Ah, thanks flinx. That is a shame about the 5870 because I could get one for the same price as the 5850 normally sells for.
I will have a look around and see if I can find any 5870s with non-standard heatsinks, but so far they all seem to be of the stock cooler variety.
Saying that people have had success removing the plastic shroud and attaching a 120mm fan instead. More research is required.
Twin Turbo Pro Installed on my 5870 :-)
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Well there is the Vapor-X version. If you have time to wait, we should be seeing more custom designs. On the custom 5850s they redesigned the power section, which means we might see a 5870 with more VRMs that run cooler due to better load distribution. Nvidia's new cards should be showing up in a month or so too, which could impact pricing.
The 5770 with Vapor-X is apparently pretty good so fingers crossed... Even if it isn't though, it looks like it would be ideal for just removing the shroud and tacking on a 120mm Nexus.
Of course I don't know if I can get a Vapor-X cheap, but plan B is get the 5850 or maybe even "just" the 5770. Quote marks because it is still a damn fast card. In fact, I think the 5770 may be the sweet spot at the moment. Better after-market cooler compatibility and some time down the line I could add a second one if the performance is lacking.
Of course I don't know if I can get a Vapor-X cheap, but plan B is get the 5850 or maybe even "just" the 5770. Quote marks because it is still a damn fast card. In fact, I think the 5770 may be the sweet spot at the moment. Better after-market cooler compatibility and some time down the line I could add a second one if the performance is lacking.