Which 7850/7870 models have the most enclosed shroud?

[dennilfloss]

I must admit here to some confusion. Sometimes I see the Sapphire mentioned as having an enclosed shroud, other times it's said to still release quite a bit of heat within the case. So, which models release the most heat outside through the vent and the least back in the case. If you also want to say which are the worst culprits for case/CPU heating, be my guest.

I suppose the reference blower designs release less case heat at the expense of the card itself running a bit warmer/noisier.

If you think it doesn't matter much because those card don't put up much heat anyway, that is also useful info.

Thanks in advance. The knowledge base here is always much appreciated.

 

[RussianSensation]

HD7850 = I don't see any versions that exhaust the heat out the back. I would say this HIS with a full vent. I'd consider the Asus DCUII since I think it would be very quiet. All the 7850s look like the dump air into the case.

HD7870 = HIS 7870 IceQ probably exhausts the most heat out while staying quiet.

I would guess something like the Windforce 3x or Sapphire DX will exhaust at least some heat out too.

Probably out of all of those, the HIS 7870 IceQ card is the only option if you don't want a reference blower.

 

[dennilfloss]

Even the HIS have venting holes on the top.

http://metku.net/index.html?path=reviews/his-78xx/index_eng3
http://www.nikktech.com/main/articl...s-radeon-hd-7850-icooler-2gb?showall=&start=3
http://blog.testfreaks.com/review/review-of-his-radeon-hd-7870-ghz-edition-video-card/

Cards like the Ice Q Turbo are too long for my case. There's the Powercolor but people say it's crap.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814131467

Aw well, I'm probably gonna get a Sapphire or HIS ICe Q X and be OK. Afterall, I have a reference-design Diamond 4870 with the fan set at a constant 35% at the moment and it's not the coolest card even though it blows outside.

I could try & block this using a TV dinner microwave black dish cut properly to fit exactly in the top vent and see if the temps balloons or not (and the nose too).

I'm probably worrying about nothing. Those cards use less juice than my 4870.

 

[dennilfloss]

Been agonizing over what choice too make for the last few days but sometimes you simply have to make a decision. Just ordered the HIS IceQ X Turbo 2GB from Newegg.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814161416

Since I may not feel like overclocking it further, the factory overclock to 1GHz suits me and reviews say its a cool & silent card. It vents mostly outside, so I don't think it'll heat up my case too much, and it's actually ~8mm shorter than my 1GB Diamond 4870. Should be a decent upgrade to be able to use the high-res texture pack in Skyrim.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/his-radeon-hd-7850-iceqx-turbox-review/3

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/47...gb_in_crossfire_video_card_review/index2.html

 

[RussianSensation]

For that price, why didn't you just get this 7870?

Was the airflow issue that important for your case?

 

[dennilfloss]

I decided not to get it because of what people said in this thread. I checked reviews and that card runs quite hot. Decided that coolness and silence mattered most for me.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2264770&highlight=

 

[RussianSensation]

Ok, cool. Enjoy your upgrade!

 

[dennilfloss]

Sure plan to.

 

[dennilfloss]

Card has arrived. Looks good (I wish the chromey part was black though I won't see it once it's in the case). Will install Sunday. Love the small size.

 

[RussianSensation]

Nice camera! Not a crappy smartphone I bet. The card looks cute (if one can say that about videocards).

 

[dennilfloss]

My FZ-35 bridge camera is a couple of years old but I love it. Probably a couple of more recent iterations now (I know of at least one, the FZ-38).

http://www.dpreview.com/products/panasonic/compacts/panasonic_dmcfz35/review

I'm very impressed with the packaging of this HIS videocard.

 

[dennilfloss]

Card installed. Works like a charm. Skyrim autodetected Ultrahigh Settings. Now to download the highres texture pack and use those 2GB of VRAM.

 

[dennilfloss]

Skyrim sure looks different with the two high-res texture DLC installed. It's like playing a new game and I have problems recognizing some places. Checking my temps in Overdrive right after exiting the game, it reads 44-45C each time (my 4870 would read 73-74C). Fan speed is user-defined at a constant 33%. Above this I start hearing it a little when reading the forums ( I tend to not listen to music of TV while on the forums, so my apartment is mostly silent). The fan noise once it starts to be heard is a low frequency hum.

Ambient temp in my apartment is 27-28C. Videocard idle temp is 33-34C. My CPU temps, both idle & gaming) are about the same as before, maybe even a degree less, so I don't think the new card heats the inside of my case more than the 4870 did with its reference blower design.

Very happy so far.

 

[Phynaz]

Thanks, this really makes lean towards the HIS.

 

[dennilfloss]

Thanks, this really makes lean towards the HIS.

Check you thread also. I have added more impressions and checked stuff for you.

You can see my case has one intake fan and one back exhaust fan plus the power supply fan at the top. I keep my tricool fans at the middle setting. The fastest setting is way too noisy for my taste.

I posted case pics in this thread.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2264770&highlight=

Took me a while to decide also.

 

[NTMBK]

Thanks, this really makes lean towards the HIS.

My experience with HIS has been good- they made the 4670 in my retro rig, it's a really nice piece of kit.

 

[RussianSensation]

Thanks, this really makes lean towards the HIS.

If this comes back in stock for $200 after MIR, that's a hot deal.