6800gt

ronboronbo Connecticut
edited March 2005 in Hardware
Ok, I have made up my mind to get the 6800GT for the new computer I am building. Now the problem is what brand do I get. I went to newegg and found many different ones . I am staying with AGP so I can use it in any of my other computers. All the brands are about the same price but I was wondering what would be the best one to buy. I was hopeing someone here is already running a 6800GT and could give me some advice as to what are good brands and what to stay away from...thanks in advance for any sugestions..
sorry, forgot to add that this card will be for a MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum motherboard

Comments

  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited February 2005
    It's really personal preference, and mostly has to do with the brand's warranty.

    eVGA is a very good brand. I'm really happy with them as well as many others. There's also BFG, which supposedly has the best warranty available, but their aftermarket cooler design is terrible (loud and ineffective). They may have switched back to the reference cooler, though.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2005
    There's also BFG
    I've purchased BFG (nVidia) before. Quality seemed to be on par with any of the other brands I've purchased, which are quite a few, both ATI and nVidia-based cards. Don't know about now, but BFG for a while was discounted compared to its competition.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited February 2005
    Leadtek. Why? Because the Leadtek 6800GT cooler beats the crap out of the cooler on every other 6800GT... the OEM nVidia reference heatsink, all the other custom designs, even the nVSilencer. None of them are as good as the heatsink on the Leadtek.
  • floppybootstompfloppybootstomp Greenwich New
    edited February 2005
    This is the one I'd go for, it has an excellent cooler: Galaxy

    It's a UK link, but it shows the spec.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited February 2005
    I have had a lot of trouble finding Galaxy boards in the USA.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited February 2005
    FBS: The Galaxy 6800GT uses a nVSilencer of some kind... It's ok... I mean it's passable, I guess... it's certainly better than the OEM cooler. But the reviews I've seen of the nVSilencer5 pegs its performance as, uh, a less than spectacular :-/
  • ronboronbo Connecticut
    edited February 2005
    Wow, you guys are really fast with your replys. Thank you all so much for your input. Looked at all the ones at newegg over and over again. At first that Gainward Golden Sample looked tempting but then I saw the Leadtek and that cooler looks like it really means bussness. Untill I hear different, looks like that will be my first choice. Bought a full size Antec sever tower so I should have enough room for that puppy.... :thumbsup::thumbsup:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2005
    You ain't kiddin'. That's a massive heatsink with lots of copper fins. Impressive. What's the noise level?
  • floppybootstompfloppybootstomp Greenwich New
    edited February 2005
    TheSmJ wrote:
    I have had a lot of trouble finding Galaxy boards in the USA.

    Sorry, didn't realise :-/

    Now I've seen a pic of the Leadtek, I can understand Geeky's enthusiasm. It really does look quite impressive.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited February 2005
    Leo: The noise is minimal; I can't hear it over the Xeon's fans at any rate... And it's a 60mm fan, which is nice. Also, if you take off that mesh fan grill (which i did) the noise should decrease and airflow WILL increase dramatically. My 6800GT (a leadtek) idles at 40-45*C normally, 50*C if the room is really hot... the highest temp. I've ever managed to hit under load is 64*C. As opposed to almost 90*C in some cases for the retail heatsink and about 70*C for the nVSilencer in the reviews I've seen.

    This is why I haven't touched the heatsink on the 6800GT yet, except to replace the thermal compound on the RAM and on the GPU and clean the heatsink... the 6800GT puts out about 70w of heat... yes, I can remove 70w of heat from a GPU and I can do it more effectively than the Leadtek's heatsink. What I can't do is do it more effectively without taking up a lot more space and/or generating a lot more noise. If I upgrade the cooling on the Leadtek at all, I'll probably pull the 60mm fan and swap it out with one that pushes like 30cfm.

    The Leadtek 6800/6800GT/6800U seem to be the best cards on the market from a cooling standpoint...
  • madmatmadmat
    edited February 2005
    You can always throw a waterblock on one and stomp the Leadtek cooler flat but that means you need a water cooling system to go with it of course.

    I've yet to go above 58c under full load with mine which while it's a 6800NU it is unlocked and running at 380mhz which is past the speed of a 6800GT.

    For aircooling I do have to agree with Geeky, the Leadtek is about the best there is but it is a 2 slot solution so you'll have the first PCI slot blocked off by default.
  • ronboronbo Connecticut
    edited February 2005
    Geeky1, I am sold on the cooling efficiency of this card. I have never had a heat problem with anything in my computer because I am set up in the basement of my house and even in the summer it never gets above 70 F here in the playroom. What I have not heard yet is how is the performance of this card as opposed to the others in it's class?
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited February 2005
    What I have not heard yet is how is the performance of this card as opposed to the others in it's class?

    You mean the performance of the cards between brands? They're all the same other than the BFG, which is overclocked right out of the box.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited February 2005
    A 6800GT is a 6800GT is a 6800GT (well except for some ASUS cards... best bet is to stay away from ASUS). They all have 16 rendering pipes, 256-bit memory busses, and they're all clocked at 350/1000 (except the BFG 6800GT-OC, which is like 375/1000). I have yet to hear of a 6800GT that won't clock to 6800 Ultra speeds (400/1000). The Leadtek is no better or worse than any other 6800GT (that's an ACTUAL 6800GT *cough*ASUS*cough*) out there.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited February 2005
    The 6800 Ultras are clocked at 400/1100. Newer Ultras have been shipping as fast as 425/1100, though.
  • ronboronbo Connecticut
    edited February 2005
    Ok. It has been decided. The Leadtek is coming to my house. If I ask any more questions, I will just get more confused.....he he he . Thank you all for your help.... :thumbsup::thumbsup:
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited February 2005
    I'd better ask: What kind of motherboard do you have, and how many PCI slots are you using? I've heard that some mobos have trouble fitting the Leadtek's cooling system.
  • djstubbsdjstubbs NJ
    edited February 2005
    I have an eVGA 6800 with the NV5 silencer.

    :eek:

    \o\ satisfied /o/
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited February 2005
    I have a Leadtek 6800 nu, unlocked & clocked past GT speeds with an NV Silencer V on it. It's 10c cooler with it on, loaded. However the NU cooler while similar in design is not as big as the GT I believe.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd
    gets on box and shouts GIGABYTE ( and yes i still hate thier motherboards )
     Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited February 2005
    gets on box and shouts GIGABYTE ( and yes i still hate thier motherboards )
  • ronboronbo Connecticut
    edited February 2005
    TheSmJ wrote:
    I'd better ask: What kind of motherboard do you have, and how many PCI slots are you using? I've heard that some mobos have trouble fitting the Leadtek's cooling system.

    A MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum motherboard is what this bad boy will be installed on. Did not get the motherboard yet an was hopeing to try it on my Abit KX7-333R while waiting to get the rest of the new computer together.....
  • ronboronbo Connecticut
    edited February 2005
    Geeky1, when I get around to installing the 6800gt in the new puter, what should I use to remove the thermal compound from the gpu and replace it with artic silver? Will Isoproply Alcohol be safe to use?
  • floppybootstompfloppybootstomp Greenwich New
    edited March 2005
    ronbo wrote:
    Geeky1, when I get around to installing the 6800gt in the new puter, what should I use to remove the thermal compound from the gpu and replace it with artic silver? Will Isoproply Alcohol be safe to use?

    Yes. Or meths.

    Or if it's thermal pad, use label remover, that orangey smelling stuff.
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