Found a GF 6600 GT AGP online but is it too loud?

dentaku · Post by **dentaku** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:50 am

According to this review
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2295&p=19
The Chaintech is one of the quietest GF 6600 GT AGP cards around.

It just showed up on a local store's website:
http://www.greenlyph.com/product_info.p ... cts_id=783

I have a quiet Zalman cooler on my P4 and a quiet Enermax PSU and don't want to mess it up with a loud video card. I've never had on with a fan on it and I'm scared that it will mess everything up by making a high pitched noise.

I know it's a very new product so aftermarket coolers probably aren't available yet but I guess what I'm asking is.

1- Does anyone here have one and is it loud?

2- Are there any coolers that I couls use to replace the stock one on a Chaintech GF 6600 GT AGP? I'd love to just use the fan from my old <a href="http://www.zalman.co.kr/upload/product/ ... pg">Zalman P3 cooler</a> but I know that would be hard to do. I'm assuming the card would complain if I disconnected it's fan. The P3 cooler worked by just pointing the fan at the heatsink so I'm thiking I could just find a way to mount that fan "near" the videocard heatsink too.

I'm now thinking of just getting a Radeon 9800 Pro even though it's not as good of a deal because it's been out on the market long enough that manufacturers have had time to make quiet cooling solutions for them.

dentaku · Post by **dentaku** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:46 pm

O.K. I know it's kinda dumb to reply to my own post but I don't want to add another seperate post.

I've been looking and there just isn't any aftermarket coolers for the AGP GF 6600 GT.

QUESTION: Is it possible to disconnect the fan on that Chaintech 6600 GT AGP and just put a large slow turning fan in a "blowhole" on the side of my case in line with the AGP slot?

I'm assuming the video card would react badly if it's fan is turned off. ???

mrk22 · Post by **mrk22** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:04 pm

dentaku wrote:I've been looking and there just isn't any aftermarket coolers for the AGP GF 6600 GT.

Hmm. According to this thread, http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewto ... 0gt+zalman, the Zalman heatpipe will work fine with a 6600GT AGP.

Kevin Ar18 · Post by **Kevin Ar18** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:40 pm

dentaku wrote:According to this review
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2295&p=19
The Chaintech is one of the quietest GF 6600 GT AGP cards around.

It just showed up on a local store's website:
http://www.greenlyph.com/product_info.p ... cts_id=783

I have a quiet Zalman cooler on my P4 and a quiet Enermax PSU and don't want to mess it up with a loud video card. I've never had on with a fan on it and I'm scared that it will mess everything up by making a high pitched noise.

I know it's a very new product so aftermarket coolers probably aren't available yet but I guess what I'm asking is.

1- Does anyone here have one and is it loud?

2- Are there any coolers that I couls use to replace the stock one on a Chaintech GF 6600 GT AGP? I'd love to just use the fan from my old <a href="http://www.zalman.co.kr/upload/product/ ... pg">Zalman P3 cooler</a> but I know that would be hard to do. I'm assuming the card would complain if I disconnected it's fan. The P3 cooler worked by just pointing the fan at the heatsink so I'm thiking I could just find a way to mount that fan "near" the videocard heatsink too.

I'm now thinking of just getting a Radeon 9800 Pro even though it's not as good of a deal because it's been out on the market long enough that manufacturers have had time to make quiet cooling solutions for them.

Note that the review at Anandtech is for PCI Express cards. The Chaintech reviewed at Anandtech has a different heatsink than the Chaintech 6600GT APG, although it's possible that the actual fan is the same. (Compare these two urls:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2295&p=4
&
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 107&depa=0)

Also, it should be noted that the Chaintech 6600GT AGP version is clocked slower than the Chaintech 6600GT PCI Express version. The RAM is 900Mhz instead of 1,000Mhz. (I thought I read on HardOCP that this was standard for the AGP version of the 6600GT cards.) However, both the XFX and Apollo cards have the RAM set at 1000Mhz:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 048&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 080&depa=0

--------------
Just to mention it, one other alternative is a new motherboard and a passive PCI Express card:
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewto ... 333#132333

spacey · Post by **spacey** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:49 am

don't get the xfx one, i have it, and its pretty loud but not insanely loud.

i'm trying to come up with a way to make it quiet in my shuttle. any advice? i was thinking a fanmate or something. if i could mod the ends to use the 2 pin adapters...?

pics here: http://www.macpham.com/gallery/shuttle?page=3

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:06 am

spacey wrote:don't get the xfx one

Unless you need dual DVI (as I do for the system I am building for my friend); in that case, it's your only choice.

-Ed

Shaft0rz · Post by **Shaft0rz** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:29 am

$320???

What's with the 6600's for AGP being so expensive? Isn't that enough to buy a passively cooled Gigabyte 6800? Or is there something I'm missing...

Tyrdium · Post by **Tyrdium** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 12:20 pm

spacey wrote:i'm trying to come up with a way to make it quiet in my shuttle. any advice? i was thinking a fanmate or something. if i could mod the ends to use the 2 pin adapters...?[/img]

There's an easier way than modding the ends. Get the appropriate 3-pin and 2-pin connectors and some wires, and make a small adaptor cable. You won't need to actually change anything, so it'll leave your warranty intact. Plus,, it should be fairly simple to build.

Edit: Bah, to hell with that. They're 2.50 USD over here. It's probably easier (and around the same price) to just order one from them.

spacey · Post by **spacey** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 7:23 am

ah thanks for that info tyrdium. grr, shipping to canada is a fortune. for a silly 2 dollar thing.

edward, ya its the only reason i got the xfx as well. i am using dual lcds in dvi. sigh... i'm quite annoyed why they dont have more dual dvi cards. its so easy to just put an adapter and make it vga. but not the other way around.

Tyrdium · Post by **Tyrdium** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 7:57 am

Hmmm... Actually, that'll only get you one way (i.e., from fan to fanmate), so you'd still need another adaptor (for fanmate to video card)... Also, the XFX card uses the 6600GT's stock cooling, no? Wouldn't they all be like that?

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:11 am

I'm sure he means to buy one without stock cooling; one that comes with something quieter.

-Ed

Tyrdium · Post by **Tyrdium** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 11:22 am

Ah, I see. I thought most of the cards out there used stock cooling.

Mupp · Post by **Mupp** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 3:20 pm

Edward Ng wrote:
spacey wrote:don't get the xfx one
Unless you need dual DVI (as I do for the system I am building for my friend); in that case, it's your only choice.

-Ed

There's this Gainward, but I haven't tried it, I also need dual dvi on agp, but I haven't found any affordable except the xfx and the gainward ones.

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 3:34 pm

Well instead of the stock jobbie, it's got, "Gainward's unique powerful cooling Fan and Heat Sink."

Anyone feel like taking a guess at how well it works, or better yet, trying it out?

-Ed

Mupp · Post by **Mupp** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 4:01 pm

I'll probably pick one up in a couple of weeks, unless someone tells me it sucks. I'll let you know what I think about it.

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 4:03 pm

Perfect; thanks so much!

Tyrdium · Post by **Tyrdium** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:06 pm

Yeah, the Gainward definitely looks perfect (dual DVI and VIVO!). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it in the US...

rei · Post by **rei** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:15 pm

I got the MSI one. it's pretty damn quiet. MSI brags about this with a logo, <28db.

AGP 6600GT

http://www.msi.com.tw/images/news_img/msicertify.jpg

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:22 pm

does the MSi have dual DVI?

rei · Post by **rei** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:28 pm

not sure if they make dual dvi but mine is 1 of each

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/newsrelea ... hp?UID=360

dentaku · Post by **dentaku** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 5:10 pm

rei wrote:not sure if they make dual dvi but mine is 1 of each

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/newsrelea ... hp?UID=360

The same store recently added that exact same MSI card to their inventory.
I'm very tempted to buy it considering they claim it's quieter than most 6600 GTs.
Here it is:
http://www.greenlyph.com/product_info.p ... cts_id=787

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 6:55 pm

Okay, all. I just noticed, in the 'egg's pics, that the card includes component out. This negates my need for the second DVI output, so I'm gonna' spring on one of these and see how its cooler turns out, in terms of acoustics.

Good deal cheaper than XFX's card, too.

-Ed

rei · Post by **rei** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:45 pm

component?

i haven't hooked up my video out/in cable yet, but i could swear it's composite or svideo.

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:49 pm

The red, green and blue RCA jack trio; they make up the connection for HD output to televisions with component input.

-Ed

rei · Post by **rei** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 9:56 pm

Holy crap

you're right, I just opened my box for first time (never bothered with any of the accessories after popping in card) and can confirm.

This is a sweet card then.

Default RAM speed is 900 but I'm running it at 1000 for a modest overclock so it runs at 'stock.'

Which is still outrageously fast for what I need.

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 10:00 pm

Isn't 900 the default for PCI-Ex 6600GT cards, while AGP 6600GTs are supposed to have lower clocked memory?

EDIT: It wouldn't surprise me if this card has the memory at PCI-Ex 6600GT speed, as XFX's dual-DVI, AGP 6600GT also has the same overspec memory speed as the spec rating for PCI-Ex versions.

-Ed

spacey · Post by **spacey** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 9:20 am

ya xfx 'overclocked' their agp 6600 gt memory to 1000 mhz which is the pci-e specs.

hrm i wonder how good that gainward heatsink is.... anyone know where i could buy the Gainward PowerPack! Ultra/1960 XP 128MB in canada?

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 4:29 pm

Got the new card installed; going to keep the description of its cooler simple.

The cooler on the MSi NX6600GT (VTD128) is similar in volume of noise output to a VGA Silencer Rev. 3 on High, but much smoother sounding. No hint of ticking, clicking or rattling, just wind and whir.

Too bad I'm using it in an system meant to be completely inaudible; let's see if I can get this here Aerocool VM-101 to fit!

-Ed

Tyrdium · Post by **Tyrdium** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:55 pm

Whoa, nice! Those aren't silent, but they're definitely pretty quiet (relatively)! Sounds like a good card! What's in the software package? Anything good?

Edward Ng · Post by **Edward Ng** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 3:24 pm

XIII (4 CDs), Prince of Persia--The Sands of Time (2 CDs), Uru--Ages Beyond Myst (1 disc), MSI Games Collection (1 disc), Virtrual Drive Professional and RestoreIT! Professional (1 CD), MSI 3D Desktop (1 CD), WinDVD Creator Plus (1 CD), MSI Media Center Deluxe II (1 CD), the drivers disc which includes a whole bunch of stuff, WinDVD 5.1 and Supreme Foreign Language Learning Machine (1 CD) and finally another 2-in-1 CD with Photoshop Album SE and 3D-Album.

WAY too much junk I'll never use, but it just occurred to me to check the included CD for a utility that lets me try to see the GPU's temp (nVIDIA's driver panel doesn't show the temperature settings tab like on my 6800GT, unfortunately).

Oh, Aerocool's VM-101 can be used on this card; lots more info, and pics, right here.

-Ed

Found a GF 6600 GT AGP online but is it too loud?

Found a GF 6600 GT AGP online but is it too loud?

Re: Found a GF 6600 GT AGP online but is it too loud?

hey, that's great