Should i get a new case or not?

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dioxholster

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Aug 11, 2010
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I'm planning on getting a new graphics card but I'm concerned about the size and the temp. My case is Gigabyte 3d Aurora and even though I got a big xfx gtx 260 216 in it, that case was never meant for such cards when it came out. The way i fitted it was by inserting it vertically and then rotating it to fit the slot, with like an inch or less away from the HD bay. I'm planning on getting gtx 580 or 570, not sure if it will fit the same way and I heard it gets really hot. The 260 im using averages around 65-75 when playing intense games and with fan 65%, i know thats high but ive been doing that for 2 years and nothing happened, i mean whats the worst that can happen even if it reaches 80 c? which it probably does, never checked. So with the gtx 580, will it be the same or worse?

And keep in mind Im kinda on a tight budget and also I'm too lazy to try and migrate the mobo and all onto another case, it will be weird, like giving it cosmetic surgery.

heres a pic of what my case looks like, but the one in the pic is not my case though.

1629-inside.jpg
 
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okay this is from web only, I do not own either, please keep that in mind. However as far as I can tell all of these cards are the same length. So theoretically these will fit. These new cards will surely get hotter. They frequent 85c. Though they still are safe under 105c. Since these vent out the back as long as you have a couple intakes fans you should be good on air flow too. If i was in your position I would save a 150 dollars and get the 570 (always overclock) and and watch it under load. if it is consistently to hot for you then drop that 150 on a new case. Though something you should know is that while the gpu on these cards run cooler than fermi, they still produce similar heat, it is just being moved from the gpu better. In other words they can still heat up your room a tad after those long gaming sessions. Atleast they are pretty quite though.
 
if the card fits it will be cheaper to buy a better gfx cooler than a whole new case.

65-75 is not high. I overclocked my 5750 until it hit 95-100 and that was the limit... diff card but it just demonstrates what too hot is ;)
 
Thanks for the replies. So is the 570 better at temps? I dont overclock though, because of the case and it only got one intake fan that is blocked by hard disks not to mention a dirty dust filter. Actually im not sure why the picture shows a toolbox right in front of the fan, thats not very smart. I like this case but only from the outside, inside its too small, And im not sure if i will be able to pull the graphics card out without breaking it in the process, as its blocked on top by the right hard disk bay thing. It will be a challenge. The only advantage to this case, is that it keeps the dust out, i can leave it uncleaned for a year and inside would still look like new. Thats a bad sign for ventilation though. Can I just ask, what is too hot for the 570? And whats the worst thing that can happen with a hot card? I game like 8 hours straight at times, does it gradually gets hotter as time goes by? I also play with the fans by having it at 65% with my current card, is that a normal thing to do?
 
Nvidia rates the thermal threshold for the 570 at 97c, so you'll want to keep to keep the temperatures below that point. Any sustained usage above that can damage the components and fry your card. The 570 has a much better way of disappointing heat away from the GPU compared to the 470 thanks to the vapor chamber but it also has a lower rated thermal threshold. Keep in mind that like any other Fermi card, it does tend to run hot. It might just be a better idea to save up and purchase a new case along with the card. I know you said you didn't want spend the time to migrate the components over but a few hours of parts swapping and cable management is much better dealing with a dead gfx card and the headache that comes with it. There's plenty of roomy cases with great airflow and cooling for under 100$. Think of a new case as an investment in future builds :).
 
I can live with high temps as long as idle isnt beyond 60 and isnt beyond 85 when gaming. Going fo another case might be a waste because i dont overclock and all that will have me do is take alot of things apart, if the temps arent severe then I oughta just stick the the current case. I use evga precision to see temps, is there a way to see it during games without having to switch applications? Like a fraps thing?
 
msi afterburner and evga precision both have on screen displays that you can customise to show temps. however I have not quite managed to get evga's to work yet. It should have been downloaded with the precision though
 
One way to improve cooling in your current case would be to put your HDD in one of the 5.25" bays and get rid of the HDD cage. That would improve intake airflow pretty well.
 
Cabbs said:
One way to improve cooling in your current case would be to put your HDD in one of the 5.25" bays and get rid of the HDD cage. That would improve intake airflow pretty well.
Click to expand...

I did seperate the drives to create gap to allow air, but still no matter what that fan aint strong enough or the dust cloth is preventing it who knows, the only way to know for sure is test the gpu in the case.
 
Even without any hard drives those cages can be awfully restrictive.
 
Cabbs said:
Even without any hard drives those cages can be awfully restrictive.
Click to expand...

Here is a closer picture:

IMG_6995.jpg


Ive checked some sites about its HD cage and people do take them out by drilling something, not sure how exactly. I guess it would be neat if I could, and try to find a new place for the Hard drives.
 
dioxholster said:
Ive checked some sites about its HD cage and people do take them out by drilling something, not sure how exactly. I guess it would be neat if I could, and try to find a new place for the Hard drives.
Click to expand...

If you really are worried about the fit and cooling, this would be my solution. You should be able to see where the hard drive cage is riveted into the bottom of the case and into the cd/dvd drive cage. The bottom rivets could probably be easily drilled out with drill bit a little bit bigger than the rivet (I think its either 1/8th inch or 3/8th inch, haven't done it in awhile), and for the rivets where the hard drive cage attaches to the cd/dvd drive cage, a dremel/rotary tool could grind off the rivet heads and then you could poke the rest of the rivet through with a screwdriver.

Hopefully this helps a little bit. The red circles point out possible areas you could look for rivets and remove the hard rive cage and internal floppy/3.5 cage that you probably aren't using either.
3daurorainterior.jpg


You could use something like THIS to mount your hard drives in your empty cd/dvd drive bays. If you don't like the way that looks, lots of other manufacturers make hard drive mounts that do the same thing. You could also simply use something like THIS to mount your hard drives in the cd/dvd drive bays behind the blank metal covers that come with your case.
 
thanks GigantoR, I would like for that cage to disappear but how can i drill it out while the mobo is still in tact? If i were to remove everything then I might as well get a new case and try to sell that one, its aluminum so im sure i can. That CM HD module can be useful even if i dont remove the cage but it will occupy 3 and DVD so the CD cage will be packed with only small space at the top in front of the psu, thats where i keep the rest of the psu's cables that im not using.
 
Just about any case modding should involve removing your MOBO. Its not a big deal really, once you have done it a couple times its pretty straight forward. Drilling things involves metal dust which can cause electrical shorts in ... well, pretty much anything, so getting your MOBO and cards out is a must. I have left my PSU in with tape across all the air holes but even then the cords get in the way. Also make sure you vacuum up all the shavings.

Modding is a lot of fun IMO though and that case is begging to be be modded. That hard drive cage is almost a wall stopping airflow.
 
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Well, I guess in your situation you should start looking at new cases then. Lots of aluminum cases with better airflow. And if you dont need aluminum then all kinds of cases to choose from. One other thing I want to mention.... that MSI gtx 570 is 359+sh. You can get the EVGA gtx 570 with same clock speeds and cooler, lifetime warranty, and EVGA's customer service for 349 shipped free from EVGA directly. Better deal unless you really want to go with MSI.
 
Yeah, you should never be drilling or cutting on your case with your hardware still installed. I just treat it as a good time to blow the dust off of everything and fix any cable management issues that need attention.

Have you thought about dropping your extra power supply cables behind the motherboard tray and taping them in place? Its a pretty common practice that gets them out of the way and gives your more room in the main part of the case.
 
Oh sure i thought about it, power cables behind the mobo, i just didnt see the point since they didnt obstruct airflow and i didnt know if i would be okay with snake-like cables wrapped around the case from the inside, doesnt make me feel comfortable and no i aint kidding. I will give it a go anyway, once i solve my card problem. getting a new case is an option i considered seriously, just need to keep that 100 dollars or whatever for something more important down the line. Right now with the gtx 260, a little overclocked by xfx with reference card, I get 48-51c idle temp. Still gonna see during game but if i had to guess, I also did this a couple of years ago with 3D mark or something and i think it was like 80-86c during game. Now if i increase fan speed from 40% to say 65% im sure it will be slightly lower which is what i usually do. Does it ever hit 90c? i dont know, never saw it happen.

As for evga vs. msi, they are same except for that lifetime warranty, i just picked msi because i thought the card looked better.
 
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