9600GT really really hot!

[ZackD]

Hi,

just put in an passive cooled 9600GT.

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/6426/sparkle9600.jpg

It gets crazy hot, even doing nothing. I do not have the actual temperatures (will test them tomorrow), but the heatpipes were too hot to touch.

No, additional fans are no solution. I want a completely quiet system.

My queststion is: I'm running the card with 10.6.2 and GraphicsEnabler=Yes. So... does this make the card run at full speed all the time? Or is it really that damn hot even when idling? Could NVEnabler help?

Thanks in advance!

 

[shazeal]

Do you have any fans in your system? Because "passive" cards and such are really just off loading the job of moving air to your case fans.

 

[ZackD]

I have one 120mm fan just above the CPU which blows through the CPU-Cooler down on the Graphics-Card. Since the CPU has a huge Cooler, it is idling at around 35°C. So the fan is just at 500rpm. Turning it higher would be too noisy.

Isn't there any way to cool down the 9600GT software-wise?

And more importantly: Is the card in OSX always running full speed, or is idling supported (and already active)?

 

[shazeal]

I dont think it runs the card at full speed. The best way to check that its not OSX would be to download the Ubuntu boot disk and load up the Ubuntu desktop and see if the same thing happens.

I looked at doing the same thing you are. I used a passive CPU cooler (Scythe Mugen without fan) and passive VGA cooler. But I put in 2 120mm fans attached to a fan controller, one input and one exhaust. The fan controller allowed me to dial down the fans as low as possible while keeping the temperatures sensible. I was using a passive ATI card however.

EDIT: Also I notice you say the CPU is idling at 35 Deg with a huge cooler... that seems really bad. I have an HTPC case packed to the brim using a modest Scythe Big Shuriken and its idling around 19-24 Deg depending on the weather. How hot is it where you are??

 

[ZackD]

Oh, I thought 35°C would be kinda fine... didn't know that was above average. It's not quite warm where I live (10°C outisde, 19°C inside).

Maybe my computer is a bit warmer inside because the whole tower has noise absorber mats (almost 20kg / 44 pound weight of the compuer).

Will try with Ubuntu or Windows and report back.

 

[ZackD]

Just tested temperatures on Win7.

Idling on desktop: 60°C
Playing Crysis: 69°C

Note: When idling, my only fan runs at 500rpm, on load it runs at 2000rpm.

Conclusion: On load, temperatures are great for a passive card. On idle, they are kinda high for a 9600GT but completely tolerable for a passive one. I looked on the net and read that the 9600GT can take up tp 105°C (). I think, the critical temperatures start at around 85°C.

I think I will stay with that.

 

[ADent]

A passively cooled video card typically needs some airflow thru the case, not just a CPU fan.

My case takes front and rear 120mm fans (only rear is stock) - you can get a very quiet low speed 120mm that still moves a medium amount of air.