Arctic Cooling vrs Zalman

[SalientKing]

Im looking into getting a new Heatsink for a 6800GT AGP. Ive been looking at products from arctic cooling and zalman. Id like to hear from people who have had some experience with these products. Thanks.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Zalman VF700 Cu !!!!!!

Of course I am partial to Zalman!!

But Artic cooling might be just fine also!

 

[swtethan]

ALL ZALMAN!!




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/swtethan/zalman.jpg


even the fan inside the black plastic exhaust is zalman, from my old dual heatpipe video card (also zalman)

 

[frank84]

i did a quick self-review on this...

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=31&threadid=1640091&enterthread=y

and yes, it was VF700 AlCu, not VF700Cu.

 

[harmonjoe255]

I think the arctic cooling ones are better. Arctic Cooling have better prices I think.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Zalman vf-700Cu.

 

[NatePo717]

VF700-Cu ftw!!

 

[Bona Fide]

In case it hasn't been made clear enough yet...

Zalman VF700-Cu

 

[Linearsoup]

artic cooling works for me,its cheap,quiet and i like the exhaust.never used zalman so cant comment on it,apart from it looks good

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: harmonjoe255
I think the arctic cooling ones are better. Arctic Cooling have better prices I think.

Better prices don`t equate to better cooling!!

Zalman owns!!

Arctic Cooling is well Arctic Cooling!!

 

[SalientKing]

Well so far it seems the Arctic Cooling NV5 is better than the Zalman VF700-ALCU.

Got alot of votes for the VF700-CU though. Anyone know of some good reviews of both units? Also the weight of the VF700-CU seems a bit over board. The NV5 also seems to do a good job of keeping system temps down thanks to its exhaust slot.

Right now im leaning towards getting the NV5. But id like to hear more about the VF700-CU before i make up my mind. Was it hard to install? Id apreciate some before/after temp stats if anyone has any.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I can only tell you what I know from earlier Arctic models in comparison to the Zalman ZM-80D heatpipe cooler. I've seen the newer Zalman model, and it may be as good or better than the Arctic, but here's what I know for a fact.

The Arctic cooler design which exhausts air through the AGP/PCI slot is only slightly less effective than a ZM80D heatpipe cooler. The difference registers as between 2 and 4F difference in temperature measured at the GPU's own built-in sensor.

However, I don't think the Zalman model mentioned here is a heatpipe cooler, but rather a design reminiscent of the CNPS-7x00-Cu CPU coolers.

I've been very pleased with my ZM-80[x] heatpipe coolers for AGP cards, but you can't use them in E-ATX cases where the mobo is flipped around from the traditional ATX mobo position.

 

[swtethan]

i've had both dual heatpipe and 700 cu coolers on my video card, the 700 cu does a lot better job, and a lot less weight on your card.

 

[SalientKing]

The weight of the 700CU seems a bit much. Anyone had problems with this? Can a toolless case handle the extra weight?

 

[Bona Fide]

Originally posted by: SalientKing
The weight of the 700CU seems a bit much. Anyone had problems with this? Can a toolless case handle the extra weight?

It's not bad at all. If you're worried, get the 700-AlCu. It should be a bit lighter at minimal performance loss.

 

[monster64]

Thermalright V-1
It destroys the zalman/silencer
http://www.systemcooling.com/thermalright_v1-01.html

 

[vanvock]

I'm happy with the NV5 on mine. Easy install & I like the exhaust method.

 

[charlietee]

My vote goes for the Artic Cooling solution.

 

[Punkydammit]

I've been a satisfied AC Silencer user, but this time I went a different route.

Link to my quick Thermalright V1 review (on a 6800GT)

It's a rougher install, but the results are great. Overall I'd say you've got 3 solid products to choose from, so there's no really bad decision.

 

[NatePo717]

The VF700-Cu really isn't all that heavy. I haven't noticed any extra strain or anything on my card over the stock cooling.

 

[CraKaJaX]

I just ordered a VF700 Cu for my 6800GT last night. By the way you guys are talking, I'm glad I ordered it

 

[Elcs]

The biggest perk going for the VF700-Cu which swayed my decision was multiple platform compatibility.

Getting the correct version and revision of the Silencer didnt thrill me and fitting seemed like it was much more awkward.

 

[SalientKing]

Well from all the info ive gathered together, from reviews posted on this thread and website reviews, it seems in terms of cooling the order of gpu HS is as follows:

VF700-ALCU < V-1 (one fan) < AC Silencer < v-1 (2 fans) = VF700-CU

Ive read some mixed reviews on the v1, some show it being nearly as good as h2o solutions, other show it to be inferior to the silencer. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that you can choose what kind of 80mm fans you can attach to it. So i imagine you can get alot of performance with 2 fans that move alot of air if you dont care about the noise.

Right now im leaning towards the VF700-CU. Mostly because it is so modular in design, and there is a better chance of being able to reuse it in the future. That and its purdy.

Can you use the VF700s in a SLI config?

 

[Punkydammit]

Looks like you thought things out fairly well- the VF700CU should do a fine job for you.

--and yes, I've seen people use the Zalmans in SLI setups, so no problem there.

 

[Flyingbig]

How easy is it to change the fan on a BFG 7800 gt? I have one arriving over the next few days and i am worried about the noise of it and may end up changing the fan. Is it just a matter of unscrewing the stock one and screwing in a new one?