Thermalright's Shaman VGA Cooler: The Quiet Giant?

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Thermalright's Shaman is the largest VGA cooler we've ever seen. Having recently reviewed three competing aftermarket graphics cooling solutions, we're eager to find out if size really matters when it comes to overclocking the ultra-hot GeForce GTX 480.

Test System And Benchmarks

We’re testing idle and load temperatures, in addition to noise levels. The graphics load we’re using is the brutal FurMark stress test at 8x AA.

The Shaman is benchmarked against products from our recent VGA cooler roundup, including the Arctic Cooling Accelero XTREME Plus, the Zalman VF3000, the DeepCool V6000, and the reference GeForce GTX 480 cooler.

All sound and noise tests are recorded in an open test bed. Results always change on a per-case basis, as every type of chassis has its own unique airflow. Noise results are recorded with a decibel meter positioned two inches above the graphics card.

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Test System
MotherboardAsus M4A785TD-V EVO Socket AM3, AMD 785G, BIOS 0410
ProcessorPhenom II X4 970 3.5 GHz, Quad-Core, 6 MB L3 Cache
CPU CoolerCooler Master Hyper TX3
MemoryCrucial DDR3-1333 Dual-Channel 2 x 2048 MB, 669 MHz,  CAS 9-9-9-24-1T
GraphicsGeForce GTX 480 700/1401 MHz GPU/Shaders, 924 MHz GDDR5 Memory***all clock rates set to reference specifications for the purposes of benchmarking***
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Black 1 TB 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache SATA 3Gb/s
Software and Drivers
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 x64
DirectX VersionDirectX 11
Graphics DriversGeForce 258.96
Benchmark Configuration
Synthetic
FurMarkVersion: 1.6.5, Stability Test - Xtreme Burning Mode, 8x AA
Don Woligroski
55 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Great it you only have 1 GPU and no other expansion cards because the thing takes up like 4 slots
    Reply
  • dstln
    It looks like a good option for enthusiasts who want a quiet system. Besides that, I fail to see the point.
    Reply
  • tomskent
    It would of been nice to take a picture of the card looking down on it from the top so we could see/estimate how many slots it would take up.
    how many slots does it exactly take up?
    Reply
  • tomskent
    A picture of the card in the case would of been nice
    Reply
  • nebun
    so how am i going to set this up in SLI?
    Reply
  • duk3
    It's not a case, it's a test bed.
    You aren't going to set this up in SLI, especially with the VRM heatsink going one way and the 140mm fan going the other.
    Reply
  • Tamz_msc
    Wow!
    Reply
  • mx2138
    I'm a tad bit interested on the total weight card+cooler...
    Reply
  • fatkid35
    ultra mega E peen points. this in a case would look like the backside of your refrigerator.seriously, go look right now!
    Reply
  • zodiacfml
    thanks for the nice conclusion. on the same note, watercooling and large air heatsinks are same with this cooler right here, there isn't much to be gained in terms of adding more clock speed.
    for the right reasons, i would still get WC or large sinks.
    Reply