What's the best low cost GPU cooler?

Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy KnobPflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
edited November 2003 in Hardware
I want to stay under $20.00 and not have to do much work on it as I like Geeky's plan a lot for the ultimate air solution. But I am wanting to be lazy and just buy something to slap on for as little cost as possible. Most look so cheesy!
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Comments

  • madmatmadmat
    edited November 2003
    The Vantec IceBerq works pretty good (better than a crystal orb or blue orb) and only takes up a single slot unlike either of the two Tt orbs that are popular.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I read an article that says the crystal orb outperforms the blue orb and both vantec models. I'll find the link.

    overclockercafe
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    larry keep me updated on this I may get a few myself for gpu and chipset
    I'm just realizing that the article is about chipset cooling ...are we talking about the same sinks here or am I off base?
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    csimon had this to say
    larry keep me updated on this I may get a few myself for gpu and chipset
    I'm just realizing that the article is about chipset cooling ...are we talking about the same sinks here or am I off base?
    Yes, we are on the same page as to what I'm looking for.

    According to the tests the Crystal Orb is a better cooler. I don't care about useing an extra slot as my NF7-S has the space between the AGP and the first PCI (which I never use anyway) so I can use something quite huge if I wanted to. As a matter of fact I would kind of like someting with sme meat on it.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    What about Zalman? A little pricey ($27), but...

    http://www.svc.com/zavgahecozm.html
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    GHoosdum had this to say
    What about Zalman? A little pricey ($27), but...

    http://www.svc.com/zavgahecozm.html
    You wouldn't beleive how many times I have looked at those and I kkep going back to it but......

    I am definitly going water before next summer, hopefully sooner and don't want to spend a lot and it would bother me to have spent that much and then not need it.
  • Al_CapownAl_Capown Indiana
    edited November 2003
    I have a Vantec Iceberq 4 on my Radeon9800Pro256 and to be honest i'm not so sure it's any better than the stock hsf, but it does have a cool blue led!!! My 9800Pro reaches about 410/360 before it starts to artifact, so make your own call on that.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I don't have my 9800pro yet but can you clarify something for me please ...is 410/360 referring to core/mem or mem/core clock frequencies?
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    it's core/mem.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited November 2003
    GHoosdum had this to say
    What about Zalman? A little pricey ($27), but...

    http://www.svc.com/zavgahecozm.html


    Hmm, $27 aint too bad IMO. Not bad at all.

    Any word if these work on TI4600 cards as well? I dont se muc of anything about card compadibility.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    a modded retail HSF :)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    OK, here comes Leo again with his 'you don't even need a fan' story.

    You don't even need a fan. :D Go to an online electronics surplus seller and get a large aluminum heasink. Bolt or epoxy it on (something like Arctic Silver adhesive) and won't miss the fan.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    larry don't you have that gold/aluminum zalman chipset sink?
    or what about the ZM-NB47J
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Leonardo had this to say
    OK, here comes Leo again with his 'you don't even need a fan' story.

    You don't even need a fan. :D Go to an online electronics surplus seller and get a large aluminum heasink. Bolt or epoxy it on (something like Arctic Silver adhesive) and won't miss the fan.
    I just got one of the large P-II/III heatsinks (got it local for $3) and will be drilling and tapping it to do th Geeky method. If it doesn't do enough I can attach a fan w/ self-tapping screws between the fins. :)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    If you don't want to ruin the potential for future RMA, affix the sinks with nylon cable ties. Just make sure that after 24 hours, and then again after a few days, you check the ties' tension. They will stretch a little after first installation.
  • madmatmadmat
    edited November 2003
    I've done the zip-tie method for a gpu sink that didn't allow pins to work because the holes were misaligned and I use the springs under the tip-tie heads on the sink side to make sure they had tension at all times.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I am drilling and tapping the base of the sink to use the stock pin holes in the vid card and using nylon washers under the heads of the screws to keep from shorting/ damaging the vid card.

    After reading the AS5 review I will finish this next weekend when I re-do all my thermal goop. I am also going to put a window in my case at that time. debating about painting the exterior and dyeing the framework.
  • MJOMJO Denmark New
    edited November 2003
    Any word if these work on TI4600 cards as well? I dont se muc of anything about card compadibility.

    It works on both Radeon and Geforce cards.
    All that is needed is two mounting holes.
    There are two different solutions in the box.
    One for Radeon and one for Geforce cards.

    Have a look at Zalman's page.
    Zalman

    I should receive my ZM80C-HP Monday.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    check this out goat ...Thermaltake Tiger 1 Chipset and VGA Cooler for $4.99
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    csimon had this to say
    check this out goat ...Thermaltake Tiger 1 Chipset and VGA Cooler for $4.99
    I looked at those and even came close to ordering but decided on going the homegrwn route after all. I will be removing my Gold/ Alum Zallman from the NB and epoxying it to my SB and replace it with a real coo little Coolermaster 50x50 all copper thin finned CPU cooler that has a fairly quiet 50mm fan on it. I was in Fry's yesterday and looked at the NF7-S they had on display that had the metal socket lock lever and could hear Thrax in my head saying I need one of these new versions. (Oh great, now I get voices in my head when I go to Fry's.) :wtf:

    Tomorrow I finish the limbing of the big tree out front that I started today. all I kept thinking was; "What is an old fat man doing in a tree with a chainsaw?" :eek3:
  • DogSoldierDogSoldier The heart of radical Amish country..
    edited November 2003
    I looked at the Zalman, thing weighs 325 grams WITHOUT the fan option, which is recommended for 9800s.

    Newb question: what are the steps involved in removing the 9800 stock HSF? Keep in mind I'm not a modder, so a simple, easy to understand answer (suitable for small children and hamsters) will suffice.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Ok after getting all my necesary things done today I decided "what the heck" and just went and bought a Zalman ZM80C-HP cooler and rigged a 80x25 fan I had laying around on it. So I went for the high dollar cooler after all and went and ghetto rigged it to boot. I aso picked up some AS-5 for when I put a new cooler on the NB and move the Zalman ZM-NB32J to the SB.

    What do ya think???
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  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    It looks... cool. Quite literally.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I think I need to move the fan so it is even with the top of the HS instead of even with the bottom as it seems to be messing with my airflow and making my CPU temp higher.
  • MJOMJO Denmark New
    edited November 2003
    mtgoat it seems that there isn't much room for a heatsink on the southbridge.
    Is that correct?
    Maybe it is just the angle of the picture that mess up the depth perception.

    Regarding the NF7-S rev. metal lever.
    Is there any other differences?
    It would seems rather dumb to go looking for a new MB if the only thing they have changed is the lever. ;)
    Not that I am looking for a new MB.
    I am quite satisfied with my NF7-S rev. 2.0
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    MJO,
    You are correct on the SB clearance. I will end up canning that plan and just leave this as is except for applyiong AS-5 to the CPU and NB.

    They are not a new revision or anything but they are a new generation with some of the earlier things fixed. There are a lot of folks getting these newer boards and getting higher OC's out of the same CPU and RAM thrown on from an older board. I have one of the very first Rev 2,0's as I bought mine on April 5. I am very happy and won't change it but am looking to get another in a while and see if this one ends up being #2 or can retain it's position as the lead dog.


    DogSoldier,
    Sorry to miss your post. All you need is a pair of needle nose pliers and with the card on a table with the HS facing down, squeeze the portion of the plastic pins holding the HS on and they will just pop out.


    Forgot the update!
    I moved the fan and my CPU temps went back to where they were, if not a degree cooler. :)
  • MJOMJO Denmark New
    edited November 2003
    What issues are fixed on the new generation?
    I haven't experienced many issues with my board.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    MJO had this to say
    What issues are fixed on the new generation?
    I haven't experienced many issues with my board.

    They are not really issuse as such but just small anoolies or put easier they just improved them. Changed a few traces and some components. How old is your board?
  • MJOMJO Denmark New
    edited November 2003
    It is one of the early rev. 2.0
    It is from April or early May.

    I had a total system meltdown prior to that.
    I lost a Abit KT7A-Raid due to cap failure.
    It is going to be revived soon, when I get new caps.

    A 60GB 60GXP died without much of a warning as well.
    I lost 45GB of data and I wasn't to thrilled about that. :shakehead
  • MJOMJO Denmark New
    edited November 2003
    Hmm is this right?

    I have just installed my new ZM80C-HP and I have been running both 3DMark and BF1942.
    The heatsink isn't even warm to the touch.
    I have the optional fan as well, running at 5V.

    It is quite cool in my livingroom and the case is open.
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