Making Radeon 9800 Pro quieter in SN41G2?

[Paul Adams]

After a recent upgrade, my main rig specs are:

SN41G2
AthlonXP 3000+
2 x 512Mb TwinMOS PC3200 RAM
Radeon 9800 Pro 128Mb AGP
120Gb Barracuda 7200.7 HDD
Sony DW-U10A DVD-/+RW

Stock PSU was replaced with SilentX to cope with the load of the Radeon and the ICE fan replaced with an S3 NoiseBlocker.

CPU Guardian thingy only tends to kick in when I play intensive 3D games, so I'm not concerned about temperatures really - but the stock fan on the Radeon 9800 Pro is an annoying increase in noise after going to previous lengths to reduce the whine of the system.


What options, without attacking the case with a Dremmel, do I have for replacing the stock fan on the graphics card?
(I don't use the PCI slot, nor do I have plans to.)

[Kezzer]

You've got the same setup as me basically. My 9800 Pro is louder than the PSU. How much do the silentx PSU's cut noise up to?

I don't think you can do much in terms of noise from the gfx card. The zalman coolers wouldn't fit i think.

[dgr]

ebuyer used to sell a fan perfect for radeons, can't remeber the name.

anyway, cost £7, was similar to stock fan but with 2 speed settings - cooler and quieter or cold and loud

dgr

[Paul Adams]

You've got the same setup as me basically. My 9800 Pro is louder than the PSU. How much do the silentx PSU's cut noise up to?

I don't think you can do much in terms of noise from the gfx card. The zalman coolers wouldn't fit i think.

No clue as to how much the SilentX PSUs cut noise by unfortunately, as I replaced the PSU and card at the same time, so they will have cancelled each other out LOL.

I was trying to see if there's some cunning way to have a replacement fan on the card that is fed from one of the other fan headers on the mainboard so it can be monitored/controlled.

Maybe if I replace the standard Northbridge fans with a passive heatsink it might help a little...


@dgr - was the fan perfect just for Radeons, or specifically Radeons inside a SFF PC? The main solutions I have seen require a lot more space around the card, or at least more space (or a free slot) on the side of the card with the chips on - which is of course right up against the side of the case in the Shuttles.

[Paul Adams]

I'm guessing the Arctic VGA Silencer won't stand a chance of fitting due to the depth (34mm), but I wonder if the Zantec Iceberq 4 Pro should be okay at 15mm?

Anyone use the Iceberq in a Shuttle and can comment on noise levels?

[MiniMarc]

just a note, afaik the iceberq4 pro isnt suited to radeon cards so you need to get the non-pro version. I have a 9700pro (which i may have just killed with a screwdriver :| ) and i have a vanteq4 to go on there and that will plug into a mobo header so i will hopefully be able to control the speed of it to some extent. From what I've found, its pretty much the only option available for shuttle users.

I also have the SN41G2 and i can safely say that the silentX cuts noise levels "significantly" and i also replaced the northbridge with a passive zalman heatsink, and the ICE fan with a noiseblocker S2 My radeon is by far the noisiest component in there now so hopefully if i havent blown it up then i'll be able to report back on the iceberq4

[nb45]

Hey MiniMarc, how did you go with the iceberq4? Was it any quieter than the normal radeon fan?

[Capt Doufos]

Blowhole in the side of the shuttle with a slim silent 80/60mm fan?

Or is that too drastic?

[drp]

What options, without attacking the case with a Dremmel

That was one fo the main boundaries unfortunately Captain Just a shame there isn't enough clearnace for a Zalman heatpipe cooler The Vantec Iceberq may suffice assuming the height of it isn't too extravagant

[Paul Adams]

If you saw the damage I can inflict when "improving" things with DIY you would understand why I'm not hot on the idea of wielding a tool of such potential destruction

(Blood stains are so very difficult to shift!)

Just waiting to hear on the outcome of the (non pro) Iceberq4 fan on a 9800 Pro before I move forward with anything else.

Whatever solution I implement, I want to be 100% sure the fan will work on the card "out of the box" - no issues regarding contact, voltage or screwhole positions on the fan

If the best quiet solution requires a hole in the side due to airflow/temperature requirements then I could ask a DIY-capable mate to savage the case I guess - what's best, an 80mm hole with a standard fan grille over it?

[JonDoms]

If you saw the damage I can inflict when "improving" things with DIY you would understand why I'm not hot on the idea of wielding a tool of such potential destruction

(Blood stains are so very difficult to shift!)

Just waiting to hear on the outcome of the (non pro) Iceberq4 fan on a 9800 Pro before I move forward with anything else.

Whatever solution I implement, I want to be 100% sure the fan will work on the card "out of the box" - no issues regarding contact, voltage or screwhole positions on the fan

If the best quiet solution requires a hole in the side due to airflow/temperature requirements then I could ask a DIY-capable mate to savage the case I guess - what's best, an 80mm hole with a standard fan grille over it?

Hello all,
I haven't installed this yet, but I just ordered the Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro
and I plan on getting the Iceberq 4 non pro for it in a Shuttle SB75S. But I'm
going to get the external cover for the SB75G2, because it has bigger vents.
You can order it .here from Shuttle themselves $56 US or find it somewhere cheaper.
I plan on sanding it down and painting it white to match.
Here's a pic:

[dgr]

dude, despite the fact that i'm on broadband, i'd prefer not to be confronted with *HUGE* images like that. its almost 1mb ffs, and screws the rest of the thread.

please link

[^^Gord^^]

Could you find a bigger image!?!?!?!

[drp]

2600 x 1845?! Mate, try summit like 800 x 600 next time?

[^^Gord^^]

That must be a 1:1 picture. In fact, why don't you save your $56 by printing it out and selotaping it to your shuttle

[drp]

LOL, a nice idea for a case wrap on a shuttle mate!