Zotac GTS250 Eco 512MB air cooling problem

[faugusztin]

Hi,

bought this card for PhysX/CUDA processing (my main graphics card is HD5870).

The card - Zotac GTS250 Eco 512MB :
http://pden.zotac.com/index.php?pag...category_id=71&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Card measurements :

The problem :
1) the original cooler is very poor, it's noisy over 45%, plus in my dual card combination (HD5870 for game and GTS250 for PhysX) it runs @ 3D freq all the time, even in desktop (i'm able to "counterattack" this by under-clocking through Riva Tuner). Temperatures with original cooler are ~70C in "idle", ~80-90C when used. I tried to replace the fan with a Scythe Slip Stream Slim (120x120x12mm, 800RPM), it keeps +/- the same temps but with a lower noise. Still not the best choice, 90C is not something i like to see. Maybe i should try some of the 120x120x20mm fans (i can get a Yate Loon), the question is how big impact will it have with that small aluminium block used as cooler.
2) any aftermarket cooler can be max dual slot.
3) Accelero coolers (~1cm over the limit in case of S1), Thermalright coolers doesn't fit or are incompatible, neither does fit GFX Chilla (2mm over the limit, GFX Chilla is 161mm long and has the GPU block exactly in middle). In addition to that, i'm pretty sure Accelero is unable to handle GTS250 in passive. Scythe Musashi is bigger than 2 slots, so it is not acceptable either.

The only alternative i found so far which would probably fit is Scythe Setsugen, but that cooler is bloody expensive, bad availability and has poor results compared to it's price.

Any ideas ?

PS: Please don't suggest water cooling

 

[sirmonkey1985]

check out the duorb and see if it fits that processor(make sure it supports the 9800GTX+).. should do fine with that gpu well under 70C and you wont hear it.. its just slightly larger then dual slot.. basically enough that if you put a card under it it might rest on the back of that card..

as far as the clocks.. welcome to nvidia..

 

[faugusztin]

Since DuOrb is 180.5 mm long and the GPU mount is exactly in the middle, it won't fit - 180.5mm/2 = 90.25mm, which is more than 78.5mm. Right now i'm thinking about ordering a passive Zotac GT240 DDR3, using that for this task (PhysX/CUDA) and moving this GTS250 to my brothers or moms PC .

Option about exchanging the card order is not a good idea, as later i plan to put a MK-13 on that HD5870 (means it is going ot be 2,5-3 slot wide cooler including the card), so it will take slots 4,5,6, and in slot 7 and a bit above i will have the top mounted fans cooling the HD5870. Also, the top PCI-E slot is only PCI-E 1.1 x4, which is unfortunately very limited for advanced PhysX.