GB2449951A

GB2449951A - Cooling device for a graphics card

Info

Publication number: GB2449951A
Application number: GB0721843A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vadim Chobanu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-11-07
Filing date: 2007-11-07
Publication date: 2008-12-10
Also published as: GB0710001D0; GB0721843D0

Abstract

A cooling device for cooling a graphics card comprises a universal water block 5 with elongated slots 13 that are adapted to align with the mounting holes of several different types of graphics card. The water block 5 comprises a flow cavity 6 through which cooling water is circulated and attaches over the graphics processing unit GPU of a VGA card by means of screws that pass through elongated screw slots 13. The screw slots are located in order to allow access to mounting holes on the graphics card and the elongate shape ensures that the water block can be attached to various models of card with differently positioned screw holes. The water block is made from highly thermally conductive material such as copper. An intermediate conductive plate (21, figure 5) may be placed over the graphics card to cool GDDR chips and the universal cooling block may cooperate with the intermediate plate to contact and cool the GPU. This intermediate plate would be custom designed to a particular model of graphics card. Thus, if a user upgrades a graphics card, the same water cooling block can be used as it is not specific to any type of graphics card.

Description

Coolin2 Device for Graphics Cards This invention relates to a cooling

device for graphics cards. In particular, but not exclusively, it relates to a cooling device for cooling graphics cards of PCs or other personal computers, which cards are mounted within the casing of the PCT and which generate heat which must be dissipated in order that the cards or its neighbouring components are not damaged.

Currently, graphics cards, if they require cooling, are cooled by fans mounted directly to the card, or they are sometime water-cooled. If they are water-cooled, then a specific water cooling body and apparatus is required. This has to be custom made to each graphics card.

It is common for a serious gamer or other heavy duty computer user to often replace and update their graphics card in an effort to gain greater processing and graphical capabilities. Up to now, each time a user replaces a graphics card by a new graphics card he has generally been required to obtain a new dedicated or customised cooling apparatus for that card. This greatly increases cost and means that the manufacturers of cooling device have to produce many different devices, all of which are relatively expensive.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling apparatus for graphics card that reduces or eliminates these problems.

According to the present invention in a first aspect there is provided cooling apparatus for a graphics card, comprising a cooling body having means for receiving a source of cooling fluid; the cooling body being provided with means enabling the body to be mounted upon one of a plurality of graphics cards without modification.

Preferably, the mounting means comprises one or more elongate slots extending from one or more edges of the body inwardly and disposed at positions where at least one of the slots overlaps a mounting hole or mounting portion on a graphics card.

Preferably, at least two, three or preferably four slots are provided. More slots than four could also be provided.

The slots are arranged so that a mounting screw, bolt or similar fastening means may be mounted through at least one slot to the mounting hole or similar on a graphics card to mount the body to the graphics card whereby when cooling fluid is applied to the body, the body acts to cool the card.

Ihe body may preferably be mounted at a position where it cools a processor and/or JO one or more memory or other chips forming part of, or mounted upon, the graphics card.

Most preferably, an intermediate heat conductive member is mounted between the cooling body and the graphics card. The or each member may be preformed to fit the configuration (chip position, etc) of a particular graphics card and each intermediate body having means for receiving the cooling body, whereby a single cooling body may be used, with the addition of a Custom or particular intermediate body, to cool any number of different graphics cards.

The intermediate body is preferably arranged to extend to cool the memory or other chips of the graphics card.

The intermediate body preferably comprises a recess portion or a portion formed by recessed ledges, for receiving the cooling body.

Preferably, the cooling body is mounted so that it directly contacts a processor of the graphics card.

The invention further provides mounting a cooling means to a graphics card comprising providing a liquid cooled cooling block with one or more elongate slots and mounting the block to the card by means of fastenings extending through one or more of the slots aiid into mounting holes or portions on the card.

There may be further provided an intermediate body shaped to conform with the configuration of the particular graphics card, and having one or more elongate slots CoiTesponding to those of the cooling block, and mounting the intermediate body, via the slots, between the cooling block and graphics card.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows part of a typical graphics card; Figure 2 shows a water-cooled body (cooling block); Figure 3 shows a top plate for the body; Figure 4 shows the graphics card with the cooling block mounted thereon; Figure 5 shows an intermediate plate; Figure 6 shows a side view of the intermediate plate; and Figure 7 shows an intermediate plate with a cooling block mounted thereon.

Figure 1 shows a typical graphics card for a personal computer. In this case, the figure shows schematically an Nvidia 7900 series graphics card 1. This includes a graphics processor 2 and a number of memory or other chip 3 as well as other components. The memory chips may be GDDR (graphic double data rate) memory which is typically used for graphics cards. Four mounting holes 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are provided spaced around the processor 2, for mounting a cooling unit.

Figure 2 shows a main cooling block. This is typically made from 100 x 72 x mm copper or other thennally high conductive material. The main body 5 includes a flow cavity 6 for receiving a flow of cooling water which is then passed through channels within the body and exits through an outlet 7. The precise configuration of the flow channels may be any desired one. Within the body a number of heat exchanging fins 8 are provided which are integrally formed with the body or may be separately formed and attached by a heat conductive medium so as to transfer heat from the body, and any component or card to which it is mounted, to the cooling water within the cavity 6. The cooling body 5 is intended to be positioned on the actual graphics processing unit 2 of a VGA graphics card and has a lower surface, which is preferably flat, to enable good thermal contact to be made therewith.

A threaded connection unit (not shown) may be connected to the face 8 in which the inlet 6 and outlet 7 are provided, by means of threaded bores 9. The body includes a number of mounting screw holes 10 for mounting a top plate 11 (shown in Figure 3). This will also typically be of metal although it can be of any hard material and can he of many diffrent thicknesses. Typically, it may be of 3 mm depth. One or more seals such as rubber seals 12 may be mounted between the cooling body 5 and top plate ii to stop ingress of cooling fluid. Seals 12 may also be mounted in the vicinity of face 8 to seal a connecting body mounted through threaded bores 9.

The body, and associated top plate, include universal mounting cuts' in the form of elongate slots extending through the thickness of the body and corresponding slots on the [op plate and these are shown at 13 on the body and 14 of the top plate.

In a typical example, the body includes a square or rectangular main portion 5a and a reduced section head portion 5b in which the inlets and outlets are provided. The elongate cuts or slots 13 are diagonally located and positioned at the corners 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the square or rectangular part of the body 5a.

When cooling is required just of the GPU 2 and its immediate vicinity of a graphics card, then the body 5, with associated top cover 11 mounted thereon by means of screws or bolts through cooperating screw holcs 20, 21 then the body is mounted directly upon the graphics card with its central section overlying and in contact with the GPU 2. Note that the body, including its base, is made of a highly conductive metal such as copper so that it provides a good thermal contact with the top of the GPU.

The universal mounting cut 13, 14 then enables the body to be mounted to any one of a range of graphics card Since, provided the mounting hole 4a to 4d of the card lie anywhere along the location of the elongate slot then a suitable fastener, such as a screw, bolt or otherwise, can be positioned through each respective mounting slot into the appropriate mounting hole 4a to 4d.

Although shown with four mounting slots, the apparatus may include only one mounting slot or, more preferably, two, three, four or more mounting slots.

Thus, provided the graphics card has generally appropriate positioned mounting holes 4a to 4d, as will normaily be present. then a single cooling unit may be used without modification provided the mounting hole can underlie at least one, and preferably two or more of the mounting slots. Generally, of course, two or more mounting slots will he provided or used to properly secure the cooling block, most preferably four so that the cooling block is securely located on all sides against the GPU for the best thermal contact therewith and therefore the best cooling capability.

For many applications this may be all that is needed. However, it is often required to cool the memory chip, typically GDDR memory chips 3 of the graphics card as well.

For this purpose, an intermediate heat conductive body may be provided and this heat conductive body may be designed individually for each graphics card or custom designed for that graphics card. However, as shown in Figure 5, each intermediate body 21 is simply a plate made from a highly conductive metal or other material and that can be relatively easily stamped or otherwise made quite cheaply. The plate includes a plurality of cut-out portions 26 which are custom positioned to overlie the memory or other chip 3 on a graphics card. Note that the specific intermediate plate shown in Figure 5 is not intended for use with the graphics card shown in Figure 1. The intermediate plate 25 includes a cut-out portion 26 extending to one edge and a ledge 27 of reduced height around this cut-out, as is shown more clearly in Figure 6, which is a side view. Ledges 27 and 27h extend from respective left and right sides of the adaptor and ledge A extends from the front of the adaptor but also extends through to the front face of the adaptor. The ledges are such that the cooling block 5a (Figure 2) may sit upon these ledges and thus be mounted in a particular disposition each time upon (he inrermediate part, but still be able to contact, via its base, the GPU or Cpu of the graphics card. Figure 7 shows a cooling block 5a mounted upon the intermediate plates 25.

It will be noted that plate 25 will usually have a larger extent (base extent) than the cooling block, so that the plate can be used to cool other components such as memory chips. Its extent may be approximately equal to the surface extent of the graphics card to he cooled.

In use, the intermediate part will be mounted upon a VGA or similar graphics card with the Cut-outs 26 overlying the memory or other chips on the card and the cooling block 5a mounted upon the intermediate part. The intermediate part is mounted to the graphics JO card by means of screw or other fastenings. Since the slot 26 is open, the bottom face (not shown) of the cooling block still sits upon, and is in contact with, the central processing unit 2 of the graphics card. The cooling unit 5a is in good heat conductive contact with the intermediate part 25 via the ledges and also the side wall 30, 31 between the ledges and the top surface 32 of the intermediate plate and therefore heat transmitted to the plate 25 via the other components such as the GDDR chips is also removed by the cooling water applied to the cooling block 5a. The cooling block may be provided with some screw holes 35 (Figure 2) for mounting this to the intermediate part or may be otherwise mounted.

The intermediate part (or cooling plate) may cover the GDDR, VRM, RAM DAK and other hot parts from the VGA board. As described, only the cooling plate needs to be purchased or made separately for different cards if extra cooling is required.

In some embodiments, some cooling plates may be supplied with the cooling main unit' that would allow, with minor modification, an end used to cover those GDDR or other hot parts. Alternatively, ready made cooling parts for specific graphics cards can be manufactured and sold so that the user will not have to modify anything, just simply install the particular intermediate card 25 with his standard cooling block 25.

The cooling block and intennediate parts may be of other shapes and dispositions.

For example, the intermediate part may be made of copper L-shaped material.

The intermediate plate is relatively cheap and easy to make. Thus, when a user changes their graphics card Lhey can keep the same cooling block and just need to purchase a new, relatively cheap, intermediate plate. This may alternatively be supplied in a kit with the card.

Claims

Claims 1. Cooling apparatus for a graphics card, comprising a cooling

body having means for receiving a source of cooling fluid; the cooling body being provided with means enabling the body to be mounted upon one of a plurality of graphics cards without modification.
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim I, wherein he mounting means comprises one or more elongate slots extending from one or more edges of the body inwardly and disposed at positions where at least one of the slots overlaps a mounting hole or mounting portion on a graphics card.
3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, where 2, 3, 4 or more slots are provided.
4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the slots are arranged so that a mounting screw, bolt or similar fastening means may be mounted through at least one slot to the mounting hole or similar on a graphics card to mount the body to the graphics card whereby when cooling fluid is applied to the body, the body acts to cool the card.
5. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein an intermediate heat conductive member is mounted between the cooling body and the graphics card.
6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the intermediate member has one or more elongate slots corresponding to those of a cooling body.
7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, wherein the cooling body is a standard item and the intermediate member is shaped to conform with the specific configuration and component placing of a particular graphics card, where a single cooling body may be used, with the addition of a custom intermediate member, to cool any number of graphics card.
8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the intermediate body comprises a recess portion or a portion formed by recessed ledges, for receiving the cooling body.
9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, 6, 7 or 8, wherein the intermediate body has a more extensive base surface than the cooling body.
10. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 9, wherein the arrangement is such that when mounted upon the intermediate body the cooling body still directly contacts a processor chip of the graphics card.
11. A method of mounting a cooling means to a graphics card comprising providing a liquid cooled cooling block with one or more elongate slots and mounting the block to the card by means of fastenings extending through one or more of the slots and into mounting holes or portions on the card.
12. A method as claimed in Claim 11, including providing an intermediate body shaped to conform with the configuration of the particular graphics card, and having one or more elongate slots corresponding to those of the cooling block, and mounting the intermediate body, via the slots, between the cooling block and graphics card.
13. Cooling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.
14. A method of cooling a graphic card, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.