Printable shrouds and ducts
More actions
The CMP 170HX is a passive card: an air-cooled card needs a shroud, duct, plenum or housing that forces air through its fin stack. This page indexes the printable designs members use, with the fan each one takes, how many cards share a fan, the best result on record and who made it. Public models on Thingiverse, Printables, MakerWorld and Cults3D are linked. Files that were only posted as Discord attachments are listed with credit and a link to the post; they are not hosted on this wiki, so ask the author before re-sharing one, and where a file is a remix of a public model, use the public original. Fan choice, static pressure and sealing are on Fans and ducts; blower models and sizing are on Blowers.
Multi-card plenums and ducts
| Model | Link | Fan | Cards per fan | Result | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2x 120mm fan to 4x CMP170HX/A100 PCIe intake plenum (two parts; Onshape source with dimensions) | Printables 1801425 | two Arctic S12038-4K 120 mm | 2 (four cards per print) | Widely used: 72 C in a 20 C room with the fans at 40 %; details below | @turbine Source: @turbine, 2026-08-05 |
| Horizontal, symmetrical remix of the plenum (credits the original) | MakerWorld 3409347 | two 120 mm | 2 (four cards per print) | Four cards at 100 W at about 46 to 48 C; details below | @mountains1605 Source: @mountains1605, 2026-10-08 |
| cmp-170hx-duct: parametric push duct, preset V30 for cards one slot apart and A30 for adjacent cards, optional exhaust collectors | GitHub and an interactive preview | one Arctic P12 Pro PST CO 120 mm | 2 | Reported A30 is printed and in use in the author's machine; V30, the collectors and the recessed-bay plug were never printed, so their fit and gain are model results only. No measured GPU temperatures are published; the author's CFD is a design comparison, not a temperature prediction, and says a pulling exhaust collector adds about 35 to 40 % airflow while duct-shape changes move the modeled peak by tenths of a kelvin. For four cards side by side two ducts do not fit; that needs an off-centre variant (@alanoo). Print fan face down with no supports, never scale the STL (change duct/params.py and rebuild), print the 10 mm fit-check ring first; the STLs are Git LFS objects, so download single STLs from the project page. In PETG on a Bambu P1S, V30 is about 72 g and A30 about 68 g. |
@adrienbrault Source: repo github.com/adrienbrault/cmp-170hx-duct by adrienbrault on GitHub, posted by @adrienbrault, 2026-10-20 Source: @alanoo, 2026-10-20 |
| 170hx-fanduct: one OpenSCAD file that lofts a 120 x 240 mm fan opening into N stacked card inlets (default 3 at 40 mm pitch) | GitHub | a 120 x 240 mm opening by default | 3 per opening by default | Reported No STL shipped, no licence file and no fan guidance; @c133 generated a 120 mm fan to 3-card duct with it. Override from the command line, for example openscad -D gpu_count=4 -D gpu_pitch=50 -o duct.stl 3x170hx_duct.scad. The repo does not say which card the 27 x 17 mm inlet cutout was measured against. |
dkpoulsen Source: repo github.com/dkpoulsen/170hx-fanduct by dkpoulsen on GitHub, posted by @c133, 2026-10-08 |
A three-card version of the plenum, a two-card shroud for the Lenovo P620 and the eight-card push and pull plenums are Discord files; see Files posted in the Discord.
Single-card fan shrouds
| Model | Link | Fan | Cards per fan | Result | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMP 170HX Fan Shroud (120mm), single-card and dual-card versions; use the fixed version | Thingiverse 5532715 | 120 mm (one NF-F12 iPPC-3000 in the best report) | 1 (dual version: 2) | 65 to 70 C at 250 W under vLLM load; friction fit falls off over time; details below | Gingerbradman (Thingiverse); Source: @diabeetee, 2026-07-21 |
| Remix of that shroud with a second, pulling fan | Thingiverse 7412751 | two 120 mm, push-pull | 1 | No temperatures posted; suggested as a base for two-card open-case mounts (see below) | @dottoreargus Source: @dottoreargus, 2026-09-25 |
| LTT A100/CMP duct | Thingiverse 5145188 | 120 mm | 1 | Criticised for heavy back-pressure; details below | Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-08-25 |
| 80 mm fan shroud for the CMP 170HX and A100 | Printables 1800752 | 80 mm | 1 | Keeps as much of the card's intake open as possible; not the easiest to mount (see Other designs below) | Source: @._.patrik, 2026-08-05 |
| 170hx_80mm_fans_adapter_h20mm | MakerWorld 2274950 | 80 mm fans | 1 to 2 | Recommended by @68x0 for one or two cards (see the index below) | Source: @tjrals120, 2026-08-02 Source: @68x0, 2026-08-07 |
| PCIe rear 120mm fan mount (intake/exhaust), for the card's rear end | MakerWorld 2948895 | 120 mm | 1 | Reported Linked by @ju5t5omedude, @meromgreen and @bagstah, who said some people used it; @hamuki printed it at about 1 mm tolerance. The supplier's test video showed the fans pulling air, fixed to the test bench frame (@con3po7016). @bagstah printed one but had not tried it. | Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-03 Source: @hamuki, 2026-08-04 Source: @meromgreen, 2026-08-29 Source: @bagstah, 2026-09-11 Source: @con3po7016, 2026-09-11 |
Blower adapters
| Model | Link | Fan | Cards per fan | Result | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nvidia A100/A800 Blower Adapter (straight) | Thingiverse 6773548 | 97 x 97 x 33 mm blower (9733) | 1 | Called the coolest-running design, though not the quietest; three cards with one each and no clearance issues; details below | Gomiappuroda (Thingiverse); Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-10 |
| Nvidia A100/A800/CMP 170HX blower bend (180 degrees; slots into Thingiverse 6773548, so it is a two-part print) | Printables 1791789 | 9733 blower | 1 | Contested against the straight adapter; details below | Source: @periloustech, 2026-08-10 |
| 3D printing shenanigans: NVIDIA A-series blower fan adapter (forum thread with STLs) | Level1Techs thread 198888 | 9733 blower | 1 | Works fine as a template; a stackable remix exists; details below | Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-21 |
| Nvidia GPU blower fan shroud with lip for A100 / CMP 170HX | Cults3D | blower | 1 | Found by @cressida1881; no result posted (see the LTT entry below) | Source: @cressida1881, 2026-08-25 |
| Centrifugal fan shroud for NVIDIA CMP170HX / A100 | MakerWorld 3339321 | centrifugal blower | 1 | Reported Published by @allcodenet.eth; @fiiireface told him to replace the painter's tape with electrical tape. | Source: @allcodenet.eth, 2026-09-22 Source: @fiiireface, 2026-09-22 |
| cmp170 fan (a revised blower shroud) | Thingiverse 7388824 | blower | 1 | Reported Shared by @ju5t5omedude. @quark2world: it is probably made for a different blower than his micro-PC blower, and the shroud he uses has clearance problems because its designer probably never owned a card. @nekopavel planned to model his own. | alexpon1997 (Thingiverse); Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-01 Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-01 Source: @nekopavel, 2026-08-01 Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-01 Source: @a.civardagezen, 2026-08-01 |
Housings and replacement shells
| Model | Link | Fan | Cards per fan | Result | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nvidia CMP170hx Integrated Fan housing: replaces the top cover, keeps the baseplate and heatsink, stock width | First on Cults3D (2026-09-11), free on Thingiverse 7409424 (revised flush model 2026-10-02). "PluraliT" is the Thingiverse account name; the designer is RazK (@port00) | 80 mm blower: PLB08025B12HH (2.5 A) or CF7525U12D (1.2 A) | 1 (a multi-card version shares one fan between two) | 60 C at 200 W at 50 to 60 % duty; five sandwiched cards at 33 to 42 C; details below | Source: @port00, 2026-09-11 Source: @port00, 2026-10-02 |
| Fan housing suited to ATX cases | Thingiverse 7410740 | not stated | 1 | Reported Shared by @port00 as a find for ATX cases; @ju5t5omedude thinks it may suit HP Z4 G4 class workstations. | Source: @port00, 2026-09-26 Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-09-26 |
| 80mm Blower Cooler for 170HX/A100: a full replacement shell around the stock copper heatsink | MakerWorld 3138171 and Printables 1801217 (pinned in the Discord) | Champion CF8038U12D 80 mm blower only, unless you edit the model | 1 | gpu-burn at 297 W: 71/73 C core, 72/74 C HBM at full fan (over 75 dBA); very good at 250 W; details below | Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-05 Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-05 |
Shrouds from other cards, to remix
| Model | Link | Fan | Notes | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shroud for the AMD Instinct MI50 workstation GPU with a BA10033B12H blower | Printables 1229329 | blower | Merge a card flange onto it; see Remixing below | Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-09-02 |
| Nvidia Tesla P40/P100 fan shroud for a 120 mm blower | Printables 449287 | 120 mm blower | Where the card sits with enough clearance; see Remixing below | Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-09-02 |
| AMD Instinct MI50 120mm fan adapter (two parts, clip together) and its remixes | Thingiverse 7189349 | 120 mm | @alanoo's base for a three-card plenum; see below | MagentL (Thingiverse); Source: @alanoo, 2026-08-26 |
| Fan adapter with dual 80 or 92 mm options | Thingiverse 7386220 | two 80 or 92 mm | Reported Linked by @ju5t5omedude, with Thingiverse 7189349, while @turbine was building his plenum. | Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-03 |
| Nvidia A2 customizable fan shroud adapter | MakerWorld 1372280 | not stated | Reported @darcidride compared it with the 80 mm blower cooler and asked for a pinned summary of 2-, 3- and 4-card shrouds; no result on these cards. | Source: @darcidride, 2026-08-20 |
| Tesla P100 turbo cooler | MakerWorld 2878982 | blower | Similar to the curved blower bracket sold on eBay; see the index below | Source: @artistosu, 2026-08-02 |
| BC-250 Scooper: a fin-bending tool, not a shroud | Printables 1282906 | none | Opens up the stock fin stack so fans can sit on top; see below | Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-01 |
Files posted in the Discord
These were shared as attachments or documents in the Discord, mostly with no licence. They are not hosted on the wiki: open the post to get them, and ask the author before re-sharing. Results are in the entries below.
| File | Author | Fan | Cards per fan | Result | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
170HX_v19_60mm_M2.zip: three-card version of the 2x 120 mm plenum, can sit side by side |
@reala7096 | one 120 mm | 3 | none posted | Source: @reala7096, 2026-10-08 |
| Two-card, single-fan shroud for the Lenovo P620 at normal slot spacing (updated model promised for Thingiverse) | @alanoo | one 120 mm | 2 | @bagstah printed it | Source: @alanoo, 2026-09-09 Source: @bagstah, 2026-09-09 |
CMP_170HX_Fan_Shroud_Fixed.stl and CMP_170HX_Dual_Shroud_Fixed.stl, fixed versions of Thingiverse 5532715 (use the original) |
@farawaythrower | 120 mm | 1 or 2 | see Gingerbradman's shroud below | Source: @farawaythrower, 2026-07-22 |
CMP_170HX_Dual_Shroud_Fixed.stl |
@gpmickey | 120 mm | 2 | none posted | Source: @gpmickey, 2026-09-07 |
CMP_2gpu1fan_120mm.stl, 2gpu1fan_frame_v2.stl, CMP_2gpu_frame.stl, CMP_2gpu1fan_assembly.stl |
@marklintonca | one 120 mm | 2 | HBM 78 to 80 C at 180 W with one P12 Pro at 100 %; push plus pull fixes it | Source: @marklintonca, 2026-09-08 Source: @marklintonca, 2026-09-17 |
170hx_duct_over_v13.stl (pinned) |
@phoenixone7 | 1 A blower, BUC1012VJ-00 class | 1 | under 80 C hotspot at 250 W | Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-08-12 |
cmp170hx_sanyo9bmb_adapter_v18.stl plus the source zip |
@civiloid | Sanyo 9BMB12 97 mm blower | 1 | more than enough cooling at 35 %, loud | Source: @civiloid, 2026-09-02 |
l1_a100_blower_stackable_power_latch_original_fan.stl: the Level1Techs A100 adapter, modified by Astra for stacked cards (link the original too) |
@syntheticblocks | 9733 blower | 1 | fit after a slight hot-air adjustment | Source: @syntheticblocks, 2026-09-16 |
shroud_one_piece_v6.stl, IO_shield_adapter_pants_vlogo.STEP, IO_shield_adapter_pants_little_guyo.STEP |
@backwardsminer | not stated | 1 | none posted | Source: @backwardsminer, 2026-10-15 |
CMP_170HX_Fan_Shroud_140mm (FreeCAD and STEP) |
@robbbbbb7973 | 140 mm (Arctic P140 Pro) | 1 | silent at idle, bearable under load | Source: @robbbbbb7973, 2026-08-07 |
170hx_fan-Body.3mf, a fan body for mounting a fan on the card |
@alessandroau | not stated | 1 | none posted | Source: @alessandroau, 2026-08-14 |
| STL for two Arctic 40 mm fans | @fiiireface | two 40 mm | 1 | none posted | Source: @fiiireface, 2026-09-01 |
cmp_170hx_p9max_duct_v9_test_subtracted.stl |
@anon33anon | P9 Max | 1 | a little too tight; 0.2 to 0.3 mm insert tolerance would be better | Source: @anon33anon, 2026-09-11 Source: @anon33anon, 2026-09-16 |
| Onshape document for 9733 blower shrouds in a tight case | @prefix10k | 9733 blower | 1 | none posted; he prints small test pieces first to check tolerances | Source: @prefix10k, 2026-09-05 |
CMP170HX_dual_S8038_shroud_v8_bundle.zip: short duct for a 2 to 3 cm space |
@peter643 | two 80 mm S8038 server fans | 1 | works well | Source: @peter643, 2026-09-27 |
Shroud.step and Backplate.step of the 80 mm blower cooler; Component3.step, a proof of concept for an RTX 4070 FE fan |
@dalzyyy | see above | 1 | public models above; remove the modelled supports before slicing | Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-16 |
Four plenum STLs for an eight-card stack (frame_plenum_8x170hx_3fan_short_bottom, _EPS_bottom_2, _EPS_top_3, _short_top) |
@neapopa | three push and three pull 120 mm server fans | 8 cards on 6 fans | 175 W at most 70 C on the hottest card | Source: @neapopa, 2026-10-22 |
frontplateminimal.stl: a plate that binds the backs of four cards (not a duct) |
@mountains1605 | none | 4 cards | n/a | Source: @mountains1605, 2026-10-11 |
Results in detail
turbine's plenum: four cards on two 120 mm fans
@turbine designed the plenum from 2026-08-03 to neck two high-pressure Arctic S12038-4K 120 mm fans down to four cards, and posted it on Printables (model 1801425) on 2026-08-05 with an Onshape document that includes dimensions. He printed it in glass-filled PETG and placed the fans 150 mm from the cards to smooth the airflow and cut blade-chop noise from pressure waves reflecting onto the next blade. It is two parts, so it detaches without removing the fans. With the fans usually around 2,500 rpm the cards sit at 72 C in a 20 C room with the fans at 40 % (2026-08-14).
- @mountains1605 runs three cards on two S12038-4K, push only, with a horizontal adaptation, without issues (2026-08-19). On four cards limited to 100 W, two 4,000 rpm Arctics at about 2,000 rpm held about 46 to 48 C, the centre cards a few degrees cooler than the edge cards on a thermal camera (2026-09-05). His point: the print funnels almost all the air into the cards. He later published the symmetrical remix as MakerWorld 3409347 and suggests four fans for eight cards.
- @schakaqt feeds four cards from each of two prints: a very tight fit that must be forced on, but it leaves almost no gaps and needs no tape. @neapopa printed it and recommends it; @djpandaman used it for multi-card testing until his water parts arrived; @voidgiraffe later called it surprisingly quiet on four cards.
- It is long and may not fit inside a case; a downsized v2 was planned, and @stcord noted it is optimised for silence, not for case fit. In one thread a member noted the axial fans make enough pressure only at about 4,000 rpm, audible from the next room.
- Variants asked for or made: @reala7096's three-card, one-fan version (Discord file above), @deaddudehangin's three-card modification, 140 mm fans (@stcord), two cards (@mrmannyatx) and five cards (@deejay9983; see the open request below). @turbine planned a parametric version and an eight-card build, and is building a fan controller that locks several fan speeds together to avoid beat-frequency noise.
- Push or pull: @ju5t5omedude suggested trying pull mode for lower noise; @meatsus said push plus pull reportedly works best (untested on this plenum).
Proven 8 GB and 10 GB
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-03
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-03
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-04
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-05
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-08-06
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-12
Source: @fallengod9962, 2026-08-12
Source: @deejay9983, 2026-08-12
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-14
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-14
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-14
Source: @mountains1605, 2026-08-15
Source: @mountains1605, 2026-08-19
Source: @artistosu, 2026-08-19
Source: @replacedriver47, 2026-08-19
Source: @artistosu, 2026-08-22
Source: @stcord, 2026-08-22
Source: @stcord, 2026-08-23
Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-08-26
Source: @mrmannyatx, 2026-08-26
Source: @giaki3003, 2026-08-26
Source: @deaddudehangin, 2026-09-05
Source: @mountains1605, 2026-09-05
Source: @schakaqt, 2026-09-05
Source: @neapopa, 2026-09-09
Source: @alanoo, 2026-09-09
Source: @bagstah, 2026-09-09
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-09-09
Source: @mreche1000, 2026-09-09
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-06
Source: @turbine, 2026-10-08
Source: @forte9000, 2026-10-08
Source: @reala7096, 2026-10-08
Source: @mountains1605, 2026-10-08
Source: @landontg, 2026-10-08
Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-08
Gingerbradman's 120 mm shroud: use the fixed version
Thingiverse thing 5532715 by Gingerbradman has single-card and dual-card versions; @diabeetee advised using the fixed version. @nekopavel printed and used it and planned a Phanteks T30 to keep noise down, adding that a 6,000 rpm fan is the safer choice if noise does not matter. @bigfoot1144 cools one card with a Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM (0.3 A) on it at the default 250 W cap, not repasted, in a roughly 65 F basement: 65 to 70 C under always-on vLLM load, with a systemd job ramping the fan from the nvidia-smi temperature to full at 60 C. @ju5t5omedude cautioned that LLM inference is not compute heavy (gpu-burn or the Vulkan memtest is a fairer test; see Testing and burn-in) and that 0.3 A fans lack torque, since built-in blowers in this GPU class draw 0.5 to 1 A.
- @farawaythrower shared fixed STLs but criticised the friction fit, which falls off over time, and the thin walls, weak even in PETG, so he started his own model. @jedilost ran at 125 W for lack of a proper blower adapter; @_arcanum_ pointed to the Level1Techs A-series blower adapter thread, and @skyy2333 asked for a STEP file.
Proven
Source: @diabeetee, 2026-07-21
Source: @nekopavel, 2026-07-21
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-21
Source: @farawaythrower, 2026-07-22
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-22
Source: @jedilost, 2026-07-22
Source: @skyy2333, 2026-07-22
Source: @bigfoot1144, 2026-08-12
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-12
Source: @impactic, 2026-08-12
The LTT duct (Thingiverse 5145188): heavy back-pressure
@irythros linked single-card designs (Thingiverse 5532715 by Gingerbradman, Thingiverse 5145188, the LTT A100/CMP duct) and the Printables 1801425 plenum. @_arcanum_ calls the LTT duct very bad, with lots of back-pressure, and one member's cards later throttled with the LTT shroud. In the same thread @replacedriver47 said the multi-card 120 mm plenum @stcord posted (probably Printables 1801425) works great on four cards with Arctic S12038-4K, while @voidgiraffe found it does not match his motherboard's slot spacing. Arctic S12038-8K server fans pull 2.2 A (3.3 A max): check the motherboard header rating or use a PSU-powered fan hub. @cressida1881 also found the Cults3D blower shroud with a lip listed above.
Reported
Source: @stcord, 2026-08-25
Source: @replacedriver47, 2026-08-25
Source: @irythros, 2026-08-25
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-08-25
Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-08-25
Source: @cressida1881, 2026-08-25
Straight 9733 adapter or the 180-degree bend
Thingiverse 6773548 is a straight adapter for a 97 x 97 x 33 mm blower. Printables 1791789 turns the blower through 180 degrees for limited clearance behind the cards; its card side slots into the 6773548 adapter, so it is a two-part print. @roger_dammit asked about the bend because of limited clearance behind his cards.
- @meatsus: the bend is the worst option; the 180-degree corner wastes an entire PCIe slot, saves little length, and a neighbouring card blocks the fan. @_arcanum_: another 180-degree version puts the blower on top of the card. @ju5t5omedude: the length savings are good, the B97 has power to spare, and it likely suits ALEO motherboards. Source: @roger_dammit, 2026-08-03
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-03
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-08-03
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-03 - @lia_oc uses the straight version on three cards, one shroud per card, with no clearance issues in multi-card setups; it needs a 97 x 97 x 33 mm blower, and his basic 2-pin 9733 does the job without being very loud. He advises against LTT-style designs, which work only with a strong enough fan. @ins_mniac suggested a 3D-printables section on the Discord. Source: @spiralglide, 2026-09-13
Source: @ins_mniac, 2026-09-13
Source: @lia_oc, 2026-09-13 - @redblood_ printed the bend in ABS and found the card side about 8 mm too large, until @meatsus pointed out it slots into the 6773548 adapter. @jemes0257: most such shrouds ship with tape because they do not fit; @meatsus suggests wide loops of ordinary tape. @civiloid recommends a high heat-deflection material such as ABS or ASA. Source: @redblood_, 2026-08-31
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-31
Source: @jemes0257, 2026-08-31
Source: @civiloid, 2026-08-31
Contested
Source: @roger_dammit, 2026-08-03
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-03
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-08-03
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-03
Source: @redblood_, 2026-08-31
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-31
Source: @jemes0257, 2026-08-31
Source: @civiloid, 2026-08-31
Source: @spiralglide, 2026-09-13
Source: @ins_mniac, 2026-09-13
Source: @lia_oc, 2026-09-13
RazK's housing: 60 C at 200 W with a PLB08025B12HH at 50 to 60 %
@djpandaman and @68x0 recommend the Thingiverse "Nvidia CMP170hx Integrated Fan housing by PluraliT" (thing 7409424), a full printed housing. It is RazK's (@port00) own model: he posted the free Thingiverse version on 2026-09-14 and the revised, flush model under that title on 2026-10-02, pinned by @_j3ns. @68x0's parts: a PLB08025B12HH class blower (AliExpress item) and a mini-GPU to full-size PWM pigtail (AliExpress item). At 50 to 60 % duty it keeps cards at 60 C under heavy load with a 200 W power limit; it is loud at full speed. The model lists two blowers, PLB08025B12HH (2.5 A) and CF7525U12D (1.2 A) (@trustinter). @djpandaman also tested a mediocre single-card housing credited to "linus".
Proven 8 GB and 10 GB
Source: @port00, 2026-09-14
Source: @port00, 2026-10-02
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-10-02
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-06
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-15
Source: @68x0, 2026-10-15
Source: @68x0, 2026-10-15
Source: @trustinter, 2026-10-15
RazK's housing: how it developed, and five sandwiched cards at 33 to 42 C
RazK first published a printed shroud that replaces the card's aluminium top cover on Cults3D on 2026-09-11: about 60 C under a 200 W mining load, printed in PETG, with one 3,000 rpm blower; his multi-card version uses one fan for two cards. Prototyping took about three 1 kg spools, and he stresses that air pressure, distribution and direction across the heatsink matter more than raw airflow.
- 2026-09-14: free Thingiverse version (7409424), designed in Tinkercad, at the stock housing's width so two cards can sit side by side and still pull air from the back. It replaces only the top cover and keeps the baseplate and heatsink.
- 2026-09-22: a shorter bump and a much bigger rear inlet (only parts 2 and 3 need reprinting). Below 60 C at a continuous 200 W with the 6,000 rpm fan, matching or beating a 120 mm server fan, with noise like a consumer blower GPU. The tight clearance is deliberate, for pressure; @cressida1881's older print rubbed the fan, likely print tolerance. A lower-rpm fan works with proportionally less cooling, and a 65 mm fan version was in progress.
- 2026-09-30 and 2026-10-02: a from-scratch redesign that sits flush like the stock housing, with intake from front and back so two adjacent cards work; shorter, more precise clearance, more support so high-speed fans stay stable, and a lower fan base plate without the bump. He says it performs on par with an 8,000 rpm 120 mm fan shared across two cards.
- 2026-10-10 and 2026-10-22: screw sizes added, more rear intake for tight spaces, and a further update.
- @moliminous runs five cards on it and finds the air mod better than AIOs for him: nearly stock size, quiet unless the fans are at 100 %, 33 to 37 C under high case airflow (34 to 42 C under load in a later post), and the slim version fits on 5-GPU PCIe switch boards. He earlier printed a modified version in a nylon-ABS blend, about an inch longer. @daveedcoles runs a similar sandwiched layout; @ikyo uses an RM52 case with two 80 mm fans at the back.
- Filament: all of RazK's testing used PETG. @sojun80 worried PLA would deform from heat and @phoenixone7 suggested glass- or carbon-fibre-reinforced filament, while @gpmickey prefers a slip-on rear shroud that prints fine in PLA and needs no screws.
Reported 8 GB and 10 GB
Source: @port00, 2026-09-11
Source: @port00, 2026-09-14
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-09-14
Source: @sojun80, 2026-09-14
Source: @moliminous, 2026-09-15
Source: @gpmickey, 2026-09-15
Source: @cressida1881, 2026-09-15
Source: @port00, 2026-09-22
Source: @cressida1881, 2026-09-22
Source: @reala7096, 2026-09-22
Source: @n3bs, 2026-09-22
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-09-22
Source: @port00, 2026-09-26
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-09-26
Source: @port00, 2026-10-02
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-10-02
Source: @moliminous, 2026-10-10
Source: @port00, 2026-10-10
Source: @daveedcoles, 2026-10-10
Source: @moliminous, 2026-10-11
Source: @daveedcoles, 2026-10-11
Source: @ikyo, 2026-10-11
Source: @port00, 2026-10-22
DaLZy's 80 mm blower cooler: design and where to get the fan
@dalzyyy designed a full replacement shell that keeps the stock copper heatsink, which covers nearly the whole PCB, and uses an 80 mm blower. He published it on 2026-08-05 on MakerWorld (3138171, "80mm Blower Cooler for 170HX/A100") and Printables (1801217), and @_j3ns pinned it. It fits only the Champion CF8038U12D blower (other fans need model edits), sold on Taobao as a "4090 turbine fan" and hard to source outside China; search for "4090 blower" (@_arcanum_).
- Why a new shell: the stock aluminium shroud cannot be modified without CNC, and an internal 6 to 7 cm blower in the stock shell would cool at most about 150 W. In hindsight a 66 mm blower would have been easier, because the EPS cable gets in the way of 80 mm, and he said a fan of about 72 mm would suit the design better. He designed the tongue and volute with the Fusion MCP server and an LLM.
- The shroud replaces the original rather than sitting over it; the backplate mainly mounts the fan and lets air flow over the back of the PCB. @ju5t5omedude worried about airflow to the PCB rear; DaLZy said it may matter when stacking cards.
- Printing: the first model needed a 270 x 270 mm bed plus supports. The version with modelled supports needs a 220 x 230 x 235 mm print volume, and those supports did not work yet, so remove them before slicing (2026-08-10).
- Results: very good at 250 W and able to handle 300 W+ if you accept more noise (2026-08-27); about 75 C at 60 % fan (2026-09-16). RazK was modifying it for better printability and fan compatibility.
- Fan alternatives: @aaron0010 mentioned the MI50 community's BASA0725R2U blower, which DaLZy doubted has enough power; @sealclubber suggested Gigabyte blower-card 80 mm fans at about $15. @schakaqt: temperatures depend on the fan, and an $8 5,000 rpm AliExpress blower is very annoying while an Arctic 4K server fan at 3,000 to 4,000 rpm is bearable. @quark2world: first check that you can buy the fan a shroud is designed for.
Reported
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-01
Source: @tugoubxs, 2026-08-01
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-01
Source: @gmzombie, 2026-08-01
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-05
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-05
Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-08-05
Source: @aaron0010, 2026-08-05
Source: @sealclubber, 2026-08-05
Source: @robbbbbb7973, 2026-08-06
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-08-06
Source: @rubbra_f, 2026-08-06
Source: @letterc67, 2026-08-06
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-09
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-09
Source: @mountains1605, 2026-08-11
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-08-11
Source: @darcidride, 2026-08-20
Source: @schakaqt, 2026-08-20
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-20
Source: @replacedriver47, 2026-08-20
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-27
Source: @port00, 2026-08-27
Source: @mfj4, 2026-08-27
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-09-02
DaLZy's blower cooler: 297 W at 71/73 C core at full fan
rev0.1 (2026-08-04) was a two-piece clamshell around the "4090 blower" (maximum about 5,300 rpm), 302 mm long against about 267 mm for the stock card. At 2,500 rpm it could not sustain 300 W and hit an 85 C wall. Two 10-minute gpu-burn runs:
| Run | Fan | Average power | Core avg/max | HBM avg/max | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | maximum | 297 W | 71/73 C | 72/74 C | easily over 75 dBA; the cooler vibrated at its resonant frequency |
| 2 | 2,950 rpm | 249 W | 76/81 C | 77/82 C | about 55 dBA |
He suspected his TIM application and thought a 66 mm fan could bring the length to about 280 mm. At 2,950 rpm he called it "kinda loud but acceptable", and he expects a 150 W limit at 2,500 rpm without much noise, depending on the room. Later readings: about 60 dB at 30 cm at 70 % PWM, measured with a watch (2026-08-12), and an estimated 50 dB at 30 cm at 3,000 rpm (2026-09-13). @skyflyingfish found blower noise too loud and was considering water cooling; @lenxtroz planned to ask DaLZy for a quote on the fan mod.
Reported
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-04
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-05
Source: @skyflyingfish, 2026-08-12
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-12
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-09-13
Source: @spiralglide, 2026-09-13
Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-09-15
DaLZy's blower cooler: build problems and printing tips
- The blower cracked after two days of load (2026-08-08). DaLZy thinks it was squeezed in shipping, with the shroud's low tongue clearance adding pressure on the fan; @ju5t5omedude suspects rubbing or buffeting from a non-flat surface. The fan is cheap, and @letterc67 planned to order spares.
- Fitting the fan: @meromgreen found aligning it to the screw holes hard and suggested a cutout for the fan base, which DaLZy added. Thread the wire through the slot first, install the screw opposite the slot, then fit the other two.
- Other blowers: @meromgreen test-fitted a BASA0725R2U (about 75 mm, same mount spacing). The diameter fits but it is shorter, leaving a large gap at the lip and needing longer screws, so he suggests the Taobao "4090 turbo" fan. @ju5t5omedude prefers the BASA because it allows more taper and card spacing, and suggests copying V620 and MI50 shroud designs.
- The backplate: @meromgreen's 45-degree print failed at 80 to 90 % on a Bambu X2D (PETG, bed 70 C, chamber 30 to 40 C), because the thin section is only 5 layers at 0.2 mm and flexes with XY movement. DaLZy prints it at 45 degrees on a Qidi Q2 with a little warping and cannot thicken it much without losing the 2-slot profile. @meromgreen's fix: split the backplate in half and print it flat with a PLA support interface, about 2 hours against about 9 with full supports; the front shroud carries the load. @mountains1605 planned to print it in PETG-CF for four cards.
- @aaasss1456 set the gap between fan and top cover with the fan screws to stop rubbing, sealed it with Teflon tape and added temperature-controlled fan speed.
Reported
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-08
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-08-08
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-08-08
Source: @letterc67, 2026-08-08
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-08
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-08
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-08
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-08-09
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-09
Source: @mountains1605, 2026-08-10
Source: @aaasss1456, 2026-08-10
Phoenix17's 1 A blower adapter: under 80 C hotspot at 250 W
@phoenixone7 fitted 1 A blowers, about 6 USD each on AliExpress and chosen for cost, current draw and noise, with a printed adapter. He wrote the part number as BUC10212VJ-00 in one message and BUC1012VJ-00 in the next, so check his photos. The blower section is 87.6 x 25 mm outside and 83.8 x 20.5 mm inside, with an outlet of about 87.5 x 25 mm, close to the card's 92.5 x 23.5 mm inlet. A first crush-fit adapter (no taper, minimal length) was blocked by the power connector latch; an extended version fits, and a triple-inlet version covering the side inlets also fits but needs print supports. He posted 170hx_duct_over_v13.stl (very snug, may not need tape), and @_j3ns pinned it. @quark2world noted it makes the card about 47 cm long; @ju5t5omedude noted the 97 mm blower is the tried and true alternative. Result (2026-08-26): with 4-pin PWM extension cables so CoolerControl drives one blower per card, both cards stayed under 80 C hotspot at 250 W in testing, the shroud stays attached and cools the memory well, and the 1 A blowers lack the usual server-fan whine even at high speed.
Reported 8 GB
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-08-11
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-08-11
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-12
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-12
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-08-12
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-08-12
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-12
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-08-26
One 120 mm fan on two cards: barely; push plus pull fixes it
@marklintonca's printed shroud puts one 120 mm fan on two cards; the card front has screw holes and a tab on the bottom for alignment. With a Noctua NF-F12 iPPC 3000 he reports it works well, after cutting parts of the frame for near-zero clearance to motherboard components and removing the side screw mount for clearance to an adjacent card. With one Arctic P12 Pro it works "barely": under load the fan ramps to 100 % and HBM sits around 78 to 80 C at a 180 W limit, so he planned a pressure-fit 120 mm pull fan at the back to bring both fans to about 60 %. @reala7096 found one P12 Pro for three cards not enough, but one in front pulling plus one at the back pushing is more than enough: two cards stay below 70 C and the third peaks at 74 C at a 180 W limit. @wakeupmbrc1 suggests two P12 Pro in push-pull as much quieter than an iPPC, whose acoustics he calls "unholy" even below 3,000 rpm. @cibernox printed one and will run his cards in pairs. Mark made the two-card version by asking an LLM to shrink an existing 4-card STL.
Proven
Source: @marklintonca, 2026-09-17
Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-09-17
Source: @ikyo, 2026-09-17
Source: @cibernox, 2026-09-22
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-09-22
Source: @marklintonca, 2026-09-22
Source: @port00, 2026-09-22
Source: @cibernox, 2026-09-22
Source: @marklintonca, 2026-09-22
Source: @reala7096, 2026-09-22
Level1Techs blower adapter, BackwardsMiner's files and Froggo's exhaust shroud
@domrockt2 uses the Level1Techs "Nvidia A-Series Blower Fan Adapter" template, and it works fine; @_arcanum_ first linked that thread on 2026-07-21, and a stackable remix exists (next entry). @backwardsminer shared his own shroud_one_piece_v6.stl and two STEP files; @neapopa flagged the first upload as the wrong file, and the STEP files followed. @froggao asked for an STL that mounts one 9733 fan across two cards and nobody linked one; he later printed an exhaust shroud for his two cards that plugs into the PCIe slot between them (photo only, no STL) and will redesign it for four cards.
Proven
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-21
Source: @domrockt2, 2026-10-15
Source: @backwardsminer, 2026-10-15
Source: @froggao, 2026-10-15
Source: @fafinet, 2026-10-15
Source: @_orrorin, 2026-10-15
Source: @neapopa, 2026-10-15
Source: @froggao, 2026-10-26
Sanyo 9BMB blower adapter and the stackable 9733 adapter
@civiloid made a mount for the Sanyo 9BMB12 97 mm blower: at 35 % it already cooled the card more than enough, but below about 45 % it vibrated badly, and the blower is expensive and too loud even for a basement machine, so he moved to water. He produced the adapter by giving an LLM the reduced card-side STL and the manufacturer's fan STL and iterating; the hardest part was the cable cutout. His posts disagree on the effort: 18 iterations and a second print for a screw-hole mismatch (2026-09-02), "about 5 attempts" (2026-10-13). @kellertreppe123 also generated a funnel with an LLM (the latches ended up on the wrong side; the funnel is split diagonally for throughput). Pointer [ASK]: the adapter files by @civiloid are in the Discord; ask the author before re-hosting them.
@fafinet looked for a stackable 9733 adapter for sandwiched cards in October, but one existed: on 2026-09-16 @syntheticblocks shared l1_a100_blower_stackable_power_latch_original_fan.stl, the Level1Techs A100 blower adapter modified by Astra with a larger mouth and a lower overall height for tightly stacked cards. The mouth may be a fraction of a millimetre small for some 9733 fans; @cressida1881 printed it and it fit after a slight adjustment with a hot-air station. It is slightly long but fits a normal case.
Reported 8 GB and 10 GB
Source: @civiloid, 2026-08-25
Source: @justarionlyari, 2026-08-25
Source: @civiloid, 2026-09-02
Source: @reala7096, 2026-09-02
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-09-02
Source: @syntheticblocks, 2026-09-16
Source: @cressida1881, 2026-09-16
Source: @civiloid, 2026-10-13
Source: @fafinet, 2026-10-13
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-13
Eight-card push and pull plenums
@neapopa had an LLM design a push and a pull plenum that slot tightly onto an eight-card stack with no air bleed and no screws; the rear plenum needs the slot brackets removed. Before the plenums, three push plus three pull Delta server fans at 100 % held a 175 W load at a maximum of 70 C on the hottest card. Pointer [ASK]: the four STLs and the build write-up by @neapopa are in the Discord; ask the author before re-hosting. See also Large rigs (8 or more cards).
Reported
Source: @neapopa, 2026-10-22
Source: @reala7096, 2026-10-22
Source: @mlx4, 2026-10-22
A plate that binds four card backs into one block
@mountains1605 printed a plate that ties the rear ends of four cards together when their fronts already share an intake shroud, so the stack becomes one block for maintenance on an open frame. Pointer [ASK]: frontplateminimal.stl by @mountains1605 is in the Discord; ask the author before re-hosting.
Reported 8 GB and 10 GB
Source: @mountains1605, 2026-10-11
alanoo's sliding plenum for 2 to 4 cards
@alanoo's plenum work began with remixes of MagentL's two-part, clip-together "AMD Instinct MI50 120mm fan adapter" (Thingiverse 7189349), which he used on Radeon V620 cards with a 120 mm plenum covering three cards (2026-08-26). On 2026-09-09 he offered a two-card, single-120 mm shroud for the Lenovo P620 at normal slot spacing, and @bagstah printed it. By October he ran two and three cards in an FSP U500 case with a custom sliding plenum, a dual-fan four-card plenum was printing, and when @mfj4 asked for the P620 files he said he would upload the updated models after small changes.
Reported
Source: @alanoo, 2026-08-26
Source: @alanoo, 2026-09-09
Source: @bagstah, 2026-09-09
Source: @alanoo, 2026-10-24
Source: @stcord, 2026-10-24
Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-24
peter643's short dual 80 mm shroud
@peter643 shared his short duct for two 80 mm S8038 server fans, made for a space of only 2 to 3 cm. He had to cut plastic at the side where the PCIe power connectors hit it, cut a gap at the top for cables, and wrapped the duct in electrical tape to make it airtight. It works well, but needs 80 mm server fans, not 120 mm.
Reported
Source: @peter643, 2026-09-27
Source: @evcheine, 2026-09-27
Source: @cibernox, 2026-09-27
@n2dcrypt first printed an adapter that maps the Sanyo B97 blower's exhaust 1 to 1 onto the full card intake; it worked but was too long (2026-08-19). On 2026-09-02 he showed a four-card test bench with blowers on custom printed shrouds for the San Ace B97 (which also fit the Delta BFB1012VH), sealed airtight to maximise static pressure. The shroud is 2 mm thicker on each face, so side-by-side spacing may be affected. The fans run from a motherboard header through a Lamptron fan controller, with a custom curve on the highest HBM or core temperature across all cards. He had not decided whether to share the files.
Reported
Source: @n2dcrypt, 2026-08-19
Source: @n2dcrypt, 2026-09-02
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-09-02
Source: @fff7d1bc, 2026-09-02
Shroud files posted in the Discord, August and September
- @robbbbbb7973 reworked a 120 mm single-card mount for a 140 mm fan with thicker walls (FreeCAD and STEP); with an Arctic P140 Pro the card is silent at idle and the fan ramps under load but stays bearable.
- @alessandroau shared a fan body for mounting a fan on the card after @rrickk420 posted a photo of a broken fan.
- @fiiireface made an STL that takes two Arctic 40 mm fans. @schakaqt had two plenums printed that each feed four cards from thick Arctic 4,000 rpm 120 mm fans. @raisbecka9680 printed Thingiverse 5145188 for push-pull with about 3,000 rpm Corsair or Noctua fans.
- @quark2world: shrouds add length and may not fit a case; 120 mm fans need a custom shroud while 80 mm should fit; he ran 3 W blower fans idling at about 1,000 rpm for a near-silent system.
- @prefix10k designed shrouds for 9733 blowers for a tight-fitting case, shared the Onshape document, and prints several small test pieces to check tolerances first.
- 2026-09-07: @gpmickey posted a dual-card shroud (and was designing a blower version), @marklintonca his two-card single-fan files, and @port00 linked Thingiverse 5532715. @jjb01957 showed two fans mounted vertically on two cards, and @mfj4 used two stacked 120 mm Arctic 4K fans in series as a taped makeshift duct with decent results.
- To find more: search the Discord with
has:file shroudandhas:link shroud(@impactic). - @anon33anon posted an untested P9 Max duct; after printing it he found it a little too tight, and 0.2 to 0.3 mm tolerance on the insert would be better.
Reported
Source: @robbbbbb7973, 2026-08-07
Source: @rrickk420, 2026-08-14
Source: @alessandroau, 2026-08-14
Source: @fiiireface, 2026-09-01
Source: @schakaqt, 2026-09-01
Source: @raisbecka9680, 2026-09-01
Source: @quark2world, 2026-09-01
Source: @prefix10k, 2026-09-05
Source: @port00, 2026-09-07
Source: @robbbbbb7973, 2026-09-07
Source: @mrmannyatx, 2026-09-07
Source: @gpmickey, 2026-09-07
Source: @mfj4, 2026-09-07
Source: @impactic, 2026-09-07
Source: @jjb01957, 2026-09-07
Source: @marklintonca, 2026-09-08
Source: @anon33anon, 2026-09-11
Source: @anon33anon, 2026-09-16
Other designs: xPatrik's 80 mm shroud, an MI50 adapter remix, fans taped on
@._.patrik uploaded an 80 mm fan shroud for the CMP 170HX and A100 to Printables (1800752); he says it is not the best or easiest design to mount, but it keeps as much of the card's intake open as possible. @alanoo was adapting the two-part MI50 120 mm fan adapter for these cards (only the card side changes). @marklintonca linked Gingerbradman's shroud, @turbine was credited with another shroud, @mrmannyatx asked for two- and three-card versions, and @stcord's question whether 140 mm beats 120 mm went unanswered. @vektor_prime simply HVAC-taped a 120 mm fan to the front and back of each card, which works surprisingly well. @squishysquare sells CMP shrouds that use 80 mm rather than 120 mm fans; on 2026-09-23 he recognised them on @con3po7016's rig: the first-generation shrouds are very tight on the cards (the cards carve into them) but look clean, newer versions fit better and can lock in an 80 mm fan, and he may make a rear puller shroud that accepts a 4 inch duct.
Reported
Source: @._.patrik, 2026-08-05
Source: @squishysquare, 2026-08-26
Source: @alanoo, 2026-08-26
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-26
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-26
Source: @mrmannyatx, 2026-08-26
Source: @stcord, 2026-08-26
Source: @marklintonca, 2026-08-26
Source: @vektor_prime, 2026-08-26
Source: @squishysquare, 2026-09-23
Source: @con3po7016, 2026-09-23
Public models: the July and August index
- @tjrals120 compiled the public models on 2026-08-02: Thingiverse 6155647, 6773548, 5145188 and 5532715; MakerWorld 2274950 "170hx_80mm_fans_adapter_h20mm" (which @68x0 also recommended for one or two cards); the Level1Techs blower adapter; and MakerWorld 2948895, the rear 120 mm PCIe fan mount, which @hamuki printed at about 1 mm tolerance.
- The curved blower bracket seen in photos is sold on eBay (listing 313772725959), and MakerWorld has a similar public Tesla P100 turbo cooler (2878982). @artistosu found Printables 1791789, which @cute_sc2 wants to invert for an eGPU case, and warned that 70 and 80 mm shrouds are tall enough to collide in multi-card builds. @winter_is_amateur planned a dual-card, single-120 mm push-pull version.
- On 2026-08-10 @ju5t5omedude called Thingiverse 6773548 the coolest-running design, though not the quietest; @periloustech posted the 180-degree bend, @dalzyyy his 80 mm blower cooler, and @artistosu noted there was no open-source dual 40 mm shroud yet, only a Cults3D model.
- Earlier, @_arcanum_ linked the Level1Techs blower adapter thread and recalled a 2x 120 mm design for four cards, @deced_123 was designing a duct for two 40 mm fans, @bigfoot1144 planned a four-card solution, and @farawaythrower said the friction-fit design falls off over time and called the LTT shroud "awful" for its back-pressure.
- Finding files: many STL files are linked across the server and Discord's file search finds them (@_studebaker_). @segmond found free files by searching "CMP 170 fan shrouds", @schakaqt pointed to the Printables search for 170HX, and @rogersmith2026 linked an eBay listing (278284196407). @gp.x prefers two 120 mm or 140 mm fans for less noise than blowers or 40 mm fans.
Reported
Source: @deced_123, 2026-07-21
Source: @danske1, 2026-07-21
Source: @bigfoot1144, 2026-07-21
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-21
Source: @farawaythrower, 2026-07-21
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-07-28
Source: @_studebaker_, 2026-07-28
Source: @tjrals120, 2026-08-02
Source: @artistosu, 2026-08-02
Source: @winter_is_amateur, 2026-08-02
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-02
Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-08-02
Source: @hamuki, 2026-08-04
Source: @_kanorin, 2026-08-07
Source: @68x0, 2026-08-07
Source: @beamreaching1, 2026-08-10
Source: @artistosu, 2026-08-10
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-10
Source: @periloustech, 2026-08-10
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-10
Source: @artistosu, 2026-08-16
Source: @91d5a66bffc978331fac75b68fa86aba, 2026-08-16
Source: @segmond, 2026-08-16
Source: @gp.x, 2026-08-16
Source: @rogersmith2026, 2026-08-16
Source: @schakaqt, 2026-08-16
Designing or remixing your own
Card inlet dimensions for shroud designers
@phoenixone7 measured the shroud with calipers: the main blower opening is 92.5 mm long by 23.5 mm tall (internal). The larger inlet near the power connector is 34.65 x 9.9 mm and the smaller one 23.85 x 9.9 mm; the vertical distance between the large inlet and the two smaller inlets is about 2 mm, and the horizontal gap between the two smaller inlets is 4.65 mm.
Reported
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-08-11
Remixing other cards' shrouds
@ju5t5omedude suggests the AMD Instinct MI50 shroud for the BA10033B12H blower (Printables 1229329): Boolean-merge a proper card flange onto it and swap to a 4-pin PWM blower. He also suggests the Tesla P40/P100 120 mm blower shroud (Printables 449287) where the card sits with enough clearance, and notes there are three shroud models for the San Ace B97 blower.
Reported
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-09-02
Open-case mounting for two adjacent cards
@cibernox, going caseless with four cards in pairs, needed a front shroud for two adjacent cards. @jjb01957's open-case design stacks two 120 mm fans vertically, each feeding one card at standard 2-slot spacing, and prints flat with no supports. @spectakkular suggested angling the fans at 45 degrees to avoid the sharp bend and pressure drop, since fans drawing from different directions compete less for air; @dottoreargus suggested remixing the Thingiverse 7412751 STLs with an LLM driving Blender. Untested beyond @jjb01957's own build.
Theory
Source: @cibernox, 2026-09-25
Source: @jjb01957, 2026-09-25
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-09-25
Source: @dottoreargus, 2026-09-25
Source: @bagstah, 2026-09-25
Source: @68x0, 2026-09-25
Five-card shrouds: an open request
@gadfly3121 could find only a four-card version of the 2x 120 mm fan manifold and asked for a five-card one; @ju5t5omedude pointed him to a member who designs them. @deejay9983 had asked @turbine for a five-card version of his plenum (2026-08-12), and @squishysquare started a five-card shroud. No five-card design has been published.
Theory
Source: @gadfly3121, 2026-08-29
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-29
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-08-29
Inside the housing: why MI50-style internal blowers are hard
MI50 owners punch a hole in the factory housing and print a blower bracket, but the 170HX housing is thick milled or cast metal with no room for a fan in a 2-slot layout (it works with more than 2-slot spacing). @ju5t5omedude noticed a curvature in the housing and a blower cutout in the PCB, suggesting a blower was meant to draw air from the gap between card and housing, and bought 66 mm and 76 mm blowers to test fit; the obstacles are the EPS connector and the blower sticking out the back. He also noticed that the original back panel has a machined round lip on which the PCB rests, which likely blocks air to the back of the PCB, and suggested printing only a new back plate with reversed intake. @dalzyyy: the backplate is not a seal and the PCB back is still cooled from the other side; he avoided that redesign because of the screw posts, the EPS connector placement and a glued-in aluminium fin. @meromgreen thinks at least the die area should be open, like a gaming GPU.
Theory
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-07-31
Source: @beefbonecapone, 2026-07-31
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-06
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-06
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-08-06
An RTX A6000 cooler as a housing: the mounting holes differ
@_j3ns bought an RTX A6000 cooler and case to house a 170HX board, reasoning that NVIDIA fits a GA100 under that cooler on the A800 and that it could restore PWM fan control. @dalzyyy lined up the two PCBs and found the mounting holes completely different (the A6000 is GA102). @_j3ns later found out the hard way that an A800 shroud does not fit an A100-class board, because the A800 uses the RTX A6000 shroud. On waterblocks, @quark2world relayed that Byksi says its A100 80GB block fits an A800; @_j3ns objected that the A800 has only two NVLink connectors, and @cute_sc2 replied that one is just deactivated and the board should be identical. No working build was reported.
Theory
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-08-01
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-08-04
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-04
Source: @sealclubber, 2026-08-15
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-08-15
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-15
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-08-15
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-15
Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-08-15
DaLZy's RTX 4070 FE fan and axial shroud experiments
@dalzyyy mounted an RTX 4070 Founders Edition fan at 90 degrees to keep a 2-slot profile: at 100 % fan with a custom CUDA load averaging 249 W the core was about 75 C and memory about 77 C (300 W untested), with HY-P17 paste and generic 1.5 mm pads. He shared the proof-of-concept STEP file, not meant for real use; @aaasss1456 noted similar designs exist for the MI50. On 2026-09-10 he showed a second printed shroud with an axial fan; @zorg33, who has designed DIY air coolers, warned an axial will not perform as well as a radial blower. No temperatures or files followed when @ghostinthedatacenter_87281 asked.
Reported
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-16
Source: @aaasss1456, 2026-08-16
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-09-10
Source: @zorg33, 2026-09-10
Source: @ghostinthedatacenter_87281, 2026-09-10
Opening the fin stack and mounting fans on top
Instead of a duct, remove the aluminium shell, open up the fins on the copper block and put fans on top. @quark2world pointed to the printable "BC-250 Scooper" fin-bending tool (Printables 1282906) instead of a rotary tool, and @_j3ns pinned the message. @ju5t5omedude: this has been offered as a service in China, is a decent and quiet option for single cards and needs less static pressure than a duct; a pair of 92 x 10 mm 4-pin fans would work, or keep the housing, punch two round holes and mount them over the opened fins, which keeps the backplate and stays under 3 slots. @68x0 warned the copper fins are custom machined and hard to replace if damaged, and suggested a shroud instead. @nemz38_is_my_waifu_91412 did it (2026-09-04): an Arctic P12 Pro at 100 % on top of the opened fins gave about 83 C HBM and 74 C core, stable in a Vulkan memtest, while the same fan at the same speed through a printed end duct let HBM approach 90 C and he stopped the test. @quark2world's layout notes: dual 80 mm fans are the easiest, screwed into the block top; 92 mm fans sit right at the edges and one would overlap; dual 120 mm needs a shroud offsetting them upward to clear the motherboard.
Reported
Source: @quark2world, 2026-07-26
Source: @decoy.works, 2026-07-26
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-01
Source: @danske1, 2026-08-01
Source: @moliminous, 2026-08-01
Source: @_j3ns, 2026-08-01
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-20
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-20
Source: @stcord, 2026-08-20
Source: @irythros, 2026-08-20
Source: @agile0674, 2026-08-29
Source: @nemz38_is_my_waifu_91412, 2026-08-31
Source: @68x0, 2026-08-31
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-31
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-08-31
Source: @agile0674, 2026-09-01
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-09-01
Source: @nemz38_is_my_waifu_91412, 2026-09-04
Printing and mounting
Filament: PETG or glass-filled PETG, ABS or ASA; PLA is disputed
- @a.civardagezen recommends ASA, saying PLA will not like GPU heat. Source: @a.civardagezen, 2026-07-21
- @meromgreen: PETG is fine and PLA should be too, because the duct sits away from the heat source with cool air always flowing through it; @roboalchemist.: PLA has been fine on all his cards; @_arcanum_: if PLA is the only option, stick a cut mica sheet on the contact surfaces. @nekopavel printed in PETG to be safe. Source: @meromgreen, 2026-07-21
Source: @meatsus, 2026-07-21
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-21
Source: @nekopavel, 2026-07-21
Source: @roboalchemist., 2026-07-21 - @diabeetee and @canadiansike recommend PETG, which warps less in a hot environment and stays stronger at high temperature; @canadiansike's first PLA shrouds held up with case airflow, but he moved to PETG for two cards. @turbine prints glass-filled PETG: a better surface, more rigid than PETG, and much less water uptake than PETG-CF. Source: @diabeetee, 2026-08-05
Source: @canadiansike, 2026-08-05
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-05 - @dalzyyy advises against consumer resin (dimensionally unstable, and screws threaded directly into it can crack it) and suggests SLS or MJF nylon for a good finish; @dreadbyte warns PA-CF warps badly and needs a chamber preheated for at least 20 minutes. Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-06
Source: @rubbra_f, 2026-08-06
Source: @dreadbyte, 2026-08-06 - Later advice: use a high heat-deflection material such as ABS or ASA, since HT-PLA needs annealing or it deforms (@civiloid, in the bend entry above); PPA-CF for housings close to the heatsink (@deejay9983, in the buying entry below).
Contested
Source: @a.civardagezen, 2026-07-21
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-07-21
Source: @meatsus, 2026-07-21
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-21
Source: @nekopavel, 2026-07-21
Source: @roboalchemist., 2026-07-21
Source: @diabeetee, 2026-08-05
Source: @canadiansike, 2026-08-05
Source: @turbine, 2026-08-05
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-08-06
Source: @rubbra_f, 2026-08-06
Source: @dreadbyte, 2026-08-06
Mount shrouds with screws, not friction
Friction-fit shrouds are not reliable long term, and the card has screw holes that can be used: move the wall and add correctly sized and placed holes (@farawaythrower, who modified a design to screw onto the card's shroud). @rubbra_f mounted a fan with no print by cutting into the shroud and friction-fitting it; @meatsus warned that a fan that falls could short many things. @meromgreen showed a fan driven by a PWM controller with a temperature probe.
Reported
Source: @farawaythrower, 2026-07-19
Source: @rubbra_f, 2026-08-04
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-04
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-08-04
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-04
No printer: bags, bottles, cardboard and tape
A shroud does not have to be printed; the rule (@xtj7) is that anything goes as long as the air goes where it should and nothing catches fire.
- @ploxlol: a plastic bag taped around the card and a decent 120 mm fan cooled a card up to 250 W easily. @samuel_hayden. duct-taped two Dell PowerEdge 12 V fans to one opening for nothing.
- @segmond cut a soda bottle into a duct to test a card: 32 C idle, expecting about 40 C under load. @quark2world: have the fan blow bottom to top into the bottle, keep
watch nvidia-smiopen and let a script control temperatures before loading the card. @meatsus used a yogurt cup and cardboard. - @biller007 cools one card with a leftover 6 inch AC Infinity inline fan attached with cardboard cut to the card's size: quiet, peaking around 55 C core and about 69 C memory (a printed shroud he tried was brittle and broke); later a hose over two cards with cardboard forcing the air through them, very cool and quiet.
- Tape: a taped-on blower shroud is the cheaper version of a printed one, and heat probably does not weaken the adhesive enough to matter (@91d5a66bffc978331fac75b68fa86aba). @vektor_prime attaches fans with HVAC tape whose inner lining is heat-resistant rubber. @cute_sc2 warned bag plastic can warp from heat; @quark2world worried paper absorbs moisture.
- @rubbra_f's fan setup costs $1 to $2 plus a cutter, but makes the card about 420 mm long; zip ties also work. @ju5t5omedude mounts his fan with metal screws and a printed IO bracket, and says a 1 A 4-pin fan is strong enough.
- Support the cards in an improvised multi-card setup from the frame: unsupported cards can vibrate (@endsjeremy).
Reported
Source: @samuel_hayden., 2026-07-29
Source: @ploxlol, 2026-07-31
Source: @zapirate, 2026-08-01
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-01
Source: @danske1, 2026-08-01
Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-08-01
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-01
Source: @rubbra_f, 2026-08-02
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-02
Source: @erhaede, 2026-08-02
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-02
Source: @meatsus, 2026-08-02
Source: @farawaythrower, 2026-08-02
Source: @sealclubber, 2026-08-02
Source: @zingy90210, 2026-08-15
Source: @91d5a66bffc978331fac75b68fa86aba, 2026-08-15
Source: @segmond, 2026-08-17
Source: @quark2world, 2026-08-17
Source: @mfj4, 2026-08-17
Source: @vektor_prime, 2026-08-29
Source: @irythros, 2026-08-29
Source: @xtj7, 2026-09-11
Source: @_maitops, 2026-09-11
Source: @schakaqt, 2026-09-11
Source: @meatsus, 2026-09-11
Source: @biller007, 2026-09-11
Source: @port00, 2026-09-11
Source: @con3po7016, 2026-09-18
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-09-18
Source: @xtj7, 2026-09-18
Source: @biller007, 2026-09-21
Costs of fans, brackets and printed parts
@artistosu bought a 40 mm fan bracket with Sunon 40 mm fans for 68 yuan with free international shipping; @ju5t5omedude noted a single-fan version also exists. @_arcanum_: the blower fans cost 20 to 30 RMB, but a Goofish seller quoted 40+ just to print the shroud, and JLCPCB PLA printing was about 4 per unit with no discount at 10 pieces. @samuel_hayden.: two Dell server fans and electrical tape work fine.
Reported
Source: @artistosu, 2026-08-03
Source: @a.civardagezen, 2026-08-03
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-08-03
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-08-03
Source: @samuel_hayden., 2026-08-03
Buying shrouds and housings
Printed shrouds, housings and replacement coolers for sale
With no cards left on Taobao on 2026-07-20, the only 170HX items there were printed fan shrouds (@_arcanum_), and @impactic noted eBay averages for the card are skewed by shrouds and parts listed under the same name.
- Printed: an Etsy "A100 CMP 170HX GPU Blower Fan Shroud, 120mm Airflow Duct" (Etsy listing), found by @endsjeremy. @squishysquare sells 80 mm shrouds (see Other designs above).
- Housings: an Amazon "Replacement Housing Shroud for Nvidia Tesla A100 80GB / 40GB PCIe" at about $179 (Amazon listing); @petrikrohn_26497 had seen housings on eBay. The 170HX shares the A100 PCIe form factor; @meatsus says the only visible difference is the text. @meromgreen wanted one for his dented 8 GB card.
- Replacement coolers: @cute_sc2 posted an eBay.de listing (eBay listing), which @dalzyyy noted cost more than his broken card; @decoy.works says such coolers are cheap in China, and A100 heatsinks occasionally appear there attached to coreless, VRAM-less or faulty boards.
- @deejay9983 warned most printable plastics would cook that close to the heatsink and suggested PPA-CF; @ju5t5omedude said the ABS housings he has seen have an integral blower. @sekkit_75019 offered a fan add-on for 200 RMB alongside his capacitor mod, mounted at the tail.
Reported
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-07-20
Source: @impactic, 2026-07-20
Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-07-26
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-07-26
Source: @decoy.works, 2026-07-26
Source: @meromgreen, 2026-07-27
Source: @meatsus, 2026-07-27
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-07-27
Source: @petrikrohn_26497, 2026-07-27
Source: @deejay9983, 2026-07-27
Source: @ju5t5omedude, 2026-07-27
Source: @sekkit_75019, 2026-07-29
Source: @decoy.works, 2026-07-29