BFG Quietly Slips in a Passively Cooled 9800GT

[alexp999]

First reported to Fudzilla, US online retailers, Newegg.com and Directron.com, have listed a passively cooled 9800GT based graphics card from BFG. Although there has been no official announcement, it has now also appeared on the companies own website named as the 9800 GT 512MB PCIe 2.0 with ThermoIntelligence Passive Cooling Solution. With a part number of BFGE98512GTHE, the card sports a quad heatpipe cooler mounted on the back of the card, as is usually found with most passive cooling solutions, though BFG seems to have done away with any memory and voltage regulator cooling. The card has no factory overclock so runs at the reference clocks of 600 MHz on the core, 1500 MHz on the shaders and a memory clock of 1800 MHz. Despite the card being sold as passively cooled, it is interesting to note that BFG has stated in the card's system requirements, "System chassis intake airflow greater than or equal to 25 CFM being directed towards the graphics card." Current pricing puts the card in at around $160 (US) with what would appear to be immediate availability.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Icewind31]

Looks exactly like the older Thermalright HR-03... the newer revisions of the HR has 6pipes... looks like someone just got rid of their excess stock

 

[ShadowFold]

Pun intended I wonder if you can strap a fan on that cooler? I know I would.

 

[alexp999]

Pun intended I wonder if you can strap a fan on that cooler? I know I would.

Most probably, couple of zip ties or elastic bands.
What gets me is that it is passively cooled, so long as you have good case flow pointing at the card lol

 

[nafets]

Looks exactly like the older Thermalright HR-03... the newer revisions of the HR has 6pipes... looks like someone just got rid of their excess stock

No memory or VRM heatsinks = Fail

You better have some kind of airflow on or near that card...

 

[alexp999]

No memory or VRM heatsinks = Fail

You better have some kind of airflow on or near that card...

Like I said in the article, BFG have actually said in the system requirements:

"System chassis intake airflow greater than or equal to 25 CFM being directed towards the graphics card."

 

[BrooksyX]

Looks like they forgot to finish the design. They should have put heatsinks on the ram and vregs.

 

[ShadowFold]

Wow it's 160$ on newegg. You can get a 4850 or 9800GTX+ for less.

 

[nafets]

Like I said in the article, BFG have actually said in the system requirements:

"System chassis intake airflow greater than or equal to 25 CFM being directed towards the graphics card."

Yes, I saw what BFG specifies. The only problem is that buyers in the market for this card (silent PC users) most likely won't be using a setup with an intake fan. I know that most any fan putting out 25 CFM should be quiet enough for most silent users. But as a purely passive product this 9800GT is ill equipped for low or no air flow. BFG might as well have just strapped on the quietest 80/92mm fan they could find and installed memory/VRM heatsinks, and avoid the hassle (or future hassle) of making the end user worry about keeping a supposedly passive video card properly cooled.

 

[hat]

BFG = fail. If they specificly state that you need 25CFM blowing on the card, then thier new card is just an unfinished HSF.

 

[KainXS]

so u litteraly need a fan on the card as bfg says so its not passive, wow what a lie

25cfm lol

 

[mlee49]

BFG = fail. If they specificly state that you need 25CFM blowing on the card, then thier new card is just an unfinished HSF.

BFG does not equal Fail. They did slip on this card with no HS's on the ram modules, but the passive cooling that requires a 25 cfm airflow is already accommodated by most case fans. The cooling offering here certainly exceeds other's "Diamond Crusted Technology" that lowers temps by 8%.

BFG has some quality vga's and PSU's. I'm curious to see how it actually holds up in a decent case vs some idiot newegg reviewer that says it overheated in their HTPC case within ten minutes of first use.

 

[hat]

Well that's your opinion against mine. Anyway, I meant that BFG failed on this particular card, not that they fail as a whole. BFG is overall a pretty good company.

 

[Mussels]

"its passive, as long as you have a fan right next to it"

oh yay. just like my 8800GTX with thermalright HR-03. Good to see progress is being made.

 

[DrPepper]

My 8800GT ran passively rather well about 40-50 degrees in my cosmos which had no airflow.

 

[LittleLizard]

mmm, to put it simple, dont like the idea of a hot card run fanless

 

[spearman914]

Wow it's 160$ on newegg. You can get a 4850 or 9800GTX+ for less.

This is only for people who game at night so price seems right. 0.o nocturnal gamers.

 

[btarunr]

Goodbye SLI.

 

[hat]

This is only for people who game at night so price seems right. 0.o nocturnal gamers.

I often stay up until I have light shining through my window, and even later than that. The noise coming from my pc doesn't bother me. My fans really aren't that loud.

 

[Supreme0verlord]

Man that heatsink looks retarded! And no heatsinks on the memory chips or vregs?! lol

 

[Loke]

Goodbye SLI.

Who needs that SLI on 9800GT anyway ? How many people use SLI on that GPU?

 

[btarunr]

Who needs that SLI on 9800GT anyway ? How many people use SLI on that GPU?

Let's say I need it.

 

[Loke]

Let's say I need it.

Don't You think that it'll be better to use more powerfull single GPU card?

 

[alexp999]

Goodbye SLI.

You could link to a non passive 9800GT below it, but that is probably why they did it anyway. Having a card directly above the passive heatsink would most likely likely caose the GPU to overheat.

Nice idea, but I dont think BFG put enough thought into this one.

 

[btarunr]

Don't You think that it'll be better to use more powerfull single GPU card?

No, I'll want another of these cards if I do SLI at a fraction of the hassle of selling the card and buying another more powerful card.

You could link to a non passive 9800GT below it, but that is probably why they did it anyway. Having a card directly above the passive heatsink would most likely likely caose the GPU to overheat.

No SLI with two of these cards, my point.