Looking for 9800np cooling advise

[russmon]

Looking for suggestions on how to cool a BBA 9800np. The card is overclocked/stable at 401/315 and I want to make sure I don't damage it. I can't tell if it is running too hot and I just want to protect the investment.

 

[queuetrip]

I'm Using a AIW 9800p, with the zalman ZM80C-HP (and arctic silver )and a vantec 80mm stealth fan (SF8025L) ( with the zalman Quiet mode adapter) (in place of the zalman option[al] fan (zm-op1). My case has 2 fan openings in the back 1 right above the 9800pro so I also use the Zalman 80mm fan w/QuietMode adapter and using two ThermalTake Ducting mods bolted on ---1 for intake pointing down, and 1 for directing the airflow onto the Heatsink)

BY the way the cooling is silent...(must use fan with zalman zm80c or the temps hit over 130F (no high pitched whines etc. (quieter that the zalman 7000alcu at 2000 rpms)

After all of this effort I have managed to reduce the max temp.[measured as close to gpu as possible and using the ATI 9800 caves demo v1.1 ] of the GPU to approx. 113 degrees F.(room temp approx 70 F )
or 101F idle.

The stock heatsink produces about 127F under same conditions... or approx 110F idle...

The CPU temp is approx 52C (or 45C idle) when the si-soft burnin wizard is running with the ati demo.

I am also using the OCZ Copper BGA Ramsinks ('flower flattened' to fit under the Zalman VGA Heatpipe cooler)
(before the Bga's were to hot to touch (probably 50-60)... now same temp as the heatsink.

 

[c0d1f1ed]

Overclocking means damaging automatically. A low temperature can help a lot but the best way to protect your investment is to leave it the way it is. You already have one of the fastest graphics cards so I don't understant the need for overclocking. If you do need the extra performance, buy a Pro.

 

[queuetrip]

My All-In-Wonder 9800pro does not have any overclocking ability using the evaluation version of powerstrip. (It will work at 400core / 350 memory but there are serious 'sparklies' in the aquamark 1024/768 benchmark. the 'sparklies' disappear as the core clock is reduced to the standard clock rate of 378.

So, because I hate the high pitched whine that the ATI stock heatsink produces... And get me out of sonic 'hell' (listening to that whine) I went though the aformentioned steps...

The zalman's Zm80c-hp 'front side heatsink Base Assembly A ' has a raised area on it so the shim does not need to be removed. (when I removed ATI's heatsink from the AIW9800pro I was amazed to find that thermal compound was used (not thermal tape) and that top of the R350 Core has a mirror finish. (could it be lapped?)

(by the way the 9600AIW uses Thermal tape and the finish is not mirrored)

 

[queuetrip]

is the "get a life" an insult or a signature?