It’s not often that modders are content with the out-of-the-box experience - in most cases changes and add-ons are implemented to either improve the looks, performance, efficiency or usability of a product. In the case of the Thermaltake DuOrb, only a single point was improved from stock, and even that point depends on the modder’s taste.

Following is a picture-documented, step-by-step guide on this editor’s Hopeful foray into voiding of warranties and improving on the “box” experience. Well, truth be told, the donor videocard is already out of warranty, but it is still a perfectly good, working example of an 8800 GTX. Neither is this the editor’s first mod, not by a long shot, but this is the first easily accessible mod that fits into HWZ’s general scheme of things. Do note that this is merely a guide and not a manual; this entry is meant only to show the details in an otherwise 4-line process in a skimpy Thermaltake manual.

Note the compatibility list of the cooler - this is an important point to consider when buying any aftermarket product and an issue when buying for a near top-end part like the 8800 GTX. The added sticker refers to more recent videocard releases that were found to be compatible with this cooler.

The original Leadtek donor 8800 GTX, still a handsome card after a year and a half near the top of graphics performance. The whole cooling apparatus is easily removed by unscrewing a total of 11 screws from the rear of the videocard. 

The basic tools for the job can't get any more basic - everything else is provided for in the Thermaltake retail box.

Brackets, thermal paste, nuts and bolts, even some washers are all included in the DuOrb. One package of hexagonal nuts are designed for the top-end 8800 GTX/Ultra, the other set is to be used for 8800GT and below, and the equivalent Radeon parts.         

To start with, make sure to disconnect the power from the fan and consequently, the fan housing. You don't want to be pulling off a connector or breaking a wire because you forgot to remove a plug.

Then unscrew the spring-loaded screws from the back, going in diagonal fashion (remove upper left screw, then the lower right screw, etc) as much as possible to make sure of an even unloading of pressure on the heatsink system.

Included are 13 tiny heatsinks with double-sided tape meant to be stuck on the now-exposed memory chips, VRM, and Video chip on the 8800 GTX. Put slight pressure to attach; heat and time will do the rest.

Here we see the exposed G80 core; it is surrounded by our "heatsinked" memory chips. Line them up cleanly, don't be sloppy!

A pic of the card with its former cooler lined up; we can see that all previously covered components are taken care of by corresponding heatsinks, although I wondered about cooling efficiency for these memory chips and VRMs compared to the hefty stock cooler.

Up next, the DuOrb was lined up with the GTX, and thermal compound slopped over the core. How the screws and the through-holes lined up was also checked at this stage. 

After a bit of consideration (and considering the size of the actual contact point) a lot of the thermal goop was removed for cleanliness' sake - just enough is left for proper contact. 

The included brackets were secured to the base, at the same time making sure that the polished base remained clean to ensure a good contact point. The piece of plastic  was retained for this reason.

Two sets of hexagonal nuts are included in the DuOrb package; we made sure to use the set meant for 8800 GTX cards. Here the four nuts are tightened onto the brackets. 

The nuts / screws are then lined up with its corresponding holes. The picture above shows the screws before the whole assembly is compressed against the GPU core.

Tighten the included nuts from the back of the card using your fingers, further tightening must be done either with a long-nose or a hexagonal screwdriver. Make sure to tighten the nuts in a diagonal pattern for even pressure on the core. 

Make sure not to overtighten, but more importantly, make sure that all four sides are as close to equal in pressure as possible. 

The finished product! The DuOrb is powered by a four-pin Molex connector; additional blue-LED elements add style to the installation. In this picture the card looks quite good, especially with the contrast of the background and the bright copper tinge of the cooler. 

Unfortunately, the green PCB of the videocard clashes with the light copper color of the cooler, and the blue LEDs does not help. Compared to the original, hefty Indigo cooler of the Leadtek, the DuOrb looks flimsy and out-of-place. Of course this is highly dependent on the tastes of the user; it is only because this writer's rig has a black/silver theme that he feels that the look of the finished mod is kind of dissapointing. 

Worse yet, observed core temperatures increased by 3 degrees across all tested games and benchmarks - not good - but thankfully PCB temperatures as measured by GPU-Z dropped by nearly 10 degrees - which is a relief considering the stick-on nature of the memory heatsinks. The open design of the DuOrb obviously helps in this case.

Whether it be a simple mod like this heatsink replacement, or a full-on resolder / motherboard painting / casing mod, making your own rig look unique and different isn't difficult - just make sure that you're really improving on the out-of-the-box experience when you perform the mod.