disabling GPU fan

[Andeh13]

Im off to uni in a week and as a result im frantically dling everything i can think of to keep me busy there(daytimes can be boring when you dont have a lecture, but everone else does). As a result im leaving my PC on over night. The only problem is my PC likes to immitate something with rotorblades taking off. Iv changed all my 80mm fans to those Sharkoon golf balls ones which work a treat, however the GPU fan is the main problem. When i go to sleep i turn both my screens off(dual screen goodness) and so it seems the GPU is pritty much unneeded, yet the fan still spins at warp factor throughout the night. Is there any way i can disable the fan when i go to sleep, then enable it the next day when i want to load up a game without dammaging the rather expensive bit of silicon it sits on?

Its a 7900GT, with one of those stupid little hyperactive fans underneath it.

cheers guys.

[dave87]

No Fan + 7900gt = boom!

Best off getting yourself a silent cooler, much safer

[Andeh13]

Even without the screens turned on? Wouldnt risk it either way if thats the case. You mentioned a silent cooler, dont spose you have any more info, ill give it a google.

[dave87]

Jus cause you turn off the screens doesn't mean the GPU stops rendering the image, it just means the Monitor doesn't render it.

Silent (or as near as) Coolers -

If you want pretty blue LEDs here
If not - this

Hope this helps,

Dave

[FatalSaviour]

Mmmm just to confirm that, the graphics card is doing just as much work with the screen off as it is before you turn it off...you just don't see it.
So bad idea to just disable the fan, but either of the two coolers that dave recommended should do you fine.

[Sumanji]

That's funny, I recall doing all my frantic downloading whilst AT uni

As for noise, you'll find the PSU and Hard drive(s) can be quite aurally offensive too (depending on what models they are). Might be worthwhile checking how loud they are as well

[acidrainy]

I'm not sure if this would be an interim solution but have you tried disabling your dual-screen (the second monitor) within your system properties - prior to you turning the monitors off.

I am thinking that your card may "spin-down" if you are not maxing the RAMDAC's out on two monitor outputs? Although this may be just a loose theory.

[teachmech]

Dave87 recommend cooling solutions are excellent I have on in my other pc on a 6800GT clock at 450 on the core from 350 and its still cooler than the original.

It will definitely keep your 7900GT cool.

[YorkieBen]

as mentioned, check if the noise is the harddrives/psu. I find that the hard drives in my pc can be slightly annoying at night (I do have 3 hard drives though)

also it sounds daft but I find if I can have something in between my pc and my bed (e.g. a spare pillow leant on the front of my pc) the noise is lessened/muffled so it is less intrusive

[philipbain]

If your VGA cooler is offensively loud then i'd recommend a cooler that produces no noise at all as will probably be more effective than your standard cooler. The Zalman ZM80D-HP is impressively effective and is completely passive, producing no noise at all.

[timtim86]

Are there any single slot coolers around that are quieter than stock? I have a X800 GTO2 and it's noisy, but it's in a shuttle so i don't really have the space to put in a dual slot one. Dave?

[scrandman]

Not sure if the Zalman 700 series qualifies as single slot, but I'd imagine its not as high as the 900 series due to the lack of heatpipes.

[dave87]

Are there any single slot coolers around that are quieter than stock? I have a X800 GTO2 and it's noisy, but it's in a shuttle so i don't really have the space to put in a dual slot one. Dave?

Something like the Thermalright v1? Its a large cooler, but it only takes up one slot on the side closest to the case. By using heat pipes it transfers the heat to the otherside, where it uses an 80mm fan. Not sure if it will fit in the shuttle, but seems to be the only cooler that wouldn't foul the side of the case (as, iirc - the graphics slot is the outer one?)

Dave

LINK - http://www.thermalright.com/ then VGA Coolers, V1 Ultra (the site doesn't like direct links)

[timtim86]

hmmm, well that would be good in my current shuttle (ST20G5), but as of tomorrow i'll have a new one, the SN27P2! which i'm looking forward to. however, in the new one the pci-e slot is on the right hand side next to the case - in theory i could use a dual slot cooler but i'd sacrifice the pci slot to the left. any ideas? i heard something about a Zalman vf100 but no one seems to know where that is! Thanks...

i'll be using the pci slot for a Win-TV Nova-T card.

[timtim86]

dave again?!