Top Cooling Options for XFX 6970.

[Cyane]

Hi there,

I picked up my XFX 6970 a couple months back and I'm very pleased with it for the most part. I'd like to mod it with an aftermarket cooler, and I had my mind set on the Accelero for quite a while now until I read a number of reports of predecessors physically damaging cards due to it's weight, or at least sagging cards, leading to damage, among other issues. If this is true or just amateur modding, I have no clue, but if the risk of damage is too high regardless, are there any comparable alternatives to this?

After reading reviews on the Accelero by many different top sites, it seems that this cooler is in a league of its own in terms of cooling performance and noise levels.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers!

 

[Tsumi]

It depends largely on the weight of the cooler for the graphics card, and whether or not you use a backplate to help support it. Also, orientation helps. If you're using a case like the Raven RV-02, or your case is flat, then you don't really need to worry about weight issues.

Also, are the issues you mentioned applicable with later revisions? Because if it's not, then I don't see why you would worry about it.

Additionally, the best cooler would be watercooled, no doubts on that

 

[Crispy002]

My 4870 failed prematurely while being cooled by an accelero. I had to bake it twice to restore it and have since reverted to stock cooling. Great performance overall, but if the design hasn't been tweaked I'd shy away from it. Granted, I'm on water now so the accelero is a thing of the past.

 

[Cyane]

I'm not entirely sure what revision the Accelero is on, I've just read complaints from a good deal of people who've had their cards (more specifically, the Radeon 5970's) physically damaged by an Accelero cooler or simply put, bricked. As for watercooling, it's not really necessary in my case as I'm not overclocking, but great aftermarket air cooling is what I want to keep things cool and as quiet as possible.

Any other suggestions for this card would be helpful, though the Accelero Xtreme Plus may still be one of the options.

Cheers!