How effective would this be?

[xenophek]

Ok, I really like the way some nVidia cards look with their gargantuan plastic boxes covering the whole card, but I couldn't find anything similar for ATI cards. So I set out to design my own. This is where I need your help. My main idea is to completely cover the whole card and have two fans to rapidly circulate air.

Like so:

Theoretically this would push air in one way, run it across any heatsinks, then push it out the other side. Have any of you heard of the real-world effectiveness of such a setup? Also my first design was simply to scrap the stock single-slot housing on the 4850 and replace it with this bigger (better) one, but leave the stock heatsink. After debate with myself, I'm wondering if a modified GFX Chilla inside this housing would be a better move. More expensive, but better?

What are your thoughts?

 

[MrQ]

Nice design. But I would run both fans as innies. See if your card is anything like nvidias (which from all appearences it is on design) you should have a vent at the end of the card. All your hot air would be blown out the back of your case. The way you have it set up now it would be very hard to pull cool air into the system because the innie would pull its air from the outtake. I'm not even going into crossfire here and the close proximity of the cards to one another.

Am I making any sense here?

 

[xenophek]

Nice design. But I would run both fans as innies. See if your card is anything like nvidias (which from all appearences it is on design) you should have a vent at the end of the card. All your hot air would be blown out the back of your case. The way you have it set up now it would be very hard to pull cool air into the system because the innie would pull its air from the outtake. I'm not even going into crossfire here and the close proximity of the cards to one another.

Am I making any sense here?

Actually, yes, but I have a single slot card. Do you know of a place where I could buy the double slot bracket? Also, if I push it out the back, wouldn't two fans be redundant?

 

[MrQ]

I don't know about the double slot bracket, but from what you told me you will be better of fabbing your own or just remove the two pci slot covers below the card and leave your fan box open on that end.

BTW what fans are using? If you are using 80's or 60's the thickness of those fans is at least an inch which is actually wider than the pci slot covers. You also want to accommodate the original heatsink, so be prepared to open up some more room in your case. I have always found it better to give yourself too much room than less...

 

[xenophek]

Just how wide is a PCI slot? I found some 80x15mm fans that I like. (btw, 80mm fans will be used)

I'm gonna try to keep it in two slots. I'm not exactly using the others, but I still want that option. I think with thin fans and clever positioning, I can make it work.

How about this:

That leaves it open at the back to blow all of that air out into the atmosphere. I also removed that divider inside. Do you think that would cool the stock heatsink better than the fan and shroud that came with it? I'd be happy enough to just get it quieter...

Noise and looks are my primary concerns, cooling is a close second.

 

[MrQ]

Well if your issue isn't cooling right now, then that would work. But I doubt that your setup will cool the card any better than stock.

My reasoning is this, the stock fan on the heatsink is meant to blow air to the side OVER the heatsink. Your fan just blows down ON the heatsink and then the airflow bounces around till it exits the back.

You might be better served if you could find a fan that blew to the side rather than down.

Like this,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835705048

EDIT:

BTW, your setup would be nearly identical to my stock 8800 gts setup

 

[xenophek]

mmm, nice fan. Let's see, if I got a plain heatsink (like the Accelero) and put two of those fans at the back of the housing, wouldn't that be the best of every world? Pushing the air sideways across a better heatsink and right out the back.

Ok, ok... bring me back to earth on this one. What's the design flaw in that setup? If I had to guess, it'd be the pipes on the heatsink. Pushing air across that would only effectively catch the first pipe (blah blah). Thoughts?

 

[MrQ]

I assume you are talking about this Accelero?

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/vga2.php?idx=147

Well for about $10 more you can get a complete setup without having to fab anything or worry about cooling. Also some type of warrenty. I have found that AC coolers are very quiet. (I run a AC Freezer 7 Pro for my OC'ed Q6600 @ 3ghz)

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/vga2.php?idx=166

Anyway my 2 cents.

 

[xenophek]

I know I could go ahead and buy a whole setup, but I want my computer to look like a work of art, not a factory. I'm trying to quiet and cool my video card while covering up those ugly fans and heatsinks. If I were to just buy a whole set, I would get the GFX Chilla and be done with it. But I'm after something more.

I think I am going to try a heatsink with the fans blowing across it. I'll be sure to post my results.