SILENCE is the primary consideration, heat secondary

[kaal]

I need no more than, or up to, a Radeon HD4870 X2 2GB to power a 24" monitor serving primary use as a multimedia & video pc, and at occasional times, when the kid-in-me takes over, gaming. with its corresponding huge resource requirements.

hardwarecanucks carried an article called "Thermalright T-Rad² Video Card Cooler Review" on Oct. 14, 2008.
"We all know that the stock cooler on the HD 4870 is not the most efficient on the market but the second you install an aftermarket cooler, its deficiencies come into stark contrast. It is pretty apparent that the T-Rad² is the cooler to have if you are looking at a compact solution for a Crossfire setup."
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/10715-thermalright-t-rad%B2-video-card-cooler-review-11.html

So here's my question, what would you consider as alternatives if you weren't constrained for space or limited to cooling technology (passively, by air or by water)? Crossfire could be an option). I want a-bedroom-at-night noise level, about 30 dBA.

 

[Conumdrum]

There is no way the current CPU chips or the top GPU's can be cooled passive. Water or Air. The 4870 x2 is a VERY hot card with a wattage heat dump. You can setup a PC with excellent water or air cooling to reduce the noise, and even more so when just watching a movie or cruzin the web. The GPU cooler you mention is very very sweet, coupled with 2 120 mm low speed Yate loon fans it would be close to silent. Still, a powerful PC needs a min of 6 120mm fans. 1 CPU, 2 GPU (in this case), and 3 or so for case flow. Even on low, getting below 30 db isn't easy.

A solid Thermalright cooling solution for the CPU/NB/GPU coupled with quality fans hooked to a fan controller to control fan RPMs is viable, and about $150.

Of course a quality case comes into play.

Water will be quieter, cooler, but still make noise when maxxin the system, but quieter than Air. Big diff is for a CPU/NB/GPU QUALITY quiet setup is over $400. It's close to $300 just for the rad and 4870x2 GPU block.

No way can you go passive with a high powered system. Maybe a $80 GPU and a lowly 2150 CPU not overclocked can it be close to silent all the time. Some decent HTPC are like that, and awesome for viewing movies etc. Gaming? No way due to the low end power of the parts, but plenty for a media center.

Let me rephrase that. I guess you could if you went water, put the rad/fans, pump outside or through a wall in another room. You would need just a decent case with quiet fans in the game/TV room. There are systems where you can wifi remote everything, and just have the wires through the wall to the TV and stereo etc. True PC silience. Thats when your looking at lots of fun or a professional install.

My PC is 5 ft from me, I can hear my water pump and 4 120mm fans barely. If it was in my living room, 20 ft away, I might be able to hear it. When I game I don't change the fan speeds at all, my quality WC system is quiet and powerful. Of course, it was $600 for the CPU/NB/GPU, all overclocked of course.

Silence no, but darn quiet.

 

[kaal]

There is no way the current CPU chips or the top GPU's can be cooled passive.

anandtech.com shows how Thermalright's HR-03 GT cooler does terrific with a 8800GT GPU, passively lowering the loaded temperatures by 15C in comparison to the standard cooler with a fan and with just the heatsink. All I'm thinking here is everything needs a heatsink but not necessarily require a dedicated fan. http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3249&p=5

A solid Thermalright cooling solution for the CPU/NB/GPU coupled with quality fans hooked to a fan controller to control fan RPMs is viable, and about $150.

I think you are right. Why go any further than this? And, cooling everything by air is cost effective!

Of course a quality case comes into play.

Well, that's been somewhat of a problem for me. I need a desktop style case. More full sized the better. I don't want a case that has all kinds of lights, or LEDs, or digital dispays, or touchscreens, etc. You have to give all kinds of layout thought to the internal parts that they can co-exist in warmth & harmony with each other. Once all those elements are in place should one proceed to case requirements.

There are systems where you can wifi remote everything, and just have the wires through the wall to the TV and stereo etc. True PC silience. Thats when your looking at lots of fun or a professional install.

That would be great. Wouldn't work for me though cause I don't want to leave the room to change the cd/dvd.

Conumdrum, thanks for your input.

 

[V3NOM]

lol just grab a TRUE and dont bother sticking a fan on it! just a massive lump of heatpipes and fins will do great!

 

[Conumdrum]

LOL, right. It don't work been tried. BUT, if you have a case with 6 $40 120 VAC Delta fans that WILL cut your finger to the bone blowing through the case then yes. I have seen it posted on more extreme sites.

 

[V3NOM]

err, and why wouldn't this work? as long as there is a small airflow through the case (just grab some low cfm silent fans) there shouldn't be a problem!

 

[Conumdrum]

I have read it tried, with full before and after temp results, different fan results etc. Not some hack silly poster, very experianced players tried this. You HAVE to have enough CFM and pressure through the fins. The air will find the easiest path, and thats around the cooler, not through the fins.

Not saying that some quiet low CFM fans on the cooler isn't enough, but you DO need fans on the cooler. Two super quiet Yate Loon Lows on a TRUE or the new GPU cooler is enough as long as the case has decent airflow, like the classic Antec 900.

I'm not saying a E2150 undervolted with a massive TRUE couldn't be done with no fans, it would work fine. But the OP said gaming with a 4870 X2. That should mean a high powered CPU too, otherwise it would be silly.

This, thank god isn't the only place for info and other enthusiasts to hang out.. Toms is like a radio shack, nice place to buy something, but don't expect the salesman to know what cap you need to finish a 37mhz reciever in a pull amp setup. There are a few really knowlwdgeble folks here, not to diss them, but it's far and few.

Lets talk over at XS in their Air cooling section about a passive TRUE. My user name is the same. Say you wanna run a passive TRUE with say, a Q6600 at 3.6, love to see what the overclock pros of the world say about that. Or the silent studio PC folks say, if it can be done.

 

[kaal]

Lets talk over at XS in their Air cooling section...

A link please as I'm not that conversant with all these forums.

 

[Conumdrum]

A link please as I'm not that conversant with all these forums.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/

 

[B-Unit]

Frostytech offers a top 10 for both best cooling and least noise. Worth a check I would think.

 

[motleydogg]

You can cool a cpu passively,... though the TRUE is not the HS for this due to its close fin spacing,... it is a top performer in the cooling arena, but it likes a lot of airflow,...

If you want to passively cool a cpu (and no it doesn't have to be an underclocked 21XX), look at the HR-01 plus or similar,... if you have some airflow moving through the case a xigmatek s1283 is better than the TRUE on a passive basis,.... again due to fin spacing on these (check www.silentpcreview.com for good tips) Example: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article842-page4.html

Also there are passive GPU coolers that work well,.. one being the accelero s1rev 2 for the 8800gt,...

I would consider an E7200 cpu and 8800gt to be fairly current tech and both easily cooled passively. You still need airflow through the case and you can do this with 2 fans,... think scythe slipstreams for instance.

 

[Conumdrum]

Thread has been dead for 15 days.................

 

[V3NOM]

lol that's wat i was thinking... still, if you have some of those literally silent (if you put ur ear to them you cant hear em) fans with low cfm, that would provide enough airflow over the TRUE