7900gt extra cooling solution?

S

Shark-MegaByte

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
428
I'm looking at the eVGA 256-P2-N565-AX Gf 7900GT 256MB PCI-E x16 - this is the one that's 500mhz core / 1580mhz memory. Sounds like it should deliver the performance I want, but some people are saying the factory-oc 7900gt's could use a cooling upgrade - either because they run hot, run loud, or both.

I think I'll order it, try it, and see how it goes.. but in case it does need its fan replaced, what other one would be best to slap on there? (I can't go h2o.. it would take me over budget and take too much more work)
 
I just got your exact card choice and ran it with the stock fan for a few days, my case temps are the lowest, but with CPU (3700+) running around 37C and case temp around 35C my 7900gt was idling around 51C and maxing at load around 70C, all with stock cooler.

I tried a Sytrin VF1, which was a pain to install, and the temps actually went up a degree or two, quite shocking given the glowing reviews for the thing. I figure I must have flubbed something, though I followed the instructions to a tea, had good contact between the base and the core, and the fan was blowing air through the fins just fine.

Anyhow, I ditched it and got a Zalman VF900 which was much easier to install and lowered my idle temps to about 42C and load temps to about 49C, and that was with the fan set to probably around 40%.

Word of warning though, after a few days more of solid operation, the card starting artifacting and tearing on me and is now being RMA'd. It's my second 7900gt to show the exact same symptoms after a week of solid operation. The first was an xfx, both were factory overclocked and left that way.
 
Thanks... interesting. Do you guys think the factories are trying to squeeze the 7900 too hard for extra performance?

How much heat does it take to push graphics hardware over the edge? 70c would've been dangerous for the P4 I was oc'ing in my last desktop..
 
I've heard about this more than once with the GTX's... are there problems with 7600gt as well?
 
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