Passive cooling GPU

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Hello dudes and dudettes, i'm thinking of building a cheapo computer for SC. (have to pay off a credit card first so won't be for a long while yet.)

The one thing I want above all else is no additional cooling. I was given a friends old gaming rig with Phenom2 6core 2.8ghz and an Nvidia 750. It functions, but wow those fans be noisy yo. My wish is for CPU and Case fans and thats about it.

I want something capable of SC but with no one component costing over £200GBPpounds but less if i can help it, and with passive cooling. Also, as I have only ever slid cards on and off a Motherboard, i'd also want no further wiring to power the graphics card, so all fed via the slot...

I'm thinking about the GPU mainly in this post, does anyone know of any fanless graphics cards with the grunt to run our favourite game-to-be? :)

 

[I_MIKE_I]

I'll be blunt: adding a passive cooling solution to a Phenom II or a 750 is just not worth it.

I'm not sure about the processor, as most stuff related to CPU optimisation isn't present in SC yet, but I wouldn't bet on a Phenom II being sufficient.

A GTX 750 definetely is too weak for SC... I'm not even expecting to keep my R9 280 which is usually performing better than the GTX 770.

 

[maynard]

I too hate fan noise

there were GPUs made with passive cooling a couple of generations ago, but anything with the transistor count to run SC well is going to

require active cooling and more voltage than the bus can deliver

a further requirement of my build will be the ability to run in ambient air temperatures as high as 95 deg. fahrenheit (because Mississippi)

IMO the best combination of cooling and quiet will come from a liquid cooling system with extra radiators to compensate for the higher air temp

I have a super-sized old server case I can line with sound absorbing material for extra attenuation

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

I'll be blunt: adding a passive cooling solution to a Phenom II or a 750 is just not worth it.

I'm not sure about the processor, as most stuff related to CPU optimisation isn't present in SC yet, but I wouldn't bet on a Phenom II being sufficient.

A GTX 750 definetely is too weak for SC... I'm not even expecting to keep my R9 280 which is usually performing better than the GTX 770.

Don't worry about being blunt, It would be a whole new build - new mobo, CPU etc, but cheap and quiet. I'd probably be best waiting for when the game is actually finished and get the most affordable Rysen 8 core at that point, but was wondering what options there are at the moment with GPUs with heat-sinks rather than fans (as they'll be cheap second-hand when we get to full game).

Perhaps I am generation or two ahead of my own requirements...?

I am happy to run the game on minimum visuals, graphics don't mean a damn it's a play-thing not a Renascence art-work. In games, actions speak louder than words, as long as i don't lag i'm good :slight_smile:

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

I too hate fan noise

there were GPUs made with passive cooling a couple of generations ago, but anything with the transistor count to run SC well is going to

require active cooling and more voltage than the bus can deliver

a further requirement of my build will be the ability to run in ambient air temperatures as high as 95 deg. fahrenheit (because Mississippi)

IMO the best combination of cooling and quiet will come from a liquid cooling system with extra radiators to compensate for the higher air temp

I have a super-sized old server case I can line with sound absorbing material for extra attenuation

Thats a harsh set of circumstances I can see why you need the extra.

I avoid the idea of putting liquids or semi-liquids in an electronic device because I still remember the UK in the mid 90's when Pop Tarts used to catch fire in Toasters. If we hadn't had a habit of standing and watching the toaster I'd have been another house fire statistic. If something isn't supposed to be in an electronic device, i'd rather not put it there because I know how incompetent I am even when following instructions to the letter.

 

[Sirus7264]

Here's your solution lol

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1WkdXvtEKY

 

[I_MIKE_I]

Don't worry about being blunt, It would be a whole new build - new mobo, CPU etc, but cheap and quiet. I'd probably be best waiting for when the game is actually finished and get the most affordable Rysen 8 core at that point, but was wondering what options there are at the moment with GPUs with heat-sinks rather than fans (as they'll be cheap second-hand when we get to full game).

Perhaps I am generation or two ahead of my own requirements...?

I am happy to run the game on minimum visuals, graphics don't mean a damn it's a play-thing not a Renascence art-work. In games, actions speak louder than words, as long as i don't lag i'm good :slight_smile:

Well... I'm not a very demanding person when it comes to graphics either, I'm just not too sure CIG will optimize SC to cater to those with poor hardware, simply because they don't have the pressure of other Games which want to ship millions of copies or F2P Titles which flat out die without having millions of players to show for (think War Thunder or World of Tanks).

I'd say the GPU closest to your requirements would be a 6gb GTX1060, it needs just very little power (~120w) and doesn't cause much noise, as long as you avoid models where manufacturers have decided to go full retard and plant a full-alu heatsink on.

GPU wise, the Ryzen 1600 (non-x) is currently the sweet spot IMO, as it may lack two cores but still gets the full cache at a pretty good price. Surprisingly, the Ryzen stock coolers are actually quite good... previously AMD stock coolers were a nightmare.

That said, I might not be the best person to ask about noise when it comes to PCs, as I like using old servers... >_>

Watercooling might be an option, but IMO it doesn't pay off when you're just a average consumer that doesn't overclock etc. instead of having low-spinning fans on GPU/CPU you'll have them on radiators, pay a lot for it and add additional sources for failure to your system.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

...as long as you avoid models where manufacturers have decided to go full retard and plant a full-alu heatsink on...

But... but I wanna go full retard... http://www.ebuyer.com/791771-msi-nvidia-geforce-gt-1030-2gb-passive-lp-oc-graphics-card-gt-1030-2gh-lp-oc

Many thanks for your advice, the 1060 looks good - would that be ok with my current Phenom2 as a stop-gap or would you say wait until i've got a whole new set o'parts?

(seriously, I was considering the Full Retard option.)

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Oh...

Oh no...

I've just had an idea...

I think I've done it. I've gone there. I've gone Full Retard.

Tell me if this would work: having two passive cooled 1030's like this one, in the one machine: http://www.ebuyer.com/791771-msi-nv...passive-lp-oc-graphics-card-gt-1030-2gh-lp-oc

Would it be worth it? Would it even work? I'm tempted sooo tempted.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Further investigation suggests 2x passively colled graphics cards may not fit... SO I found the most powerful currently available:

Palit GeForce GTX 1050 Ti KalmX 4 GB GDDR5
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Palit-GeForce-KalmX-Express-Graphics/dp/B01N3CC5DU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497091281&sr=8-1&keywords=palit+gtx+1050+kalmx
XFX RADEON 4GB DDR5
https://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-1220MHz-Heatsink-Graphic-RX-460P4HFG5/dp/B01LRW75AC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1497091522&sr=8-6&keywords=XFX+Radeon+RX+460

What do we think?

 

[Sirus7264]

I have a super-sized old server case I can line with sound absorbing material for extra attenuation

This is honestly the best way to go if you want to play SC with lower sound as passive graphics cards are going to get extremely hot and unless you have enough fan cooling the entire box you could end up suffering lower cpu clock speeds due to higher temperatures all around in your box(ambient temps). Don't skimp out on your fan put your computer in a sound proofed box with additional cooling

 

[I_MIKE_I]

But... but I wanna go full retard... http://www.ebuyer.com/791771-msi-nvidia-geforce-gt-1030-2gb-passive-lp-oc-graphics-card-gt-1030-2gh-lp-oc

Many thanks for your advice, the 1060 looks good - would that be ok with my current Phenom2 as a stop-gap or would you say wait until i've got a whole new set o'parts?

(seriously, I was considering the Full Retard option.)

I was referring to a EVGA and Zotac model, where they planted a full alu block on a 1060, without heatsinks etc. meaning it doesn't really transport the heat well and the fan is ramping up like crazy.

Since you said you build for Star Citizen, I'd say wait, since we'll most likely see at least 2 GPU Generations before SC is giving us the ability to earn Ships etc.

Regarding the GPU you found... if you really need a passive cooled one, I guess that 1050 Ti would be the way to go, but keep in mind that you need a really good airflow in your case and IMO the sound of a GTX1060 isn't really noticable.

Well... if you REALLY need a passive cooling solution, there would also be the option of using a Arctic Accelero S3 cooler... but they aren't exactly cheap.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Thanks for everyones advice...

I'll keep the Full Retard option for nearer launch, so one last question:

For improvement right now with the Phenom x6 2.8ghz, Asus M4A77 mobo and 8 gb RAM, the 6gb 1060 looks good but is pricey... would a GTX 1050ti 4gb with fan to replace my GTX 750 2gb (non ti) mean I should get some noticeable improvement with my current rig? It is about what I can afford and i'd like to see some benefit
:slight_smile:

 

[I_MIKE_I]

Thanks for everyones advice...

I'll keep the Full Retard option for nearer launch, so one last question:

For improvement right now with the Phenom x6 2.8ghz, Asus M4A77 mobo and 8 gb RAM, the 6gb 1060 looks good but is pricey... would a GTX 1050ti 4gb with fan to replace my GTX 750 2gb (non ti) mean I should get some noticeable improvement with my current rig? It is about what I can afford and i'd like to see some benefit
:slight_smile:

The 1050ti is a lot stronger than the 750 and I don't think the processor will bottleneck it at common settings.

 

[Sirus7264]

The 1050ti is a lot stronger than the 750 and I don't think the processor will bottleneck it at common settings.

I completely agree I run a 970 on my laptop and I have very little issues with SC so a 1050 could definitely manage.

 

[DarthMunkee]

You want passive cooling? Here's your passive cooling

 

[Sirus7264]

You want passive cooling? Here's your passive cooling

The moment he said "full aluminum" I was like that's going to Cost a fortune lol but at least it will be very lightweight. Lol id buy that just for bragging rights that's definitely a case that would last a life time. Corrosion resistant, light weight, and just looks great

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Many thanks for all kind feedback. Unless the Origin 600i appears out of nowhere looks like a 1050 come payday.

 

[Sirus7264]

They actually think it may be next sale. sometime this month

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

They actually think it may be next sale. sometime this month

I've made a little deal with myself - I have two ships i'd be okay melting for this. If the 600i is cheaper than those two melted and the cost of the 1050 together (about £100gbp), I'll be okay going for it as long as it fits my needs for a large ship. If it is more I m not touching it no matter how nice. And it has to have signs of showing before pay-day.

I've had too long to think about this ship pledge, really... I've been waiting so long for the 600, I heard it was a legend - like a Unicorn or a T-Total TESTie. That photo on the back of the Defender brochure? Hoax'd, turns out it was a crashed Weather Balloon.