I have a 6800GT AGP card with the stock cooler on it. Its now the loudest component in my system. I'm looking for a cooler or fan/heatsink that is cheap and is quieter than what I have now. The other components in my system that make noise are a stock heatsink and fan for my core 2 duo 6320, a nexus 120mm fan, and a corsair vx450w power supply. The vga cooler doesn't have to be passive, just quieter so it blends in well with the other components I have.
Anyone have any recommendations?
Cooling for a 6800GT AGP?
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Hi I've got one myself...
I use an NV Silencer from Arctic Cooling on it at 5 volt, very important! 12v is far to loud! Cools reasonable for a very hot chip: 88 degrees max, summer, Rthdrltdbl (or something like that).
According to a test earlier on SPCR, the noise it makes is ~19 dBA at 5v.
That was two revisions earlier than mine though. My NV is quite smooth, it exhibits much less grinding than the recording of the first model.
I'm serieusly thinking about an AC Accelero S1 though -> two compartments, CPU&GPU-cooling.
Other than that is the Thermalright HR-03, It can be used underneath or on top of the card, letting you decide the way the air flows.
It deserves mention that in raw cooling power (passive and active), the sheer amount of cooling surface on the Accelero is quite a bit better than the HR-03
I use an NV Silencer from Arctic Cooling on it at 5 volt, very important! 12v is far to loud! Cools reasonable for a very hot chip: 88 degrees max, summer, Rthdrltdbl (or something like that).
According to a test earlier on SPCR, the noise it makes is ~19 dBA at 5v.
That was two revisions earlier than mine though. My NV is quite smooth, it exhibits much less grinding than the recording of the first model.
I'm serieusly thinking about an AC Accelero S1 though -> two compartments, CPU&GPU-cooling.
Other than that is the Thermalright HR-03, It can be used underneath or on top of the card, letting you decide the way the air flows.
It deserves mention that in raw cooling power (passive and active), the sheer amount of cooling surface on the Accelero is quite a bit better than the HR-03
If you're even considering the option of changing out the stock heatsink+fan for an aftermarket solution like the Thermalright HR-03, I recommend that you first remove the stock heatsink and measure the mounting-holes on your 6800 AGP card before buying an aftermarket cooler.
I have an XFX 6800XT AGP card (not the same model as your GT, but possibly similar board) where the mounting holes are spaced in a rectangle about 47mm x 40mm. The Thermalright HR-03 revA mounting bracket is a square. (If memory serves, around 40mm square, but don't quote me on that until I get a chance to double-check.) -In any case, the Thermalright and probably most other aftermarket coolers simply will not mount to my video card.
I don't know if it is just XFX on their AGP cards, or if it is the 6800 series, or just my 6800XT, but the aftermarket heatsink industry appears to be unaware of the mounting configuration of my 6800XT's heatsink. Also, there is a bridge chip on the board that would not be cooled with the aftermarket heatsink.
Like you, the other components in my system were also noisy. I swapped out a stock AMD AthlonXP cooler for a Thermalright SI-97A with a quiet 90mm fan, I swapped out an Ultra 600w power supply for a Corsair HX520, I swapped out the stock northbridge fan for an aftermarket heatsink + quiet 40mm fan, and I installed a quiet 120mm case intake fan and a quiet 60mm case exhaust fan, and disabled the two stock 80mm side-inlet case fans. The result when I was done, was that the 6800XT card is still the loudest thing in the computer -I can stop any of the other fans with my finger and there is no difference in sound, so the other fans are just simply quiet, -and with the computer closed back up, the videocard's noise is now tolerable.
I've chosen to live with it, but if I were serious about eliminating its noise, I think my only reasonable option is to replace the 6800XT card with either a 7600GT or 7800GS card <edit: although I just read that aftermarket coolers do not fit on those cards either.> But if I'm going to replace the 6800XT I might as well get a card with improved performance.
But seriously, check your mounting holes on your 6800 card first!
I have an XFX 6800XT AGP card (not the same model as your GT, but possibly similar board) where the mounting holes are spaced in a rectangle about 47mm x 40mm. The Thermalright HR-03 revA mounting bracket is a square. (If memory serves, around 40mm square, but don't quote me on that until I get a chance to double-check.) -In any case, the Thermalright and probably most other aftermarket coolers simply will not mount to my video card.
I don't know if it is just XFX on their AGP cards, or if it is the 6800 series, or just my 6800XT, but the aftermarket heatsink industry appears to be unaware of the mounting configuration of my 6800XT's heatsink. Also, there is a bridge chip on the board that would not be cooled with the aftermarket heatsink.
Like you, the other components in my system were also noisy. I swapped out a stock AMD AthlonXP cooler for a Thermalright SI-97A with a quiet 90mm fan, I swapped out an Ultra 600w power supply for a Corsair HX520, I swapped out the stock northbridge fan for an aftermarket heatsink + quiet 40mm fan, and I installed a quiet 120mm case intake fan and a quiet 60mm case exhaust fan, and disabled the two stock 80mm side-inlet case fans. The result when I was done, was that the 6800XT card is still the loudest thing in the computer -I can stop any of the other fans with my finger and there is no difference in sound, so the other fans are just simply quiet, -and with the computer closed back up, the videocard's noise is now tolerable.
I've chosen to live with it, but if I were serious about eliminating its noise, I think my only reasonable option is to replace the 6800XT card with either a 7600GT or 7800GS card <edit: although I just read that aftermarket coolers do not fit on those cards either.> But if I'm going to replace the 6800XT I might as well get a card with improved performance.
But seriously, check your mounting holes on your 6800 card first!
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thejamppa
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Yeah, it would seem that aftermarket industry have forgotten 6800-agp versions pretty much. I think Zalman VF-700 CU might be good choice. Even though its old, its still good. And it has much better changes of fitting 6800-series than newer coolers.
I am not sure either, if 6800GT has the problematic HSI chipset that required its own cooling, like Zalman ZMVHS1, like 6600GT AGP version needed. Since HSI is native for AGP only, peoples have manage to burned their AGP cards when changing cooling and not known / ignored the HSI chipset cooling.
I am not sure either, if 6800GT has the problematic HSI chipset that required its own cooling, like Zalman ZMVHS1, like 6600GT AGP version needed. Since HSI is native for AGP only, peoples have manage to burned their AGP cards when changing cooling and not known / ignored the HSI chipset cooling.
Yes, that's one reason why I've chosen to just live with the noise from my 6800XT AGP card, -that and the fact that addressing all the other noise sources brought the noise from just the video card down to a level I can live with.
One small confession I have is that I used SilenX fans for my silencing, and I know that SilenX has a "colorful history" here. I used their quietest models of 90 and 60mm fans for the CPU and the case exhaust fans, and their Northbridge cooler with its 40mm fan. I used an Antec tri-cool 120mm set to slowest speed for the intake fan, because I had it lying about from another system where I replaced it with a Yate-Loon. Whatever their reputation, the SilenX fans I used are very quiet. When I stop any of my system fans with a fingertip, there is no change. The only real noise contributor is the XFX 6800XT AGP video card cooler and the Corsair HX520 power supply is effectively quiet with just the slightest sound of air out the back.
Incidentally, I don't know if my XFX video card's cooler is unusually noisy or typical, but that is one seriously noisy cooler. I am not inclined to buy an XFX for my next card.
One small confession I have is that I used SilenX fans for my silencing, and I know that SilenX has a "colorful history" here. I used their quietest models of 90 and 60mm fans for the CPU and the case exhaust fans, and their Northbridge cooler with its 40mm fan. I used an Antec tri-cool 120mm set to slowest speed for the intake fan, because I had it lying about from another system where I replaced it with a Yate-Loon. Whatever their reputation, the SilenX fans I used are very quiet. When I stop any of my system fans with a fingertip, there is no change. The only real noise contributor is the XFX 6800XT AGP video card cooler and the Corsair HX520 power supply is effectively quiet with just the slightest sound of air out the back.
Incidentally, I don't know if my XFX video card's cooler is unusually noisy or typical, but that is one seriously noisy cooler. I am not inclined to buy an XFX for my next card.