Best (air) cooling for 9800XT?

E

Ether

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 24, 2004
Messages
187
^^^^^^^ Read title. I would automatically go for the ATi Silencer 3, but there's a complication (sorta): I don't care about noise. That and I have an ATi 9800Pro (that OCs pretty well) for backup already (in case I screw up--not to mention I got this card for free). I also only have 1 PCI slot freed up. :(

So here's where I stand:
1) I can get the ATi Silencer--great cooling and simple installation but could be much louder (any way to make the fan spin [significantly] faster?).
2) I can get the Zalman HP80D and mount a hi-po 92mm or 120mm fan on it.
3) Something else? A CPU cooler?

Also, I've heard about problems with the ASUS 9800XT and the Silencer's fan connector. ASUS uses a VERY small connector--not sure about the ATi3.
 
ATi Silencers are very quiet, in fact most of the GPU coolers from Arctic Cooling are very quiet.

The ATi Silencer 3 is probably the best air cooler for the 9800XT.
 
How does the Zalman destroy the Silencer? If you don't buy Zalman's fan as an extra, it does run quieter, but runs far hotter too. It's also quite a bit heavier on the card you mount it on. Its only true advantage is low noise; without the fan it's silent.

I'd go with the ATI Silencer. Unlike the Zalman, it exhausts hot air out the back of the case, keeping the graphics card cooler and keeping the case cooler by lowering the ambient temperature. The fan also has two speeds; low is whisper-quiet, and high is audible, but not super loud compared to your case fans or other cooling.
 
if you wanat absolute silence get the zalman, if you want the best air cooling for your card i would get the silencer. fyi: be careful with tightening the screws of the silencer, overtightening it can kill your card.
 
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