SPCR

Prolimatech MK-13 Multi-VGA

http://www.techpowerup.com/110022/Proli ... ooler.html

Should be compatible with:

- GTX200 series
- HD 5000 series
- Geforce 6, 7, 8 and 9 series
- Radeon X1000 series upwards

Review at Coputerbase against Scythe Setsugen, Xigmatek Bifrost, Scythe Musashi and Arctic Cooling Accelero (not the latest Xtreme pro though):

http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/hard ... rgleich/8/

Looks very promising, but expensive as always from Prolimatech.

That almost makes me regret getting the Twin Turbo Pro. Oh well, there's no distributor for the MK-13 here anyway so I guess the point is moot. Good comparison link there though.

Don't you mean Scythe Setsugen, not Mugen? I have the Mugen on my Core i7, but I wouldn't be able to mount it on a gfx card.
The Prolimatech looks like it's as least as good as the Thermalright T-Rad2 (360 g), but at 555g it's much heavier, I wouldn't dare to use it.

Tzupy wrote:Don't you mean Scythe Setsugen, not Mugen? I

Oh yes, thanks. Fixed now.

The fin orientation is "wrong" from my perspective.

A review is also posted at Legion Hardware. As for availability, Frozen CPU is the only place I've seen it listed and they don't have an ETA. I am very excited for this to finally become available. What do you think are the chances of this cooling an HD5850 passively with decent surrounding airflow (nothing direct though)?

gvblake22 wrote:A review is also posted at Legion Hardware. As for availability, Frozen CPU is the only place I've seen it listed and they don't have an ETA. I am very excited for this to finally become available. What do you think are the chances of this cooling an HD5850 passively with decent surrounding airflow (nothing direct though)?

Doubt it. Even with a 140mm fan running at 900rpm the VRM on the 5870 got as hot as 110C which is way too much. 5850 will be easier to cool but will it be enough?
I still think I'd get a AC S1 rev B instead since it seems to allow more airflow on the RAM and the VRM through its not as tightly spaced fins. Plus it's much cheaper.

I don't even run my 5750 completely passive. Some extra airflow is certainly welcome even if it is low.

Kaleid wrote:

gvblake22 wrote:A review is also posted at Legion Hardware. As for availability, Frozen CPU is the only place I've seen it listed and they don't have an ETA. I am very excited for this to finally become available. What do you think are the chances of this cooling an HD5850 passively with decent surrounding airflow (nothing direct though)?

Doubt it. Even with a 140mm fan running at 900rpm the VRM on the 5870 got as hot as 110C which is way too much. 5850 will be easier to cool but will it be enough?
I still think I'd get a AC S1 rev B instead since it seems to allow more airflow on the RAM and the VRM through its not as tightly spaced fins. Plus it's much cheaper.

I don't even run my 5750 completely passive. Some extra airflow is certainly welcome even if it is low.

What about modding one of the Swiftech Uni-sinks to cool the memory and VRM?

gvblake22 wrote:

Kaleid wrote:

gvblake22 wrote:A review is also posted at Legion Hardware. As for availability, Frozen CPU is the only place I've seen it listed and they don't have an ETA. I am very excited for this to finally become available. What do you think are the chances of this cooling an HD5850 passively with decent surrounding airflow (nothing direct though)?

Doubt it. Even with a 140mm fan running at 900rpm the VRM on the 5870 got as hot as 110C which is way too much. 5850 will be easier to cool but will it be enough?
I still think I'd get a AC S1 rev B instead since it seems to allow more airflow on the RAM and the VRM through its not as tightly spaced fins. Plus it's much cheaper.

I don't even run my 5750 completely passive. Some extra airflow is certainly welcome even if it is low.

What about modding one of the Swiftech Uni-sinks to cool the memory and VRM?

Will the Swiftech heatsink work with something like the Accelero S1 Rev.2 on a Radeon HD 5850 card?

Probably not without bending the heat pipes.

flinx wrote:Probably not without bending the heat pipes.

Thanks for the reply. I'm new at this, and just finished putting together my first PC. I have a Radeon 5850 video card, and I'm trying to figure out the best and quietest cooling solution. It seems that the Accelero S1 Rev2 will fit the 5850 if modified slightly, but that still leaves the problem of cooling the VRM if I understand correctly.

I have also read here on SPCR that the Thermalright T-Rad2 will fit the 5850, and it looks like both the Accelero S1 Rev2 and the Thermalright T-Rad2 should work with the Thermalright VRM heatsink designed specifically for the 5850/5870. One is called the Thermalright VRM-R3 (sidepanel cooling for cases with fans in the side panel, I think), and the Thermalright VRM-4 that works in conjunction with CPU fan cooling. Here is a link to some pics in another SPCR thread:

viewtopic.php?p=495615&sid=8a5f2eb160fa ... fc5182c059

I'm thinking at this point that either the Accelero S1 Rev2 or the Thermalright T-Rad2, paired with the Thermalright VRM-4 and some Nexus Real Silent fans would do a nice job... then I read about great results with the "Twin Turbo" on the Radeon 5870, but apparently it cannot be modified to fit the 5850:
viewtopic.php?t=56837


Correction: according to the Thermalright website (http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_page/ ... 0List.html), the T-Rad2 is NOT listed as being compatible with the 5850 card. If the makers of aftermarket cooling products are trying to make this as complicated and confusing as possible for anyone new to this hobby, they are succeeding wildly


Am I on the right path in thinking that the only quiet aftermarket cooling solution for a Radeon 5850 is to:

1. slightly modify an Accelero S1 Rev2 so it will fit the 5850

2. add 2 fans (like Nexus 'Real Silent' 92mm or the Accelero 'Twin Turbo' add-on fans http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product)

3. use the stock 5850 heat-spreader

4. all used in conjunction with a Thermalright VRM-3 or VRM-4?

Or is the VRM-3/4 heatsink redundant with the 5850 stock heat-spreader?

This might help - http://www.hardwareoverclock.com/Arctic ... _Pro-3.htm
and - http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/sho ... stcount=74


Also, 5850 is v nicely compatible with Scythe Setsugen - http://ht4u.net/reviews/2009/scythe_set ... on_hd5800/

If you can get & afford the Tr special heatsinks, by all means go get'em. Should be significantly better than the stock plate or the heatsinks supplied with AC or Scythe coolers. And it's very possible they'll work just fine w/o direct airflow. Just keep them unobstructed and all should be fine.

kater wrote:This might help - http://www.hardwareoverclock.com/Arctic ... _Pro-3.htm
and - http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/sho ... stcount=74


Also, 5850 is v nicely compatible with Scythe Setsugen - http://ht4u.net/reviews/2009/scythe_set ... on_hd5800/

If you can get & afford the Tr special heatsinks, by all means go get'em. Should be significantly better than the stock plate or the heatsinks supplied with AC or Scythe coolers. And it's very possible they'll work just fine w/o direct airflow. Just keep them unobstructed and all should be fine.

Hi kater, thanks very much for the links! I was able to translate them via Google's English translation tool, the Accelero Twin Turbo Pro doesn't look too difficult to modify at all. I'm just getting ready to read the Scythe Setsugen review.

Thank you again,

Scott

Scott J wrote:

flinx wrote:Probably not without bending the heat pipes.

Am I on the right path in thinking that the only quiet aftermarket cooling solution for a Radeon 5850 is to:

1. slightly modify an Accelero S1 Rev2 so it will fit the 5850

2. add 2 fans (like Nexus 'Real Silent' 92mm or the Accelero 'Twin Turbo' add-on fans http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product)

3. use the stock 5850 heat-spreader

4. all used in conjunction with a Thermalright VRM-3 or VRM-4?

Or is the VRM-3/4 heatsink redundant with the 5850 stock heat-spreader?

There are a number of passive heatsinks that would work including the Scythe heatsink. Accelero S1 just happens to be the best bang for the buck, imo

I don't believe that the VRM-4 would fit over the stock heat spreader / base plate. You would have to see if the mounting points are still there with the heatspreader. ALso the VRM-4 is meant to be installed flush onto the VRM components, and that little heatpipe on the baseplate will prevent it from directly contacting the small VRM chips.

I do have an 5850, Accelero S1 rev2, and vrm-4 on order right now and will be looking into it when i get my parts.

mkygod wrote:

Scott J wrote:

flinx wrote:Probably not without bending the heat pipes.

Am I on the right path in thinking that the only quiet aftermarket cooling solution for a Radeon 5850 is to:

1. slightly modify an Accelero S1 Rev2 so it will fit the 5850

2. add 2 fans (like Nexus 'Real Silent' 92mm or the Accelero 'Twin Turbo' add-on fans http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product)

3. use the stock 5850 heat-spreader

4. all used in conjunction with a Thermalright VRM-3 or VRM-4?

Or is the VRM-3/4 heatsink redundant with the 5850 stock heat-spreader?

There are a number of passive heatsinks that would work including the Scythe heatsink. Accelero S1 just happens to be the best bang for the buck, imo

I don't believe that the VRM-4 would fit over the stock heat spreader / base plate. You would have to see if the mounting points are still there with the heatspreader. ALso the VRM-4 is meant to be installed flush onto the VRM components, and that little heatpipe on the baseplate will prevent it from directly contacting the small VRM chips.

I do have an 5850, Accelero S1 rev2, and vrm-4 on order right now and will be looking into it when i get my parts.

Thanks for the reply!

I wasn't sure if the VRM-4 was meant to be used in addition to the stock heat-spreader/baseplate, or if the VRM-4 was to be used in place of the stock heat-spreader/baseplate, but it seems like the latter must be the case.

I didn't mean to hijack this Thread, so I'll start a new one. Please do update on your results when you assemble the 5850/Accelero S1 Rev2/Thermalright VRM-4 combo, and thanks again,

Scott

Should have all my parts by wednesday but won't be installing it right away. I will need a few days to load test the video card before installing the heatsinks. I'll try to take photos of the process.

Just found a review at BenchmarkReviews where they test the MK-13 on a 9800GT with no fans attached. It actually still cooled better than the stock cooler! A 5850 will probably be pushing the thermal limits of the MK-13 with no fans.

gvblake22 wrote:Just found a review at BenchmarkReviews where they test the MK-13 on a 9800GT with no fans attached. It actually still cooled better than the stock cooler! A 5850 will probably be pushing the thermal limits of the MK-13 with no fans.

I have found a few recent MK-13 reviews, and they're all positive as far as cooling the GPU is concerned. However, the MK-13 seems to share a similar problem along with all of its competitors, and this is not even mentioned in most of the reviews, but it is here:

"Using FurMark to stress the Radeon HD 5870 we see quite a change in the results. The MK-13 kept the GPU around 39% cooler than the standard heatsink, and even the low RPM single 140mm fan saw a 19% reduction in temperature. However the good news ends there, as the VRM temperature increased significantly when using the MK-13. Best case scenario for the MK-13 still saw the VRM temperature 69% higher when compared to the standard cooler.

While the Shader, MemIO and DispIO all showed a reduction in temperature, the massive spike in VRM temperature is a huge let down for the MK-13. Although the GPU temperature is significantly lower when using the MK-13, users will likely be unable to overclock their graphics card any further due to the high VRM temperature."
http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=875&p=2

...and here, in the conclusion:

"Overall the Prolimatech MK-13 is an impressive product, though despite this it does come with a few annoying flaws. That said, the VRM cooling issue that plagues the MK-13 is also a problem that is present on similar coolers, such as the Thermaltake DuOrb Extreme, ISGC-V320, Scythe Musashi and Thermalright T-Rad² to name just a few."
http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=875&p=3

Thermalright makes two radiator-type add-on heatsinks specifically for the VRMs on the Radeon 5850 and 5870, called the VRM-R3 and VRM-R4. For a single video card set-up, either one (R3 or R4, depending on your configuration) in combination with the MK-13 should work great, as long as you don't mind covering most or all of your expansion slots.

BUT... if you ever plan on running Crossfire, or want to preserve your option to do so, with the unique Crossfire fan arrangement on the MK-13 (top mounted fan, mounted over the edge of the cards, blowing down towards the motherboard), I don't think the Thermalright VRM-R3 or R4 heatsink will fit, which means your VRM temps will be through the roof again.

A thorough Crossfire installation review that includes a solution to the VRM problem, and verifies that everything fits and works together, WITH measurements (it's a TIGHT fit at best), would be very informative.[/i]

Scott J wrote: Am I on the right path in thinking that the only quiet aftermarket cooling solution for a Radeon 5850 is to:

1. slightly modify an Accelero S1 Rev2 so it will fit the 5850

2. add 2 fans (like Nexus 'Real Silent' 92mm or the Accelero 'Twin Turbo' add-on fans http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product)

3. use the stock 5850 heat-spreader

4. all used in conjunction with a Thermalright VRM-3 or VRM-4?

Or is the VRM-3/4 heatsink redundant with the 5850 stock heat-spreader?

Just use a S1 r2 (trivial modification) with stick-on heatsinks for the memory/VRMs, and a good-quality ~600 RPM 12cm fan zip-tied to the top or bottom edge. Mine stays below 60C during a Furmark run, and I can't hear a Scythe S-Flex running at very low speed. With any kind of reasonable stick-ons, the 12cm airflow towards the GPU board provides more VRM cooling than the stock heat sink.

There are lots of more expensive solutions that also will work, but IMO this is the most cost effective. The S1 has a very large surface area, sufficient fin spacing for low airflow, an excellent mounting system - and is cheap. The key downside is that it takes extra space, which is the main reason to consider more costly alternatives.

I have the 5850, S1 rev2, and VRM-4 in hand and will try a passive solution over the weekend.

Do you guys think that the S1 alone is good enough to cool the GPU passively? (assuming that there are no problems with the VRM)

Passively, as in no fan nearby blowing directly at the heatsink.

The VRM-4 should be enough to cool the VRMs passively, but I have my doubts about the S1 and the GPU. You'd need very good active airflow in the case for that. At any rate, you can get virtually silent 12 cm fans to hook up to the S1 to solve the problem.

mkygod wrote: Do you guys think that the S1 alone is good enough to cool the GPU passively? (assuming that there are no problems with the VRM)

Passively, as in no fan nearby blowing directly at the heatsink.

No. Definitely not.

I tried this in a well-ventilated P182SE. Temps quickly escalated to scary levels under heavy load. You don't need much air flow, but there is a *huge* difference between a little and none!

mkygod wrote:I have the 5850, S1 rev2, and VRM-4 in hand and will try a passive solution over the weekend.

Do you guys think that the S1 alone is good enough to cool the GPU passively? (assuming that there are no problems with the VRM)

Passively, as in no fan nearby blowing directly at the heatsink.

mkygod, do you have an update on your progress?

Has anyone found a review that includes both the Prolimatech MK-13 and the Thermalright T-Rad2GTX?

It seems like that's the championship fight, like the Megahalems/MegaShadow vs. Venomous-X, but strangely, no reviews of these two heavyweights going head-to-head.

Must be saving it for Pay-Per-View...

I'm thinking between the Sapphire 5850 Vapor-X or Prolimatech MK-13 in combination with Thermalright VRM-3.

After reading the review on http://www.legionhardware.com/articles_ ... _13,4.html it literally says that aftermarket coolers specifically built for a VGA card is way better (vapor-x) than all rounders like the Prolimatech due to VRM cooling etcetera.

Will the combination Prolimatech MK-13 with Thermalright VRM-3 work as good as the vapor-X for the VRM?

What is the best silent cooling solution at the moment for the HD5850?

Br.
Jordi
Ther Netherlands

Since I've actually got the Twin Turbo Pro working now on my 5870, I disagree with their conclusion. Not only are the VRMs are designed to withstand high temperatures, but you realistically never get the loads that Furmark and OCCT provide. The only thing that could do that would be certain GPGPU applications, and since they don't even work at the moment the point is moot.

Although the GPU temperature is significantly lower when using the MK-13, users will likely be unable to overclock their graphics card any further due to the high VRM temperature.

Sounds like they didn't even try. Throttling due to VRM temperatures and safety is supposed to occur around 130C. While my card doesn't throttle at that point (I've hit 136C using OCCT and overclocking to 900/1300), I've never gone above 85C or so while gaming, and this is with a significantly higher idle temp (50C) since I'm using a dual monitor setup.

With the 5850 being a cooler card, there shouldn't be any need to use a VRM-3/4 as long as you have fans on the MK-13 (don't try passive cooling). Vapor-X is a good solution mind you, but you'll have to try it for yourself to see if the noise profile is good enough. It's definitely a cheaper and easier solution than using an MK-13.