GPU coolers

[jarlsuki]

Hello.

Recently put a GTX 680 card in my computer, but im not happy with the temperatures on it.
While playing BF3 or running 3dmark11 tests it goes up to 75-80c and it's quite noisy when the fan goes up to 60%+.

The card came in a Acer Predator G3620 a friend of mine bought and who sold the card cheap to me. I still havent found out what brand it is. GPU-Z claims it's made by Sapphire, but i can't find any info on them making GTX680 cards.
Anyway, it almost looks like http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1452/pg1/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-kepler-graphics-card-review-introduction.html.

So what im looking for is a new cooler for it. It doesen't have to be the biggest, baddest cooler on the market aslong as it's effective and quiet.
Sort of like getting a 212evo for a CPU : )

Any suggestions?

 

[bigshootr8]

I would say that your issues cooling wise are not because of your card it's probably more so centered around your case as it probably doesn't have good airflow to support your card. I would maybe look into a case over your card. The main reason is if your card is under warranty still you may void it by changing out the cooler and in the end it may not solve your problem.

 

[coozie7]

Try taking that card out and looking at the underside, there's usually a label there giving full ID information.
If you can't decipher the cryptic information there-I'm sure they do it out of spite-take a shot of it and post the results here.

 

[cliffro]

I would say that your issues cooling wise are not because of your card it's probably more so centered around your case as it probably doesn't have good airflow to support your card. I would maybe look into a case over your card. The main reason is if your card is under warranty still you may void it by changing out the cooler and in the end it may not solve your problem.

He's using a CM HAF XM, so his case is not the issue.

I don't know your fan setup in there, but I do know you can install a 120mm fan right in front of the video card on the hard drive cage. That will help with getting cooler air to the GPU fan and thus reducing the temps a little bit.

If that fails to provide enough relief, the Arctic Cooling Twin Turbo II fits the reference GTX 680 per their website.

The case will hold lots of fans, the HDD one listed is 120mmx25mm they just smushed it to 12025

 

[bigshootr8]

Had not seen his case before checking out his member configuration. Appeared perhaps he was using a store bought computer. The optional panel fans would prove quite useful.

 

[J_E_D_70]

The reference coolers on the 670/680 are just flat out loud. Mine is obnoxious as well and I've moved one of my front fans directly beneath the GPU and no help. I even went as far as to construct a tube of heavy cardboard from the bottom fan directly to the card's intake - no better. It just is what it is.

I've not looked into replacing the cooler tho.

What I did do is set MSAA to Off and Antialiasing Post to High (this is nVidia's TXAA which equals 4xMSAA without the performance hit). Then set adaptive vsync on and that really quieted it down. Only time it gets really loud is when folks starting smoking the escalators in Metro.

Edit: Case before moving the bottom front fan. Keep in mind there's a 200mm on the side panel as well.
http://i.imgur.com/cxdseTY.jpg

 

[cliffro]

Here is the link for the Twin Turbo II mentioning 680 w/ Stacked Power socket compatibility. http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vga/375/accelero-twin-turbo-ii.html?c=2182

Newegg link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186052

 

[jarlsuki]

Im using the CM HAF XM case, the one i purchased the card from is using the Acer Predator case.
I've equipped it with one 200mm fan in the front blowing air in, one 200mm fan in the side panel blowing in, one 120mm fan inside blowing air from the side of the HDD's towards the GPU (like forwarding the air from the front-fan to the GPU and CPU). I have to mention though that i crippled this fan due to it being really Really noisy when it was doing 2000rpm. Now its about 1000-1200rpm.
Then there is one 140mm fan in the rear blowing out and 2x200mm fans on top blowing out.
In the bottom there is just the PSU doing it's own thing.

I was looking in to the Twin Turbo II cooler as it's one of the few GPU coolers my PC-parts site sells.

 

[jarlsuki]

I found 2 lables on the back of the card.

1st:
Model GTX 680 2gb GDDR5
VGPCU6800123500164G110
GN255HYAC-UEFD

2nd
Geforce GTX 680 2GB DDR5 D/D/HDMI/DP (HY)
N123500047577
PN 29Z-1N255-000A8

If it helps there's a square with:
Complies with Canadian ICES-003, Class B

 

[jarlsuki]

Oh and before i forget, can anyone varify that ARCTIC Accelero Twin Turbo II GPU Cooler fits my GTX680?
Most of it looks the same as the one in http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1452/pg1/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-kepler-graphics-card-review-introduction.html.

 

[completelyrandomname]

If I'm correct aftermarket coolers will only (usually) work on reference design boards, so like the VRM, Mosfets and stuff. If it really is the one you linked to us through hardwareheaven then yes it would work. I was just on the Arctic website and it says that it will work on GTX 680s with and without stacked sockets whatever that means. If you want to go water here is another option from Arctic themselves. It's a bit more expensive but I expect it to cool better. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186067

If you still insist on air cooling then get this one, it has 3 fans instead of 2 and it's on sale right now.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186068

 

[bigshootr8]

I would just insure that your card is reference or not. These seem to be the ones that are 680 proof.
http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/assistant/vga/chip/250. Hmm it may not be the one you are after because the reference cards do come with stacked power sockets.

 

[bigshootr8]

I found this its in German but if you watch he uses the cooler on a reference design card I would maybe check and see if your card looks like his with the pci-e power connections and follow what he is doing.
[flash=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/v/gaddcsrOVEk?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash]

 

[jarlsuki]

The power connectors are the same as the ones on his card.
Decided to go for the Arctic Accelero Twin Turbo II, hope i don't mess it up : )
Thanks for the help.

 

[bigshootr8]

Not a problem just make sure you do what they ask you to do looks like a more complicated installation then most you would normally perform.

 

[jarlsuki]

Didn't expect it to be that complicated, i'll just take my time and do it properly.
Actually never installed a GPU cooler before so it could be interesting.

 

[bigshootr8]

Yea I envy you a little bit something different not many people end up doing. Should be a good learning experience.

 

[J_E_D_70]

Please post back when done with pics! I'm kicking this around but afraid to mess with a card still under warranty.

 

[jarlsuki]

Placed an order for it now, should arrive in 2-3 days.
I'll try to take some usable pics when im installing it : )

 

[jarlsuki]

Finally arrived, didn't notice that they were out of stock when i ordered it.
Anyways, it's now installed and i so far it's impressive.

I took some pics while installing it, but i'll have to post these tomorrow : )

Temp & noise difference:
So far i've only tested it with 3d mark 11 and the new one, whatever it's called.
The temps used to be from 75-80degrees, highest i've seen is 82 degrees.
After installing the new cooler it still haven't gone past 59 degrees. Our livingroom is alot warmer than it usually is so im hoping for even better results later on.
The idle temps are the same, but i have a feeling that the temps in our house has something to do with it.

I found it a bit wierd though, the heatsinks for the RAM and VR is ~5mm away from the cooler itself so i think that i would have gotten a better result if these actually touched the cooler instead of just getting the cold air from the fans. I googled it and the solution would be to purchase some 3rd(4th?) company heatsinks that were taller, but i couldn't find anywhere where they sold these in Norway.

Anyways, im still happy enough with the results. It's more quiet and quite a bit cooler.
I will test it with BF3 and such tomorrow and try to remember to throw in an update.

 

[bigshootr8]

well idle temps I would suspect being very similar but that is really great to hear about your loud temps

 

[J_E_D_70]

I'd like to hear about noise levels too

 

[jarlsuki]

Im not really sure how to measure noise levels. Possible to do it without some special equipment?

 

[jarlsuki]

Before i started

After removing the top

After removing the heatsink and board with the fan

Before mounting the heatsinks on the RAM and VR

I forgot to take a picture after i finished putting on the heatsinks : /

After installing the RAM and VR heatsinks and the Arctic Accelero Twin Turbo II fan, and then actually inserting it in my computer.

 

[jarlsuki]

Did a Battlefield 3 round now to see how it went.
During a rather large fight it went to 61degrees, but that was the highest it went.
Everything it set to Ultra and i've enabled 8x Super Sampling in the Nvidia Control Panel.
Fans were set to Auto, but they never went past 37%, guess i would have gotten better results by manually setting it higher.
When it comes to noise, even if i set my GPU fans to 80%, my 200mm at 75%case-fans makes more noise and they are really quiet.

All-in-all, im happy with it : )