x1950xt cooling/loud solution...

[Noobtastic]

I've heard the saphire x1950xt is way loud and runs hot, so I'm looking to supress those qualities.



My main concern is the noise. Which will suppress better - Accelero or the Zalman? I know the accelero is a noise and heat reducer, but I know nothing about the Zalman. This is my first PC build BTW.



Here are the links:

Zalman

http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16835118117


Accelero X2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835186002

gpu

http://www.newegg.com/product/...p?item=N82E16814102067

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

That Zalman is pretty nice, but if you're going with that type of design, I'd suggest the newer VF-900 since it cools better.

Even better than that, though, would be this Thermalright HR-03 Rev. A. More surface area, more heatpipes, and the ability to use a larger diameter 92mm fan allows it to cool better and more quietly than any of the others. It can even be used passively, although I'm not sure if it would work on the X1950 as it's a reallllly hot card. You can try though.

 

[Noobtastic]

Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
That Zalman is pretty nice, but if you're going with that type of design, I'd suggest the newer VF-900 since it cools better.

Even better than that, though, would be this Thermalright HR-03 Rev. A. More surface area, more heatpipes, and the ability to use a larger diameter 92mm fan allows it to cool better and more quietly than any of the others. It can even be used passively, although I'm not sure if it would work on the X1950 as it's a reallllly hot card. You can try though.

I see the Zalman is a nice heat container, but does it reduce noise??


$50 is ok with me.



so..?

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

I currently use the VF-900 myself, and I can say that it's a great silent cooler when you use the included fan controller to tune it down to 5 volts. I'm really picky about noise, and this cooler has served me well since i got it last year.

 

[Noobtastic]

Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
I currently use the VF-900 myself, and I can say that it's a great silent cooler when you use the included fan controller to tune it down to 5 volts. I'm really picky about noise, and this cooler has served me well since i got it last year.

to use the fan controller do you have to open the case?



Ease of use is very important (i'm computer retarded.)

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Nah, just set it to its lowest setting when you first install and you can leave it be. I have mine just stuck at 5 volts and temps are still great.

EDIT: the thermalright I linked would probably be quieter though, as long as you pick a good fan (like a nexus) to begin with and brought it down to 5 volts.

 

[Noobtastic]

Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
Nah, just set it to its lowest setting when you first install and you can leave it be. I have mine just stuck at 5 volts and temps are still great.

I'm having someone helping me build it so I need to tell him what I want.


Lower settings = less noise?

 

[Noobtastic]

Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
Nah, just set it to its lowest setting when you first install and you can leave it be. I have mine just stuck at 5 volts and temps are still great.

EDIT: the thermalright I linked would probably be quieter though, as long as you pick a good fan (like a nexus) to begin with and brought it down to 5 volts.

I'm confused - i thought the thermalright was a fan??


I only plan on buying one product, not two. I need it to cool the very hot gpu, and reduce the loud noise without secondary help.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Basically, yeah. The slower your fans spin, the quieter they should be (unless you got some sucky ones with bad motors that make funny sounds when you undervolt them). If you want more info, I'd suggest checking out silentpcreview.com.

But for your purposes, I'd say stick with the VF-900. It's simpler, and you can just set it at its quietest (5 volts) and forget it.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Originally posted by: Noobtastic


I'm confused - i thought the thermalright was a fan??


I only plan on buying one product, not two. I need it to cool the very hot gpu, and reduce the loud noise without secondary help.

No, the thermalright is a cooler too, it just doesn't come with a fan. It's a bit more expensive and complex (since you have to get a fan separately), but ends up being a better overall solution in terms of noise and cooling ability. The VF-900 is plenty good though if you're just looking for something to quiet your system down.

 

[yuppiejr]

First off, the VF-700 is not suitable for cooling an X1950XT - you need to look at the Zalman VF-900 dual heatpipe design with the larger heatsink. I've owned both the Zalman VF-900 on a 1900GT (r580 core) and the Accelero X2 on a 1900XT and MUCH prefer the Accelero X2 since it costs less, keeps the card cooler and runs far quieter at 100% fan speed than the Zalman.

Both the Zalman VF-700 and 900 lack adaptive fan control so when the card starts cooking it has no way of pushing more air to displace heat. The Accelero uses the card's default fan header and allows the GPU to control the fan speed as needed based on GPU load and heat. Even when I set the cooler to force 100% fan speed it was inaudible over my Antec 120mm Tricolor Trio fan at "Low" speed. At full speed the Zalman VF-900 was the loudest component in my machine and made a very distinctive "hiss".

$15 plus freight for the Accelero X2, can't go wrong... http://www.svc.com/accelx2.html - it's the "fire and forget" solution you're looking for.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

CONFIRMED: My Zalman VF-900 is dead quiet on max (12v) setting. i dont even use the included fanmate 2 fan controller. my temps currently are

x1900xt idle: 50C load 60C @ 75F room temperature, Lian Li v1000B Plus case w/ top blowhole exhaust (negligible help)

 

[A5]

I just bought the HR-03 and a fan for $53 shipped from Newegg - if your budget is ~$50, it's the best solution.

 

[yuppiejr]

If you WANT to spend $50 for the heck of it, I agree that the HR-03 and a fan is a slightly better solution than the Zalman or the Accelero. However, if you want to get the best performance for the money, the Accelero X2 for $20 shipped is the most cost effective way to replace the noisy and underperforming stock cooler on your 1900XT.

That $30 saved could buy booze, lap dances, a tank of gas, etc... Or you could put a prettier heatsink on your video card.

 

[A5]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: yuppiejr
If you WANT to spend $50 for the heck of it, I agree that the HR-03 and a fan is a slightly better solution than the Zalman or the Accelero. However, if you want to get the best performance for the money, the Accelero X2 for $20 shipped is the most cost effective way to replace the noisy and underperforming stock cooler on your 1900XT.

That $30 saved could buy booze, lap dances, a tank of gas, etc... Or you could put a prettier heatsink on your video card. </end quote></div>

I had an Accelero X1 on my old 6800GS, and I really liked it...I just wanted to try something else this time (and I'm a Thermalright fanboy - this will fit in nicely with my XP-90 and HR-05 )