I was long overdue for an upgrade, and last year got an eMachines T6540 as a springboard for a decent gaming system. Last month I upgraded to the new 8800GT video card, and the results have been spectacular. I've always been a gaming enthusiast, and for the first time I have a computer that can run the newest software.
As most of you know, however, the 8800GT suffers from heat troubles. I learned how to use RivaTuner to get the fan to accelerate as it should, but that still means I'm idling around 60 degrees. When I start playing games, the heat rises quickly and my machine has locked up a couple of times. I think the biggest contributor to my card's temperature is the case itself; there's one exhaust fan, no intake fans, and, as you can see in the picture linked below, very little ventilation on the side of the case:
As a cheap fix, I bought a PCI slot intake fan, which blows directly on the video card. This keeps the temperature of my card in the 60s while under load, but is very loud.
Could you help me with the following questions?
a. Is my case indeed the biggest problem? The fact that the PCI fan made such a small difference seems to support this. I would think any other aftermarket cooling solution, no matter how fancy, would suffer from the problem of not having enough fresh air to use.
b. If I'm right about the case, can you recommend a good case that doesn't come with a power supply? I'd like not to pay extra for a PSU I'm not going to use. The look of the case isn't important; I'm the only one who sees it, so there's no need for it to be sexy. Quieter is better, but sound isn't a crucial consideration. What I want most out of a case is that it keeps my new video card nice and cool.
Yes. I would also recommend one of the antec cases. I have 2 older models which I found for $30 or less after rebate at Fry's.com or my local Fry's store. Newegg has the 900 for $80 after rebate with free shipping.
