrote:Well the DIY part of it isn't too scary aside from parts being expensive, but the problem here is that the standoffs are riveted to the block that fits my GPU. Only way I can see to fix this myself is to grind down the standoffs but I don't have the equipment to do it properly
watercooling prep
- Bio-Hazard
- Legit Extremist
- Posts: 2302
- Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 9:48 pm
- Location: Back Woods Of MO.
Re: watercooling prep
- stopthekilling77
- Legit Extremist
- Posts: 2192
- Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:08 pm
- Location: Colorado, USA
- Contact:
Re: watercooling prep
Bet that even the long process of sanding will still be much faster than waiting for swiftech to help me. Got a response from him and he told me that my thermal paste on my blurry picture was my GPU and that it was making perfect contact. I'm sending him a video now ;)
MSI 970A-G43
AMD Phenom II X4 965BE @ 3.5 GHz
10 GB DDR3 1333 CAS-7
GeForce GTX 650 Ti OC 2GB
2TB Seagate HDD, 1TB WD HDD for backups,
Antec P-180B, Antec 450W PSU
ASUS 27" LED LCD Monitor
someday I will get a real GPU and some SSD's...
AMD Phenom II X4 965BE @ 3.5 GHz
10 GB DDR3 1333 CAS-7
GeForce GTX 650 Ti OC 2GB
2TB Seagate HDD, 1TB WD HDD for backups,
Antec P-180B, Antec 450W PSU
ASUS 27" LED LCD Monitor
someday I will get a real GPU and some SSD's...

Re: watercooling prep
It pays to take decent pictures it seems 
Get a nice camera.
Dan

Get a nice camera.
Dan
- Alathald
- Legit Extremist
- Posts: 1632
- Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:55 pm
- Location: Southern Ohio
- Contact:
Re: watercooling prep
Clean off all the paste, mount it and put something like a bright red shirt behind it. Then take a pic so the red shows through the gap so its more obvious it's not making contact.stopthekilling77 wrote:Bet that even the long process of sanding will still be much faster than waiting for swiftech to help me. Got a response from him and he told me that my thermal paste on my blurry picture was my GPU and that it was making perfect contact. I'm sending him a video now ;)
Re: watercooling prep
Hmm maybe I should have pulled apart my new block for the I7Bio-Hazard wrote:Yup, sure did, back when they first changed manufacturers during the first runs of the Swiftech APOGEE blocks.XstollieX wrote:Ever find any big chunks?Bio-Hazard wrote:I normally go the extra measure and open up the blocks to ensure that there isn't any leftover metal filings inside, but that's just me.
- martini161
- Mr Awesome
- Posts: 3185
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:27 pm
- Location: Cherry Hill, New Jersey
- Contact:
Re: watercooling prep
if you havent already mounted the rad, i use a slightly different method of flushing. first i run tap water through it for a while, to get big stuff out. then a little bit of distilled water right after. then filli t up about half-3/4 of the way full with a 50/50 vineger/distilled water mix and shake it about, then flush it out with distilled water for a while. using distilled water is better IMO than using bottled water as bottled water is filtered, but there is still some stuff left over in it. distilled water i pretty much gaurentenig your getting just water

Dan:3Martin:3 "my manhood is so big if i put it on the keyboard it would stretch from A to Z!"-Anonymous
- stopthekilling77
- Legit Extremist
- Posts: 2192
- Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:08 pm
- Location: Colorado, USA
- Contact:
Re: watercooling prep
Works for me, I'm going to get some 250 grit sandpaper tonight and grind the standoffs down til it makes perfect contact. The only thing I'm wondering as far as the mounting is how far down I should go so the copper isn't crushing the GPU. I'll be up and running tomorrow if everything goes right 

MSI 970A-G43
AMD Phenom II X4 965BE @ 3.5 GHz
10 GB DDR3 1333 CAS-7
GeForce GTX 650 Ti OC 2GB
2TB Seagate HDD, 1TB WD HDD for backups,
Antec P-180B, Antec 450W PSU
ASUS 27" LED LCD Monitor
someday I will get a real GPU and some SSD's...
AMD Phenom II X4 965BE @ 3.5 GHz
10 GB DDR3 1333 CAS-7
GeForce GTX 650 Ti OC 2GB
2TB Seagate HDD, 1TB WD HDD for backups,
Antec P-180B, Antec 450W PSU
ASUS 27" LED LCD Monitor
someday I will get a real GPU and some SSD's...

- Bio-Hazard
- Legit Extremist
- Posts: 2302
- Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 9:48 pm
- Location: Back Woods Of MO.
Re: watercooling prep
You'll have to take it down far enough so that there's a little day light between the stand-off and the card after the block makes full contact with the GPU core. The rubber on the water block back plate will then apply the required pressure on the core when the screws are tighten down. You should do a few different test installs to ensure that you are getting a full even contact patch on the thermal past.