Best video card cooler?

2

Comments

  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    SimGuy had this to say
    Drasnor, you could try the CoolJag 1U cooler I showed on page 1 of this thread, but you would need to chop some of the cooler off to get it to fit on the AIW...

    I'm really questioning as to whether or not it's worth it.

    -drasnor :fold:

    this is to scale.
  • SimGuySimGuy Ottawa, Canada
    edited December 2003
    What about this.

    If you've got an old AMD retail heatsink laying around, remove the fan off the top of it and mount it onto the stock 9700 AIW cooler, after removing the stock fan and properly utilizing some thermal transport compound to replace the dinky thermal pad utilized on the stock cooler.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    SimGuy had this to say
    What about this.

    If you've got an old AMD retail heatsink laying around, remove the fan off the top of it and mount it onto the stock 9700 AIW cooler, after removing the stock fan and properly utilizing some thermal transport compound to replace the dinky thermal pad utilized on the stock cooler.

    I've got the shim of doom, so that's why all this. I'll look at mounting a bigger fan, though.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • edited December 2003
    SimGuy had this to say
    Thread Pruned.

    Okay, to get back on topic here.

    Dodger: The Arctic Cooler won't fit the Ti4200, so it rules that out. Honestly, get the Zalman and slap a 92mm Fan on it for active cooling. I wouldn't trust my video card to a passive cooler, especially with $400 riding on that decision to be quiet.

    For the 9800 Pro, Zalman recommends that you USE the fan for active cooling. In a flip between the Arctic Cooler and the Zalman with fan for the 9800 Pro, I'd go with whatever is cheaper. Both cool in the same range, and 1-3*C isn't going to make a whole lot of difference, unless you are planning on overclocking the video card out the wazoo.

    Ahh, but I am planning on purchasing a Radeon 9800 after X-mas. So, realisticly i'm useing my Ti4200 card as a tie-over entill after the holiday season. Maybe i'll get the Zalman and slap the 92mm fan Zalman inc. offers with it as you said yourself the cooling difference will be but a few degrees.

    Edit: Which zalman to buy? This one? Or this one?
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    the gray one /me is to lazy to open links
  • edited December 2003
    I'd say go with the second one as you know right off the bat that it's been machined to accept the optional fan and IMHO the color's a lot more pleasent to look at.
  • edited December 2003
    That was sure insightful! Thank you GnomeWizardd!:)
    madmat had this to say
    I'd say go with the second one as you know right off the bat that it's been machined to accept the optional fan and IMHO the color's a lot more pleasent to look at.

    I know, but look at the design of the VGA coolers... the gold looks ever-so-slightly bigger than the silver...
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    The gray one is the newer revision.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • edited December 2003
    It's hard for me to tell without seeing them laid side to side, to me they look pretty much the same.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    The gold one is 75g heavier but fits on the card weird. You might want to check the Zalman website for card compatibility information, since I'm fairly certain the gold one is designed for the GeForce 2/3 and Radeon 8500.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • edited December 2003
    35-118-210-01.jpg

    35-118-211-01.jpg

    Now look at them....
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    i got the gray one on my 9700 pro
  • edited December 2003
    Good for you.
  • edited December 2003
    I dunno man, they look the same size to me still.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    Yellow is bigger.
  • edited December 2003
    I'm with thrax, yellow is ever-so-slightly bigger.
  • edited December 2003
    The bottom one sure doesn't look gold-plated...
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    csimon had this to say
    the top one is aluminum and the bottom one is gold plated copper according to zalman.
    I take that back ...after looking closer it seems they are both aluminum material and only the heatpipe itself is gold plated copper on each ...who know. I think that while reading the specs at newegg I figured that the a stood for aluminum and the c for copper ...my bad.
    I do know that the top one is 400g and the bottom is 325g.
  • DragstkDragstk Syracuse, N.Y.
    edited December 2003
    There are 2 differences between the grey and the gold Zalman's. The gold is slightly larger, but the grey has provisions to mount a fan directly to the HS. Oh yea, a slight difference in price.
    I have the gold one. Cools about 5-6 c. cooler than the stock cooler, on a 9800. But if I had to do it again, I'd get the grey with the fan(must be purchased seperatly).
    As a side point. They are a pain to mount. Take your time, have help and get everything parallel.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    The gray one is also worse than the old one. I've said this like 3 times now people: the ZM80A-HP has MORE SURFACE AREA than the ZM80C-HP. The 80A with the 92mm fan bracket WILL outperform the 80C with the 80mm fan.
  • edited December 2003
    Excellent, so go for the gold?
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    Yeah. Get the gold one and the 92mm fan bracket.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    you be teh judge!
    hmmmm ...maybe it's time for a short-media review/comparrison ...I'm not volunteering just trying to light a spark!
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    csimon, a review might be a good idea. But, if you check Zalman's site, you'll find that the -A is almost certainly superior:

    ZM80A:
    - Weight: 400g
    - Heatpipe: Gold Plated Copper Tube
    - Dissip. Material : Aluminum
    - Dissip. Area: 1300 cm2

    vs.

    ZM80C:
    -Weight: 325g
    -Heatpipe: Gold Plated Copper Tube
    -Dissip. Material: Aluminum Dissip. Area: 1200
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    yes it is superior in dissipated area ...perhaps it is longer.

    the note below the specs also says that it only weighs 385g's?

    * Since the heatsink weighs 385g, the VGA card equipped with this heatsink should be attached tightly inside the PC case with a bolt when installing. Also special care should be taken while the computer is being moved.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    this might go well with the 80a ...

    http://www.modthebox.com/review271_1.shtml
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    I'm not so sure about that, actually. You're cooling the wrong side of the heatpipe...
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    I think that the best thing for that gold cooler would be this thing that SimGuy recommends:
    http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?postid=74606#post74606
  • edited December 2003
    What about watercooling? Does anyone know where I can find a great video card watercooler?
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    well thing is you go water cooling you gotta buy a pump/ radiator and block ect..... So your gonna spend i BIG chucnk of money
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