What the 7900 GT heatsink was supposed look like

[nib95]

Well, I'm sure everyones spotted it, when you see a 7900 GT naked without it's HSF, there is clearly an outline on the board that seams to be in the shape of a HSF. Just not the one they actually come with. Well after some digging around I found this unusual model.

7900 GT True HSF

You can see the outline here.

7900 GT board layout

The REAL hsf outline

I just wonder why they didnt go with the original designed HSF?
Perhaps the card didnt need it in the end?
Or perhaps it was due to production costs?

Either way, I think it's a bit of a cheat. The 7900 GT should have come with the originally deisgned HSF. Even for that bit of extra ram cooling.

 

[fierydemise]

I didn't see it till I looked carefully but its definitely there

 

[mazeroth]

They did it so you couldn't overclock it to GTX levels as easily. Cooling the RAM would help immensely, so they're not going to give you that option.

 

[the Chase]

Huh- holes for it in the PCB also. Must have been to reduce costs and they probably found the 7600 heatsink was good enough to get the job done.

 

[nib95]

Originally posted by: the Chase
Huh- holes for it in the PCB also. Must have been to reduce costs and they probably found the 7600 heatsink was good enough to get the job done.

This is what I'd like to know. I wonder if this heatsink would allow better OC's?

 

[yacoub]

So buy another cooler and/or RAM 'sinks and oc it. =P

 

[nib95]

Originally posted by: yacoub
So buy another cooler and/or RAM 'sinks and oc it. =P

I would, but its a bit of a costly mistake to make if it ends up not actually improving OC's.

 

[SpeedZealot369]

Originally posted by: nib95

Originally posted by: yacoub
So buy another cooler and/or RAM 'sinks and oc it. =P

I would, but its a bit of a costly mistake to make if it ends up not actually improving OC's.

Why, a better cooled card is always good.

 

[DeathReborn]

Originally posted by: nib95

Originally posted by: the Chase
Huh- holes for it in the PCB also. Must have been to reduce costs and they probably found the 7600 heatsink was good enough to get the job done.

This is what I'd like to know. I wonder if this heatsink would allow better OC's?

The NV5 Silencer didn't improve this guys OC on a 7900GT: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=31&threadid=1821700&enterthread=y

It did run cooler & quiter which to me is enough to warrant a 3rd party cooler.

 

[nitromullet]

Maybe the original 7900GTX and GT called for faster RAM, but NV didn't want to have a supply issue for the GTXes so they toned it down. Then, to accomodate the market they also toned back the RAM on the GT, and all of a sudden it didn't need cooling... No facts to back that up, but I think that more people had originally expected the GTX to have faster RAM than the 7800GTX 512, which is doesn't.

 

[Arkane13131]

just buy the evga 7900gt that comes overclocked to close performance with a gtx straight from the factory.