Windows 7 - Graphics card heat sink blocking PCI slot

Hi,

I have a Radeon HD 4500 graphics card that's plugged into the PCI express slot on my motherboard.

The heat sink on the graphics card is huge and covers the next PCI slot down completely which I now need. I don't want to buy a new graphics card as the one I have works fine and I can't afford a new one.

I can take the heat sink off but I don't want the thing to overheat and blow.

I have looked for a heat sink but I can't find one this small enough to fit.

Can anyone offer a low cost solution to the problem?

The graphics card is a Radeon HD 4500.

Cheers

It will self destruct in the blink of an eye with no heat sink on it. Also, the current heat sink is as big as it is for a reason. IMHO putting a smaller one on is probably not a good idea unless it specifically states its compatible with that video card. Water cooling might work but that will likely cost as much as finding a new video card.

Hi,

Would this be a solution do you think?

PCI-Express PCI-E 16X Riser Card Flex Flexible Ribbon Extender Extension Cable | eBay

Also what is the difference between the item above and this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PCI-Expres...#ht_2102wt_984

It's got a smaller connector at the other end. Sorry a bit of novice at things like this.

The second cable that you link as an adapter from a PCI-E X1 slot to a PCI-E X16. It would be of no use with an X16 graphics card.

For the first cable, I can't say that it won't work. However, how are you planning to mount the card? Allowing it to flop around on a ribbon cable strikes me as unreliable.

Mostly out of curiosity, what's your motherboard? I'm imagining some small microATX board.

You could always drill holes somewhere and mount it.

The full width extension cable may work. Assuming you have enough room to plug it in under the graphics cards heat sink, and that said heat sink doesn't get hot enough to melt it. What do you plan on plugging into the other end of it, and how are you going to mount it?

OK. I have 2 PCI's and 1 PCI E. The first slot is a PCI-E where my graphics card is. The 3rd slot has a SATA Raid PCI board connecting 2 SATA drives. Basically I have run out of SATA input on my motherboard hence the SATA PCI card.

The idea of the ribbon is that I can plug the ribbon in move the plugged in PC-E card up to the next level and put my intended PCI card below.

Like I say it's ad hoc but ive run out of SATA ports.

Also the PCI-E wont be flopping about as I will screw it into the back of the PC. It just needs a 1cm lift above the PCI-E port. I don't have a small PC just one that has run out of SATA ports hence the raid config.

OK, it might work that way then. I'd test fit you video card in the slot above to make sure there aren't any obstructions, like capacitors etc before ordering the cable. what I would be worried about is your video card moving around now that it doesn't have a socket to support it and keep it straight..

I'm not sure what you mean. Do you refer to fitting the card into a disused I/O slot, while jacking it up to clear whatever motherboard slot is already there?

Sounds like a nasty kludge, but if you're desperate to save a few £, maybe you can make it work.

Kludge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think what he means is his case has more mounting points than the motherboard has connectors for. Mine is that way, I have slots where I can mount a card in my case but there is no motherboard card connector there to plug one into. The card would be mounted in the case but not plugged into the motherboard.