Buying an NV Silencer for my 6800GT *Edit* Different cooler sent

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
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Since I was going to a LAN party this morning, I took the liberty of opening my case to get compressed air the dust out, but, to my dismay, I discovered that one of the fans on my Gainward 6800GT wasn't spinning when hit by the air. Further inspection revealed the fan to be, not only completely inop, but also that it was somehow wedged itself into the hsf 'cage' surrounding the cooling mechanism. This explains why my card was idling between 65C and 67C, which I thought was simply because of the summer heat.

So, I am going to order an NV Silencer to put on the card from FrozenCPU.com. My question is, do I need some rubbing alcohol to get any old thermal compound off the GPU itself? And would I be correct in assuming I can use Artic Silver 5 on the GPU and the application of it would be identical to using it on the CPU? If these seem like nobrainer questions, they probably are. This will be my first time putting an after market cooler on a video card.

Lastly, I must say that Gainward builds one hell of a resilient card! This card has been without that fan now for a least a month, and I've been playing many games on it as well. No lockups or artifacts of any kind. Once I noticed the fan was out, I removed the side panel of my case, which dropped the GPU temp a degree or two though.

Edit - I see on the FrozenCPU.com website that Artic Cooling has pre applied the thermal compound, so thats taken care of.
 

MDE

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
13,199
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You're right on the installation, but I'd advise against the Silencer and recommend a Zalman VF700 (either Cu or AlCu). Quieter and cools better. :thumbsup: Clean the old paste off with rubbing alcohol and use AS5 on the GPU, but NOT on the RAM. If you get the Silencer, use the paste they provide on the RAM.
 

Fistandantilis

Senior member
Aug 29, 2004
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it couldnt hurt, have you looked at the zalman gpu cooler? I hear that it is much better than the Silencer. I put a silencer on my card and it took forever to get it to seat properly, I did a ton of modding tho it but once I got it on correctly my gpu temps plumeted from 60 to 50 but the copper base that goes over the vram is making kaka contact but after I dicked with that forever I got fair contact and it is sitting right noe at idle 48c. not bad, but the side of my case is open thats prolly why it is below 50c
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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If I am looking at the right Zalman cooler, it doesn't look like it'd cool better. Looks like its designed to sit right on top of the GPU, looking more like a chipset cooler than a GPU cooler.

Edit - Pulled it up on the Zalman website and watched their installation video. Its a bit larger than it looks in the pictures. Problem is, that with my Preshott P4 kicking out a ton of heat right about the video card, I am uncertain how well its cooling would be. Quiet isn't much of a concern for me.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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Going with the NV Silencer 5, seems like it'd cool better given my current case setup.

I really should have bought a full tower cse when I built this system, all my 3.5in and 5.25in bays are full. :( Its a jumbled mess in there.
 

Fistandantilis

Senior member
Aug 29, 2004
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in that case and in any case where there is poor airflow go with the silence, it ports the warm air out the back, it really aint long enough but it does ok...i guess
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
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Originally posted by: Fistandantilis
in that case and in any case where there is poor airflow go with the silence, it ports the warm air out the back, it really aint long enough but it does ok...i guess

Can't cool worse than Gainward's cooler with its 1 working fan. :p

 

MDE

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
13,199
1
81
I'm telling you, I've had both and the Zalman cools better. If you insist on the Silencer I have a Rev 1 I can sell you for $20 shipped.
 

Fistandantilis

Senior member
Aug 29, 2004
845
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Originally posted by: MDE
I'm telling you, I've had both and the Zalman cools better. If you insist on the Silencer I have a Rev 1 I can sell you for $20 shipped.

I hope your right, I have a zalman on order so I can smash this NV silencer to smithereens. It was such a pain in the arss. I did eventually get it up and running well but at that point I had had enough.

 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
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Originally posted by: MDE
I'm telling you, I've had both and the Zalman cools better. If you insist on the Silencer I have a Rev 1 I can sell you for $20 shipped.

No, but thanks for the offer.

And thanks for all the replies.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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Well, it seems FrozenCPU.com ran out of stock on the NV Silencers, so they sent me a different cooler.

The Vantec iCeBERQ 5. It says its compatible with 6800GTs though.

Link

Its listed under VGA coolers, CCB-A5C.

Any info regarding this cooler, or should I call them up?
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
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Originally posted by: monster64
Its a shame nobody knows about the Thermalright V1. It is by far the best video cooler out there. Get it at sidewinder or jab-tech. Review: http://www.systemcooling.com/thermalright_v1-01.html

It simply destroys the silencer.

I don't have a Silencer. :p

Should I bother with the hassle of returning the Vantec? Looks like a decent, albeit large, cooler. The only two reviews Vantec has posted on their site don't seem very good, only one of them as temps.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
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Guess I will give the Vantec cooler a shot, can't possibly cool worse than the damaged cooler currently on the card.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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Well, I installed the Vantec. Seems to be working alright, about 53C after bootup. Previously it was 67C upon bootup. Nice improvement.

I also discovered that the stock Gainward cooler has a burnt, literally burnt, bearing behind the fan. Its burnt through the sticker on the back of fan assembly.

I think I'll save the old copper heat sink, never know when you could use a block of copper.

Edit - I am somewhat concerned about the Vantec RAMsinks, however. The padding they provided to adhere them to the RAM chips is kinda weak.