Graphics Card Fan Noise

To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'. But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter than
others?

Daddy

depending on the card, you can replace the fan with a quieter one if it is
an issue

(or replace the card)


"Daddy" wrote in message
...
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'. But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter than
others?

Daddy

On 5/9/2010 11:43 AM, Daddy wrote:
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'. But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter than
others?

Daddy

My overall experience is that cards with nVidia chips run hotter than
AMD/ATI ones, and nVidia cards fail due to cheap cooling fans and
overheating. Both nVidia and ATI sell their chips and designs of video
card circuit boards to any company that will buy them. Of course, the
el cheapo low-cost manufacturers of cards will cut corners, and use the
cheapest cooling fan possible, just like a lot of stuff manufactured out
there across the Pacific Rim. Trouble is that I can't tell you for
certain which video card manufacturers are worth a damn any more or not.

I think I would go for a card made and sold as an ATI card (not, for
example, a Brand X card with ATI chip) or a card made by a
well-established board manufacturer with decent reputation (e.f. Asus
and not MSI). But your guess is as good as mine... Ben Myers

Ben Myers wrote:
On 5/9/2010 11:43 AM, Daddy wrote:
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'. But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter than
others?

Daddy

My overall experience is that cards with nVidia chips run hotter than
AMD/ATI ones, and nVidia cards fail due to cheap cooling fans and
overheating. Both nVidia and ATI sell their chips and designs of video
card circuit boards to any company that will buy them. Of course, the
el cheapo low-cost manufacturers of cards will cut corners, and use the
cheapest cooling fan possible, just like a lot of stuff manufactured out
there across the Pacific Rim. Trouble is that I can't tell you for
certain which video card manufacturers are worth a damn any more or not.

I think I would go for a card made and sold as an ATI card (not, for
example, a Brand X card with ATI chip) or a card made by a
well-established board manufacturer with decent reputation (e.f. Asus
and not MSI). But your guess is as good as mine... Ben Myers

Thanks, Ben. So if I understand correctly, the fans themselves are
pretty much commodities, and the difference between a relatively loud
fan and a relatively quiet fan comes down to how much care the card
manufacturer takes.

I also get the impression (from reading elsewhere) that spending extra
for a gamer's card won't necessarily make for a quieter fan, since you
don't hear the fan over all that gunfire and explosions anyway.

Daddy

On 5/10/2010 9:41 AM, Daddy wrote:
Ben Myers wrote:
On 5/9/2010 11:43 AM, Daddy wrote:
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'. But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter than
others?

Daddy

My overall experience is that cards with nVidia chips run hotter than
AMD/ATI ones, and nVidia cards fail due to cheap cooling fans and
overheating. Both nVidia and ATI sell their chips and designs of video
card circuit boards to any company that will buy them. Of course, the
el cheapo low-cost manufacturers of cards will cut corners, and use
the cheapest cooling fan possible, just like a lot of stuff
manufactured out there across the Pacific Rim. Trouble is that I can't
tell you for certain which video card manufacturers are worth a damn
any more or not.

I think I would go for a card made and sold as an ATI card (not, for
example, a Brand X card with ATI chip) or a card made by a
well-established board manufacturer with decent reputation (e.f. Asus
and not MSI). But your guess is as good as mine... Ben Myers

Thanks, Ben. So if I understand correctly, the fans themselves are
pretty much commodities, and the difference between a relatively loud
fan and a relatively quiet fan comes down to how much care the card
manufacturer takes.

I also get the impression (from reading elsewhere) that spending extra
for a gamer's card won't necessarily make for a quieter fan, since you
don't hear the fan over all that gunfire and explosions anyway.

Daddy

Yes. Although the cooling fans are commodity items produced by all the
low cost and a few good quality manufacturers, you can't expect to
simply replace a loud fan with a quiet one. The mountings for the fan
onto the card and the power connector are not-quite commodity... Ben

I searched for silent video cards at newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...NG&PageSize=20
..

Some of these video cards have fans, so I don't believe that they will
really be silent. Here is a cheap video that really is fanless:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121310 .
There are others at newegg.
--
David Arnstein (00)
{{ }}
^^

On 05/10/10 11:34, Ben Myers wrote:
On 5/10/2010 9:41 AM, Daddy wrote:
Ben Myers wrote:
On 5/9/2010 11:43 AM, Daddy wrote:
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'.
But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter
than
others?

Daddy

My overall experience is that cards with nVidia chips run hotter than
AMD/ATI ones, and nVidia cards fail due to cheap cooling fans and
overheating. Both nVidia and ATI sell their chips and designs of video
card circuit boards to any company that will buy them. Of course, the
el cheapo low-cost manufacturers of cards will cut corners, and use
the cheapest cooling fan possible, just like a lot of stuff
manufactured out there across the Pacific Rim. Trouble is that I can't
tell you for certain which video card manufacturers are worth a damn
any more or not.

I think I would go for a card made and sold as an ATI card (not, for
example, a Brand X card with ATI chip) or a card made by a
well-established board manufacturer with decent reputation (e.f. Asus
and not MSI). But your guess is as good as mine... Ben Myers

Thanks, Ben. So if I understand correctly, the fans themselves are
pretty much commodities, and the difference between a relatively loud
fan and a relatively quiet fan comes down to how much care the card
manufacturer takes.

I also get the impression (from reading elsewhere) that spending extra
for a gamer's card won't necessarily make for a quieter fan, since you
don't hear the fan over all that gunfire and explosions anyway.

Daddy

Yes. Although the cooling fans are commodity items produced by all the
low cost and a few good quality manufacturers, you can't expect to
simply replace a loud fan with a quiet one. The mountings for the fan
onto the card and the power connector are not-quite commodity... Ben

I believe the EVGA cards are higher quality than most, at least their
more upscale ones (hope, so, anyway, this is why I laid out 3 large for
an NVIDIA GTX275 from them in Jan, 2010; so far, so good, and the Win
Experience BS loved it).

http://www.svc.com/vga-cooler.html


This link will allow you to find video card cooler replacments for various
video cards.


"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
On 5/10/2010 9:41 AM, Daddy wrote:
Ben Myers wrote:
On 5/9/2010 11:43 AM, Daddy wrote:
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'.
But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter
than
others?

Daddy

My overall experience is that cards with nVidia chips run hotter than
AMD/ATI ones, and nVidia cards fail due to cheap cooling fans and
overheating. Both nVidia and ATI sell their chips and designs of video
card circuit boards to any company that will buy them. Of course, the
el cheapo low-cost manufacturers of cards will cut corners, and use
the cheapest cooling fan possible, just like a lot of stuff
manufactured out there across the Pacific Rim. Trouble is that I can't
tell you for certain which video card manufacturers are worth a damn
any more or not.

I think I would go for a card made and sold as an ATI card (not, for
example, a Brand X card with ATI chip) or a card made by a
well-established board manufacturer with decent reputation (e.f. Asus
and not MSI). But your guess is as good as mine... Ben Myers

Thanks, Ben. So if I understand correctly, the fans themselves are
pretty much commodities, and the difference between a relatively loud
fan and a relatively quiet fan comes down to how much care the card
manufacturer takes.

I also get the impression (from reading elsewhere) that spending extra
for a gamer's card won't necessarily make for a quieter fan, since you
don't hear the fan over all that gunfire and explosions anyway.

Daddy

Yes. Although the cooling fans are commodity items produced by all the
low cost and a few good quality manufacturers, you can't expect to simply
replace a loud fan with a quiet one. The mountings for the fan onto the
card and the power connector are not-quite commodity... Ben

On 5/11/2010 9:20 AM, Keith wrote:
http://www.svc.com/vga-cooler.html


This link will allow you to find video card cooler replacments for various
video cards.


"Ben wrote in message
...
On 5/10/2010 9:41 AM, Daddy wrote:
Ben Myers wrote:
On 5/9/2010 11:43 AM, Daddy wrote:
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about, but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'.
But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter
than
others?

Daddy

My overall experience is that cards with nVidia chips run hotter than
AMD/ATI ones, and nVidia cards fail due to cheap cooling fans and
overheating. Both nVidia and ATI sell their chips and designs of video
card circuit boards to any company that will buy them. Of course, the
el cheapo low-cost manufacturers of cards will cut corners, and use
the cheapest cooling fan possible, just like a lot of stuff
manufactured out there across the Pacific Rim. Trouble is that I can't
tell you for certain which video card manufacturers are worth a damn
any more or not.

I think I would go for a card made and sold as an ATI card (not, for
example, a Brand X card with ATI chip) or a card made by a
well-established board manufacturer with decent reputation (e.f. Asus
and not MSI). But your guess is as good as mine... Ben Myers

Thanks, Ben. So if I understand correctly, the fans themselves are
pretty much commodities, and the difference between a relatively loud
fan and a relatively quiet fan comes down to how much care the card
manufacturer takes.

I also get the impression (from reading elsewhere) that spending extra
for a gamer's card won't necessarily make for a quieter fan, since you
don't hear the fan over all that gunfire and explosions anyway.

Daddy

Yes. Although the cooling fans are commodity items produced by all the
low cost and a few good quality manufacturers, you can't expect to simply
replace a loud fan with a quiet one. The mountings for the fan onto the
card and the power connector are not-quite commodity... Ben



Interesting, but how does one know which fan to get? Or do they
recommend which fan to buy, based on make/model of card? How does their
fan's power connector match up with the place on the card where the fan
power lead goes? How do these fans mount flush with the chip they are
supposed to cool? Lots of questions... Ben Myers

The solutions available are specific on a specific video card or family of
video cards. Before buying, it is important to make certain that you
identify the video card you wish to upgrade exactly.

I replaced the single slot fan on an ATI video card with a double slot, rear
case exhaust with fane speed control -it really worked.

Below are examples:
Thermalright HR-03 GTX Rev. A 6 Heatpipe VGA Cooler for Nvidia GTX260/280
HR-03GTX-: $59.99
Compatibility:

nVidia GTX280 & GTX260 (65mm)
GTX285 & GTX260 (55nm) (VRM Heatsink not included)
Note: When installing on a GTX200 Series, a 120mm fan must be used.

Zalman VF900-CU Silent Copper Heatpipe VGA Cooler for ATI and Nvidia
ZM-VF900-CU $39.99
Compatibility:
Please check Zalman's website for compatibility:
http://www.zalman.co.kr/ENG/product/...ad.asp?idx=144
Includes:
- Heatsink Assembly (VF900-Cu)
- Eight RAM Heatsinks
- Four Nipple
- Four Fixing Nuts
- One PVC Washer Plate
- Four Rubber Rings
- Four Springs
- Thermal Grease
- FAN Controller(FAN MATE 2)
- Cable for FAN MATE 2
- Dual-sided Tape(to attach FAN MATE 2)
- User's Manual - in English and Korean
Notes:
- By installing this product on a VGA (Video Graphics Array) card, a PCI
slot adjacent to the PCIe (or AGP) slot will become unusable.
- The product cannot be installed on Matrox VGA cards, NVIDIA PCX 5***,
NVIDIA Geforce 7800GS/6600 AGP Series and ATI Radeon 9550/9600 Series.
- The use of an exhaust fan positioned on the rear side of the case is
recommended for enhancementof product performance.


"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
On 5/11/2010 9:20 AM, Keith wrote:
http://www.svc.com/vga-cooler.html


This link will allow you to find video card cooler replacments for
various
video cards.


"Ben wrote in message
...
On 5/10/2010 9:41 AM, Daddy wrote:
Ben Myers wrote:
On 5/9/2010 11:43 AM, Daddy wrote:
To give you an idea of how much of a gamer I am: My Studio XPS 8100
includes the first graphics card I have ever owned that has a fan.

The fan does make some additional noise, which I'm not crazy about,
but
I'm getting used to it. It's really nothing more than a soft 'buzz'.
But
it leads me to ask (for future upgrading): Are there some brands of
graphics card, or some types of fans, that are particularly quieter
than
others?

Daddy

My overall experience is that cards with nVidia chips run hotter than
AMD/ATI ones, and nVidia cards fail due to cheap cooling fans and
overheating. Both nVidia and ATI sell their chips and designs of video
card circuit boards to any company that will buy them. Of course, the
el cheapo low-cost manufacturers of cards will cut corners, and use
the cheapest cooling fan possible, just like a lot of stuff
manufactured out there across the Pacific Rim. Trouble is that I can't
tell you for certain which video card manufacturers are worth a damn
any more or not.

I think I would go for a card made and sold as an ATI card (not, for
example, a Brand X card with ATI chip) or a card made by a
well-established board manufacturer with decent reputation (e.f. Asus
and not MSI). But your guess is as good as mine... Ben Myers

Thanks, Ben. So if I understand correctly, the fans themselves are
pretty much commodities, and the difference between a relatively loud
fan and a relatively quiet fan comes down to how much care the card
manufacturer takes.

I also get the impression (from reading elsewhere) that spending extra
for a gamer's card won't necessarily make for a quieter fan, since you
don't hear the fan over all that gunfire and explosions anyway.

Daddy

Yes. Although the cooling fans are commodity items produced by all the
low cost and a few good quality manufacturers, you can't expect to
simply
replace a loud fan with a quiet one. The mountings for the fan onto the
card and the power connector are not-quite commodity... Ben



Interesting, but how does one know which fan to get? Or do they recommend
which fan to buy, based on make/model of card? How does their fan's power
connector match up with the place on the card where the fan power lead
goes? How do these fans mount flush with the chip they are supposed to
cool? Lots of questions... Ben Myers