How does NV5 Silencer compare to the 6800 Ultra stock cooler?

[Paktu]

I currently have a 6800GT in my system which I can run at Ultra speeds without trouble, but (like many others here) I got a good deal on a 6800 Ultra and have one in the mail right now. I am trying to decide what to do here:

Install NV5 Silencer on my 6800GT and eBay the Ultra -OR-
Keep the Ultra, eBay the GT

I would probably get around $70 more for the Ultra on eBay, but I figure that buying the NV5 plus the thermal paste would set me back around $30-$40, plus I'd void my warranty. I'm wondering what you guys feel is the best option here.

 

[fbrdphreak]

The Ultra will probably OC further than the GT, given it is able to draw more power thru the 2 molex connectors. I would put the stock heatsink on the GT and sell it. Then I would see what kind of OC/temps u get on the Ultra with both the stock heatsink & nV5. Determine which is better & if its not the nV5, sell that. Win-win situation

edit Then again, it depends how much u paid for the GT & how much the Ultra was. $ plz?

 

[hi5]

The NV-5 Silencer is never designed to be like "OMG, its awesome", as far as Nv cards are concerned.

Its insufficient since it cool an X800 good but fails to cool the 6800 Ultra, showing the design is not that sufficient.

I've even heard some reviewers say its even worse than NV stock cooler.

A 6800Ultra over a GT isnt recommended at all.

Instead, i highly recommend u look for the latest Thermaltake VGA cooler(sorry, forgot its name but its the best thus far) or u can take the route i took by purchasing a Zalman ZM-HP80D.

Overall if u see u'll only save about $ 30-40 on staying with the GT but then ur card would overclock to Ultra speeds + better cooling.

If u really are a rich AH, why dont u find a deal for the X800XT PE.

My X800Pro after Zalman mods goes far beyond XT speeds. (475-570 Core - 900-1150) memory.

 

[fbrdphreak]

If the 6800U is a great price and you can get ~$300-$350 for your GT, then an Ultra is more than worth it. The only ATI card worth buying is an X800XT and those are hard to find for the prices that Ultra's are getting down to these days, fanboyism aside.

 

[Paktu]

Then again, it depends how much u paid for the GT & how much the Ultra was. $ plz?

I paid $335 for the GT and $350 for the Ultra (after any taxes and shipping). I think this is moot since it only matters what they are worth now. If you've taken economics, this is called a "sunk cost" and should not be taken into account.

 

[Paktu]

Originally posted by: hi5
The NV-5 Silencer is never designed to be like "OMG, its awesome", as far as Nv cards are concerned.

Its insufficient since it cool an X800 good but fails to cool the 6800 Ultra, showing the design is not that sufficient.

I've even heard some reviewers say its even worse than NV stock cooler.

A 6800Ultra over a GT isnt recommended at all.

Instead, i highly recommend u look for the latest Thermaltake VGA cooler(sorry, forgot its name but its the best thus far) or u can take the route i took by purchasing a Zalman ZM-HP80D.

Overall if u see u'll only save about $ 30-40 on staying with the GT but then ur card would overclock to Ultra speeds + better cooling.

If u really are a rich AH, why dont u find a deal for the X800XT PE.

My X800Pro after Zalman mods goes far beyond XT speeds. (475-570 Core - 900-1150) memory.

I'd like to get dual-slot cooling in one form or another, since ambient temps in my comp are pretty high (I got my speeds all the way to 440/1160 with my case open and next to the window). I'm going to look into the Thermaltake cooler but I hear the Zalman is pretty weak and should only be used if you need something quiet. ATI is out of the question since I think they provide terrible value at my price point, and don't have dual slot cooling.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: Paktu

Then again, it depends how much u paid for the GT & how much the Ultra was. $ plz?

I paid $335 for the GT and $350 for the Ultra (after any taxes and shipping). I think this is moot since it only matters what they are worth now. If you've taken economics, this is called a "sunk cost" and should not be taken into account.

IMO it does matter. If you bought the GT when it was hot off the net and it cost you $450, but you got an Ultra for $350; I would sell the Ultra.

At this point, you will probably not make any money off of selling the GT. However, you could easily sell your Ultra for $400. Its all up to you, you know the pros & cons of each. Depends how important the $ is to you versus the performance. Better performance for the Ultra, but you will end up spending more money. The GT is better $/performance, esp with an nV5, but won't OC as well.
My $0.02 that doesn't care about your economics course, take it or leave it

 

[Chopstick217]

Originally posted by: hi5
The NV-5 Silencer is never designed to be like "OMG, its awesome", as far as Nv cards are concerned.

Its insufficient since it cool an X800 good but fails to cool the 6800 Ultra, showing the design is not that sufficient.

I've even heard some reviewers say its even worse than NV stock cooler.

A 6800Ultra over a GT isnt recommended at all.

Instead, i highly recommend u look for the latest Thermaltake VGA cooler(sorry, forgot its name but its the best thus far) or u can take the route i took by purchasing a Zalman ZM-HP80D.

Overall if u see u'll only save about $ 30-40 on staying with the GT but then ur card would overclock to Ultra speeds + better cooling.

If u really are a rich AH, why dont u find a deal for the X800XT PE.

My X800Pro after Zalman mods goes far beyond XT speeds. (475-570 Core - 900-1150) memory.

How you get the Zalman ZM-HP80D to fit. According to the zalman website, this cooler does not fit on the 6800s http://www.zalmanusa.com/usa/product/view.asp?idx=138&code=013

 

[darkswordsman17]

I don't see how the NV5 could be worse than the stock cooling on the 6800s (even the Ultra). Its got a bigger fan, exhausts the hot air out of the case, and has a nice chunk of copper and aluminum on both the GPU and RAM. IF you install it correctly, your idle temps will be as low and your load temps will be noticeably lower than stock.

I would keep the Ultra and get rid of the GT. You can sell your GT for almost what you paid for it, and the Ultra will allow you more staying power (it'll almost without a doubt OC better-higher than the GT, and if not, then don't mod it at all and you'll have a warranty left should it break down the line, whereas if you want the GT to match it you'll have to void the warranty.

The only reason that people would suggest a GT over an Ultra is because you can easily reach Ultra performance for about $100 less, that doesn't apply in this situation.

I don't see why you people are recommending an X800XT, when this guy already has both a 6800GT and Ultra in his posession, it'll just be a hassle for him to get one of those (not to mention a 6800 Ultra will be more than enough and he'll end up losing money if he sells it and buys the X800XT as it'll cost more than what he paid for his Ultra).

So here's what I'd do if I was in your shoes:

Sell the GT, keep the Ultra, check how well it runs and leave it stock for as long as possible. Once you finally think you need to, put on an aftermarket cooler (or the copper heatsink for the Ultras), some AS5 or ASC and then OC.

 

[Paktu]

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
I don't see how the NV5 could be worse than the stock cooling on the 6800s (even the Ultra). Its got a bigger fan, exhausts the hot air out of the case, and has a nice chunk of copper and aluminum on both the GPU and RAM. IF you install it correctly, your idle temps will be as low and your load temps will be noticeably lower than stock.

I would keep the Ultra and get rid of the GT. You can sell your GT for almost what you paid for it, and the Ultra will allow you more staying power (it'll almost without a doubt OC better-higher than the GT, and if not, then don't mod it at all and you'll have a warranty left should it break down the line, whereas if you want the GT to match it you'll have to void the warranty.

The only reason that people would suggest a GT over an Ultra is because you can easily reach Ultra performance for about $100 less, that doesn't apply in this situation.

I don't see why you people are recommending an X800XT, when this guy already has both a 6800GT and Ultra in his posession, it'll just be a hassle for him to get one of those (not to mention a 6800 Ultra will be more than enough and he'll end up losing money if he sells it and buys the X800XT as it'll cost more than what he paid for his Ultra).

So here's what I'd do if I was in your shoes:

Sell the GT, keep the Ultra, check how well it runs and leave it stock for as long as possible. Once you finally think you need to, put on an aftermarket cooler (or the copper heatsink for the Ultras), some AS5 or ASC and then OC.

That's really what I'm leaning towards right now.

 

[fstime]

I have a buddy with the NV silencer, he had a GT in which the silencer worked wonders, lowered his temps by a lot, when he got his ULTRA, it only lowered his temps by 3-5 degress.