EVGA Teases ACX 2.0 GPU Cooler
New graphics cards are always exciting, and along with new graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD we often find the AIB partners also preparing new coolers. EVGA is the latest to tease its new solution, which the company dubbed the ACX 2.0.
Perhaps the ACX 2.0 isn't particularly compelling at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you'd see that EVGA used thicker heat pipes than on the cooler's predecessor, and more importantly, the fan blade structure is different. In a teaser video, EVGA did not show the fan blades spinning, but that might be to avoid revealing the big secret. Have a peek at the fan blades, though, and you might see that they mirror the shape most commonly found on fans, suggesting that EVGA might have adopted a reverse air-flow design. Again, we are not sure about it, but it is possible.
From the teaser video we can also see that EVGA opted for ball bearings with the fans.
At this time, we don’t really know more about the cooler. EVGA did claim that it will be the world’s most efficient air cooler, so we are hoping for noteworthy improvement in thermals. Chances are that we’ll be seeing these on Nvidia’s next generation of graphics cards, which if the rumors are correct will be a lot more efficient and thus generate less heat. Combine that with a more efficient cooler and we’ll likely be seeing some very cool and quiet graphics cards.
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I would actually rather have the stock cooler. A cooler that is QUIET when it handles a 250w card, that blows the hot air out the back of the case, that's been put on a 165-180w card? Yes please! That's pretty much a dream for a small form factor builder like myself.
What the article is talking about is that the new 980 GTX is going to be running 175w tdp, in comparison to the 290x which is 290w tdp and 780 GTX which is 250 tdp.
Less power = less heat generation, and if it performs the same or better, would by definition make it more efficient. derp
I would actually rather have the stock cooler. A cooler that is QUIET when it handles a 250w card, that blows the hot air out the back of the case, that's been put on a 165-180w card? Yes please! That's pretty much a dream for a small form factor builder like myself.
Out the back is the problem. The non reference designs can be very cool and very quiet, but they pass the responsibility for cooling to the rest of the case. Shoulder your own burdens, GPUs!
As for the blades curving out in the opposite the direction of rotation - this reduces drag (less pressure build up in front of each blade). Given EVGA's goal to make this the most efficient cooler, they also wanted to reduce the power draw of the fan motors. Reducing drag reduces the power required to spin the fans.
It looks to me like they were looking for a good compromise between static pressure, air flow, reduced drag/motor draw and low noise. Only issue I can see is that an outward blade curve design like that will tend to create more centrifugal (outward) flow and less axial flow (downward). One way to combat this would be to have a close-tolerance shroud or duct surrounding each fan.
But, we'll have to wait and tested it to see how it actually performs.
Now that the cards are available go to the website and compare the GTX970 and GTX770 with ACX.
The fan spins CLOCKWISE, but the more I stare at it I don't understand why anyone would think it pushes air towards the mount.
Now that the cards are available go to the website and compare the GTX970 and GTX770 with ACX.
The fan spins CLOCKWISE, but the more I stare at it I don't understand why anyone would think it pushes air towards the mount.
There's a youtube video EVGA put out to advertise the ACX 2.0 cooler. During it they show an exploded picture of the fan to show the new bearing, and then following that (and a point of view change) they specifically show it rotating anti-clockwise, which would indicate the card is based around normal direction air flow (air being pushed through the heatsink).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JERkKJvcDNM at about the 1 minute mark.
Now that the cards are available go to the website and compare the GTX970 and GTX770 with ACX.
The fan spins CLOCKWISE, but the more I stare at it I don't understand why anyone would think it pushes air towards the mount.
Both the previous ACX fans and the new ACX 2.0 fans spin counter-clockwise. The blades have a different sweep, but they spin the same direction.
You have to look at the cross-section of the fan blades (not the direction of sweep away from the center axis), that will tell you which way they spin and push the air. Which ever side of the blade is concave or "scooped" is the side that pushes the air away. The EVGA ACX 2.0 blade cross-section is quite flat, but there is a very subtle curve to it. If you look closely you can see the one side is curved outward (convex) like an airplane wing, which will effectively help pull air in while the other (scoop) side pushes.
Fans are much more efficient at moving air via pushing/blowing it rather than pulling/sucking it. You can put your hand some distance away from a running fan and still feel the air blowing, but you have to put your hand very close to the blades to feel it sucking.
100% these are counter-clockwise spinning fans.