Installing aftermarket VGA cooling., Featuring: AC Accelero S1 rev 2. & including full review and unbox

[4L3X]

Hi mates, flight simmers, computer geeks and gamers,
As promised about 2 weeks ago, (with a little bit of lateness ) I am here today to bring you shots of ACs Accelero S1 rev. 2 installation as well as a full review accompanied by unboxing. I hope you enjoy my guide to installing VGA aftermarket cooling and hopefully this shall be helpful in the future

DISCLAIMER: neither I nor FSW will be responsible for any damage done to your system due to following this guide. All modifications you make are being taken at your own risk.

Introduction
Aftermarket cooling for a video card didn't use to be a problem back in the 90's; but as time passes and GPU's get better and more powerful, they also tend to get hotter, especially now a days when they get overclocked. More specifically since the introduction of the GeForce 8800 series; aftermarket cooling has started being an option if not a requirement for most overclockers and every now and then a fellow gamer with a very hot GPU.

Although GPU companies these days, include a heatsink and fan on their video cards, it is hard to OC much on them, and if you do, you will most probably be stuck with the complementary Boeing 747 jet blast sound coming form your PC case. But not to worry, because Arctic Cooling has developed a way to keep all that noise and temperature down to that of a Cessna 172 engine by coming up with a "Passive" way of cooling your VGA. (passive means noiseless ) This is known to most PC enthusiasts as the Accelero S1 (rev. 2). Now the reason I say it could still be a little loud is because, if you're looking for a good OC with this heatsink, you will eventually need to add a fan to it, but for sure, it will not be as loud as the stock fan, especially if you go with AC turbo module, which IS a complementary addition for the S1.

Now let's talk a little bit about the heatsink
Features

• Passive VGA Cooler with 4 heatpipes
• Multi-compatible Mounting design
• High Reliability
• Low weight
• Noiseless cooling
• And of course, it looks really good in your case

Technical Specs

• Dimensions:
  138(L) x 215(W) x 33(H) mm
• Weight:
  290g
• Heat pipe:
  6 mm x 4
• Accessories:
  2 Voltage Regulator Heat Spreaders, 8 Memory Heat Sinks
• A whopping 6 year warranty

Just in case anybody is thinking about getting one of these:
Compatibility
ATI:
Radeon HD 3870, 3850, 2600, 2400, X1950, X1900, X1800, X1650, X1600, X1550, X1300 series

NVIDIA:
GeForce 8800GTS(G92), 8800GT, 8600, 8500, 8400, 7950GT, 7900, 7800, 7600, 7300, 6800, 6600 series (except 7X00 GS AGP)

Now that we're done with the facts, here is what actually came in the box
The heatsink box




Here it is unboxed


Here you can see in red which parts are specifically made for ATi cards and maybe work with some older Nvidia cards; and in green are the parts that work for both brands. The little bag actually contains screws, clips and instructions, although not that helpful


And here is a closer look at the heatsink(upside down)Also notice that it is really wide, so make sure it fits in you case before you buy it.



What you will realize if you get the S1 is that there are no Voltage Regulator heatsinks for the nVidia cards. Although Arctic Cooling specifically says that the new nvidia cards DO NOT NEED these heatsinks, I would still suggest buying some aftermarket ones for the sake of being safe. Also these would especially help if you are thinking of overcloking a lot. I bought mines from svc.com. They are originally made for the ThermalRight HR-03 cooler, but they will work fine with this heatsink also. You can buy these heatsinks from HERE.

Here is a shot of those


So those were pretty much the unboxing shots

INSTALLATION
Now for the installation. The card I will be using is the PNY 8800GT. Here are some shots of that.







When installing any aftermarket cooling on a videocard, in my case the 8800GT, what you will want to do first is remove all the screws on the back of the card. These are the screws that keep the stock heatsink on, make sure you get all (12) of them (if you have an 8800GT). NOTICE: Try not to move around when working around electronics like a videos card, this will create static, which could possibly damage the card. Also DO NOT work on the floor, this is the main cause of static. To avoid static, try touching a metal object like you case every now and then, this will discharge you.

Here's where the screws are located on the 8800GT


Next, what you want to do is flip the card around and cautiously separate the stock heatsink from the card. Remember don't just pull it off there like an animal; remember that there is a fan power cord that you will have to unplug.

Below is a color guide for reference in the next two shots:
GREEN= GPU(graphics processing unit)
RED= RAM
YELLOW= Voltage regulators

Notice the fan power cord in the upper right corner (next to the ram). Don't forget to unplug it



Here you can observe that the GPU as well as the ram looks and IS very dirty. Follow the steps below to clean these before applying anything else on them.



Cleaning of the GPU and RAM
Now I've personally been looking around the internet and almost everybody that bought S1 was disappointed because the RAM sinks wouldn't stick to the RAM. That is because they have to be cleaned VERY WELL and throughly. I've also heard numerous methods of cleaning the ramsinks, i.e. warm them up with a blow dryer so they will stick better. But then there is the classic and most efficient method. Specifically what I did is I revised Arctic Cooling instructions.

The essential material here is Rubbing Alcohol or as more commonly known isopropyl alcohol. And if you have Arctic Silver Thermal material remover, I would most definitely suggest using it. If you don't, try getting some rubbing alcohol, but make sure it has at least 91% isopropyl alcohol in it. Personally I also used rubbing alcohol.

Cleaning steps:
1. Using some sort of stronger tissue (i.e. Bounty is what I used), apply rubbing alcohol on it (not too much so it starts dripping, but make sure the tissue isn't dry ) and start to gently rub the RAM on the video card. Let it dry.
2. Now following Arctic Cooling suggestion, which I must say, works amazingly well; get an eraser and start erasing the RAM. You know you've done a good job when you start seeing the writing on the RAM.
3. Once again clean with rubbing alcohol.
4. Do step 2 again.

Now all you have to do is follow the steps above a couple of times until the RAM is squeaky clean. Also make sure you don't leave any eraser residue on the video card. P.S. Q-tips are a great way of cleaning small spaces. They will come in very handy, so use them for small spaces.

The GPU doesn't need the eraser treatment, just clean it throughly with rubbing alcohol. And again use the Q-tips to get into small places, you will encounter these, trust me. The GPU should be clean enough so you can see yourself in it.

Also try to clean the Voltage regulators a bit. You just need to wipe those with some bounty and rubbing alcohol.

I am sorry to disappoint you, but due to excitement I forgot to take shots of the cleaning process. I apologize and hope the steps above are clear enough in telling you what you should do.

Applying the RAM sinks
To apply the ramsinks, you will have to carefully peel off the protecting film; you can use a razor blade for doing that. Make sure you DO NOT touch the thermal adhesive.
Now position them above the RAM and press them on. You might want to apply a little bit of pressure just to make sure they are stuck on there. Keep that pressure for about 20 seconds for each ramsink. (don't apply too much pressure though)

Do the same for the Voltage Regulator heatsinks (if you bought any)

Very Important: RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO TEST IF THE RAMSINKS ARE ON. THIS CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE THEM FALL OF AND THEY WILL NOT STICK AGAIN.

Here is how the heatsinks should look once they're on. Also notice the shine of the GPU; that is how clean it should be



Also applied the VR heatsinks


And a complementary shot



Now if you're a little "like to worry a lot" like me, you might want to put some sort of pressure on the ramsinks for a while (around 15mins). I used a couple of books. In the picture below they look really heavy but they're actually under one pound Either way, even if you;re not worried they might fall off, you should leave the card like it is for about 15 mins so that the thermal tape bonds to the RAM.



Installing the S1
That was pretty much all the hard part. Now lets get to the actual heatsink installation. First get the thing out of the box. Do not touch the thermal paste. By the way that is pre-applied MX-2 so don't bother changing it.
Now place the heatsink thermal paste up and notice the different holes. For most of the newer nVidia cards, you will use the holes circled below:



Before you apply the heatsink, make sure you peel of the little stickers that cover the corners of where the holes are (see picture above) In this part you also have to be a little careful; instead of putting the heatsink on the card, you will have to flip the card and carefully align the holes of the card with those of the heatsink. Now place the screws provided through the red washers provided and lightly screw two of them in at the PCI side of the card. Make sure they are screwed in enough to avoid your card breaking off, but loosened enough to perform the next step.
The next step will be to follow the instructions provided by Arctic Cooling to install the plastic clips. Once you've done that screw in the other two screws.



It is important that you don't screw them in tightly one after another; but instead alternate between them so the pressure is evenly distributed to the GPU.

If you look at the GPU from the side you should see that the Heatsink is making direct contact with the GPU




VOALA!!! You have now officially finished installing AC Accelero S1 rev. 2. Painful process wasn't it?

Here are 3 more shots to make you proud of your success





Notice that revision 2 of the S1 has a plastic plate over the back. I think this could be removed, but leaving it there will be just fine.



Now just put your card back in your computer like you would normally do. Don't forget to screw the vent provided into your case. Turn on your computer and have fun.

Here it is in the case


Although some of this information is specifically for installing the Accelero S1, you can use the cleaning method and the ramsinks installation method with any aftermarket cooling device out there. I hope this mini tutorial can and has helped you with whatever it is that you are doing

TEMPS
I have to say sorry again since once again I was to excited and forgot to take shots of the temperature before the new heatsink, although I do know it. I hope that the members of this forum trust me enough to not make me a liar I am not

With the stock cooling unit and with the fan set at 100% the 8800GT at stock speeds got up to 67*C on load and 50*C on idle.

After adding the Accelero S1, the temps dropped a wopping 17*C on load and 6*C on idle. Which results in 44*C idle and 50* load.

Here are temps on idle. Again sorry for not having more shots of this. I will do my best to get more later


I have to say that Arctic Cooling really did a remarkable job with this product for it does exactly what is stated on the box. And this is only with passively. Next I'm going to show you the easy process of adding a fan.

This is not hard as all you have to do is remove the card from your computer and use some zip ties to connect the two. Your really don't need to get a Turbo module; a 120mm fan will do just fine. Note that adding a fan will make you GPU take up 3 of your slots, but if you're like me and you don;t need them you will be fine

Here are a couple of shots:

Yes I got a rosewill fan; it was the cheapest one


Putting zip ties on


Done


Nice lighting


With the fan on, your temperature should drop anywhere from 3 to 10 degrees celsius. In my case it was about 3 , but that's because of the probably slow fan.

Again I just want to say that ACs Accelero S1 rev.2 has proven to be not only the best performance for the money but a great solution to cooling my 8800GT, and I'm sure it will work as well with any other card. Arctic Cooling has done a great deal here and it should be respected by all of us here at FSW I give this cooler 5 stars and recommend it to anybody who wants better cooling and is on a budget.

There it is guys, my review/unboxing/ installation guide for an aftermarket VGA cooler. I hope you enjoyed it! And I hope this will prove helpful to members of the FlightSimWorld community.

P.S. Don't forget to put the AC sticker on your case

P.P.S. Happy Flying

Best regards,
Your fellow flight simmer,
Alex

[tropicalfish]

Very nice, I like the pictures.

[4L3X]

Very nice, I like the pictures.

Thank you, I'm glad you like the pictures

[Peter797]

Yeh pictures are great quality and very handy tutorial! I'm sure this will work for many people.

[Mul.]

Excellent review. Very clean and immaculate job, particularly with cleaning up the core.

[Vlad]

Haha very nice!

Lol at the disclaimer...

[4L3X]

Thanks for the replies guys! I'm glad you liked my review

[DJ Iceman]

Excellent quality! 2,000/5. Should be pinned or added to the database

[jcrouse55]

Yes very nice tutorial on installing aftermarket GPU cooler!! Great job Alex! Thanks for all your work

[-Toshiba-]

Great tuturial. I will use it when i get my new computer and 8800GT or something better I printed it for safe keeping. I love it!!!! great work man!!

TOSHIBA

[CAY029-Pierre]

Wow, thanks for making this nice tutorial! I'm 100 percent sure I'm gonna use this for my installation!

[4L3X]

I'm happy to hear I'm useful Thanks for the replies guys.

[h.V]

pin please.

[4L3X]

pin please.

YAY!!!

[PiP]

For a few $ I'd have used a better fan, other than that, a very professional job.

[learjet45dream]

I don't necessarily think it should be pinned because it is one cooler for one card. Maybe if it was a more generalized guide that would be useful for more than one card, I might say pin it.

This is a very nice tutorial/review. I would have spend the extra $ for a better fan though.