Thermaltake Giant3 Video Card Cooler InstallationThe installation of my new Thermaltake Giant3 Video Card Cooler did not go according to plan. Actually, it wen't pretty badly.
Having experienced several thermal shutdowns, I upgraded my cooling by installing a few mods. Here is my illustrated guide and walkthrough of how not to install a Thermaltake Giant3 video card cooler on an ATI 9800XT.
Warning: Do not try this at home! Do not follow these instructions, as I destroyed my card. You have been warned!
I took delivery of a few new toys, one of which was my Thermaltake Giant III VGA cooler. The highest clock I could get stock was 389mhz GPU and 345mhz Memory, producing a 3D Mark 2003 Score of 6400. I couldn't get higher on stock cooling, so this might be worth trying. It was in the sale as well, so it was a bonus!
As you would expect from a manufacturer such as ThermalTake, all parts were of high quality, the heat sink was a little rough but still acceptable, and spare screws and washers were included.
The only difference between the 9800XT and the 9800 Pro is in the clock settings, the Pro being lower. Some Pro models have the R350 chip running at its highest clock speed, while others have the R360 chip, which is underclocked. Luckily for me, once I had the stock heatsink and fan off, I found myself with an R360, which means that I should be able to run my 9800 Pro at XT speeds without any problems :)
Tighten screw A, using nut B and supplied washer C then screw clips using a screwdriver and secure using clip D.
??? At this point, I did away with the instructions and made it up as I went along.
I'll use my pliers to grip the nut while balancing the card on my knee and tightening the screw with the other hand...
...Tchzing! Pliers slipped, I heard a clink, and something hit the table. Oh NO!!
I decided to continue with the installation regardless; it may still work. On with the Goo...
It still posted, but as soon as I entered Windows and ran Explorer, screen corruption was visible before the PC reset. The POST beeps a few times, and the screen is a mess. Weird characters and colours, and then the PC powers off. RIP one graphics card! BE CAREFUL WITH PLIERS!!!
