Notes

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Servicing the 8800GTS (320MB & 640MB) is recommended a comparatively simple process that can be completed in less than 10 minutes however please be aware that if your card has any remaining warranty then you risk the warranty being voided so keep this in mind.

Equipment Needed

As a way to service your card you will require the following items:

Philips Screwdriver
Citrus-based Solvent
Can Of Compressed Air
GPU Thermal Paste (recommend using Akasa or Arctic Silver for best results).
An Old Credit / Debit Card (not essential but really helps to apply the thermal compound correctly)

1) Remove All Screws From 8800GTS

Remove the 8800GTS from your own system in the first place and lay this on a set area with enough room to work. The standard 8800GTS heatsink has a total of 11 screws that require to be removed before it might be separated from the printed circuit board (PCB).

Firstly take away the 8 screws from the underneath of the card (be sure to keep all screws in a safe place). Then you will need to remove 2 further screws located close to the monitor output sockets (these will undoubtedly be DVI ports and will be white in colour). The final screw are available at the top corner of the card, joining the metal PCI slot into the circuit board itself and once this has been removed you'll now be able to proceed to the next phase.

2) Remove Heatsink

Almost all 8800GTS cards have an excessive amount of thermal paste put on them in the factory and therefore when you come to remove the heatsink you might notice that it generally does not initially want to come off despite the fact that you have removed each of the screws. That is quite normal and is merely a case of the thermal paste hardening over time and forming a light bond between your heatsink and PCB.

The best thing to accomplish is use your screwdriver as a lever between your two and gently apply pressure to separate both components (be cautious to position the screwdriver so it does not touch the memory modules or capacitors on the PCB). After the two parts are separated you will require you will see that they are connected only by a thin wire from the fan. Locate the plastic connection at the end of the wire where it plugs in to the PCB and gently wiggle this to unplug the cable from the PCB.

3) Use Compressed Air To Clean Heatsink & PCB

Given that the heatsink has been removed you should use your can of compressed air to clear the fan and metal fins on the heatsink and the surface of the PCB itself. I would advise achieving this outside when possible as there might be a good deal of dust trapped within the heatsink, especially if the card is quite old.

4) Remove Old Thermal Compound

Using a little bit of kitchen paper to eliminate nearly all thermal compound from both the PCB and the copper plate located on the heatsink. Then work with a citrus-based compound on a cloth (or cotton bud), to gently remove the last remaining traces of compound from both surfaces.

5) Apply New Thermal Compound

This stage can be a little tricky but the aim is to get yourself a thin, even covering of compound on the copper portion of the heatsink. I find a very good way to do this is to apply a little (pea-sized) level of thermal paste to 1 corner of the copper plate and use an old credit card to gently smooth it on the whole area. Don't use too more than this as the compound is nothing more than a very thin layer between your copper and the GPU core designed to complete any surface irregularities on the metal (on the micron level).

6) Plug In GPU Fan Connector & Re-Attach Heatsink

Before re-attaching the heatsink make sure to connect the white fan cable back to the PCB. Now align the heatsink with the screw holes on the PCB and reattach the 8 screws on the lower of the PCB. Make sure that these screws are tightened and that there exists a good (flush) contact between the heatsink and PCB. Now attach the remaining 3 screws.

7) Test GPU Temperatures

Fit the 8800GTS into one's body and power on according to usual. Before launching any 3D application I would recommend downloading a GPU temperature monitoring program such as for example Rivatuner and checking the idle temperatures of your card. You should see an idle temperature of anything between 30-55 degrees - any greater than this and I will suggest removing the card and double-checking that the heatsink is making good contact with the PCB.

Finally if the idle temps look okay then launch a 3D application like a game or graphical benchmark and check the temperatures under load (should be under 90 degrees but likely will undoubtedly be around 70-85). Again if the temperature rises above 90 then this might indicate the heatsink is not fitted correctly or you have failed to reattach the GPU fan.

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Once you have serviced your 8800GTS correctly you might notice a reduction in both load and idle temperatures (and possibly fan noise). Performing this simple procedure once every 6-12 months should keep your 8800GTS running cooler and will help to extend its lifespan considerably.
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