GPU Upgrade - Advice on a "quiet" performance card please...

[Avezius]

Hi,

Currently have a single 8800GT paired to Q6600 on a P5KC motherboard & 4GB Ram, all in a CM cosmos case. I'm running Vista64 at present on a 22" samsung panel at a resolution of 1680 x 1050. Current PSU is: Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU - With 3x 12v Rails and 120mm Fan.

As the subject suggests, I'm after a new graphics card but would prefer something quiet, especially at idle - my current 8800GT has a zalaman cooler & I'm comfortable with the fan noise, but it's probably the loudest thing in the machine! doesnt need to be silent, just quiet at idle.

I play a selection of games (currently playing DOW2 & Crysis mostly) & I want a card so I can turn on all the eye candy for current games.

Have the usual "mid-range" budget of £150 to spend - prefer less, can push a bit more if it makes sense to do so.

I usually go NVIDIA - tend to pick the best performance/cost/noise midrange card at the time, but the ATI saphire VAPOR cooled cards are looking my current fav.

With my setup, screen (not changing soon) & resolution, would this 4870 suffice? Or is the noise on the 260 (or 275 as it "just" slips into budget) be quiet enough for me at idle?

Thanks in advance.

Dan

 

[Avezius]

hopeful evening bump?

does anyone know if the deal of the week be quiet enough for me? (4890 with zalaman cooler) or is the cooler just to get more oomph rather than less noise?

Thanks

 

[cmndr_andi]

For that price range and those requirements, I would get this card and add this cooler to it (also use some of these heatsinks on the VRMs, or remove the stock cooling plate and re-use).

However, I would suggest waiting till the end of the month as ATI are releasing new cards on the 23rd (supposedly) which should drive down all the prices a bit.

 

[Duff-Man]

is the cooler just to get more oomph rather than less noise?

The cooler should certainly reduce noise. This is one of the things zalman is renound for. As for by how much, I have no direct personal experience.