7800 GT/GTX: fan noise?

[Nox1]

What are your opinions about the 7800 GT/GTX fan noise. Out of all the 7800 card manufacturers, who makes the quietest?

I'm putting together a HTPC/Gaming rig. I definately want a 7800 in it, so the quieter the better.

As a comparison for me, I'm currently running an AIW 9800 Pro which I consider to be very quiet.

I'm actually interested in buying the EVGA 7800 GT CO. From what I've read, it has the GTX fan with a copper heatsink. So if anyone has experience with this card, it'd be most helpful.

Thanks

EDIT: Oops.... I meant EVGA 7800 GT CO (not OC as I originally typed)

 

[obeseotron]

Just about everything on the market uses the exact same reference cooler, I'm pretty sure the evga you're talking about uses the same fan. If you're serious about a quiet high end video card I'd look into Zalman's VF700Cu, I have one on a 6800 and love it. Thermalrights V-1 cools even better but I think it has some issues with not cooling the RAM and makes SLI impossible.

 

[moonboy403]

the copper heatsink is only available on the KO edition
i'm using evga 7800 gtx myself...it's a reference design
as for the noise...i'd say it's about the same as 6800gt
which isn't that bad

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: obeseotron
Just about everything on the market uses the exact same reference cooler, I'm pretty sure the evga you're talking about uses the same fan. If you're serious about a quiet high end video card I'd look into Zalman's VF700Cu, I have one on a 6800 and love it. Thermalrights V-1 cools even better but I think it has some issues with not cooling the RAM and makes SLI impossible.

VF700 FTW! I got one of those too. It's awesome. I hooked it up to my fan controller although thats not necessary since running it full blast will always be softer than my other 120mm fans so i never really hear my VF700 unles I turn my Panaflos down to 7volts.

 

[sxr7171]

Does anyone think putting a ZM-80D heatpipe cooler (with the optional fan) on a 7800GT would be a bad idea?

 

[CraigRT]

I have a Chaintech AE78GT 7800GT card... fan noise is no problem once windows starts and the drivers kick in. Even after BF2 all night, it's not really loud.. the fan is audible, but it NEVER gets to the same volume it does when you first turn on the PC... that is loud.

 

[mrkun]

Arctic Cooling's new NV Silencer (which works with the 7800 series) is being released next week.

Edit: Apparently, Sidewinder has it available already.

Edit #2: Newegg's got it also.

 

[Nox1]

The Arctic cooling NVSilencer 5 was the solution to fall back on if the stock fans were all loud. Revision 3 is the one that fits the 7800 (says Arctic Cooling's website). http://www.arctic-cooling.com/vga2.php?idx=40

I had a 6800 at one point, but the fan noise was unbearable for me. At the time I had a Shuttle SFF and no room to add a silent fan. My upgrade has now moved me into a mATX design. So now I have some room...still tight, but more room.

I think I'd rather have active cooling rather than a heat pipe, especially for an mATX system. It gets hot in that small space.

 

[mrkun]

Oh, about the noise for the stock cooler. I can't hear the fan at all over my case fans (Panaflo 120mm @1400 RPM).

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: mrkun
Oh, about the noise for the stock cooler. I can't hear the fan at all over my case fans (Panaflo 120mm @1400 RPM).

That must be a quiet card then. I have all 120mm fans case and CPU, and I had to put a paasive cooler on my 6600GT to silence it.

 

[Rommels]

I got the evga 7800 gt and it's the only fan I hear in my p180.
Even then the ambiant noise level where my computer is keeps everything sounds just fine.

 

[imported_ST]

**Most** of the stock gpu hsf is fairly quiet. some of the propietary ones (non nvidia spec like the EVGA KO) can get a little loud. I saw no difference in noise between my stock hsf and moving to a rev. 3 AC Silencer 5 on my Asus GTX.

 

[Fallengod]

I dunno, I should have my BFG 7800gt tomorrow. Ill let you know.