I'm hoping for one of the bit-tech people to answer this for me... Is the 5870 compatible with 4870 aftermarket coolers where it comes to the mounting holes, or is the difference between the holes different? I'm looking to watercool it with THIS swiftech block maybe, and i don't mind losing the VRM part and cooling them alternatively, but the mounting holes on that thing are non-adjustable.
nevermind people, i answered my own question Lo and behold, a picture featuring both the 5870 and 4870 on the same scale. I extrapolated the red bits onto the other card, and it seems it's going to work 100% The biggest difference between the two is that the 4870's memory is a tiny bit smaller and sits a little closer to the GPU. Worst-case scenario is the block not covering the whole memory module on the 5870, but as long as there's contact with more then 50% of the module i don't see any overheating issues arising from it. It's going to work!
I'm gonna be trying the same setup, 5870 with a MCW-60 4870. If you try it first please report back dude. I know the 4 mounting holes are identical to older generations, but die size and orientation are obviously different and the height could also be enough to interfere with block contact.
Have you double-checked the scale of something on there? They're not taken side-by-side, so you could have perspective trouble, even if one direction is the same scale there's no guarantee they both will.
I'll let you know as soon as i get my hands on the hardware, i trust you will do the same for me Sure, you can clearly see the 5870 picture especially have a bit of a "fisheye-lens" effect on the right side, but the holes line up well enough to be 99% sure imho. Also, as mentioned, the fit on memory and VRM isn't perfect to begin with, just close enough to make no difference for me. That's what the is for
It looks about the same, but the VRM chips on the HD5870 look to be a little bit bigger, which will cause a problem. Why don't you wait for DangerDen, EK, etc... to come out with HD5870-specific blocks?
The VRM heatpipe can slide out the main GPU/MEM part of the block so that isn't a concern. As for waiting for full cover blocks.... well, I did spend £65 on mine so want to get some use from it.
The main reason for doing this is obviously cash. A new block from DD or EK or the likes will likely cost around 90-130 euro, depending on what they think they can get away with.
