Looks & Cooling
Features that make a card stand out visually, such as colored PCBs, classy materials or colorful fan LEDs, should be considered gimmicks; after all, the cards are currently installed into the motherboard upside-down anyway. Often, such extras will only make the installation more difficult. If, for example, the card features a large heat sink on the back, the result can be a cramped motherboard or, in the worst case, conflicts with existing parts. Sometimes, the cards' length can also be a problem.
Everyday Life: The card's spiffy fan is no longer visible once it is installed into the system. This will only change with the upcoming BTX case standard, in which the cards are installed "right side up." Everyday occurrence: the inside of a PC is a dust magnet.
More important than its looks is a cooler's efficiency and noise level. Thankfully, most manufacturers have picked up on the trend towards quieter PCs and have begun equipping their cards with very quiet, temperature-controlled fans. The reference fan (i.e. the cooling design suggested by the chip designer) is often a good choice. You should only choose a graphics card with a different cooler if the cardmaker in question also offers detailed information on the differences in noise level and cooling efficiency compared to the standard cooling solution.
On entry-level cards that usually feature graphics chips running at low clock speeds, a passive cooling solution is often sufficient. The advantages: no noise and absolute reliability.
Many companies needlessly equip their entry-level cards with cheap and simple fans that are usually loud and short-lived. Often, a passive cooling solution would do just as well, and last longer.
In the case of slower graphics cards, it's a good move to chose a model that features passive cooling, since the fans found on cards in this price category are usually more loud than helpful. The high-end segment features passively cooled cards as well, though. However, the computer case needs to have good airflow for them to work well.
