# Hybrid modding a Asus GTX 1080 Turbo



## kenkickr (Jan 11, 2018)

I received the Asus 1080 turbo on Friday along with a Corsair H55 and NZXT Kraken 10 with full intention to water cool it. First I put the card in my htpc and after a heaven benchmark was glad I purchased the aio and Kraken....LOUD!!!

I like the EVGA hybrid cards but not the price plus like to have some fun so started tearing the 1080 apart.  I couldn't believe how much thermal paste was used when I took the heatsink off:








Wish I purchased some Thermal Grizzley or EK 1m pads but I can always come back to that.  Here's the board in all her non-reference glory:





Checking the heatsink assembly out it appeared there was some tough epoxy the only thing mending the GPU heatsink to the board brace so it was time for the heat gun.  After about 10 min of full blast from the heatgun the heatsink came off like butter. 

Please a silence of prayer for my Wen heatgun.  It was it's last mod project.  








*MORE TO COME THIS WEEKEND*


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## jboydgolfer (Jan 11, 2018)

kenkickr said:


>



theres GPU's in china starving for TIM , and asus is just throwing it away 

*when did Nvidia start with that new chip layout*?meaning,  the substrate without the border 



Spoiler: afaik it has always been present









? it was used in the 9xx Geforce's, or maybe its just this AIB PCB  i know its been done this way b4, but havent seen it on an Nvidia card in a while.....


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## kenkickr (Jan 11, 2018)

That's what I thought too.


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## jboydgolfer (Jan 11, 2018)

kenkickr said:


> That's what I thought too.



Hmmmmmm........ it would seem theres a mystery afoot.

Its likely just a choice asus made, but i didnt think they changed the diode or its border during theyre customization process.

 They must've removed it because it would  have impeded contact between the chip and the heat sink


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## kenkickr (Jan 11, 2018)

Checking out a bunch of different vendor model gtx 1080 bare boards and looks to be pretty common for 1080s not to have the gpu protection.


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## eidairaman1 (Jan 11, 2018)

Subbing


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## kenkickr (Jan 15, 2018)

I was able to work and finish the mod up this weekend as promised!!!

Cut the NZXT fan section of the bracket off and did a semi setup to measure what I need to take off the block/pump mount.




I was going to try running the tubing through where the Asus LED signage(rectangle) is but the knuckle of the tubing on the block/pump wouldn't allow me to put the shroud back on so had to change plans.  The tubing was going to have to come out of the top of the shroud. 




Wish I would have written down the measurements but this is what the bracket looks like after cutting it down so I can get it through the 1080 HSF card brace.




Strategic placement is what I call this picture 




Here we are before testing all assembled.  I do need to find some rubber to seal up around the tubing.




Here we are in the Silverstone GD10 HTPC/Gaming setup.  SO QUIET NOW!!!








Ran a couple loops of Heaven Benchmark and card now didn't get over 52 Celcius on me using Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut.  I do have the radiator fan as an exhaust since the GD10 has 2 120mm intake fans up top.  Let me know what you think and once I find a rubber piece to close up around the tubing I'll update the post.


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## R00kie (Jan 15, 2018)

I think you've messed up a bit with the last few pictures there, bud


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## kenkickr (Jan 15, 2018)

Yep caught it when I saved and are fixed now.


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## jboydgolfer (Jan 15, 2018)

I think you and I have the same glass office table . Yours is different accent colors but the same thing .

The modification looks nice. I'm glad you decided to put the factory shroud back on it's so much better looking than those aftermarket hybrid options.  This is one of the reasons those older corsair water blocks are so good, because they're very minimal and flat, and they lend themselves so well to this type of application as where the bulkier water block/pumps would've been impossible to fit properly


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## Sasqui (Jan 15, 2018)

You crazy basterd!  Love it!


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Jan 15, 2018)

gdallsk said:


> I think you've messed up a bit with the last few pictures there, bud





kenkickr said:


> Yep caught it when I saved and are fixed now.


Was your chode hanging out? 

Edit: forgot to insert quotes


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## kenkickr (Jan 15, 2018)

CrAsHnBuRnXp said:


> Was your chode hanging out?



If your talking the view of my big toe then Yes! 

If your talking my man part then it was more like shriveled up inside thanks to the cold and hoping I didn't have to take it all apart due to an issue or not booting up at all.


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## John Naylor (Jan 15, 2018)

I like that you have been able to maintain much of the original aesthetics.  My issue with the most hybrid installs has been:

1.  With some ... EVGA for example, the SC series parentage.  Don't really see it worth the time, effort and cost starting with a reference series PCB.  Most of the competition doesn't pull this.
2.  Adding hybrid cooling helps the GPU but often  ignores the VRM and memory.  Don't recognize that fan as coming from the G10.  How well is the fan doing as installed ... helping here ?  Did ya take before / after temps of VRM / memory ?
3.  If the CPU Hybrids need one (1) fan to take care of the 90 - 130 watt CPUs, then how is the same single fan deemed adequate for the 200 - 300 watt GPUs ?
4.  Mixed metals cause galvaniccoirrosion
5.  Very Noisy
6.  Aluminum rads
7.  Many of the CPU CLC coolers often paired with the G10, sometimes don't deliver better temps, the H55 in quiet mode for example, runs hotter than a Hyper 212.
8.  Generally no performance improvement as most AIB 10xx series don't throttle under any circumstances.  Still, makes a nice project, and I need no excuse to water cool anything, but generally do it for reduced noise.

Curious to hear how it compares with Furmark temps, air cooled MSI 1080 in my son's box hits 66C (15 below throttling point) ... full cover water block will usually drop GPU temps by 30C ... and VRMs / Memory below 50C

I love new Phoenix series AIOs from EK whereby everything comes as a self contained prefilled unit and snaps together with Quik-Disconnecrts, ... tho for the costs of all those QDs ....

https://www.ekwb.com/news/ek-mlc-phoenix/


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## kenkickr (Jan 15, 2018)

I will try some furmark out to see how the card handles because I will eventually fold with this card while we are at work/school.  

I did not take before or after temps of the VRM/RAM because I already knew I would be putting on the H55 + Kraken but wanted to see if I could create my own hybrid setup and didn't care for the whine coming from the fan thanks to the 85 - 90 Celcius temps.  

In time I will see if this setup holds up but right now I'm happy.


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