I've been using the same GTX 1070 since it launched, and I'd like to keep it going while extracting as much performance as possible. It has sentimental value as the first high-end component I bought, and replacing it would also be expensive. I'm interested in unusual upgrades, such as a more powerful aftermarket cooler, a GPU liquid-cooling setup, or even adapting a large CPU heatsink. How much extra performance could those modifications realistically provide, and are there any worthwhile ways to push the card beyond a normal overclock?
4 Answers
Try undervolting as part of the tuning process. It may sound counterintuitive, but reducing voltage can lower temperatures and power consumption enough to let the card sustain higher boost clocks. Start with small changes, test stability in demanding games or benchmarks, and keep an eye on memory temperatures as well as the GPU core.
If you want to experiment with liquid cooling, a universal GPU block or an older GPU AIO adapter may be possible, but condensation and VRM or memory cooling are serious concerns. Ice-water setups are especially risky because cold surfaces can collect moisture. A well-mounted air cooler with heatsinks and directed airflow over the memory and power circuitry is much safer.
The practical limit is usually a conventional overclock. You can raise the power limit, tune the core and memory clocks, and make sure the card stays cool, but the gains will probably be modest. A dedicated GPU liquid cooler could improve temperatures and overclocking headroom, though the cost may approach that of a used graphics-card upgrade.
A more extreme option is adapting a large CPU air cooler. Some people have modified the heatsink with a rotary tool and mounted a dual-tower cooler directly to the GPU. It can reduce temperatures substantially, but you'll need to solve mounting pressure, VRAM cooling, clearance, and airflow yourself. The extra thermal headroom may help the overclock, but it won't transform the card into a much faster model.
That is exactly the kind of ridiculous project I had in mind. I'll look into the mounting and clearance issues before attempting anything permanent.