I have a couple of passively-cooled Matrox P650 AGP video cards, and I like them (the dual DVI outputs are handy for multi-LCD-panel loonies like me).
I bought a Matrox P650 PCIe (new card) and a Matrox P650 PCI (slightly less new) so I could run 4 LCD panels from DVI ports on a PCIe motherboard. They work well, but unfortunately, both cards come with a tinny little HSF with a 40mm fan. The heatsink has a few fins (very few) but the fan occupies most of the space.
The HSFs are attached via a couple of spring-loaded pins - the kind of thing we used to see on all video cards before the NVidia and ATI cards started to emit as much heat as a small nuclear power plant.
Does anyone know if it's OK to replace these small HSFs with a larger passive heatsink? The case is an Antec Sonata modified with a quieter power supply and quieter 120mm fan on the back - there's quite reasonable airflow, albeit not necessarily below the video cards. The CPU is fitted with a Zalman 7000AlCu, fan running at minimum. I'm running a pair of 2.5" hard drives in mirror - they are inaudible.
The video fans are the loudest thing in the machine - hence my desire to replace them with passive...
replacing tiny HSF with passive heatsink on Matrox P650 card
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PositiveSpin
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:03 am
Of course you can replace them. There are aftermarket HSF's made for the video card mounting holes. If you use your own, you may need to use an thermal adhesive like the one from Artic, but of course it may never come off cleanly. Best bet may be to use an after market video HSF with a larger HS and just turn off the fan.
P. Spin, I've been trying to figure out the same thing as you are,
because I'm interested in the Matrox 650 PCIe, and found out about
it's 27 dBA fan. I cannot speak from personal experience, but the
Zalman VGA ZM80-HP is said to be a good replacement for the
heatsink on the PCI version of the Matrox, but you are supposed
to use a Zalman 80mm Slim Quiet Fan (or something equivalent)
with it. I asked Matrox if this would also work with the PCIe
version, and if the screw holes were the same on it. They did not
like the idea of someone replacing their heatsink/fan, and refused to
give me any info about it (touchy)! So I didn't order it (yet). In any case, please let us know how your solutions work out.
because I'm interested in the Matrox 650 PCIe, and found out about
it's 27 dBA fan. I cannot speak from personal experience, but the
Zalman VGA ZM80-HP is said to be a good replacement for the
heatsink on the PCI version of the Matrox, but you are supposed
to use a Zalman 80mm Slim Quiet Fan (or something equivalent)
with it. I asked Matrox if this would also work with the PCIe
version, and if the screw holes were the same on it. They did not
like the idea of someone replacing their heatsink/fan, and refused to
give me any info about it (touchy)! So I didn't order it (yet). In any case, please let us know how your solutions work out.