Cooling my X800XL AGP

[Dr_asik]

I'm having a bit of a dilemma. My X800XL AGP is running a bit too hot for my tastes, 72C under load. I just tested for artifacts for 10 minutes and there was none. Still, even with no artifacts, high temperatures can slowly destroy a video card. It doesn't show, but after a year or two the card suddenly refuses to run at anything more than half its original speed. That's what happened with my old 9600SE, I was overclocking the hell of it. (it was a very good overclocker BTW).

But I'm not overclocking this one, and underclocking doesn't help at all.

So, I could buy an aftermarket cooler, since I heard the stock one is crap. But that would cost me around 40$, including shipping. I paid 140$ for that card, so proportionnaly that's a big investement. Suddenly its like I would have paid 180$.

So, should I let it die slowly but surely, betting that by the time it dies I will buy a new computer altogether, or try to preserve it? Is 72C dangerous anyway?

 

[cleeve]

72 isn't that bad. I usually don't worry until it's high 80s.

Still, an aftermarket cooler wouldn't be a terrible thing for you...

 

[trinitron64]

i had 72C underload... didn't make me very happy and it was a meh overclocker...

paid the 40$ for an Arctic Cooler 4 Rev. 2 and now i am able to use my current OC (sig) and max at 68C

 

[Dr_asik]

Wow that's a very good overclock for an X800XL! They are notoriously bad overclockers. I barely believe you. 8O

 

[trinitron64]

lol... well it is half cheating

my x800xlAIW came with the r420 core

 

[kaotao]

I'm waiting for that exact cooler to come back into stock at newegg. Now you've got me a bit excited. Underload, my X800XL doesn't usually go above 68C, but recently it went to 75C and I started seeing artifacts.

 

[FeareX]

Can't you use atitool or ati tray tools to adjust your fanspeed?

Like on 50*C it should rev up to 100%?

 

[blunc]

I've been checking the web looking for anyone that has the Arctic Coolers for X800 and X850, it seems that everyone is "out of stock". I went through the whole list if dealer links from the Arctic Cooling website and came up with zip.

:x

 

[blunc]

what mod did you have to do to get the AC4R2 to work on an AIW card?

 

[kaotao]

Can't you use atitool or ati tray tools to adjust your fanspeed?

Like on 50*C it should rev up to 100%?

I had it set like that, but some how it got reset to default settings. All fixed now, but it still bothers me that I was seeing artifacts at that temp.

 

[trinitron64]

i took the plastic case off of it... easy...
i pulled the HSF assembly out...easy

took a pair of needle-nose plyers and twisted off two pins that the AIW cards don't have holes for...

put it back together

Put the assembly on the card... then used an elastic band to hold the memory-heatsink assembly snug to the card... the two pins which have to be removed are supposed to do that job... but the elastic works great

idle went down 10C and my artifact-free OC went wayyyyy way up

 

[trinitron64]

sorry i used a Zip-tie, not an elastic

 

[trinitron64]

i also cut a hole in the side of my case and installed... directly feeding into my video card... a 120mm fan

so lots of air in... and the AC4R2 shoots it out

 

[blunc]

yeah, I've got the 120mm fan in the case side done already, I'm just having a hard time finding an AC4R2 to put on my vid card.