Just thought I'd give you a quick run-down on the VF3000A I recently installed on my 4870.
First things first: the 4870 is NOT on the compatibility list for the VF3000A - but it works just fine. The only thing you can't install is the VRM heatsink, which is designed for the 5870/50 only. Fortunately I had some left over copper ramsinks (fairly heavy duty ones) that I could use for the 4870 VRMs.
Otherwise the cooler is not too hard to install - although it is a bit harder than it needs to be (compared to say the MCW60). Clearance is fine on the card itself, and it only just extends past the top and end of the 4870 (which was a key factor for me, as I had very little clearance above the card). It does block 3 slots in total, and for quiet PC enthusiasts you would need to be pretty careful about using the 4th slot as I imagine a large card might limit intake airflow for the VF3000A fans.
Performance-wise the VF3000A is excellent even at its lowest fan speed setting. Running Furmark I didn't get above 50 degrees (C) on the core, and RAM temps were around the same. For some reason my 4870 doesn't have a VRM sensor... but no crashes, so I assume they're within range!
Noise-wise the VF3000A is not what we would call inaudible. At the lowest fan speed it would be considered quiet - but definitely not inaudible. My environment has very low ambient noise so I can just hear the fans from about 2 metres away in open air. I haven't actually put the case back together, but I would say I can probably safely use the case sitting on the desk next to me.
Wind up the fans though and the VF3000A sounds like a jet is taking off. It is excessively loud - I'd say nearly as loud as the stock 4870 fan at full speed. There is no way you could use full speed without earplugs/headphones/hearing impairment! Thankfully the cooler performs so well the lowest fan speed is fine. The fans themselves aren't of great quality IMO, and I think better fans would make this cooler a lot quieter than it currently is.
Modification potential -
I'd say the Zalman has room for improvement in the following areas:
- You could cut the stupid overhanging bling over the fans
It might be worthwhile removing the shroud altogether
The fans could be slower still - I might try dropping the voltage further with a different fan controller (using the Zalman fanmate that was included at the moment)
You could also remove the fans completely and use some silent ones
Modded ramsinks for VRM cooling.
RAMsinks installed, and underside of cooler.
I think some tin-snips will fix that up quite easily though.