Three Aftermarket Graphics Coolers On GeForce GTX 480

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As you can see, all of these aftermarket coolers do a much better job keeping the power-hungry GF100 cooler and quieter than the reference model.
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Cooler yes, but they are all basically 50 decibels at idle and the differences at load are all small. It would be good to show your testing methodology there also. How close to the source are you measuring? Sound clips would be great.
 
[citation][nom]Proximon[/nom]Cooler yes, but they are all basically 50 decibels at idle and the differences at load are all small.[/citation]

it may seem small but remember that decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, not a linear one. The reference 480 cooler is a lot louder than the Zalman or Arctic Cooling models. Also keep in mind that the base level is affected by the noise from the system, it's hard to isolate that.


[citation][nom]Proximon[/nom]It would be good to show your testing methodology there also. How close to the source are you measuring? Sound clips would be great.[/citation]

Sound was measured 2" from the top of the card in an open case desktop (not tower) system.

I'm not sure sound clips would be all that useful, seeing as how it adds a whole bunch of variables: how perfect is the mic? What level is playback? etc.
 
Since these aftermarket coolers aren't external exhaust and they take away more heat from the GPU, should I be worried about the more heat being pumped into the case?
 


If I knew that I had forgotten. Now I have to go look it up. 😛

I understand on the variables, but I also think that there are other sound characteristics that can be a factor. The whine from the fan bearing might be way more annoying than the air flow, although both are the same loudness.


 
[citation][nom]Proximon[/nom]The whine from the fan bearing might be way more annoying than the air flow, although both are the same loudness.[/citation]

That's true. I wish I had something that could measure sones, I think that takes into account the frequency response of the human hearing range.
 
[citation][nom]Cleeve[/nom]it may seem small but remember that decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, not a linear one. The reference 480 cooler is a lot louder than the Zalman or Arctic Cooling models. Also keep in mind that the base level is affected by the noise from the system, it's hard to isolate that.Sound was measured 2" from the top of the card in an open case desktop (not tower) system.I'm not sure sound clips would be all that useful, seeing as how it adds a whole bunch of variables: how perfect is the mic? What level is playback? etc.[/citation]
Couldn't you just put a fanless card in there and use that as a base for comparison on the charts.
 
p.8 conclusion of the Zalman VF3000F:
"But this is no worse than the Accelero XTREME Plus, with its permanent thermal adhesive."

actually, there is a big difference:
for the Accelero XTREME Plus, you only need to buy a new accessory set (only the heat sinks from the accessory set use thermal adhesive), the cooler itsef can be used without a problem with other cards ...
 
[citation][nom]AMW1011[/nom]Wow, I can't believe the Accelero and the Zalman were basically neck and neck, with no tangible victory in cooling. I always thought the Accelero would be better, but Zalman actually pulled this one off.[/citation]

i have a feeling the aluminum fan shroud helped alot. as it helps direct air as well as add to the cooling surface. i know it makes a huge difference in an automobile. i have no idea what the case is that they used and that is something that SHOULD have been included!
 


I know, but the problem is that if you do that you essentially have to junk the card it was previously attached to because the stock cooler won't fit over the glued heat-sinks.
 


Yes, I should have noted that in the article. I'll edit that in.

It was in an open testbed though, and results will always be different on a per-case basis.
 


That's a good idea izzy, surprised it never occurred to me. I will do that in the future.
 
[citation][nom]AMW1011[/nom]to see which of these two solutions work best in SLI, assuming EITHER work well in SLI. [/citation]

They work great in SLI. I have Sparkle Calibre 480's (Accelero's) and get 55C top card and 49C bottom in BC2.
 
The one thing I always liked about the stock cooler over these was that it blows all the hot air out of the back of your case. What is the effect of these coolers or the temperatures of the rest of your system now that half the air is being blown back inside?
 
The one thing I always liked about the stock cooler over these was that it blows all the hot air out of the back of your case. What is the effect of these coolers or the temperatures of the rest of your system now that half the air is being blown back inside?
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These coolers will likely raise the internal temps above what the stock cooler would.
 
[citation][nom]Cleeve[/nom]These coolers will likely raise the internal temps above what the stock cooler would.[/citation]

OK, then I don't get the point of them if it means that keeping other overclocked components cool will be harder. Also from the looks of the 'fins' on these coolers, most of that hot air will be being kept in the case to keep being recycled by the cooler. Suppose it is not a problem if you have an open bench setup like in the article.

Not trying to be negative on purpose, but these things are expensive and just don't seem worth it.
 
[citation][nom]Cleeve[/nom]These coolers will likely raise the internal temps above what the stock cooler would.[/citation]

If you have a case with good cooling, then it doesn't matter. Get some fans man. Some quiet ones, of course.
 
Concerning the Accelero, you say:

"This isn’t a terrible thing, but it is a little disappointing for folks who like the idea of a generic heat sink that can migrate with them to their next purchase (especially after spending that much money on the aftermarket upgrade). "

Well, actually you can migrate the heat sink. Just buy another kit that comes with more little heatsinks. The real problem is that if you want to use the GTX 480 or want to sell it, it will almost only accept another accelero or something that can fit with those little heatsinks in place.
 


Exactly. I replied to a similar question about 8 posts ago with basically the same thing.
 
[citation][nom]gbean02[/nom]Can you give some examples of motherboards with the 3 slots in between?[/citation]
I have an ASRock X58 Extreme MB with the 16x PCI-E slots 3 apart.
 
To clarify, there are two other slots between the 16x slots which leaves enough room for a SLI/xfire configuration that uses triple width cards.
 
[citation][nom]Cleeve[/nom]I know, but the problem is that if you do that you essentially have to junk the card it was previously attached to because the stock cooler won't fit over the glued heat-sinks.[/citation]
thanks for the reply, i hadn't thought of that ... if you look it that way, it might be worse 😀 ... a missed change, they should make the heatsinks detachable
 
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