Zalman Heat Pipe + 5900FX Ultra?

[Alphanos]

I'm thinking of getting a 5900FX Ultra when a couple more manufacturers start shipping them so they aren't way overpriced, but does anyone know if a Zalman ZM80A-HP heat pipe cooler will work with it?

 

[T9D]

..

 

[TourGuide]

Try it out and let us know how it goes.

Someone has to be the brave sole, yes?

 

[Alphanos]

Heh, true. If nobody else has tried it by the time I get a video card, I guess I'll try it and see how it goes. With any luck it will work, but hopefully even if it doesn't I might be able to get away with minor mods to the HS.

I should have a fair bit of airflow around the card, as around 50% of my case's exhaut will be passing around the video card on its way out. Hopefully that will be enough, but if not I figure out how to set up another fan nearby.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Yeah, you'll need some kind of fan blowing directly on the hottest part of the heatpipe otherwise it won't be able to handle it. It can handle a 9800 Pro which has a much quieter stock fan compared to the FX line, even the 5900 Ultra so my guess is you'll need a fan or two quiet fans blowing on it.

 

[Ketchup]

I see two potention problem, the length of the card and the memory. The 5900's look to be very long cards, and I am not sure the heatpipe is long enough to go around it. Also, the memory runs very fast, and every 5900 I have seen has very good cooling on the memory, so you might have to try to find some little heatsinks you can fit under the zalman.

 

[Alphanos]

That's the kind of thing I was worried about ie. the heatpipe not being long enough. With any luck it will be. I should be able to get ramsinks that will fit underneath.

Actually, now that I think about it, would it be a good idea to try to find someway to hook up the ramsinks to the main heatsinks? Or would the heatsinks transfer heat to the RAM rather than the intended heat flow direction?

 

[Peter D]

some of the 5900's arent very long. it seems the reference card is the biggest one that ive seen, the others seem comparable in size to a radeon. take a lookie here...

even if the heatpipe can fit, i still think the memory could be a problem.. who knows

if you try it, let us know!

 

[Alphanos]

Thanks for the link, it's a relief knowing that card length shouldn't be a problem.