GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

They make noise, too.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
Jordan
Posts: 557
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 8:21 pm
Location: Scotland, UK

GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by Jordan » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:31 am

I have a passive HD4670 but I'd like something with just a little more grunt to run StarCraft 2 at max settings on 1600x1200.

I have a Nexus RS 120mm top fan controlled by my mobo acting as an exhaust and cooling the CPU HS. The fan ramps up if the CPU gets hot, which is never. I have a 120mm rear fan that's on a fan controller at 0V the rest of the time and 12V when I play StarCraft - but I need to remember to turn it up every time I play.

I'd like a card that when idle is effectively inaudible in a very quiet environment (P180 is under the desk but the door is always open to access the power button) so I don't need to keep remembering to turn up a case fan.

Tzupy
*Lifetime Patron*
Posts: 1561
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:47 am
Location: Bucharest, Romania

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by Tzupy » Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:09 am

Powercolor 6850 passive, I have one with a 800 rpm Slipstream zip-tied:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... ubcat=1866
I keep mine at a constant 600 rpm for games, and max temps of 60-65C, but for Furmark I need 800 rpm.
The only thing I don't like about this card is that the VRMs have no heatsinks (the memory has).
The VRMs are supposed to be cooled by the backplate, which makes contact on the back through thermal tape.

CA_Steve
Moderator
Posts: 7650
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:36 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by CA_Steve » Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:26 am

Here's a gpu benchmark for Starcraft II at Techspot. Take a look and see what range of cards you'd like to get. Depending on how you like to set the picture quality and fps you'd like, at 1600x1200, you could go from an HD5750/6750/GTX460 and up.

Jordan
Posts: 557
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 8:21 pm
Location: Scotland, UK

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by Jordan » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:35 pm

CA_Steve wrote:Here's a gpu benchmark for Starcraft II at Techspot. Take a look and see what range of cards you'd like to get. Depending on how you like to set the picture quality and fps you'd like, at 1600x1200, you could go from an HD5750/6750/GTX460 and up.
Thanks for that, I'd seen it while back but it is quite old now. The 5770 or 5830 seems like good option and both are well under £100.

What are the current equivalent cards?

Tzupy wrote:Powercolor 6850 passive, I have one with a 800 rpm Slipstream zip-tied:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... ubcat=1866
I keep mine at a constant 600 rpm for games, and max temps of 60-65C, but for Furmark I need 800 rpm.
The only thing I don't like about this card is that the VRMs have no heatsinks (the memory has).
The VRMs are supposed to be cooled by the backplate, which makes contact on the back through thermal tape.
Thanks but I'd like to keep it this side of £100 (I'd hope this would buy a decent upgrade considering my card was only £60 a couple of years back). Sorry, I should have said that in the original post but I always think os this as a US site with a $ audience :)

CA_Steve
Moderator
Posts: 7650
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:36 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by CA_Steve » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:30 pm

Ok, going downward in price and framerate:

MSI cyclone HD 6850 @ £113. The cyclone series is a great cooler.
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 6770 Vapor-X @ £100, or MSI R6770 Twin Frozr II
MSI N550GTX-Ti Cyclone OC GeForce GTX 550 Ti

kuzzia
Friend of SPCR
Posts: 709
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:41 am
Location: Denmark

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by kuzzia » Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:24 am

If your budget allows you to, then a passive 5770 (or 6770, which is practically the same). I believe ASUS makes a passive 6770. Zip-tying a fan to the heatsink reduces the temperatur tremendously!

lb_felipe
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:21 pm
Location: São Paulo, SP, Brasil

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by lb_felipe » Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:52 pm

Does those fanless video cards have fan controller?

I saw they have a video card PWM fan header but I don’t know whether it works.

I’d like to use the below accessory with a zip tied Slip Stream and let the video card controlling the speed according to temperature, like a common video card.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/ ... s_id=33252

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

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by boost » Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:21 am

The PWM header on graphic card is smaller than the fan's plug -> adapter cable.

lb_felipe
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:21 pm
Location: São Paulo, SP, Brasil

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by lb_felipe » Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:28 am

I already had posted this adaptor. I saw that the cards have a fan header. What I'd like to know is if they have a controller circuit on themselves. And more, if they can be configurable by software speed control.

If so, then we can use that Gelid to hook up a fan in the card e turn it an active cooled video card as whatever other stock active cooled.

However, it can be that fan header in those cards aren’t controlled. It can be that is just 4-pin to allow a standard video card fan but without a capability of auto adjust of speed.

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

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by boost » Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:42 am

I used the fan plug from my graphic card's original cooler's fan and attached it to a Scythe PWM 12cm fan. Worked great.
Except it came apart because I didn't put it together well. If the wires were fitted to header better it would still work. Lacking skills, not lacking general feasibility.

lb_felipe
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:21 pm
Location: São Paulo, SP, Brasil

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by lb_felipe » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:10 am

boost, what is your graphic card?

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

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by boost » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:25 am

I have a Sapphire 4890 @ 930MHz with a Thermalright HR-03. Since the plug came apart I have used an unregulated 12cm fan with about 800RPM.
I haven't bought the adapter because it's 3€ + 8€ shipping. I'll buy one with my next order of some fans and other assorted parts.

lb_felipe
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:21 pm
Location: São Paulo, SP, Brasil

Re: GPU upgrade that's inaudible when idle?

Post by lb_felipe » Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:55 pm

Thanks.

So yours isn't a fanless video card. Obviously your video card DOES control a PWM fan. The adapter is only to convert the connector from large to small, since standard video cards use a small header.

What I wonder is if e.g. the header on the PowerColor SCS3 HD6850 works, and if its BIOS has automatic control of fan speed.

Post Reply