Anyone using the ATI Silencer 5 for their X850/800XL?

[Haphazard]

Now that the Ati Silencer 5 is finally available stateside, has anyone picked it up? I've heard that the fan, while quieter than stock, makes an annoying 'clicking' sound (especially at low rpm's) rendering this cooler an ineffective low noise option.

Can anyone using this Silencer please confirm? I'd really like to replace the noisy stock cooler on my Sapphire X850XT, but am quite concerned about this clicking business.

cheers.

 

[wisdomtooth]

I have the ATI Silencer 1 and it works fine on my 9800Pro-- No clicks or any sound I can hear from more than a foot away. Three months and counting. Every six months I take apart my system to clean the dust bunnies out of the fans and lube the spindles, and that's when I'll take apart the Silencer and see how and if I should lube it.

 

[Painman]

Whoever reported this clicking noise may have gotten a unit with a bad bearing in it but I don't think I'd pay $40 plus shipping to find out. I can hear the groaning sound of my X850 cooler above the other noises in my case, but it's not really that prominent... its noise is of a lower frequency which is far less annoying to me than a high pitched whine.

 

[Uclagamer_99]

I had the silencer with my 9800 pro and it was much quieter than stock. Definitely worth the $.

I just got the x800 XL and plan on getting a ATI Silencer 5 once more shops get their stock. $40 is a bit pricey just for a video card fan.

 

[Phew]

Jab-tech has the ATI Silencer 5 rev.2 for $32.50 shipped. I bought one.

JAB-Tech Link

For me, the biggest problem with the stock X800XL cooler is that it intakes and exhausts inside the case. I wanted something that would pull in cool outside air and exhaust outside the case, which the ATI Silencer 5 does. My overclocks with the stock cooler topped out around 5% due to high case temps and overall poor cooling from the stock setup (70 C full load with 5% core overclock).

 

[Haphazard]

For those who've already got theirs, how is the noise on this cooler? Do you hear 'clicking' ... which I've read is due to the cooler's ceramic bearing reacting poorly to the card's PWM fanspeed-control signal.

 

[Phew]

The description of the ATI Silencer 5 on Artic Cooling's website says 'Clicking Noise Solution: A new filter has been added to the PCB'. Alternatively, you can avoid the clicking noise by running 100% duty cycle on the PWM signal using ATI Tool or another tweak program.

 

[Haphazard]

Phew, can you verify Arctic Cooling's claim about the cooling solution w/ your XL? Are you not hearing any clicking, or have you had to resort to a 100% setting (which somewhat negates the silent-at-idle objective).

cheers.