Match the GPU cooling solution to the need

[jasontu]

Okay, so this may be Nth time I've brought up my GPU cooling/noise problems, but the difference now is that I'm afraid I may have an actual problem. After paying close attention to how it behaves I have determined that the absurdly loud noise my video card's fan makes has little to do with what I'm doing with the system. It can be quiet at times, but at other times it will randomly start sounding like it's about to blast off. I don't think this has anything to do with work load. It has been loud even after being shut down over night, and it has been quiet even after gaming for several hours.

I got this card for dirt cheap off of eBay... I could have been sitting a warehouse or in someone's system for years for all I know. I'm afraid that the fan is just on it's last legs and needs to be replaced.

This brings me to my question. I need an after-market GPU heatsink and fan. I've never installed one before so any tips would help. I have the conflicting needs for the cooling solution to be both quiet and compact.

I have a shuttle case so the heatsink can't stick out into the next PCI bay or stick out above the card. Most of the solutions I find are huge.

The card is an Axle 6600 512mb. The Iceberq 4 seems like it would fit. It's about the same size and is made of a better material than the stock heatsink, but Vantec's website only recommends Iceberq 4 through the nVidia 5 series.

Zalman used to make a VF100 that may work, but I can't find it being sold anywhere.

Any suggestions?

[Titan8990]

Well, you could by a new cooler. Spend $20-50 on it. Buy some thermal grease. Go through the hassle of putting it on, etc.

OR

Pay an extra $20 and get a new card that crushes the performance of your old one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814186036.

I'm a personal believer in not investing more money into dead technologies.

[silkstone]

I agree with Titan. The latest nvidia driver (in the repos) supports most 8000 and 9000 series cards, and the 8600GT will be a better investment than trying to extend the life of your old one.

[Titan8990]

Also, if you are not much into gaming you can grab something like a 8400 GS with a passive cooling system. That way you will never need concern yourself with noise or fans going bad.

[jasontu]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130318

Point taken. I plan on eventually moving to the card linked above. But that will take some budgeting on my part. I may just have to put up with the whine for a while.

Anyone have experience with the card above? How well is it supported?

My wife's machine is running on a Radeon X800, 256 mb. Should I replace the HSF on the 6600 and switch the X800 for the 6600? The 6600 has twice the RAM, but I'm not sure how big a performance boost I would see.

[Titan8990]

I have that exact card and it is excellent.

With that card, 2GB RAM, and a e6750 OCed @ 3.4Ghz I get 40 FPS in Team Fortress 2 with 1920x1200 res and 4x AA.

What's even better is it's $20 cheaper than when I bought mine.

Make sure your power supply can handle it.

The 6600 is a bit better than the X800. I don't think it will be worth the investment for the increase you will see if you add a cooler and swap.