it happens I got this Gelid Icy Vision today and installed on my GTX480, I can give you guys a little review of this monster : )
some photos first.
mind you, that Gelid GC-Extreme thermal compound does not come with Icy Vision package, I bought it separately. The Icy Vision package do bundle a lower end GC-2 thermal compound but for top end graphics card, I recommend you use GC-EX instead of GC-2, GC-EX can tame down another 4-5 degrees when your card doing some massive calculations.
unboxing, the package has everything you will need,
THE Icy Vision itself, with 2 95mm 2000RPM fan, with S-flow blade design, enhanced air flow pressure.
16pcs ram hs,
more than enough vrm hs,
ATI vrm hs,
NVIVO heatsink for GTX2XX series
very nice quality thermal paste for ATI VRM,
mounting accessories
Gelid GC-2 thermal compound(lite version)
many 3M thermal sticker and cut in suitable size for specific heatsinks
4pin to 3pin/molex fan power converter.
installed those RAM and VRM HS on my ASUS GTX480
Up and running
I gotta say, it's TOTAL SILENT, spending 55 dollars to save your ears from hoover is totally worthwhile, not to mention it has HUGE performance gain, temperature wise.
Let's test
I tested the Icy Vision against the Stock cooler(a.k.a THE hoover) at 23 degree Celsius acoustic ambient.
the card installed in a Lian-Li B25F-WB mid tower case with side door closed.
first, idle test
THE hoover idle @ auto fan speed(44%) 53degree Celsius
THE hoover idle @ 100% fan speed 40 degree Celsius
Icy Vision idle 36degree Celsius
pretty impressive temperature lose on Icy Vision, on air cooled high end graphic card stay under 40 degree Celsius at idle is pretty impressive thing to see and it's silent.
Game test, I only tested one game and it's crysis because it's a very gpu hog game.
DX10 under Win7 ultimate, 1980x1080, with 8xAA, every graphic setting went as high as possible, also with realistic mod. make sure it stays 99% GPU usage all the time and drain as many vRAM as possible.
All data were collected after around 10 mins game play
The Hoover auto fan speed@63% 86 degree Celsius
The Hoover 100% fan speed 78 degree Celsius
Icy Vision 64 degree Celsius
Massive performance right there, wtg Icy Vision, under 64 degree Celsius when gaming on high graphic card and it's silent!
Now, I decided to give the Icy Vision a little torture test.
I used Furmark Hot like hell edition, with hardest setting to stress the GPU core and VRM modules as hard as possible and see will the break the cooler.
data were collected approximately 5-7 mins run time of the furmark.
THE hoover auto fan speed@86% 90 degree Celsius
THE hoover 100% fan speed 86 degree Celsius
Icy Vision 94 degree Celsius
This round Icy Vision lose, from the brilliant results Icy scored previously, I am shocked.
I reported this to the designer of Icy Vision,
he said most likely the furmark under this setting will drive the VRMs really really hard and those little heatsink probably insufficient for those heat, especially all of them are digital VRM, they generates much more heat than analogue one does.
btw, this is just a stress test, I think no one would buy a 500 dollars card and run Furmark everyday.
as you see, the Icy Vision preformed quite well for daily routing things, gaming.
It out performance the stock cooler by huge margin for both cooling and noise hit.
The only area it does not out perform was the furmark stress test, I don't know if you care, I certainly don't.
I'd say this is one of the best aftermarket cooler for Fermi and ATI 5 series.
MSRP 55(I think you can get it somewhere around 50 at ebay)
consider the performance, the silent, sturdy build, I say it's a pretty good deal.