On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 11:10 AM, James <wirel...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote: > Hello, > > I've been looking for an ATI graphics card > with a water cooling system built in. I'm very > tired of listen to the roar of a video card fan. > > Any suggestions? It does not need to be the latest > smokin card, just reasonable at video games > and quite as can be. R580 engine or above. > Low dB is the primary concern, but it must be decent at video > games. (PCI express 16) is the slot it must fit into. > > I prefer ATI over nvidia. > > After days of googling and nothing attractive > (sub 200 USD) and pre assembled, I'm more open > to the cost effectiveness of DIY. Any suggestions > are most appreciated. Your experiences with DIY > water cooled video cards and your happiness with > such endeavors is of keen interest to me, regardless > of the type of video card.
It's not ATI or water cooled, but I got a GeForce 9600 with a giant aftermarket heat sink preinstalled (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814134050), totally passive fanless and silent, for under $100 at the time I bought it. I get steady 200fps at 1600x1200 in Sauerbraten, and FIFA 09 plays nice and smooth in wine. Temperature readings have been consistently low. I don't think water cooling is necessary if you're not doing anything special to torture the card (unless you just want to do it just for the fun of doing it, of course). I've gone the fanless, heat sink route on 2 systems now and have had no problems at all after having 2 video card fans die after less than 1 year each of use.
