Hi, 
I've seen a lot of people asking how to deal with the heat issues when using a 400-series card. Specially the 480s and 470s are hot.
I got three Evga GTX470SCs my self and I wanted to make them run cooler without using water. I also want my PC to have a nice and neat look, so I came up with this Idea.
 
All you need to this is:
2x 120mm Fans.
3x Pci-brackets.
1x Screwdriver
3x Fan-screws
1x Pincers


 
Now you got the stuff you need to bend the Pci-brackets using a pincers. Bend them like this (90 degree angle, rather 89 degrees than 91 degrees). Hint: first mount the bracket and then you're able to see where to bend. 

 
Now mount the bracket to one of the fans using the screwdriver and a single screw. Should look like this.

 
Now mount the fan with the Pci-bracket to your vga-cards. Should look like this.

 
Now take the other fan and prepare the Pci-brackets. Mount them like this.

 
As you can see on this pic things will workout nicely..

 
Now bend the brackets. (90 degrees)

 
After mounting the last fan your setup should look like this.. 


 
I hope this guide is useful..:D
 
GPU temps at load are, from top to bottom: 73C, 71C, 69C.
Without the fans I saw temps in the high nineties.
 

^ buahha you took my comment, about you giving me an idea, and turned it into a tutorial. Blue ribbon for you.

No problem..:D

They look to be held on by a little thing we like to call gravity! 

nice guide for some airflow on those cards.
i don't see a blue ribbon here??
im sure he should get one!!

Definitely a blue ribbon buddy! Bravo on the mod! Bookmarked it for upcoming new rig.
Man I gotta say that's a nice looking setup. Very clean. It's so clean with no dust. Mine is like the inside of a dustbuster HA! Thanks for putting the time and effort in this..

hething

They look to be held on by a little thing we like to call gravity! 

yes.. it is called gravity.. it works greatly..:D

very nice mod, im surprised the fans don't rattle if the bracket is just sitting on the card 

so there just sitting on the cards

hething

They look to be held on by a little thing we like to call gravity! 

yes.. it is called gravity.. it works greatly..:D

I think he is referring to the housing you have on your 2 topmost 470's. With a regular 470, the board is exposed on the top and therefor you wouldnt want to have a bracket going across the exposed board...

where do you get the backplates?

same here

Did your GTX 470 come with one?  Either way it isn't needed.  Shaves off 3-5 degrees Celsius.

is the fan @ the front(or rear however you think) of the cards being supported by the heat sink, I would assume that is giving the bracket its resistance? Or is it being held down by the other two brackets?(for the fan on the side.

 
I think the ram-slots are keeping it down..

^ Tape would also work.

interesting idea but some Screen shots under load with and without  would be helpful to believe a 25C drop from this ?Also case airflow wise how much did your CPU temps rise from the constant forced non vented air being pushed off the cards around the case ?

interesting idea but some Screen shots under load with and without  would be helpful to believe a 25C drop from this ?Also case airflow wise how much did your CPU temps rise from the constant forced non vented air being pushed off the cards around the case ?

 
I'm with BioHazzardSperm here. I'm using a single EVGA GTX 470 (everything stock) playing Civ5 (DX11) and Final Fantasy 14 with everything turned all the way up on an Asus 25.5" 1920x1200 monitor, and every single time without a fail, I'm getting 90c+ temps / 90-99% GPU usage / 80%+ Fan speed, throttling (which is a scary noise btw). We all know thats hot, and loud.
 
Emailed Customer support, they tell me that is normal, that I can boil an egg while using a vacuum. This is in a HAF X case, with a corsair H50 CPU cooler exhausting (push/pull) the air, X4 200mm fans, one directly cooling the GPU area. I tried with and without the included GPU shroud that allows you to attach a 120mm fan that blows air on to the GPU (which drops the temps 1-4c).
 
The HAF X all ready comes with a similar set up to what the OP has, just not as close to the GPUs.
 
BUT if the OP can post real evidence (EVGA precision), of the temps, you will completely convince me to go grab 2 more video cards, and prevent me from getting my refund first thing Monday morning.