Cyberaegis
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2023
- Messages
- 12 (0.02/day)
In this post, OTES stands for Outside Thermal Exhaust System, borrowed from the model name of the “acienct” Abit GeForce 4 Ti4200 OTES.
However, I’ll use the term OTES here in a nuanced way, defining it as a graphics card cooling philosophy which refers to the mechanism dumping the waste heat of a graphics card directly out of the PC case, not necessarily limited to the graphics card cooler itself. I’m going to explain here why in compatible PC cases, the inverted vertical mounting system for semi-open air coolers and the inverted fan option for pure open air coolers can be two appealing further developments of the OTES.
The benefit of an OTES is quite obvious: it won’t heat up PC components other than the graphics cards (e.g., CPU, RAM, SSD) when in operation. OTES coolers had been the default choice, or at least one of the default choices, of graphics cards for a while before we entered the RTX 3000/RX 6000 era. After that, semi-open air coolers (e.g., the Nvidia FE cards’ coolers), or more frequently, pure open-air coolers have become the new normal, which result in the heating up of other PC components as a side effect.
However, one of the advantages of open-air coolers has gained more attention: it’s much easier for these coolers to reach a high cooling performance/noise ratio than their potential alternatives, due to their massive sizes and large axial fan options.
In contrast, conventional 2-slot OTES coolers equipped with a blower fan and a closed wind tunnel would emit noises unacceptable to most home users when they are handling a graphics card with a TGP of 300W+ at high/full load.
Theoretically, OTES coolers with a closed wind tunnel could improve their cooling performance/noise ratio by expanding their size, and probably replacing the blower fan with axial fan(s) when they’re big (high) enough. However, even a 5.x-slot OTES cooler could only (probably) accommodate 80mm axial fan(s), which will still require high rpm of the fan(s) and therefore emit louder noises when handling high TGP.
Worse still, even when a 5.x-slot OTES cooler with axial fans offers a decent performance/noise ratio comparable to that of a similar sized open-air cooler, its closed wind tunnel design might result in less universal parts and additional mold costs, which will make the cooler less favorable compared to its open-air competitors once again.
Pic: the largest OTES cooler up to now: AMD W7900’s 3-slot cooler (Original link: https://images.anandtech.com/doci/18812/W7900-3qtr.jpg)
Therefore, the solution which can isolate the heat from graphics cards may lie in the cooling structure rather than solely in the cooler itself.
We already have vertical mounting system for graphics cards in many cases. When installing graphics cards with an open-air cooler in these conventional vertical mounting positions, heat from graphics cards would still be dumped into the PC case first.
Pic: the conventional vertical mounting system for PCI-E devices in a Cooler Master SL600M case (Original link: https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2-P1111496.jpg)
So, when using a semi-open air cooler, e.g. the Nvidia FE cooler, we might have an interest in inverting the conventional vertical graphics card mooting system. That is, to position the PCI-E interface on the top side of the mounting structure, and to let the backplate of the graphics card face the side panel of the PC case. In this way, the vertical graphics card mounting system is transformed into an OTES integrating a semi-open air graphics card cooler.
As a result, while the waste heat from the push fan of the semi-open air cooler is still directly discharged outside the case, the heat from the pull fan can be discharged through the vents/mesh on the side panel of the case, instead of flowing through the case before being expelled. Consequently, other components other than the graphics card will be significantly less impacted by the graphics card’s waste heat, compared either with the scenario with a conventional vertical graphics card mounting system, or the scenario with a conventional horizontal PCI-E mounting system.
In this scenario, exhaust fans facing the side vents/mesh may also offer some help in dumping the waste heat from graphic cards. Bottom intake case fan(s) may be more effective in bringing fresh air for the OTES cooling structure than front intake case fan(s).
The inverted vertical mounting system can not only make the heat flow of those current open-air Founders Edition coolers harmless, it can also work with the leaked 4-slot open-air Founders Edition cooler which could be the option for a 4090Ti/Titan ADA, or a high-end Blackwell SKU.
Pic: the leaked 4-slot 4090Ti/Titan ADA cooler (Original link: https://cdn.videocardz.com/1/2023/07/TITAN-ADA-RTX-4090TI-COOLER-1.jpg; Credit:
harukze5719/Goofish)
However, the inverted vertical mounting system won’t be a good fit for pure open air coolers, like those on most AIC/AIB cards these days, because the heat flow from one/two of the fans of pure open air coolers will be blocked to some extent by the graphics cards’ PCB.
In these scenarios, the way to make an OTES is to invert the fans of pure open-air coolers. However, this would require a fan shroud that allows the end user to change the direction of fans, like those ones on ASUS x Noctua solutions, or the newly shown Cooler Master Project VGA cooler shroud, or those customized offerings from individuals, or deshroud mods. Also, we have to check if the original cooler’s design allows heat from VRAM and VRM to be effectively transferred to the heatsink, so that changing fan directions won’t lead to the overheating of VRAM and VRM.
Pic: Cooler Master Project VGA Cooler (Original link: https://media.overclock3d.net/2024/01/IMG-20240110-WA0129.jpg)
On top of that, an open-air cooler with inverted fans would also require cooperative cases. A case with inverted motherboard position can be one option. Conventional vertical mounting system with vents/mesh on side panel can be another. Case companies can develop structures enabling the switch between conventional/inverted vertical graphics card mounting system.
To sum up, with compatible PC cases, the inverted vertical mouting system for semi-open air coolers and the inverted fan option for pure open air coolers can be two future options of OTES. They can offer a cooling performance/noise ratio similar to that of an open air cooler, while retaining the least heat interference of a conventional OTES cooler at the same time. So, in my opinion, they represent two more practicable and probably more effective ways for us to continue benefiting from the OTES philosophy.
In memory of
Abit GeForce 4 Ti4200 OTES, the first graphics card bundled with an OTES cooler (Original link: https://vccollection.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ti4200_otes-perspective.jpg)
Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer, the first OTES cooler available individually at retail (Original link: https://vccollection.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/9700pro_sapphire-perspective.jpg)
However, I’ll use the term OTES here in a nuanced way, defining it as a graphics card cooling philosophy which refers to the mechanism dumping the waste heat of a graphics card directly out of the PC case, not necessarily limited to the graphics card cooler itself. I’m going to explain here why in compatible PC cases, the inverted vertical mounting system for semi-open air coolers and the inverted fan option for pure open air coolers can be two appealing further developments of the OTES.
The benefit of an OTES is quite obvious: it won’t heat up PC components other than the graphics cards (e.g., CPU, RAM, SSD) when in operation. OTES coolers had been the default choice, or at least one of the default choices, of graphics cards for a while before we entered the RTX 3000/RX 6000 era. After that, semi-open air coolers (e.g., the Nvidia FE cards’ coolers), or more frequently, pure open-air coolers have become the new normal, which result in the heating up of other PC components as a side effect.
However, one of the advantages of open-air coolers has gained more attention: it’s much easier for these coolers to reach a high cooling performance/noise ratio than their potential alternatives, due to their massive sizes and large axial fan options.
In contrast, conventional 2-slot OTES coolers equipped with a blower fan and a closed wind tunnel would emit noises unacceptable to most home users when they are handling a graphics card with a TGP of 300W+ at high/full load.
Theoretically, OTES coolers with a closed wind tunnel could improve their cooling performance/noise ratio by expanding their size, and probably replacing the blower fan with axial fan(s) when they’re big (high) enough. However, even a 5.x-slot OTES cooler could only (probably) accommodate 80mm axial fan(s), which will still require high rpm of the fan(s) and therefore emit louder noises when handling high TGP.
Worse still, even when a 5.x-slot OTES cooler with axial fans offers a decent performance/noise ratio comparable to that of a similar sized open-air cooler, its closed wind tunnel design might result in less universal parts and additional mold costs, which will make the cooler less favorable compared to its open-air competitors once again.
Pic: the largest OTES cooler up to now: AMD W7900’s 3-slot cooler (Original link: https://images.anandtech.com/doci/18812/W7900-3qtr.jpg)
Therefore, the solution which can isolate the heat from graphics cards may lie in the cooling structure rather than solely in the cooler itself.
We already have vertical mounting system for graphics cards in many cases. When installing graphics cards with an open-air cooler in these conventional vertical mounting positions, heat from graphics cards would still be dumped into the PC case first.
Pic: the conventional vertical mounting system for PCI-E devices in a Cooler Master SL600M case (Original link: https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2-P1111496.jpg)
So, when using a semi-open air cooler, e.g. the Nvidia FE cooler, we might have an interest in inverting the conventional vertical graphics card mooting system. That is, to position the PCI-E interface on the top side of the mounting structure, and to let the backplate of the graphics card face the side panel of the PC case. In this way, the vertical graphics card mounting system is transformed into an OTES integrating a semi-open air graphics card cooler.
As a result, while the waste heat from the push fan of the semi-open air cooler is still directly discharged outside the case, the heat from the pull fan can be discharged through the vents/mesh on the side panel of the case, instead of flowing through the case before being expelled. Consequently, other components other than the graphics card will be significantly less impacted by the graphics card’s waste heat, compared either with the scenario with a conventional vertical graphics card mounting system, or the scenario with a conventional horizontal PCI-E mounting system.
In this scenario, exhaust fans facing the side vents/mesh may also offer some help in dumping the waste heat from graphic cards. Bottom intake case fan(s) may be more effective in bringing fresh air for the OTES cooling structure than front intake case fan(s).
The inverted vertical mounting system can not only make the heat flow of those current open-air Founders Edition coolers harmless, it can also work with the leaked 4-slot open-air Founders Edition cooler which could be the option for a 4090Ti/Titan ADA, or a high-end Blackwell SKU.
Pic: the leaked 4-slot 4090Ti/Titan ADA cooler (Original link: https://cdn.videocardz.com/1/2023/07/TITAN-ADA-RTX-4090TI-COOLER-1.jpg; Credit:
harukze5719/Goofish)
However, the inverted vertical mounting system won’t be a good fit for pure open air coolers, like those on most AIC/AIB cards these days, because the heat flow from one/two of the fans of pure open air coolers will be blocked to some extent by the graphics cards’ PCB.
In these scenarios, the way to make an OTES is to invert the fans of pure open-air coolers. However, this would require a fan shroud that allows the end user to change the direction of fans, like those ones on ASUS x Noctua solutions, or the newly shown Cooler Master Project VGA cooler shroud, or those customized offerings from individuals, or deshroud mods. Also, we have to check if the original cooler’s design allows heat from VRAM and VRM to be effectively transferred to the heatsink, so that changing fan directions won’t lead to the overheating of VRAM and VRM.
Pic: Cooler Master Project VGA Cooler (Original link: https://media.overclock3d.net/2024/01/IMG-20240110-WA0129.jpg)
On top of that, an open-air cooler with inverted fans would also require cooperative cases. A case with inverted motherboard position can be one option. Conventional vertical mounting system with vents/mesh on side panel can be another. Case companies can develop structures enabling the switch between conventional/inverted vertical graphics card mounting system.
To sum up, with compatible PC cases, the inverted vertical mouting system for semi-open air coolers and the inverted fan option for pure open air coolers can be two future options of OTES. They can offer a cooling performance/noise ratio similar to that of an open air cooler, while retaining the least heat interference of a conventional OTES cooler at the same time. So, in my opinion, they represent two more practicable and probably more effective ways for us to continue benefiting from the OTES philosophy.
In memory of
Abit GeForce 4 Ti4200 OTES, the first graphics card bundled with an OTES cooler (Original link: https://vccollection.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ti4200_otes-perspective.jpg)
Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer, the first OTES cooler available individually at retail (Original link: https://vccollection.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/9700pro_sapphire-perspective.jpg)
