Quiet cooling of a gpu - 7970

[Nordic]

First off I would like to state I am not getting a new gpu soon as in next week but in the next couple months, if I even go with the 7970. My choice will be based on how I cool the gpu. I am not here to discuss what gpu to get but how to cool a 7970 very quietly in the 25 - 30db area. Preferable around 25 db. I am going to use tpu review db levels for reference. I do plan on keeping this card for a few years too, but I would like easy upgradablility.

Air cooling:
Looking at different brands pre installed air coolers I have not been satisfied with what I have seen for the 7970. So I have been looking at getting a reference 7970 and getting an aftermarket cooler like the ARCTIC COOLING ACCEL-X-7970.
ARCTIC COOLING ACCEL-X-7970 Fluid Dynamic Accelero...
Or maybe even a cheaper but equally effective and quiet. Space is not an issue for me although I do have a mid tower. I am pretty sure this would fit.

Water cooling:
I would love to do water cooling because... it is water cooling. Water cooling is very quiet but also much more expensive. That is my biggest concern is price. If I were to go water cooling I would probably want a universal gpu block for easy upgrading. I have never done water cooling and am unsure of what rad mm amount I would need. I did find this. https://imgur.com/a/fUWD7

As this is really only gpu water cooling I could also do an amd red mod with an antec 620 or 920 and ram sinks. This seems to have given a lot of people good result. No one has seemed to try with a 7970 though. I am partial to this idea because it is cheaper, gpu universal, and quiet.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1203636/official-amd-ati-gpu-mod-club-aka-the-red-mod

Edit: Went to full watercooling january 2013.

 

[TotalChaos]

Personally I am an air cooling fan, so the Arctic Cooling fan s a powerful and quiet cooler

 

[Nordic]

I am thinking right now that I would prefer air cooling over traditional water cooling for sure but am not yet closing that option.

The idea of putting an antec 620 on a 7970 seems so cool and so ghetto. I really hoping that someone will test it soon. I have seen 6950, 6970, 7850, 5870, 480, and 680 all with something like this done. It had the least different on the 69x0's. Like the 680's were 44C at load fully overclocked, and all completely silent.

Edit: I did decide to go the antec 620 route. I was going to try it first with my 6950. Then I found an artic xtreme 7970 vga cooler for a really good price. The cooler is compatible on my 6950 now and a 7970 later. I will be getting it later this week.

 

[Nordic]

I got it. I don't have a 7970 right now so I am using it on my 6950. I will update when I get a 7970.
So far it is as quiet as my msi tw3 cooler was at idle, even when the artic gets to 80%.
Very happy with it. It is very quiet. I sometimes forget it is on when the monitor is off too.

Here are my cooling results.

Ambient air temp is 70c
Idle is 35c with artic cooler. 10c less than my tw3.

I used furmarks 15 minutes burn test for these tests.

The fan was on auto for this burn test.

The fan was on 100% for this burn test.

This is with auto fan but 950 core OC.

On gpuz, what are the temp 1-3? They seem fine for me.

This is my case layout. I have a corsair 550d. My goal with fan placement was positive pressure. I am happy with the fan locations and sound right now. I did forget to plug the power in to the gpu for this pic.

 

[Noci]

@ james888

On gpuz, what are the temp 1-3? They seem fine for me.

if i have HWiNFO64 running simultaneously with GPU-Z, I can compare the temps and HWiNFO64 calls them:
GPU Thermal Diode = GPU Temperature
GPU TS0 = (DispIO) = GPU Temp. #1
GPU TS1 = (MemIO) = GPU Temp. #2
GPU TS2 = (Shader) = GPU Temp. #3

 

[20mmrain]

So that is what that cooler I sold you can do. Nice Defiantly keeping on eye on this thread....Although.... if you want quiet cooling you can always try Water cooling on your next build.

 

[Nordic]

So that is what that cooler I sold you can do. Nice Defiantly keeping on eye on this thread....Although.... if you want quiet cooling you can always try Water cooling on your next build.

I am happy with how quiet my computer is now. It probably sits in the 20-25db range, and 32db at full load.

I might switch to water cooling one day. A day when I have hotter components. Now... the hottest temp in my case is 65c.

 

[Rehernmas]

It is indeed quiet. But i will consider this offer when it is available in a lower price.

 

[Nordic]

So that is what that cooler I sold you can do. Nice Defiantly keeping on eye on this thread....Although.... if you want quiet cooling you can always try Water cooling on your next build.

It is indeed quiet. But i will consider this offer when it is available in a lower price.

You see a good price for good hardware you take it. I saw 20mmrains thread with a good price, I took it.

 

[20mmrain]

I am happy with how quiet my computer is now. It probably sits in the 20-25db range, and 32db at full load.

I might switch to water cooling one day. A day when I have hotter components. Now... the hottest temp in my case is 65c.

Still I am happy to see this cooler running ..... It was a shame I kept it hid away all these months. It needed to run free and be one with someones video card. LOL

BTW .... Yeah I bet this cooler is supper quiet. That is the reason I bought them too. I just lucked out and got a really good deal with WC right after I bought them. But if I ever went back to air coolers again..... I am for sure getting another pair and going back to Arctic Cooling.

What kind of temps are you seeing overclocked? Push that baby to 1350Mhz .... Come'on you know it's calling your name

 

[Nordic]

What kind of temps are you seeing overclocked? Push that baby to 1350Mhz .... Come'on you know it's calling your name

Well I finally got a 7970. Its the saphire OC version. Bought used. I am using its stock vrm/mem heatsinks.
I can not get to 1350Mhz as I am vrm temp limited. I can do 1150Mhz at stock volts. If I run furmark at 1150Mhz with stock volts I get artifacts because my vrm goes up to 115c. In everything but furmark, the vrm's stay around 80c plus or minus depending on application as do all temps. Gpu temp is a silent 60c with 32c ambient. 32c or 90f is hot, I really should stop stress testing during these summer days.

Anyone know a better way to cool the vrm's. Saphire's stock vrm heatsink is pretty big as is

Watercooling would be awesome. I could fit a slim 240 up top in push, a 120 rad at the top exhaust in push pull, a thick 240 in the front in push pull. I don't feel like spending $500 to do it right.

 

[Noci]

Hi James,

try running HWiNFO64 instead of HWiNFO32, as you are running Win 7 64-bit. You have some strange readings on the max GPU fan speed . Maybe some other readings are affected too.

You can also consider to replace the VRM stock heatsink thermal pads with some good ones and check again, or use the heatsinks that came with the Arctic Accelero Xtreme 7970 cooler.

By the way, make sure you have plenty of airflow through your case as the Arctic cooler has quite some air displacement. It could be recirculating heat!

 

[radrok]

Anyone know a better way to cool the vrm's

Don't worry man, VRMs are rated for very high temps.

 

[Nordic]

Hi James,

try running HWiNFO64 instead of HWiNFO32, as you are running Win 7 64-bit. You have some strange readings on the max GPU fan speed . Maybe some other readings are affected too.

You can also consider to replace the VRM stock heatsink thermal pads with some good ones and check again, or use the heatsinks that came with the Arctic Accelero Xtreme 7970 cooler.

By the way, make sure you have plenty of airflow through your case as the Arctic cooler has quite some air displacement. It could be recirculating heat!

Thanks for the thoughts. I actually am using the 64bit one. Typo. The gpu fan speed is just a pmw missreading. My stock heatsink for vrm's is really really good. Better than artics. That is why I used it. My case has plenty of airflow. I have optimized the airflow too.

Don't worry man, VRMs are rated for very high temps.

They are rated high, but I start to get artifacting if the vrm temps get too high. Like 105-110c or higher. The vrm temps are what is limiting my oc potential.

 

[eidairaman1]

Thanks for the thoughts. I actually am using the 64bit one. Typo. The gpu fan speed is just a pmw missreading. My stock heatsink for vrm's is really really good. Better than artics. That is why I used it. My case has plenty of airflow. I have optimized the airflow too.



They are rated high, but I start to get artifacting if the vrm temps get too high. Like 105-110c or higher. The vrm temps are what is limiting my oc potential.

ya youd have to put heatsinks on the VRMs and even fans

 

[Nordic]

Not my gpu or setup, but same vrm's. Picture is SonDa5's.

The artic blows air on them. I am thinking it doesn't get enough air pressure. Still though, good temps. Just can't can't overclock as high.

 

[eidairaman1]

http://minidriven.com/BlacknBlueforIB/Day1MCW82.jpg
Not my gpu or setup, but same vrm's. Picture is SonDa5's.

The artic blows air on them. I am thinking it doesn't get enough air pressure. Still though, good temps. Just can't can't overclock as high.

Ya draw back to water cooling is only the GPU gets cooled thus leaving the VRMs and Ram to cook, supplementing the VRMs and ram with a fan helps alot.