Problem solved thanks

Bought a cheap 9600xt


"Darren" wrote in message
...
Thanks Kony

I did notice after my posting that the 6600GT runs very hot and as such
could be a problem for me and not worthwhile

However, I did notice a BFG implementation of the 6600 which is
overclocked
but suprisingly runs at only 37 degrees at idle, due to much better
cooling
with copper heatsinks, compared to the mid and high 50's idle temps with
other implementations of the card. I think if the BFG brand is okay then
this one is the only one I'd consider now, although I feel it overpriced.

I've never purchased or heard of the brand 'BFG' before, if I were to
still
consider this card as an option, as I do see myself playing Doom 3 etc.

Poor attachment of cooling systems also seemed to be an issue in the
Anandtech review of some 6600 implementations.

I do have 2 slots to spare (just) and extracting air from my case seems to
be the weak link in my cooling airflow, though I'm mindful of the value of
slot real estate.

You're right about heavy hotsinks. I'm not going there again just now.
No
way.

I'll go and check out the plain 6600 now.

Thanks again

Darren



"kony" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 21:11:18 +1100, "Darren"
wrote:

Hi

***My system is an Asus A7V333 mobo (4x AGP PRO 1.5volt), Athlon 2200
and
is
in need of a new
video card.***

I had a Radeon 8500 pro, which for my gaming and spreadsheet needs was
fine.

Most of the (all but lowest-end) budget cards from ATI or
nVidia would be ok for any games an 8500 would handle, but
that's not any modern 3D games, so the main question is
whether you see yourself playing anything more modern and
demanding?



I do have a heat issue with my case and so I added a large heatsink
with
fan to the video card, to fix the heat issue.

Fix it, it did. The heat problem went away with the very heavy Zalman
ZM80D-HP and ZM-OP1 (425gram/14.99oz )

A Radeon 8500 was not a very hot running video card, the
6600GT you mention below is not the hottest of today's
cards, but certainly produces more heat, possibly twice as
much. I would think about improving case airflow first.



Over time, gravity would pull the video card a seemingly unoticeable
amount
out of the socket and the PC wouldn't boot.

I'd reseat the card and all would be fine for a few more weeks. Then I
started building my own video card colloseum with support struts to
prop
up
the card. The card started to bend over time and I think it's not a
happy
camper anymore.

The card flexes and although it has worked when I lie the PC tower down
and
the card is upright, that card and slot aren't good friends anymore.

If the heatsink is making the card flex alot this is an
entirely separate issue from the problem of AGP Pro lacking
the rear retaining clamp to hold the card in. Even so, it's
usually not necessary to use a very heavy heatsink, some of
the 'sink manufacturers (for aftermarket parts) tend to go
overboard for the eye-candy effect rather than only
optimizing for necessary cooling. Sadly, even then they
often use questionable quality fans, apparently since a
cheap fan may not "look" much if any worse than a good one.


__2 video card solutions so far___

I thought about a cheap ***Radeon 9550*** (had Radeon 8500)

I thought about a Geforce ***6600GT*** (yes lot more power)

The 6600GT is a bit overkill if 8500 was sufficient. I'd
suggest the plain 6600, not GT, instead. With it's lower
power (lower clockspeed) it will run cooler and need less of
a heatsink. Similarly, in any GPU, card family the budget
model in that family will tend to be same story,
significantly less heat and with lower GPU clockspeed, it
will also be stable at a little higher temp.

Personally I prefer nVidia cards, but a Radeon 9550 would
work too, as would an nVidia FX5700LE, but like above, not
5700Ultra, only the lowest speed in that family.



I'm concerned about the heat issue of my PC, (but not enough to buy a
new
case at present) and I've been informed that the AGP pro slot on my
mobo
isn't the best for excessive weight, (as in heavy heatsinks).

__2 cooling solutions so far___

I'd really like an Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 6 Rev 2. It attaches to
the
AGP video card and vents heat out the next slot. It weighs 243grams
and
I
guess I'd detach the original heatsink and fan, so less than 243 grams.
The
weight issue concerns me after my last heatsink effort.

With these issues already mentioned, why are you then
looking to again add more weight to the card with a larger
aftermarket 'sink?



I've considered a slot cooler that unfortunately uses 2 valuable slots.
(Antec Vcool Expansion slot VGA cooler)

Do you have two slots to spare? There's not a lot of point
in having open slots you never use, but on the other hand it
is good to have at least a free slot should a new feature be
needed.


It seems to cool fairly well but I'm not sure if it'll even fit next to
a
card like the Geforece 6600GT or Radeon 9550.

9550 video or 6600GT or other?

Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 6 or Antec Vcool or other?

I'd get something slower than 6600GT, then leave off the
adjacent PCI slot's bracket cover so the PSU pulls air in
thorough the open slot and across the card. This in
conjunction with the original heatsink, THEN decide if it's
necessary to change to an aftermarket 'sink. If short fan
lifespan is a concern, choose a card with a passive heatsink
as stock, though I don't know which are the fastest
current-gen cards with passive 'sinks. Getting a larger
passive 'sink may not be necessary with the slot cover off
below it, or a single-slot slot cooler below it.