# GPU Upgrade and Heatsink Upgrade



## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

Hey,

I recently sold off some stuff in an attempt to make money for a silent, or close to, computer. So far i've swapped the 120mm fans i had and fitted some Akasa silent ones. Now i need to conquer the CPU and Graphics Card. So, this is where i need your help. I need a new Graphics Card, and a Heatsink. Requirements:

Graphics Card:
- Handle 1920x1080
- Quiet / Silent
- Runs fairly cool
- One PCI-E 6-Pin, prefably
- No more than £200 (that's if im getting a Heatsink rather than W/C)

Heatsink
- Handle an E7200 @ 3.6GHz (Arctic Freezer 7 Pro manages 30c idle and 45c load)
- No taller than the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro (check sig for why)
- Looks fairly good (again, check sig)

Alternative is i get water cooling. This would be for the CPU only. I'd like a 120x2 RAD, because i can mount that on the outside of my mod. This would need to be less than £100 for the full kit. But here's a question:

Can you run the fan on a RAD blowing away? like Fit did with his box contraption, only mine would have a solid piece on wood on the back (mounted to) and the fans on the front. I read that it's better for cooling.

So, please help people. 

Thanks


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## theorw (Feb 6, 2009)

200pounds make 229 euros so u can easily buy a SAPPHIRE 4870 TOXIC.If u read todays review on TPU u ll find its quite a good card,and relatively silent.OR u can buy a normal 4870 and  a TRAD2 and u ll be dead silent.

For the WC part,i dont think u can buy quality parts with 100pounds...
Not a 2 FAN RAD+cpu block+pump+tubing anyway...Stick with aircooling...


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

Ok, but the 4870 uses 2x6-Pin, i really only want 1.


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## Psychoholic (Feb 6, 2009)

I cant think of anything that only uses one six pin that would be an upgrade from your 8800gtx.


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

no no, i don't want a big upgrade. Just a replacment. At the moment im looking at:

GTX260
4850 1024MB

and for W/C or Heatsink

Thermaltake Big Water 745

But a fan heatsink will do fine, so long as it's quiet and fits. any idea people?


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

Ok, i found the 4850 512MB on ebuyer for £110, is it worth it, baring in mind the requirements, plus i can always get a better cooler.

Can someone help out with the heatsink issue.


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

Ok, i was hoping for a bit more enthusiasm, but well... Does this look good?

Thermaltake Big Water 745 (plus some other small things like thermal paste) £100 delivered from OcUK
ATi Asus HD 4850 512MB - £111 delivered from ebuyer.

Obviously, i'd like to get it lower. But i've looked through fan heatsinks and it looking like non of the top models are small enough.


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## spearman914 (Feb 6, 2009)

MoonPig said:


> Ok, i found the 4850 512MB on ebuyer for £110, is it worth it, baring in mind the requirements, plus i can always get a better cooler.
> 
> Can someone help out with the heatsink issue.



Hmm i wouldn't consider a 4850 as an upgrade. Because 8800 gtx is almost neck to neck  with the 4850. Go with the GTX 260.


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

Argh! lol, ill type it like this:

IM NOT LOOKING FOR A PERFORMANCE UPGRADE, I WANT A COOLER AND QUIETER ALTERNATIVE.

lol, i did state it.


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## spearman914 (Feb 6, 2009)

MoonPig said:


> Argh! lol, ill type it like this:
> 
> IM NOT LOOKING FOR A PERFORMANCE UPGRADE, I WANT A COOLER AND QUIETER ALTERNATIVE.
> 
> lol, i did state it.



I know that, but it's kinda like a waste of the money. Go for the gtx 260 anyway.


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## theorw (Feb 6, 2009)

Then just buy the TRAD for silence of the vga and whatever cpu cooler u like!All this under 100 euros!!!


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

thats the thing, i want the advice of the TPU community.


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

Hows this sound?

Thermaltake Big Water 745
Arctic Cooling MX-2
Thermalright T-Rad 2
2 x 92mm Zalman silent fans (for T-Rad)
ATi HD4850 512MB

All for roughly £250.


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## spearman914 (Feb 6, 2009)

MoonPig said:


> Hows this sound?
> 
> Thermaltake Big Water 745
> Arctic Cooling MX-2
> ...



Looking good.


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## MoonPig (Feb 6, 2009)

Ok, just two questions left then:

1) Will 512Mb be alright for 1920x1080 gaming?

2) Can someone suggest after Heatsinks that i can look at?


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## clock_ed (Feb 7, 2009)

Mate, what are you up to, that thermaltake isn't worth the card board that it is packaged in. I have a wa5ter cooling setup and believe me it isn't that quite at all. The Laing 18w pump is much louder than a 120mkm fan on slow-med speed.

Looks like your just after spending money. The gtx260 has 2 6-pin, so don't know why you are suggesting that. I had a 8800gts 640mb overclocked to 684 core 2200mem pretty close to a 8800gtx if not better, and my bro has a hd4850.

The hd4850 is an upgrade but not worth the extra cash eg. 110-(gtx sale(85))= £25 for what?? nothing really. The hd4850's are hot hot hot. The after market cooler cool the core well but not the vrm, which you'll see 80-100c all the time. Not good. My 8800gts with fan at 100% wasn't that loud at all, about the same as my hd4870 on 45% fan.

IMO get a quieter cooler for your 8800gtx, to avoid loosing money. Also why do you need only one 6-pin pci-e??


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## clock_ed (Feb 7, 2009)

MoonPig said:


> Ok, just two questions left then:
> 
> 1) Will 512Mb be alright for 1920x1080 gaming?
> 
> 2) Can someone suggest after Heatsinks that i can look at?




The hd4850 isn't powerful enough imo for that res, i have a hd4870 512mb, which is great, plenty of grunt for the res especially oc'd to 850 core.

If you are gaming at that res, and again can use 2 6pin, get this xfx card http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?xfx-48701g

also google quidco  to get a further 5% or so off the price.

As for coolers:
Arctic Cooling Accelero AC-S1 rev 2
http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductID=627848&source=froogle
*edit* cheaper here: http://www.awd-it.com/scripts/prodview.asp?idproduct=4170

Very good, quite and cheap.#

Just found this for a cpu cooler, looks pretty sweet: http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/cpu/035/sczp1000_detail.html

or this: http://www.awd-it.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=3931


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## theorw (Feb 7, 2009)

MoonPig said:


> Ok, just two questions left then:
> 
> 1) Will 512Mb be alright for 1920x1080 gaming?
> 
> 2) Can someone suggest after Heatsinks that i can look at?



1)I dont think so.Maybe in some games but not on crysis and the stuff...4870 will do the job good enough in most games though...Especially if u oc it a little

2)As for the heatsinks these (Thermaltake Copper BGA Memory Heatsink) would be a good idea...

bUT the thermaltake WC isnt worth the money for going on water.Stick on aircooling like Noctua or something and the 40+ euros that remain add and take the 4870 that runs quite cooler and quiter than the 4850...(i own a 4850 (700-1080)and its like a leafblower!!)GREAT THOUGH


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## MoonPig (Feb 7, 2009)

If i get that 4870 (same price at OcUK) the total goes to £250 without a CPU cooler.

But i suppose if it will keep my dandy for awhile, i can spend alittle more.

Now though, please can you find me a CPU cooler, from this list. No more than £48.

Thanks for the replies people.

Edit: Just found this. Worth it?


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## clock_ed (Feb 7, 2009)

That gfx card you found wiil be great, remember give that card a good thrashing for a few days to make sure that it isn't faulty as the b-grade stock has the 14day warranty, then after that time you have to send it back to the manufacturer for replacement if it breaks.

Imo snap that card up straight away.

Aslo what is wrong with your freezer 7 pro?? Too loud?? Again the cost of changing the cpu cooler prob won't be worth the effort considering your height constraint. Is the any lee-way on height, is your freezer touching the top of your case/desk??

I have seen many people strap additional fans on the freezer. You could get two quiet 92mm fans for a neat push-pull config: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?&groupid=701&catid=57&subid=820&sortby=priceAsc

As for the cpu sinks, there are a few low profile ones but i doubt they will cool as well as your freezer, and may not be as quiet.


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## MoonPig (Feb 7, 2009)

alright, ill order what i have now and just wait till the Freezer7 breaks or something.

Thanks for all the replies people.


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