High performance, low heat video card?

[CygnusX1]

I'm working on building a quiet performance computer. I'm looking for a video card that can be cooled passively (no fan). I'll probably get the Geforce 2 MX. Any faster cards that could be cooled passively? What if I underclocked a Geforce 2 GTS? Think I could get away with heatsink only? Any products on the horizon that meet my high performance, low heat, need?

 

[pidge]

Nope. The Geforce 2 MX is da best for that. Their design guidelines don't even require a heatsink.

 

[CygnusX1]

Yeah, guess that is going to be how I'll have to go. Too bad I'll have to upgrade in 6 months. Maybe by then there will be .15 micron process GPUs which will kick ass without heat issues. . . What about the underclocking idea? Is it a dumb idea? My thought was that the GeForce MX is basically a crippled, underclocked GeForce GTS. The GeForce GTS has twice the number of pixel pipelines and should be much faster even at the same clock rate of the GeForce GTS. Am I crazy?

 

[pidge]

I just think its like a sin to underclock something. I would never do it but thats just me.

 

[Taz4158]

The Radeon are exceptionally cool running and far better performing as well. Might want to think about it.

 

[CygnusX1]

But the Radeons do have active cooling. . . Where did you get the information that they run cool? Will they run without active cooling (heatsink only)?

 

[pidge]

Probably not. The Radeon's chip size is about 25% bigger than the Geforce 2 MX and I am sure that translates into active cooling to cool it down.

 

[oldfart]

I've read reviews at several sites stating that the Radeon has a HS/Fan for cosmetic reasons only. ATI thought people would not think the card was "mean" without it. They are used to seeing other video cards with heatsinks glued all over them. The one it has is very small and silent. The Radeon has the lowest power usage of any of the big 3 high performance cards.

 

[EvilDonnyboy]

yeah. if u could replace the tiny hs/f with a larger hs (blocking pci slot not even needed), you could get good enuf cooling for both GF2 and Radeon (166, maybe 183). just don't overclock it.

 

[BFG10K]

I think the GF2 MX has the lowest power draining/performance ratio. I think it only uses a tiny 2W (or is it 4W? I forget).

 

[pidge]

Its 4 watts.