[SOLVED] GPU for a sub-10L case

[PiffPuff]

Hi community,

could you please kindly share your expertise on the following:

1. Can one say that for sub-10L cases (Dan A4 / 7.2L, Louqe Ghost S1 / 8.2L or FormD T1 / 9.5L) from the cooling perspective it makes sense to start considering FE/AIB only above the certain wattage? In other words GPUs below __W will be perfectly cooled in their Reference version in sub-10L case and buying their FE/AIB edition will be excess spending? Just in case - I'm not going to OC.
2. I've heard that Reference/FE/AIB editions have different PCB design. What does this difference result in from a practical point of view?
3. I've also heard that certain GPU editions (Ref/FE/AIB) are not recommended for cases with a "sandwich" card layout (all the above-mentioned cases have this layout). Is this true that I'd better avoid certain edition(s) and if so - which one(s)?
4. Are binned chips (used in FE and AIB, right?) by themselves worth money paid if I'm not going to OC? For example there's a Reference card which is OK for me (incl. its cooling capabilities), but shall its FE version be a better choice because of its binned chip (leave aside the better cooling - which is obvious)?

Thank you!

 

[tennis2]

xxx Watt limit is going to vary based on available fans and amount of venting in said case. Even with zero fans, a mesh case is going to handle more wattage than a sealed glass box.

For small cases, blower-style GPU coolers are preferable because they exhaust all the waste heat out the back of the case, not inside it.

Binned chips aren't worth buying if you're not a competitive OCer. You'd actually be better off buying a GPU that's slightly overpowered (not too much since you don't want to waste a ton of money for "performance" you don't intend to use) and undervolting and/or underclocking to fit your case cooling abilities. Most CPUs and GPUs operate above their performance/watt efficiency peak these days.

 

[PiffPuff]

Thank you @tennis2!

For blower-style I've heard that due to their limited # of fans (vs. open-air) and - which follows - cooling capabilities, they are mainly junior models. They said if you physically can arrange effective case cooling with intake/outtake fans or AIO, makes sense to avoid blowers till it's possible, because case cooling can be modified while blower is "locked" from this perspective. Sounds reasonable, what do you think?

Not sure I understood the undervolting thing. When you say it's better to buy a slightly overpowered card do you mean the non-reference edition (i.e. FE or AIB) of a certain model (e.g. GTX 1070), or rather the next model in the hierarchy (e.g. GTX 1080 instead of 1070)?
So undervolting will decrease the heat (if I got you right), but won't it also reduce the gaming capabilities of the card? What is the benefit of this approach compared to investment in better case fans?

 

[tennis2]

The FormD and Louqe have 2x120mm fans on one side of the case (top OR bottom). The Dan A4 has 2x92mm fans on the bottom (optional 120mm rad mount on the side panel?)

I haven't built in any of these cases, so I can't tell you a GPU wattage limit for them. I'd have to google it.

You can undervolt most GPUs a bit to save heat output without sacrificing frequency/performance. Past that, if you downclock a 3070 to match a 3060Ti on performance, the 3070 will produce less heat than the 3060Ti. That's what I'm talking about with a "step up". As mentioned, that's spending money on unused performance, so undervolting a 3060Ti while preserving its stock performance is obviously the best option. The xxx watt limit in a given case isn't a hard-set number.

 

[tennis2]

For blower-style I've heard that due to their limited # of fans (vs. open-air) and - which follows - cooling capabilities, they are mainly junior models.

Junior as in?
The GTX1080Ti (250W TDP) Founders Edition had a blower cooler. Asus has a 3080 blower (320W TDP).

TURBO-RTX3080-10G｜Graphics Cards｜ASUS Global

ASUS Turbo graphics cards are designed from the ground up for systems with restricted airflow. A host of subtle optimizations increase intake and allow a large 80mm blower-fan to propel more air through the heatsink and out of the chassis, delivering lower temperatures in cramped quarters.

www.asus.com

If sufficient case airflow can be achieved, yes, an axial fan cooler provides lower noise levels at equivalent cooling performance to a blower. Axial fan designs also have the potential to use >2 slot width heatsinks (not that you can fit that in the cases you're talking about) to offer even greater heatsink area for cooling.

 

[PiffPuff]

Thank you @tennis2 - very informative answer, highly appreciate your help! 👍

So finally (and to call it a day): you can't say that certain GPU editions (Ref/FE/AIB) are not recommended for cases with a "sandwich" card layout, is that right? Because this became the point of my concern when I've heard it somewhere...

 

[tennis2]

Let's get this out of the way: Reference = FE (for Nvidia). AIB boards generally have BETTER coolers than the reference/FE versions (exception = cheapest card models from respective AIBs). You don't need to be so concerned about ONLY buying a reference/FE card unless you're looking for either a specific cooler design aesthetic, or if the reference/FE cooler is one of the few blower-style options.

In regards to the "sandwich" layout. It's all just a matter of space around the GPU and in front of the GPU fan(s). The less empty space there is around a component, the less air volume there is to heat up. For axial fan coolers that are dumping their waste heat into that open space inside the case, the less open volume there is around the GPU for it to heat up, the greater airflow velocity you need through the case to get that heat out before it gets sucked back into the GPU cooler and temps spiral out of control. That's why, in limited volume cases, blower-style coolers will afford you a greater GPU TDP. In larger (mATX or ATX) cases where more empty airspace is available, axial fan coolers will outperform blower coolers because of their greater heatsink surface area and quieter fans.

 

[PiffPuff]

Thank you @tennis2 for this informative guidance, it's all clear now.