2900XT + AS5?

Dougiebabe2003 · 2 Feb 2008 at 22:49

Hi,

Would people reccomend taking off the stock cooler and replaing the paste with Arctic Silver 5?

Would you get better temps and maybe stop the fan kicking in when just playing RCT3!? :rolleyes:

Also would what cooler would people suggest replacing the stock one with?

Im gonan keep this card now until a next gen card is out by ATI or Nvidia me thinks

Cheers in advance, Doug.

willhub · 2 Feb 2008 at 22:55

You need a new cooler really, that cooler is very annoying.

IceShock · 2 Feb 2008 at 23:15

May i ask what is wrong with the stock cooler? mine is fine, its 100% silent idle and idleing at 50c in a 20c room.
And in games its not noisy, and if it is for you then use ati tool fan speed to change it

willhub · 2 Feb 2008 at 23:44

I think some peoples are noisy, I know for a fact mine was in games, around 35% fan I think it was and it was too loud for me.

Klo · 3 Feb 2008 at 01:10

Meh, all you sound freaks would hate my computer, I whack every fan on full, and just don't notice

And I have a 2900xt, and Zalman 9700 and 3 120mm case fans.

gareth170 · 3 Feb 2008 at 09:21

Klo said:
Meh, all you sound freaks would hate my computer, I whack every fan on full, and just don't notice And I have a 2900xt, and Zalman 9700 and 3 120mm case fans.

lol mine too. i have 2 120mm fans and a 140mm they are not too nosey but my cpu fan is nosey if its on full..

as for the 2900 it isn't the nosey. mine ida at 45c which the fan at 25%, load is at about 71c which which i can just about hear the fan...

Rackerz · 3 Feb 2008 at 10:48

I have all my fans on full, couldn't stand my 2900XT past 50% though!

LLBDTiberio · 3 Feb 2008 at 13:23

@ OP,
I very much doubt you will see a big improvement in temps with the AS5, max. of 3-4degrees.
What I did was that I replaced the stock fan with the Thermalright cooler.
My card is now completely silent and the temps have improved.
As other ppl have mentioned the X2900XT was a hit and miss in regards to noise and heat, some got the good ones, some got the bad.
Cracking card though, still waiting for a new card that has a 512bit bus.

Dougiebabe2003 · 3 Feb 2008 at 15:27

Cheers for replying guys.

When idle the fan isn't nosiy and when playing Crysis or COD4 I don't mind the fan spinning up to around 50% but when my g/f is playing Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 and it spins up.... Just seems a bit silly.

I think I have to put the fan speed on 37% when playing RCT3 which is quite audiable when sitting next to the PC. If I don;t set the speed it goes to around 42% which is very audiable, especily when playing RCT3! My mum's X1600PRO can hack this game on full whack and that is a single slot cooler!!

That's why I was wondering if AS5 would drop the load temps by a bit or a lot?

My side panel also has to be off so that doesn't help the noise.

Idle I get around 57C with the fan on 31% and that is JUST audiable.
Idle with the fan on 25% I get ~62C & cannot hear the GFX fan at all.

If I got that Thermalright HR-03/R600 can I mount it the other way & will it take a 120mm fan?

I would have to have it pointing down because there is no room for the cooler AND a fan going up towards the CPU

Cheers again, Doug.

Rackerz · 3 Feb 2008 at 16:12

You can get the thermalright cooler and place it on either side of the card given that you have the room to do so. A 120MM should fit.

skunksta · 3 Feb 2008 at 16:29

Yes fits both ways.But i put stock cooler back on my sons as his case temps went mad as the heat is not blown out of the pc anymore but left inside .and 120mm fan fits it np.Brought down his temps by 17c but his case temps went up by 9 to 12c underload for sometime meaning his overclocked cpu had to be put back at stock hence him asking for it to be took of and he puts up with the noise.

(PS. was my card but give it him and got a GTS now cba to change sig)

Dougiebabe2003 · 3 Feb 2008 at 16:57

skunksta said:
Yes fits both ways.But i put stock cooler back on my sons as his case temps went mad as the heat is not blown out of the pc anymore but left inside .and 120mm fan fits it np.Brought down his temps by 17c but his case temps went up by 9 to 12c underload for sometime meaning his overclocked cpu had to be put back at stock hence him asking for it to be took of and he puts up with the noise.

(PS. was my card but give it him and got a GTS now cba to change sig)

My case ahs to be open so this may not be a problem but thanks for the heads up.

I think I might just take th stock cooler off and apply some AS5 and make sure it's done up VERY tight etc & hope the card can handle RCT3 with only 31% fan.

What's the highest temp I should be looking at as well?

Cheers again, Doug.

skunksta · 3 Feb 2008 at 17:13

I forget of hand when the cards fan starts kicking in and getting higher but sure ati tool lets u as it reads the bios and lets u change the speeds and the temps the fan kicks it at .But mine got hot underload around 80/85c it starts getting loud well mine did not 100% on what temp the noise started tbh.If it was not so loud before you might want to try cleaning it with your clase open sure its dirty by now , that is if you have not cleaned it already.

psychas · 3 Feb 2008 at 17:17

i was using 2900xt and arctic silver 5 water cooled it core was 860 memory 2200 never got higher temperature then 38 c

skunksta · 3 Feb 2008 at 17:21

Wow dont think my old 2900 ever seen 38c.

gareth170 · 3 Feb 2008 at 19:34

u could lower the clocks when u play rct3.. that game doesn't need 743mz.. maybe underclock it to 600 or 500mhz

Dougiebabe2003 · 4 Feb 2008 at 00:00

gareth170 said:
u could lower the clocks when u play rct3.. that game doesn't need 743mz.. maybe underclock it to 600 or 500mhz

Did think about this but don't think I trust my g/f to play around my clocks :eek:

Was really hoping that AS5 would have dropped the temps below the spin up speed or her to play it with the fan only on 31% & not 37% becasue there is a lot of difference in the two.

Is all good, will remove someday and see!

TheOtherOption · 4 Feb 2008 at 01:00

I replaced the stock cooler on mine with an HR-03 as it was pretty noisy when it ramped up in games, it's now pretty quiet - at least only as loud as a 120mm fan at low speeds is !

Dougiebabe2003 · 4 Feb 2008 at 01:17

TheOtherOption said:
I replaced the stock cooler on mine with an HR-03 as it was pretty noisy when it ramped up in games, it's now pretty quiet - at least only as loud as a 120mm fan at low speeds is !

I'm thinking about this. My only concern is how hot it will make everything around it?

I guess that because I game with my side panel off anyway it won't matter

steve258 · 4 Feb 2008 at 13:07

First thing I did when I had mine was take it off and re-apply AS5, I got it 2nd hand though so no warranty anyway. Stock cooler isn't that bad temp wise but if you are looking for complete silent solution you'll have to go with HR-03 which is quite pricey.