Thinking about passive GPU

They make noise, too.

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arras
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:19 pm

Thinking about passive GPU

Post by arras » Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:28 pm

Howdy folks. Longtime lurker, but new to posting :)

I am currently running the following:

AMD Athlon II x3 w/ coolmaster CPU cooler.

Antec 900 case with 4 120mm
Antec 500W Earthwatts PSU
AMD Athlon II X3 440 Rana
COOLER MASTER Hyper TX3 92mm CPU Cooler
Asus M4A77TD AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
ASUS Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel
SAMSUNG 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

My current GPU whirrs under heavy loads but especially when I am playing Civ V, Eve Online, and Global Agenda. In the future, I will be playing SW:TOR and Guildwars 2.

I am looking to get a quieter GPU and have my eye on this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814125388. It's a slight step down from my 5770, but it has a passive cooler. Anyone have any thoughts about this GPU or perhaps another option that eludes me? If I am not mistaken, this is the most powerful passive GPU out there right now at a reasonable price. I don't really want to spend more than $150 if possible.

I only use my PC for gaming and perhaps it's a fool's dream to hope for a quiet GPU, but the whirring is driving me nuts.

Thanks in advance for any advice you folks have to offer.

Cheers!

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Thinking about passive GPU

Post by Abula » Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:15 pm

arras wrote:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814125388. It's a slight step down from my 5770, but it has a passive cooler. Anyone have any thoughts about this GPU or perhaps another option that eludes me? If I am not mistaken, this is the most powerful passive GPU out there right now at a reasonable price. I don't really want to spend more than $150 if possible.
One that still with in your budget is the GIGABYTE GV-R677SL-1GD Radeon HD 6770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 $139 (Dimension according to newegg 10.8" x 5.9" x 1.5"), but not sure if it will fit on Antec 900.
arras wrote:I only use my PC for gaming and perhaps it's a fool's dream to hope for a quiet GPU, but the whirring is driving me nuts.
In case you change your mind and increase your budget some since you only use your PC for gaming, still passive, PowerColor SCS3 AX6850 1GBD5-S3DH Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 $205 (dimensions according to powercolor web 223.3mm x 111.2mm x 62mm)

Big Pimp Daddy
Posts: 175
Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 11:26 am
Location: Sunny Swansea

Re: Thinking about passive GPU

Post by Big Pimp Daddy » Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:57 pm

With all those fans and a 7200 rpm hard drive, a passive video card is the definition of pointless. Try these first;

1. Make sure it is the VGA fan that's making the noise and not the PSU or CPU cooler.
2. Change the fan's response curve if you still have temp headroom at load.
3. Disable/remove the stock cooler's fan and strap a decent 80mm fan in its place.
4. Use literally any after-market heatsink instead of the stock one.

boost
Posts: 661
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:29 am
Location: de_DE

Re: Thinking about passive GPU

Post by boost » Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:04 am

Big Pimp Daddy wrote:With all those fans and a 7200 rpm hard drive, a passive video card is the definition of pointless.
I agree.
Big Pimp Daddy wrote:3. Disable/remove the stock cooler's fan and strap a decent 80mm fan in its place.
4. Use literally any after-market heatsink instead of the stock one.
--> Collermaster TX3: decent, not great.

Why don't you get a MSI 6850 Cyclone or 6870 Twin Frozr II?
Both are faster than your current card and quieter. With your current CPU you will run into CPU limitations, so I wouldn't advise getting something above a 6870.

A fan controller for those case fans might be a good idea.

ntavlas
Posts: 811
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:35 pm
Location: Greece
Contact:

Re: Thinking about passive GPU

Post by ntavlas » Wed Jul 06, 2011 11:31 am

With all those fans and a 7200 rpm hard drive, a passive video card is the definition of pointless. Try these first;

1. Make sure it is the VGA fan that's making the noise and not the PSU or CPU cooler.
2. Change the fan's response curve if you still have temp headroom at load.
3. Disable/remove the stock cooler's fan and strap a decent 80mm fan in its place.
4. Use literally any after-market heatsink instead of the stock one.
That would be exactly my advice as well.

arras
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:19 pm

Re: Thinking about passive GPU

Post by arras » Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:57 pm

Thank you all for the feedback; you've given me much to consider.

I just want the high-pitched whirring sound to stop, not the fan noise per say. I too believe it's either the PSU or the GPU fan, but it is very hard to tell what's making the noise. I ruled out the CPU fan by unplugging it for a few secs.

In the next few days, I will reinstall an old Nvidia 8800 GTS I have lying around and see if it's the PSU. Almost all of my prior experience tells me it's the GPU however. In any event, I will have this nailed down soon.

I am leaning towards a GPU cooler as suggested earlier as this would be the cheapest option.

I will keep you posted, but until then any other advice is most welcome.

Cheers!

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