How to cool my video card down

[jk561w]

Video card: Sapphire Radeon 9600 Atlantis series
Picture of the card:
CPU: P4 2.8G
RAM: 512MBX2
MotherBoard: ASUS P4P800
I actually bought this video card about 5 years ago, i played a lot of games with it earlier, about 2 years ago i bought a cheaper/crappy card to replace the 9600 because my computre keeps on crashing when i was using it. Today i accidently found this card again and after testing it and doing some research i found out that the problem with this card is overheating. I went out to find the MX-2 thermal paste as some experts suggested but only found some Silicone grease(from LondonDrugs, they told me it should work just fine), so i followed instructions and replaced the thermal paste on my video card, it still overheats. Basically after 10 mins of playing games like Warcraft3FT and CS the graphics start to lose pixels, a little bit after that the computer shuts down on its own. Its very hot when i touche the card.
My computer runs open-covered(cuz my comp case sux, if i dont open up the cover the whole dam comp overheats)
I dont play alot of the new games now, most of the times i only play War3 at my spare times therefore i want to avoid getting a new card if i could fix this problem.
I'd apperciate any help to fix the cards problem
Thanks in advance!

 

[jk561w]

i want to post the picture of my card but apparently i dont have enough posts yet to do so
bascially this card's got a heatsink with no fans on it.

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

If you're comfortable with changing the heatsink on your VPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=576&name=VGA-Cooling

Otherwise, check out a PCI slot fan:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N=2010110573 1372526581&bop=And&Order=REVIEWS

 

[Tmagic650]

Open the case and run it that way

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Open the case and run it that way

My computer runs open-covered(cuz my comp case sux, if i dont open up the cover the whole dam comp overheats)

"The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters." Blah blah blah...

 

[Tmagic650]

Sorry I read a lot of posts... Not completly sometimes

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Haha, I do it all the time...

 

[SNGX1275]

If the heatsink is getting hot, it is pulling heat away from the card, so you are doing the best you can do there. Put a big fan pointed towards the system if you are going to run with the case off. If not, cough up the $30 and get a nvidia 6200.

 

[mikeaaron33]

heatstink?

I'm still a newb, but I'd prolly upgrade that heatsink for cheap first

 

[Adhmuz]

The time alone in trying to fix the problem might not be worth it you can buy the same card, bran new for something like 40 bucks, or you can get something a lot better for a little more. This will give you better frame rates and overall be a worthy little investment.

 

[CMH]

agreed with Adhmuz.

The only people who would change a GPU heatsink are enthusiasts, and we all know how they price things aimed at us

Better off getting a new graphics card. Although you MIGHT save 10 bux or so changing the heatsink, but do realise:
1. You run the risk of destroying your video card in the process of changing the heatsink, since you obviously haven't done it before. On the bright side, take it as a "cheap" way to learn how to (or how NOT to) change the heatsink on a video card.
2. You would get better performance with the new card.
3. Something else could be the problem instead. Kinda farfetched, but I've plonked tons of money into cooling, just to find out something else is the problem instead. Then again, its not wasted money XD