Help finding a video card that will not overheat

[hindukid]

I put together an HTPC for my parents. I just but a Dell Inspiron 537ST and put in a couple TV tuners, sound card and an external hard drive.

2 years later the video card that came with the computer has overheated. That card had a radeon HD4350 chip. The fan is broken. I guided my dad to replace it but the only card they had in stock was a Diamond card using a radeon 5450. This card is overheating within an hour. The temp is getting to 110 celcius. This card does not use a fan but a heatsink instead. My dad is telling me that because all 4 slots are in use this card has absolutely no room and he does not think a heatsink will do the job. He thinks we need a card with a fan which I tend to agree with.

I need a card which is low profile and has HDMI out and will not overheat. I was thinking about this gigabyte card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125314 because its low profile, HDMI, cheap and one review mentioned his temp dropped from 75 to 57. What do you think?

I should add that all my parents really do with this PC is watch TV via windows media center. It is a dell slmiline case and the computer is placed in a cabinet neither of which are helping. However CPU and motherboard temps are all at about 40 celcius so it seems that heat in the computer is not too bad. Its just the area around the video card that is getting too hot.

 

[gnomio]

Radeon HD 6670 1GB

 

[Pyree]

It is difficult to get a low power card to overheat. How is the cleanliness of the case vent and fan and what ventilation on the case?

The gpu release the exhaust into the case in this card, so you need case ventilation.

For your job, that card is fine.

6670 is overkill.

 

[hindukid]

It is difficult to get a low power card to overheat. How is the cleanliness of the case vent and fan and what ventilation on the case?

The gpu release the exhaust into the case in this card, so you need case ventilation.

For your job, that card is fine.

6670 is overkill.

The case is clean. No dust. My dad said that there is very minimal ventilation and it is on the side away from the PCI slots. He says that he can see why that part of the case gets so hot as there is really no where for the air to escape. I guess its a very poorly designed case but he would be unwilling to replace it. Knowing my dad I am sure he would just replace the computer instead.

I am thinking that the radeon HD4350 with fan lasted two years so if I can get a card to last two more years that would be good.

 

[Pyree]

Yeah, if the case has no ventilation, no amount of fan on the card will solve the overheat problem.

 

[DelroyMonjo]

Hindu, the card you picked looks fine. I suppose you read the reviews? Just to make sure it fits in the case.

 

[scapegoat_44]

I do have a HD4350 in the attic , one from Powercolor - the fanless version . Its cooling was darn good for a card without a fan , I even remember playing COD: MW2 with it and it managed do a pretty decent job . Go for it , its pretty cheap

 

[Pyree]

Yeah, I know those card runs cool but PO actually manage to overheat a 4350 :O

 

[hindukid]

Yeah, I know those card runs cool but PO actually manage to overheat a 4350 :O

The 4350 did last two years. Also I had the computer running 24 hours a day. I guess now I will put the computer to sleep when not being used.

If I can get two years that will be fine.

I guess my question is really which card is the least likely to overheat. My only constraints are that it needs HDMI out and is low profile. I'd also prefer not to spend a fortune. Is the Gigabyte card that I picked about as cool as I can get or is there something that will run cooler.

Also I should add that the stock PSU is only rated at 250 watts. Computer is used for recording/watching TV about 3-4 hours per day.