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QUIET card for new computer?

K

kh6idf

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 26, 2006
Messages
83
I have a new computer:

MB: Gigabyte GA-965G-DS3
CPU: core 2 duo e6300, stock cooler
RAM: 2GB ddr2 XMS2,
PS: Antec 450w SmartPower 2.0
HD: Seagate 300GB SATA

My existing monitor is a Samsung 205BW (20" WS)

Right now I'm using the onboard graphics (X3000) but I want to add a video card. The system is extremely quiet and I'd like to keep it that way. As far as games, I mostly play half-life 2.

What do you guys think of this video card for $239 after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150189

I don't think I'll find a higher performance card that is completely silent. I also see the 8800 cards are coming down in price but if I can get a completely silent card that would be nice.
 
Thanks, from what I just read other people are also saying the fan on that 8800 GTS is pretty quiet. Sounds like my 450W PS would handle it, since I don't have a lot of other stuff in the system. It would also give me some future capability being a DX10 card. Hmm, you might have convinced me...
 
You're e6300 and a 8800gts would really rock half life 2. I bet it would run everything on max settings at 1920x1440.
 
I confess to a certain degree of surprise that Tech Report's sound evaluations back up the comments in this thread.

In fact, under load, TOTAL system sound is actually LOWER with the 8800 GTS than the fanless XFX card (both are in the charts)! How about that! I seem to recall in other reviews it was mentioned that the XFX card, lacking a fan, really heated up the rest of the system and caused almost all other temperature-controlled fans in the PC to run harder.
 
dderidex said:
I confess to a certain degree of surprise that Tech Report's sound evaluations back up the comments in this thread.

In fact, under load, TOTAL system sound is actually LOWER with the 8600 GTS than the fanless XFX card (both are in the charts)! How about that! I seem to recall in other reviews it was mentioned that the XFX card, lacking a fan, really heated up the rest of the system and caused almost all other temperature-controlled fans in the PC to run harder.
Click to expand...
That really is something. I would have never thought that.
 
I'm totally convinced after reading that whole article. The 8800GTS is nearly twice as fast as the 7950GT, and is QUIETER with it's fan than the fanless 7950GT. The price of the two cards is nearly the same (maybe a $20 difference depending on rebates).

I'm running windows XP, no immediate plans to switch to Vista, but with the 8800GTS I could switch to Vista/DX10 in the future.

Thanks guys!
 
OK, one last question. Is it worth the $100 price difference to get the 640MB versus the 320MB? For most games will the 320MB work just as well? Keep in mind I'll run half life 2 at 1680 x 1050.
 
OK, I got the EVGA 8800GTS 320MB Superclocked at Fry's locally for $299. It's EXTREMELY quiet just like you said. Installed with no problem and room to spare. I'm testing with HL2 now, does anyone know the best setting for this game at 1680 x 1050 with this card other than 'turn everything up to max'? Looks pretty good so far!
 
The fan is quiet, even when im running it at full blast its still pretty quiet compared to the leafblower on my 7900gtko
 
Just get the 8800gts It's only $20-$30 more and you get a HUGE leap in performance and also dx10 compatibility!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133193 - $269.99 before $20 rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130082 - $279 before $20 rebate

I personally have the 320mb EVGA. 3d Mark went from 5500 with a 1950pro to 10100 with the 8800gts. Its ultra quiet and also, with my monitor res being 160x1050, there would be no improvements by getting the 640mb which only shows its worth at res 1920x1080 and up
 
The only card that is quieter than my 8800GTS is my Riva TNT2. Right now the fan is running at 100% and I can hear it over the rest of the fans in my computer.
 
I just turned every option in HL2 up to the maximum, looks great and runs smooth at 1680 X 1050. I had to take the side of my case off and look at the video card with a flashlight because I thought the fan might not be turning, but it was. It's that quiet.
 
The 8800GTS should be good card for you, installed one on customers machine and was very impressed about the hardware. Runs tad hot for my taste but its fan is quiet! Now the software side is totally different beast (Vista nightmare), I recomend you stay on XP side as long as you can :)

ps. OP your PSU is quite crap literally, would change it to something better before it blows up or starts to whine like the two previous Antect Smartpower 2.0 I have had the pleasure of working with.
 
7950 GT XFX runs hotter but it's definitely not as bad as they make it seem...

I wear headphones/loud speakers... I don't care about sound of my fans as long as it runs well...

Definitely grab the 8800GTS though... much faster...
 
kh6idf said:
I just turned every option in HL2 up to the maximum, looks great and runs smooth at 1680 X 1050. I had to take the side of my case off and look at the video card with a flashlight because I thought the fan might not be turning, but it was. It's that quiet.
Click to expand...

Same deal. I keep checking to see if its running.
Mine stays cool, and very quiet.
HOWEVER, even on 100%, I can hardly feel any air being moved out the rear vents of the card.
Just to stay safe, Im grabbing on of the Antec 2 slot fan blowers. They have a full sized and short sized ones. The full sized one puts the intake about the same place as the 8800 intake, so thats kind of useless, since both fans are pulling against each other in the opposite directions.
But the short one, it would pull air right from the end of the card; removing any stagnant hot air, yet allowing the 8800 intake to still suck air unobstructed.
http://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=10138
10496354.jpg

http://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=10452
10436189.jpg
 
The last one of those Antec coolers I had, you could actually pop the card slot off the mounting bracket and turn it around, so getting the one that vents "from the same spot" might not be a bad idea...if you have spare PCI brackets ABOVE your card (IE., on the other side).

Flip it around, and mount it facing the back of the card, then, so you are pulling hot air from both sides of it.

(Note - worth pointing out that the last Antec 'slot cooler' fan I had was LOUD. Not quite GeForceFX 5800 Ultra-loud...but close.)
 
I'm surprised that system can even run with only a 450W psu. You're probably close right now to maxing that out with an 8800. Under full load on the VGA and CPU your system might crash.

If you want to be safe (you do), you should go 550W minimum. This will give you a little bit of leg room if you wanted to add another hard drive, optical, etc.

PSUs can be very loud, so make sure you do the research before jumping on a good deal. Also, most PSU companies are crap. PowerPC and Cooling is very good, but may not be priced in your budget. Enermax makes some good units. Just check around the hardware forums and see what you find
 
astyler said:
I'm surprised that system can even run with only a 450W psu. You're probably close right now to maxing that out with an 8800. Under full load on the VGA and CPU your system might crash.

If you want to be safe (you do), you should go 550W minimum. This will give you a little bit of leg room if you wanted to add another hard drive, optical, etc.

PSUs can be very loud, so make sure you do the research before jumping on a good deal. Also, most PSU companies are crap. PowerPC and Cooling is very good, but may not be priced in your budget. Enermax makes some good units. Just check around the hardware forums and see what you find
Click to expand...

I run the my comp on a 520 watt and I have plenty of power left over. With both my monitors during gaming I only pull 300 watts from the wall.
 
Droc said:
Same deal. I keep checking to see if its running.
Mine stays cool, and very quiet.
HOWEVER, even on 100%, I can hardly feel any air being moved out the rear vents of the card.
Just to stay safe, Im grabbing on of the Antec 2 slot fan blowers. They have a full sized and short sized ones. The full sized one puts the intake about the same place as the 8800 intake, so thats kind of useless, since both fans are pulling against each other in the opposite directions.
But the short one, it would pull air right from the end of the card; removing any stagnant hot air, yet allowing the 8800 intake to still suck air unobstructed.
http://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=10138
10496354.jpg

http://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=10452
10436189.jpg
Click to expand...

Those coolers brought down my temps by 5C but i didnt really need em, so i returned it.
 
I have a :
P5N32-E SLI Plus
E6400
2GB 6400 DDR
320GB internal HDD
8800GTS
Not to mention, I run my G15 keyboard, and 2 external HDDs off the USB ports....About 4 120mm fans...

all off an old TT 480 watt PSU with no issues what so ever.
 
kh6idf,

By buying the video card at Fry's you paid ~$324 after tax, versus $256 shipped after tax after rebate from newegg.

For your PSU, I also fear you paid too much. I have a very similar system but mine uses more power, and the Seasonic S12-500W works fine for me. I have the same mobo, E6600 OC'd to 3.0GHz, 8800GTS 640 OC'd to 621/972, 2GB RAM, and two hard drives. I got the S12-500 online for $111 shipped after tax. How much extra did you pay for the 650W from Fry's?

It's not too late to buy the same stuff online, return the stuff from Fry's, and save $100+. Or go through those motions but get the 8800GTS 640MB instead and end up spending the same money as you did now.
 
The Seasonic 650W supply was $150 at Fry's. That is $10 cheaper than the Newegg price.

The video card is the Superclocked version, which Newegg does not list (they have the 640MB superclocked but not the 320.) I don't have use for the 640MB since my display is 1680 x 1050 and at this resolution there is supposedly no difference in performance.
 
Optional87 said:
Those are what I was going to recommend.

I'm looking at the Gigabyte 8600GT card for my Shuttle cause it's single slot.
Click to expand...

If you can find it... it's sold out everywhere. I thought eWiz.com was carrying the silent version of the card on launch day, but I just got it today, and it's the regular fan-cooled version :mad:
 
Now that I have the 8800 GTS (320MB), I can confirm it is, for all practical purposes, silent. Really.
It is an awesome card for $300 - I got the EVGA superclocked version at Fry's.

Congrats to nvidia and EVGA for making a card like this - imagine the amount of work that went into it - and we get it for $300!
 
Droc said:
Same deal. I keep checking to see if its running.
Mine stays cool, and very quiet.
HOWEVER, even on 100%, I can hardly feel any air being moved out the rear vents of the card.
Just to stay safe, Im grabbing on of the Antec 2 slot fan blowers. They have a full sized and short sized ones. The full sized one puts the intake about the same place as the 8800 intake, so thats kind of useless, since both fans are pulling against each other in the opposite directions.
But the short one, it would pull air right from the end of the card; removing any stagnant hot air, yet allowing the 8800 intake to still suck air unobstructed.
http://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=10138
10496354.jpg

http://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=10452
10436189.jpg
Click to expand...

I had that same exact blue one, sold it to my friend (has a 8800gts), and for some reason, he put it in his computer and his temps went UP. It didn't seem possible, but we took it out and they went back down.

edit: I know the blue one actually blows air into the case.
 
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