![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
The stock fan on my MSI Geforce FX5900 XT melted last week, and the stock heatsink alone wasn't enough to cool it properly (it would overheat on anything graphically intense). I had to find a replacement, and I wanted something suited to this specific card so I wouldn't have to worry about parts not fitting or anything like that. After some research, I discovered the NV Silencer 3 by Arctic Cooling was just what I was looking for, and was the only FX5900 XT-specific cooler around. I got it at xoxide.com for ~$26 shipped.
When it arrived, it was larger than I had expected. When installed on the card, the entire unit took up almost 2 PCI slots next to the AGP slot. There was probably space in the 2nd PCI slot for a very narrow PCI card, but I decided not to risk it. The cooler itself was fairly easy to install. I had already removed the old heatsink by the time the NV Silencer got here, but I had broken the clips so it can't be used again without some major work. I never thought of using pliers like they suggest in the installation guide (d'oh). There was just enough thermal paste in the tube to cover the GPU and the RAM, and I mean just enough. Once I got everything installed, I was relieved to see that it worked like a charm.
The card's temps are now 7C degrees cooler under load than before, and the new fan is inaudible above my already quiet CPU fan. This is the only way to go if you're looking for a new cooler for an FX5900 XT, and I'll certainly look to the rest of the NV Silencer line if I need a replacement cooler for any of my other NVidia cards.
Pros:
Easy to install.
Lowers GPU temps.
FX5900 XT-specific, so you don't need to cut or modify anything.
Cons:
Takes up 2 PCI slots.
A little more thermal paste would have been nice.
Score: 9/10
When it arrived, it was larger than I had expected. When installed on the card, the entire unit took up almost 2 PCI slots next to the AGP slot. There was probably space in the 2nd PCI slot for a very narrow PCI card, but I decided not to risk it. The cooler itself was fairly easy to install. I had already removed the old heatsink by the time the NV Silencer got here, but I had broken the clips so it can't be used again without some major work. I never thought of using pliers like they suggest in the installation guide (d'oh). There was just enough thermal paste in the tube to cover the GPU and the RAM, and I mean just enough. Once I got everything installed, I was relieved to see that it worked like a charm.
The card's temps are now 7C degrees cooler under load than before, and the new fan is inaudible above my already quiet CPU fan. This is the only way to go if you're looking for a new cooler for an FX5900 XT, and I'll certainly look to the rest of the NV Silencer line if I need a replacement cooler for any of my other NVidia cards.
Pros:
Easy to install.
Lowers GPU temps.
FX5900 XT-specific, so you don't need to cut or modify anything.
Cons:
Takes up 2 PCI slots.
A little more thermal paste would have been nice.
Score: 9/10