Tkpenalty's X1950~HD4k Clubhouse [Archive] - Page 11

tkpenalty

12-04-2007, 06:30 AM

heatspreader!? why not a heatsink, heatsinks do a better job of cooling than heatspreaders, beyond that, having to modify the cooler is stupid IMO, i guess AC has lost quality, because the VGA Silencer 3 worked flawless on the ATI Radeon 9700/9800 Pro. I dunno i may just modify the stock cooler somewhat (change the TIM for the VPU and Ram (AS5 or Akasa Shinetsu)
Question is does the bridge have a heatsink on it or not?

The heatspreader is more than enough to cool it and one thing before you blow a blood vessel; A heatspreader is technically the exact same thing as a heatsink. There is no problem with using the heatplate, it removes heat from the source of it; and that was what it does, successfully.

The stock cooling solution is enough, not like you will be able to get much out of it from overclocking. Changing the thermal tape on the memsinks is plainly stupid... reason? Its tape! You wont be able to uninstall the cooler (waste of money too).

Anyway, I'd buy a VF900CU, and probably buy another pack of heatsinks from zalman, one to cool the bridge, and the rest... well... too cool something like the MOFSETs on your motherboard or, even your sound card's chipset.. (thats if it has any hot running ICs). Its not needed anyway, unless for a reason like silence, for that, I would look at a VF700ALCU/CU, to save you some money, as the X1950PRO wont overclock much, regardless of the cooling used on it.

EDIT: 2500th post, i might want to archive this thread and start a new one... its getting HUGE.

Darknova

12-04-2007, 08:10 AM

Well next friday I will hopefully be ordering a 3870....just a shame that no where in the UK has them in stock at the moment :(

rick22

12-05-2007, 02:47 AM

:nutkick:

tkpenalty

12-05-2007, 07:59 AM

:nutkick:

And what might that post be?

AthlonX2

12-05-2007, 08:24 AM

hey TK what do you think of this for a 2600XT?

10960

tkpenalty

12-05-2007, 08:31 AM

hey TK what do you think of this for a 2600XT?

10960

*Drinking water, looks around nothing out of the-CHOKES ON WATER*

Nice man, 1Ghz core clock. What numbers do you get out of the card at that speed anyway?

I might want to fix up the statements on the first page =.= HD2600XT is now considered as a low-mid end card thats geared for Value gamers right?

Widjaja

12-05-2007, 08:44 AM

*Drinking water, looks around nothing out of the-CHOKES ON WATER*

Nice man, 1Ghz core clock. What numbers do you get out of the card at that speed anyway?

I might want to fix up the statements on the first page =.= HD2600XT is now considered as a low-mid end card thats geared for Value gamers right?

Whats considered mid-range now?
What is the X1950pro 512mb considered as now?

tkpenalty

12-05-2007, 08:55 AM

Yeah the X1950PRO is a midrange card at the moment, well considering its absurdly low price at the moment (priced around $20 more than a HD2600XT), I would make a beeline for the X1950PRO for value systems that are like around $700. The HD2600XT, well if you honestly cannot stretch your budget, you can get that. But, personally, I would never build a system with a HD2600XT installed in it due to several reasons.

Anyway, cards which I would use in building systems for people

HD2400PRO - low end HTPC
X1950PRO - Mid end "High end" to average person's expectations
HD3850
HD3870
8800GT

AthlonX2

12-05-2007, 09:38 AM

tkpenalty

12-05-2007, 10:48 AM

took 3 wks going through the data sheets and searching the net to find a voltmod for it,but ive had it upto 1.7v on the core default is 1.25v anyways numbers..well just over 5800 in 06 and 11,800 in 05

Those are quite impressive numbers. How about in real gaming? I'm interested to see how the card does, overclocked like that.

eidairaman1

12-05-2007, 10:49 AM

So i guess you tried but to a fail?
The heatspreader is more than enough to cool it and one thing before you blow a blood vessel; A heatspreader is technically the exact same thing as a heatsink. There is no problem with using the heatplate, it removes heat from the source of it; and that was what it does, successfully.

The stock cooling solution is enough, not like you will be able to get much out of it from overclocking. Changing the thermal tape on the memsinks is plainly stupid... reason? Its tape! You wont be able to uninstall the cooler (waste of money too).

Anyway, I'd buy a VF900CU, and probably buy another pack of heatsinks from zalman, one to cool the bridge, and the rest... well... too cool something like the MOFSETs on your motherboard or, even your sound card's chipset.. (thats if it has any hot running ICs). Its not needed anyway, unless for a reason like silence, for that, I would look at a VF700ALCU/CU, to save you some money, as the X1950PRO wont overclock much, regardless of the cooling used on it.

EDIT: 2500th post, i might want to archive this thread and start a new one... its getting HUGE.

tkpenalty

12-05-2007, 11:12 AM

Huh? The VRM plate works fine.

Widjaja

12-05-2007, 12:12 PM

I detect a chip on a shoulder.

hat

12-05-2007, 12:14 PM

I detect hax. Nice work on that card, man.

AthlonX2

12-05-2007, 05:35 PM

Those are quite impressive numbers. How about in real gaming? I'm interested to see how the card does, overclocked like that.

any games you have in mind? i run crysis dx10 @ 1680 x 1050 around 25-30fps on medium,in high i run about 20fps and very high is out of the question.

imperialreign

12-05-2007, 05:59 PM

that is sweet, man.

Yeah the X1950PRO is a midrange card at the moment, well considering its absurdly low price at the moment (priced around $20 more than a HD2600XT), I would make a beeline for the X1950PRO for value systems that are like around $700. The HD2600XT, well if you honestly cannot stretch your budget, you can get that. But, personally, I would never build a system with a HD2600XT installed in it due to several reasons.

Right now, I've been seeing straight mid-range X1950 PROs running right around $160 or so. ATI and VisionTek brand keep tossing in a $50 mail-in rebate to go with it, so $110 for a decent card like what I've got.

Everyone seems to be acting like the X1950's are obsolete, though . . . no one is carrying them in-store anymore around here (but they've got the X1050, X1300, X1500, etc), and the prices on the 1950s are dropping quicker than standards in the US Senate.

eidairaman1

12-06-2007, 03:44 AM

go to google.com and look for them, better yet check out allpcdeals.com thats where i got mine from, picked the 2 day shipping, got to me as advertised, works perfect

Widjaja

12-06-2007, 04:38 AM

Everyone seems to be acting like the X1950's are obsolete, though . . . no one is carrying them in-store anymore around here (but they've got the X1050, X1300, X1500, etc), and the prices on the 1950s are dropping quicker than standards in the US Senate.

This is what I'm talking about, which was making wonder what is the mid-range card today?
I think people maybe thinking they are oblselete because of the price?

I have to admit there were issues when they first came out as there was sthe whole PSU dilemma.

If I'm able to play DiRT & Bioshock on high and enjoy the games, it says to me this is a good card.

Still X1950pro ftw bar HIS AGP model.:rockout:

imperialreign

12-06-2007, 04:51 AM

I agree! IMO, it'll be a long time before the X1900 series is considered obsolete or "bargain bin" . . . I guess it has more to do with reatailer's choice here . . . last week the X1950PRO/XT models were ATI's mid-high end cards, yesterday it was the 2900XTs and today it's the HD3870 (still haven't seem them on the shelf yet, though).

I guess they figure someone willing to spend $150 for a 1900 series might be more apt to spend the extra $70 on a 2000 or 3000 series card instead, so why even offer the 1900s, right? :rolleyes:

The real bargain shoppers are the ones doing a grand job of keeping the 1050s, 1300s and 1650s on the shelf. Hell, the Circuit City stores around here still have some 9700s on the shelf :shadedshu

Widjaja

12-06-2007, 05:41 AM

In my township I have only seen one 9600pro and a couple of 8600's on the shelves.
Asking them to bring in anything else higher-end is like trying to tell them to do backflips.

tkpenalty

12-06-2007, 09:40 AM

The X1950PRO can EASILY play Need for Speed PRO STREET at max settings at decent resolutions. I don't understand why cards that perform much worse at the same price are being sold!

tkpenalty

12-06-2007, 09:40 AM

any games you have in mind? i run crysis dx10 @ 1680 x 1050 around 25-30fps on medium,in high i run about 20fps and very high is out of the question.

Very nice figures I guess, I'm guessing stock, at those settings is unplayable, am I correct?

Widjaja

12-06-2007, 10:06 AM

The X1950PRO can EASILY play Need for Speed PRO STREET at max settings at decent resolutions. I don't understand why cards that perform much worse at the same price are being sold!

Because those poorer cards were released later.
It's just like Jap cars I suppose.

example Nissan 200SX from 95' performs much better than a 98' Micra but because of the age they are cheaper.

Cards also usually devaluate like Jap cars too come to think of it.

Craigleberry

12-06-2007, 10:24 AM

Aint nothing worse than paying for a car and a couple years later selling it for a third of what was paid. GGRRR Reality bites hard.
And My Thermalright IFX-14 Heatsink is on the way along with two 120mm Neon fans to cool it off. I will post pics once fitted.

imperialreign

12-06-2007, 10:32 PM

The X1950PRO can EASILY play Need for Speed PRO STREET at max settings at decent resolutions. I don't understand why cards that perform much worse at the same price are being sold!

the draw of newer hardware, maybe?

I mean - ATI couldn't possibly be phasing out the 1900 series like they've mostly done with the X1800s . . . but with AMD behind the reins, it's hard to tell, really . . .

They might be trying to cut the supply back so that it won't be a price competitor for the newer 2000 series cards. TBH, that seems more likely . . .

*edit> I had a xFire question . . . I'm running two exactly identical cards. Is there any way to OC them in xFire mode? They seems to default back to their stock settings of 575/695 in xFire, but I can't seem to get ATT or ATiTool to be able to change the clock speeds at all. Any changes to either GPU or MEM result in losing the display entirelly, and usually VPU Recover can't even pick it back up . . . I end up having to reset the system.

I was thinking maybe uping the base clocks through a BIOS reflash of both cards to something that I know is stable, but I don't feel like going through that hassel if it might not work.

Wile E

12-07-2007, 08:46 AM

the draw of newer hardware, maybe?

I mean - ATI couldn't possibly be phasing out the 1900 series like they've mostly done with the X1800s . . . but with AMD behind the reins, it's hard to tell, really . . .

They might be trying to cut the supply back so that it won't be a price competitor for the newer 2000 series cards. TBH, that seems more likely . . .

*edit> I had a xFire question . . . I'm running two exactly identical cards. Is there any way to OC them in xFire mode? They seems to default back to their stock settings of 575/695 in xFire, but I can't seem to get ATT or ATiTool to be able to change the clock speeds at all. Any changes to either GPU or MEM result in losing the display entirelly, and usually VPU Recover can't even pick it back up . . . I end up having to reset the system.

I was thinking maybe uping the base clocks through a BIOS reflash of both cards to something that I know is stable, but I don't feel like going through that hassel if it might not work.Actually, the BIOS mod is the best way. Dump your stock BIOS, and mod it with RaBiT.

If you don't want to do a BIOS mod, look in the ATI Tool .27b3 thread. At the top of one of the pages, somebody gives an explanation on how to get ATI Tool to do it, but it's a little convoluted. The BIOS mod is probably easier to deal with.

imperialreign

12-07-2007, 10:39 PM

Actually, the BIOS mod is the best way. Dump your stock BIOS, and mod it with RaBiT.

If you don't want to do a BIOS mod, look in the ATI Tool .27b3 thread. At the top of one of the pages, somebody gives an explanation on how to get ATI Tool to do it, but it's a little convoluted. The BIOS mod is probably easier to deal with.

I'll dig up that ATiTool workaround, see just what all is involved . . . but, I'll prob just go ahead with the BIOS flash. It'd prob be the easiest for me anyhow. I just wasn't sure if it would work, or if the BIOS has a different clock listing for xFire mode that would supercede any singular GPU clock settings.

SSXeon

12-08-2007, 02:47 AM

Shouldnt u rename this thread to X1k~HD3k :D

hat

12-08-2007, 02:51 AM

it really should be "the ATi Clubhouse"

SSXeon

12-08-2007, 03:50 AM

True. :toast:

tkpenalty

12-08-2007, 05:42 AM

it really should be "the ATi Clubhouse"

Negative, I am not supporting all the ATI products.

Widjaja

12-08-2007, 06:57 AM

Negative, I am not supporting all the ATI products.

I understand where your'e coming from.
Just imagine how big this thread would be.:twitch:

imperialreign

12-08-2007, 06:58 AM

How about . . . "non-legacy ATI clubhouse" :D

tkpenalty

12-08-2007, 09:25 AM

How about . . . "non-legacy ATI clubhouse" :D

What is that supposed to mean? Non-legacy, what are you talking about? You mean famous cards, well, non-legacy would exclude the Legacy X1950PRO... But no, I won't change the name of the clubhouse at all.

eidairaman1

12-08-2007, 10:52 AM

well it appears i have hit hard times, as i dont think my powersupply can provide enough juice over 2 Molex lines for Sapphire 1950 Pro (Having Prepost Reboot Loop) Also games wont load, the machine was fine a few days ago but i noticed the Fan speed increased during a boot, so i thought of using 2 molex instead of the single molex with splitter. After that i had Reboot Issues (above) So i tried 2 molex lines, same problem, not sure what it is but i feel like just getting a NF3 Motherboard and a X2 CPU and calling it quits on this one. Any ideas of what maybe causing the problem?

Widjaja

12-08-2007, 01:05 PM

Odd I'm pretty sure TK recommended the PSU you currently use.
Do you mean your PC was working fine before you installed the X1950pro?

What else is running off the lines going to your card?

In my case the first line goes straight to the GPU with nothing else attached, the second line going to the GPU is also powering a 80GB IDE HDD.

eidairaman1

12-08-2007, 01:21 PM

it was a direct attach without anything else sharing the line with the graphics card, now im really thinking the graphics card did take a dive, because i setup a old motherboard with same chipset, and same rated power supply with just the basics and it fails to boot up after a OS restart, so im thinking either graphics card or ram. I dont know im really getting geared to just sell off everything and start from scratch, but do a RMA and just sell the cards.

Widjaja

12-08-2007, 01:49 PM

So you attached it to one line of the PSU via the molex Y-Splitter?
I did the same with my old 450W Generic powering only 15a off the +12V rail and it worked no troubles.
I think you were sold a dud IMO.
I know yours isn't the first story, just go to Sapphire forums.
I just thought thier cards wouldn't do this anymore.

eidairaman1

12-08-2007, 02:05 PM

im just tired of RMA's

imperialreign

12-08-2007, 08:03 PM

What is that supposed to mean? Non-legacy, what are you talking about? You mean famous cards, well, non-legacy would exclude the Legacy X1950PRO... But no, I won't change the name of the clubhouse at all.

legacy as in: no longer supported by ATI themselves.

besides, I was jut kidding about changing the name of the thread :p

tkpenalty

12-08-2007, 10:27 PM

im just tired of RMA's

lol... you are suffering from very bad luck here. I remember one guy on the forum had even worse luck how every part of his system was failing, replaced RAM, GPU died, replaced GPU, mobo died, replaced mobo the RAM died again, and GPU as well, etc.

eidairaman1

12-09-2007, 09:58 AM

The only thing that seems to be reliable is the 9800 Pro and the rest of the system, just the video cards are being crap, despite me taking ESD precautions, and also keeping the machine clean and cool, I heard that Sapphire has had some poor QA on the 1950s, but youd think those problem boards would have already been bought up.
lol... you are suffering from very bad luck here. I remember one guy on the forum had even worse luck how every part of his system was failing, replaced RAM, GPU died, replaced GPU, mobo died, replaced mobo the RAM died again, and GPU as well, etc.

pmcalduff

12-10-2007, 02:02 AM

tkpenalty

12-10-2007, 06:14 AM

I have a Powercolor - X1950PRO which uses the reference X1950GT PCB (solid state capacitors) instead of the standard reference X1950PRO PCB (VRM and PWM chips).

Although the card is suppose clocked to run with a core speed of 575 MHz and a memory clock speed of 600 MHz when I looked at my card I discovered that it uses Samsung K4J55323QG-BC14 memory chips which Samsung rates for use at 700 MHz.

Now I know that I can crank the memory clock speed up to 700 MHz without damaging the memory itself but I was wonder if the PCB board is rated to run at that speed or if I would end up frying it.

Use ati tray tools (google it), and have a see. That memory should easily do 700mhz, some reason, powercolor sometimes rebadges its X1950GTs as X1950PROs. The stock cooling as well, please get that replaced... that stock cooler that you get on the Powercolor X1950GT is terribly designed! Something, such as a VF900CU or even a VF700CU would be a massive upgrade in contrast. I'd expect you'd need the memory to be cooled in order to be able for the memory to be clocked at 700mhz however. The memory can do it, but it may run a bit too warm for comfort.

In all, the memory will run at 700mhz without a problem, just watch out for how hot the ICs get though.

tkpenalty

12-10-2007, 06:15 AM

The only thing that seems to be reliable is the 9800 Pro and the rest of the system, just the video cards are being crap, despite me taking ESD precautions, and also keeping the machine clean and cool, I heard that Sapphire has had some poor QA on the 1950s, but youd think those problem boards would have already been bought up.

I'd say you are just having horrible luck. Look, i have had 0 luck with my 9800PRO so dont go its so reliable! :roll: (Joking, the burner caused my system to stuff up).

eidairaman1

12-10-2007, 06:36 AM

so how is powercolors board? or is it PCI express for you?

eidairaman1

12-10-2007, 07:03 AM

well i gotta see what allpcdeals.com has to say about the dead item, see if they will replace it since its under their 30 day return policy, i also emailed sapphire about a replacement, honestly id rather go thru sapphire for the replacement than allpcdeals due to fact that i could get a defective part again from them and sapphire seems to have ironed out majority of the problems with a revision of the boards

pmcalduff

12-10-2007, 07:46 AM

Use ati tray tools (google it), and have a see. That memory should easily do 700mhz, some reason, powercolor sometimes rebadges its X1950GTs as X1950PROs. The stock cooling as well, please get that replaced... that stock cooler that you get on the Powercolor X1950GT is terribly designed! Something, such as a VF900CU or even a VF700CU would be a massive upgrade in contrast. I'd expect you'd need the memory to be cooled in order to be able for the memory to be clocked at 700mhz however. The memory can do it, but it may run a bit too warm for comfort.

In all, the memory will run at 700mhz without a problem, just watch out for how hot the ICs get though.

I have ATITool and have already used it to give my card a modest 3% overclock.

I replaced the stock cooler with the Zalman VF900CU about a month ago. I couldn’t stand the noise the original cooler put out. It gave off a high pitched hum that I could hear from anywhere in my house.

By the way the VF900CU came with memory heatsinks and the fan blows air down across them so I’m not really worried about the memory. My real concern is whether or not the PCB board can take it.

pmcalduff

12-10-2007, 07:48 AM

so how is powercolors board? or is it PCI express for you?

My Powercolor X1950PRO 256 is a PCI express card.

eidairaman1

12-11-2007, 10:56 AM

well i got a reply from both companies, but i think i will take my chances with Sapphire for the new board, their policy seems to be alot quicker on replacing boards using the RMA form, i should be able to get the board out the door by the end of the week then also get a new one by new years (its christmas time afterall)

Widjaja

12-11-2007, 01:01 PM

I heard the RMA is good with Sapphire.
No messing about.

Hopefully this card will work.
It will be gutting if it doesn't being around Christmas and no doubt you will most probably have new PC games as presents.

mitsirfishi

12-11-2007, 09:53 PM

yes sapphire are normally one of the better companies for rma's good luck :) ive had so much hardware go bang its unreal

eidairaman1

12-12-2007, 04:01 AM

I must say wow, i am impressed, they sent me a RMA number, well i gotta get the card packed up ready to go after i print out some documentation, i should have a new card in a few weeks.

-1nf1n1ty-

12-12-2007, 05:24 AM

Quick question: I know that the 8800GTX and the 2900XT are sorta on par with each other, 8800GTX beating it in most tests but usually not by much, But I saw some reviews and benches on the 8800GT 's are these better then the 2900XT?Don't want to get ripped off for buying a 2900XT especially after seeing the benches between GTX and XT

erocker

12-12-2007, 05:27 AM

Well if you look at any world records there's usually 2900XT's involved. But for the casual overclocker I don't think there's much beating the GTX/Ultra's right now. Especially in memroy size and bandwith.

-1nf1n1ty-

12-12-2007, 06:25 AM

eidairaman1

12-12-2007, 07:56 AM

Hey i thought this was a X-3000 Club, not a discussion of Apples vs Oranges, please keep on topic here

Widjaja

12-12-2007, 08:09 AM

X-3000?

eidairaman1

12-12-2007, 08:10 AM

X-3000?

Cough X series boards then the 3000 Line

tkpenalty

12-12-2007, 08:23 AM

Hey i thought this was a X-3000 Club, not a discussion of Apples vs Oranges, please keep on topic here

Sorry if you are mistaken, but i am absolutely neutral about GPUs. The Clubhouse is to help members, and not a fanclub at all. Yes it may seem like it but it isnt. I would happily extend support to the nvidia 8 series, but however I don't have the bother to do it at all at the moment.

It is on topic to neutrally say that the 8 Series > HD2k series in performance, then insert your reason why the HD2k series is better overall, due to value, etcetra. Its up to the people to purchase whatever they want guys. Not all products from both sides are perfect, they have their shortcomings and merits. Lets see, remember me bashing the HD2600XT on the front page?

Now, I think I've made myself clear. I'm just putting my effort into supporting you guys, helping TPU users with their GPUs. Theres one thing that I dont tolerate at all, extreme aggressive fanboism that turns into flamewars, thats on both sides.

pmcalduff

12-12-2007, 09:27 AM

Widjaja

12-12-2007, 09:27 AM

Cough X series boards then the 3000 Line

With your kind of abrasive attitude I won't be surprised if your RMA'd X1950pro shites itself.

eidairaman1

12-12-2007, 09:31 AM

sorry if my attitude is abrasive but its the way i am, perhaps you need to toughen up a little, ;)

Widjaja

12-12-2007, 09:36 AM

LOL!
Right. . . . .:rolleyes:
As long as they are behind the computer screen and miles away from the other person they have the balls to say anything.

Craigleberry

12-12-2007, 09:37 AM

:roll:Drink a glass of concrete and harden the fu@k up!!!:roll::roll::roll::rockout:
Widjaja that made my day mate until now my day has been chit and nothing has made me smile

eidairaman1

12-12-2007, 09:38 AM

LOL!
Right. . . . .:rolleyes:

Glad we are back on track and on the same Page

LMAO! :slap::nutkick::roll::toast::laugh:

Duffman

12-13-2007, 04:58 AM

I just found this forum. Very cool resource. I plan on visiting here alot. I'm looking into getting a second 2900 for xfire. I've got my eye on a couple on ebay. I'm also wondering which cooler would be recommended. I will have to ditch my thermalright for xfire. it won't fit in the top slot due to interference with my Northbridge cooler. I've been thinking Zalman VF700 as my buddy is using one on his 8800GT with no problems. He's moved them from a 7900 to an 8600 and now on his 8800.

Here is my rig and my Sapphire 2900pro with Thermalright cooler:

rig open up, shortly after assembly
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/ForceFedGTI/PC/IMG_0726.jpg

removable mb tray showing off the GPU and coolers
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/ForceFedGTI/PC/IMG_0724.jpg

close up of the card. this was in my old case
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/ForceFedGTI/PC/IMG_0629.jpg

Full specs:
Silverstone TJ09 Aluminum case
Abit IP35Pro MB
E6850 Processor
Roswill RCX-Z775-EX Cooler
2GB Corsair XMS2 ram (will go to 4 eventually)
Sapphire 2900pro with Thermalright cooler (for now)
Antec Truepower 1000
Asus 20x DVD w/lightscribe
Scythe Kama Bay 120mm front fan
Two Samsung Spinpoint T series 500GB HD's in Raid0
One WD 160GB
Zalman 120mm Red LED fans all around for case cooling

pmcalduff

12-13-2007, 05:53 AM

Myself I'd recommend Zalman's VF900CU. It works better than the VF700 without taking up more space.

By the way that Thermalright cooler is an absolute monster.

Duffman

12-13-2007, 05:58 AM

Yeah, it is. That's the reason i need to look into other coolers. I can't run two of them with my motherboard. They work absolutely wonderful, they're just so....big.

Wile E

12-13-2007, 09:19 AM

Why not go water?

pmcalduff

12-13-2007, 09:37 AM

Modern heatpipe coolers are almost as effective and quiet as water cooling. They also have the added bonus of being much much cheaper.

eidairaman1

12-13-2007, 09:44 AM

well if it comes down to losing slots vs maximum cooling, id rather have the slots, Waterblocks take up less space than OtT Heatsinks, now the problem with the HR 03 wouldnt be there if the cooler was installed the other way. Beyond that Heat Rises, so that would technically be the better design, exhaust heat from the heatsink.

Wile E

12-13-2007, 09:45 AM

Modern heatpipe coolers are almost as effective and quiet as water cooling. They also have the added bonus of being much much cheaper.

Yeah, cheaper indeed. lol.

but not as good as a proper water setup.

pmcalduff

12-13-2007, 09:50 AM

eidairaman1

12-13-2007, 09:52 AM

only reason Aircooling has become popular is due to price, a waterblock still wins out by taking up less space than a heatsink. Also Heatsinks of larger size tend to be harder to install than waterblocks.

Wile E

12-13-2007, 10:02 AM

Swiftech H2O-120 Compact and Corsair Nautilus 500: Is Water Better?

The Bottom Line

The next time a computer friend tells you water cooling performs better or is quieter than air cooling, tell him his information is out of date. Air coolers have evolved to the point where a top $50 to $75 air cooler will normally outperform a water cooling kit at $300 or below. The best air coolers are much cheaper, easier to install, lower in noise, and provide better overclocking results than water cooling kits that are up to six times more expensive.

http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3097lol. You are comparing low to mid water to high end air. Throw a 2 or 3x120mm rad in there, and air stands no chance. $300 buys me a water setup that no air cooler can touch, period. Common sense dictates this. Try cooling a 226w TEC with an air cooler and see what happens. Not gonna happen, but my 3x120mm rad does it easily. This comes from experience, not some review on a website.

Duffman

12-13-2007, 03:02 PM

Price is what it boils down to for me. At the moment. The HR03 can be mounted on top of the card which is a really neat feature. Problem is, that my northbridge heatsinc gets in the way. i might be able to mount it that way sans fan, but it looses too much cooling ability that way.

I am looking at the VF900 also, mainly because the $20 version of the 700 isn't available on newegg right now. I'm still not sure what the difference is between that one and the $26 version. They're both the ALCU versions too. The CU version is $29 and then the 900 is only $3 more than that.

pmcalduff

12-13-2007, 03:15 PM

lol. You are comparing low to mid water to high end air.

You got me there. The water coolers reviewed were definitely not top of the line. However, even those low to mid water coolers are triple the cost of the high end air coolers.

mitsirfishi

12-13-2007, 10:59 PM

its a simple and cost effect product works a fair greater than the stock heatsinks and cant argue at the value of the freezer 64 or the 7

Craigleberry

12-14-2007, 03:25 AM

Speaking of coolers but a little off topic from GPU's I recieved my Thermalright IFX-14 today and will be installing it later. I will post some pics of It once fitted.:)

Duffman

12-14-2007, 03:46 AM

that cooler is tight. I was very impressed with the thermalright quality.

Back on the GPU subject, I just won myself an ATI 2900XT on ebay. Crossfire, here I come!

Also, the $20 VF700's are back in stock at Newegg, so i'm going to go with them. The price/performance difference isn't justifiable to go with the 900 over them.

Widjaja

12-14-2007, 05:06 AM

Speaking of coolers but a little off topic from GPU's I recieved my Thermalright IFX-14 today and will be installing it later. I will post some pics of It once fitted.:)

Yeah would like to see it after installed.
Wonder how the backside heatsink clips on.

eidairaman1

12-14-2007, 09:38 AM

question for yall, the AGP Sapphire X1950 Pro, does it use the 5V leads of the Molex Lines or does it just use the 12V Lead? I was thinking about getting a PCI e to Molex Adapter for that purpose, to see if that makes any difference in power. I assume the PCI express 1950 from sapphire uses the PCI express power instead.

mitsirfishi

12-14-2007, 09:45 AM

it will be the 12v molex i cant see it using anything else really like the old floppy connectors like on one of my 9800se's

eidairaman1

12-14-2007, 10:15 AM

i never said anything about Floppy lines, what i was getting at is does the card utilize all the leads in the molex or just the 12V leads? Cause i was thinking maybe PCI Express Leads have more Amperage that can be used

Widjaja

12-14-2007, 10:25 AM

I assume the Sapphire X1950pro AGP model has 2 Molex for the card to run off two separate lines and the Y-splitter is used if the card had taken up one too many molex connections, it just wouldn't make any sense to have two molex connections on the card.

The 2x4-pin Molex connections on the Sapphire X1950pro AGP always made me think why?
They should have just used a PCI-E connection.

eidairaman1

12-14-2007, 10:46 AM

I agree, cause if the 5V section of the Molex isnt used why not just have PCI express, beyond that PCI Express Lines tend to have more Amperage if im not mistaken, but if i could find out more info on this board, i could probably use this adapter with 2 PCI express lines unless if there is a Splitter Unit of the same type http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=21141

I assume the Sapphire X1950pro AGP model has 2 Molex for the card to run off two separate lines and the Y-splitter is used if the card had taken up one too many molex connections, it just wouldn't make any sense to have two molex connections on the card.

The 2x4-pin Molex connections on the Sapphire X1950pro AGP always made me think why?
They should have just used a PCI-E connection.

Wile E

12-14-2007, 10:55 AM

You got me there. The water coolers reviewed were definitely not top of the line. However, even those low to mid water coolers are triple the cost of the high end air coolers.

And you definitely got me there. lol. My setup, once 100% completed (need to add a gpu block), will cost about $350 total. But then again, I'm cooling 3 items (cpu, gpu, chipset), and better than air can manage. Cooling to price ratios are generally better on air, but the overall results can be better on a good water setup.

I like having water. It allows me to push further, but it does come at a cost. I'll be making another foray into TEC at some point as well.

tkpenalty

12-14-2007, 10:57 AM

I agree, cause if the 5V section of the Molex isnt used why not just have PCI express, beyond that PCI Express Lines tend to have more Amperage if im not mistaken, but if i could find out more info on this board, i could probably use this adapter with 2 PCI express lines unless if there is a Splitter Unit of the same type http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=21141

Not to mention more safety pins in the PCI-E Plugs, I dont understand why sapphire had to do that, seriously. Even a low end PSU these days ALWAYS has a PCI-E 6 Pin connector, regardless of Wattage, Manufacturer, and Quality. I've seen some Generic 400W with a 6 Pin, even though it wouldnt be able to handle any card.

Widjaja

12-14-2007, 11:08 AM

@eidairaman1
I have been to that site aswell since I do have a PSU with PCI-E connections.
But I haven't heard of anyone using the adaptor.

Were Sapphire the only maker to use this config?
I don't think there are any other GPUs out there which use 2x4-pin molex connectors.

Wile E

12-14-2007, 11:13 AM

eidairaman1

12-14-2007, 11:15 AM

How is that TK?
The other advantage of that, not as much to clean up as of Dust.
And you definitely got me there. lol. My setup, once 100% completed (need to add a gpu block), will cost about $350 total. But then again, I'm cooling 3 items (cpu, gpu, chipset), and better than air can manage. Cooling to price ratios are generally better on air, but the overall results can be better on a good water setup.

I like having water. It allows me to push further, but it does come at a cost. I'll be making another foray into TEC at some point as well.

Not to mention more safety pins in the PCI-E Plugs, I dont understand why sapphire had to do that, seriously. Even a low end PSU these days ALWAYS has a PCI-E 6 Pin connector, regardless of Wattage, Manufacturer, and Quality. I've seen some Generic 400W with a 6 Pin, even though it wouldnt be able to handle any card.

I've seen some cards with fdd connectors.

The last card that i seen to use the FDD connector was the R300 AGP line- excluding the PCI Express to AGP parts.

Diamond is the other maker that was using them. Hmm i wonder if the 1950GT AGP uses the same connection
@eidairaman1
I have been to that site aswell since I do have a PSU with PCI-E connections.
But I haven't heard of anyone using the adaptor.

Were Sapphire the only maker to use this config?
I don't think there are any other GPUs out there which use 2x4-pin molex connectors.

well if any of yall can help me out on this, i greatly appreciate it, i gotta make sure this machine lasts until i build the 790FX with 3850 512, and BE 5000 Late Q1 early Q2 of 2008

tkpenalty

12-14-2007, 11:25 AM

The last card that i seen to use the FDD connector was the R300 AGP line- excluding the PCI Express to AGP parts.

Dont double post please. Anyway, I'll ask, who wants me to start a new thread? I have to say, its getting really big, and I'd like to have a fresh start for this thread. Vote now.

Widjaja

12-14-2007, 11:49 AM

I think you need to get all the important info from this thread and compile into a locked thread which only you have access to up date and start a new thread for Q & A.

Just have a link at the start if either thread so users can just click on the links to jump from either thread.

tkpenalty

12-14-2007, 11:54 AM

Ugh, browse through 100 pages, and extract info... wheeee...... hahah .. ill try.

pmcalduff

12-14-2007, 11:57 AM

I like having water. It allows me to push further, but it does come at a cost. I'll be making another foray into TEC at some point as well.

What TEC are you thinking of using. From what I’ve heard the 226w TECs aren’t powerful enough for today’s processors. Of course I could be wrong about this. I’ve never used a TEC myself.

Widjaja

12-14-2007, 12:04 PM

Ugh, browse through 100 pages, and extract info... wheeee...... hahah .. ill try.

You love it.:D

Wile E

12-14-2007, 12:11 PM

What TEC are you thinking of using. From what I’ve heard the 226w TECs aren’t powerful enough for today’s processors. Of course I could be wrong about this. I’ve never used a TEC myself.I had a 226W TEC (see link #1 in sig. lol.). It easily kept up with d44ve's (person on this forum I purchased it from) E6600 at 1.7V. I believe his load temps were around 20C at that voltage. Not phase by any means, but still damn good.

But anyway, I was thinking more along the lines of TECing my gpu, and throwing my cpu on phase in the spring, and using H2O for the chipsets. That's if Phase can fit into my budget after I get my tax return. Otherwise, I'll put a 226W on whatever cpu it is that I end up with, and h20 everything else.

Craigleberry

12-14-2007, 12:11 PM

The "Backside cooler was real easy to fit" I is fixed on with sticky thermal pads underneath the backing plate for the heatsink.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/Picture182.jpg
First fitting (after looking at the photo I realized I had it the wrong way around!"
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/Picture181.jpg
Fitted the right way around!
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/Picture186.jpg
This is what it looks like when it is running.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/Picture189.jpg

I played around with FSB and have 3.20GHz out of it. Will post screens of bench and temps soon.:)

tkpenalty

12-14-2007, 12:18 PM

what the fark... that is... you should thank me for finding the cooler for a low price :p :p :p

That looks simply awesome! With that backside cooling part loool

DAMN MUST GET IT

Craigleberry

12-14-2007, 12:35 PM

Yes indeed Thanks for putting me on to it TK.
Another of it on my messy desk:p
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/Picture187.jpg

Widjaja

12-14-2007, 12:40 PM

Shi. . . .t.
Your'e rig looks awesome.
I really like how your window only shows the heatsinks and nothing below it.
Relly draws attention to it.
New custom paint job on the case panels and that rig is going to look sick not that it's already well on it's way.

I would have suggested different fan grills but the fancy ones make noise, I know I own one.

I'm sending some pics of your rig to my bro now.

Craigleberry

12-14-2007, 12:43 PM

I cant believe how light the cooler is for its size!
Coz it is a monster of a thing!

Widjaja

12-14-2007, 12:52 PM

So the CPU fans suck air away from the heatsinks?
Yeah it's huge alright and you haven't said a thing about issues with clearance.

My bro is using a E6600 so depending on your bench results he might be interested in getting one.

tkpenalty

12-14-2007, 12:53 PM

how wide is that O_o.... i dont think my HR-05 would fit with it, whats the width of the cooler?

Duffman

12-14-2007, 12:58 PM

whoa, that thing is a monster. I think that's the first pic i've seen with one installed. I think Thermalright's motto should be, "go big or go home"!

I agree about creating a new thread with the pertinant info from this one. It was a chore going through all these posts!

pmcalduff

12-14-2007, 01:01 PM

I had a 226W TEC (see link #1 in sig. lol.)

That is some serious carnage. :eek:

Craigleberry

12-14-2007, 01:10 PM

It was a little tricky to mount the motherboard back in but I enjoyed the challenge:p.
Ran 3d mark before and got 17876 thats using 3d mark 03.
I just need to work on painting the inside and more lighting and cable hiding.
Apparantly the config I have used with the fans is the best. Although this heatsink can be used with no fans.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/size.jpg

tkpenalty

12-14-2007, 09:15 PM

damn, ill need to buy a HR-05 SLI to get that to fit O_o .

EDIT: Actually, in the middle mount i could fit the HR-05 there... Nevermind about the IFX, its plainly too much overkill for me. Anyway, some interesting figures. The HR-01 Plus which i plan on getting soon (12 Heatpipes effectively as opposed to the eight on the previous version), outperforms the Thermalright Ultra 120, as well as being lighter its a more compact design overall. Looks like i'll be getting this, I already have a low RPM 120mm fan to go with it. This shall be interesting :p. In that review that I looked at, they did the testing at the same time, and did it several times thus, its fairly accurate. I reckon it would look nice with my HR-05 installed. The Smaller size of the HR-01 should make it easy for my HR-05 to have a good mounting position.

What temps do you get anyway?

imperialreign

12-14-2007, 11:49 PM

holy lord, cb, that has got to be the biggest air cooled fansink I've ever seen!

at least 95% of your case's airflow will be going right through that sucker!

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 12:33 AM

Are these temps o.k?
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/temps.jpg
They are idle temps pc has been running for like 4 hours or so

Duffman

12-15-2007, 01:15 AM

holy lord, cb, that has got to be the biggest air cooled fansink I've ever seen!

at least 95% of your case's airflow will be going right through that sucker!

never seen a Coolermaster Gemeni II?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/ForceFedGTI/PC/IMG_0546.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/ForceFedGTI/PC/IMG_0547.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/ForceFedGTI/PC/IMG_0549.jpg

erocker

12-15-2007, 01:17 AM

This thread has gone way off topic, but I saw some prototype like the Gemini II, where the fins basically covered the entire side of a case!

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 01:17 AM

Duffman

12-15-2007, 01:53 AM

no offense taken. it's not my pc. It is my buddy's old case.

pmcalduff

12-15-2007, 02:35 AM

After seeing all these pictures I couldn't resist the temptation to "show off" my CPU cooler. I know you'll all be impressed.:rockout:

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 02:56 AM

After seeing all these pictures I couldn't resist the temptation to "show off" my CPU cooler. I know you'll all be impressed.:rockout:

I used to have a wicked mad cpu cooler like that!:laugh:

tkpenalty

12-15-2007, 03:26 AM

:p[QUOTE=Duffman;569486]never seen a Coolermaster Gemeni II?

Please dont take offence to this but how on earth can the air flow inside that case with all of them wires in the way?
And sorry for hi-jacking thread with my heatsink pics do those temps look o.k?

I'm fine with the "Hijacking of the thread", as long as its productive. This is not a tightarse club when it comes to stuff like this, geez, i'd like to see more of your IFX lol. CM Gemini, I sorta scream inside, when I see it.

Fine lets try to get back on topic (not).

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 04:01 AM

Hey TK how do my temps look?

Widjaja

12-15-2007, 04:50 AM

TK must be playing kicks in the backyard.

@Craigle
Do you have core temp program?
This way you can also give us your max load temp.
Just open up core temp and leave it running while playing your most demanding game.
Once you've stop playing the game close core temp and click on its log file and it will show the temps of the cores from the start of the game to the time you close core temp.

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 04:53 AM

Thanks looks like my load temps are 45
I do have a little problem tho arnt those volts high?
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/volts.jpg

Widjaja

12-15-2007, 05:04 AM

According to the intel proccessor webiste, it's within it's boundries.
0.85v - 1.5v.

Here's the specs on your CPU.
http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLA9V

Off topic:-
Forgot you had a kid.
Wondered why you were wearing such small gumboots. LOL!

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 05:07 AM

hat

12-15-2007, 05:08 AM

Here's a hint: take screenshots of only your active window. You do it like this:

Get the window you want a picture of active.
Press alt + printscreen
go into paint, irfanview, photoshop, whatever and save it.
Now you've got a much smaller file as far as image size goes so it doesn't need to be resized and it's smaller in kb/mb size too.

If you've got multiple windows that you want to show, just take pics of them one at a time.

Widjaja

12-15-2007, 05:21 AM

I will have to look in my bios and see it must be on auto or sumptin. I cant find anywhere to adjust the volts for my ram in my bios either.
I am such a noob....

At the rate he is going my kid will know more about pc's than I do.

Yeah speestep is most probably on and can only be deactivated through BIOS.
There's bound to be somewhere in your BIOS you do the tweaking but I'm not familiar with your BIOS.

Default CPU voltage for your CPU should be around 1.375v.

It's a good thing your kid has knowledge about PCs since they are going play a big part in his future with the way the world is going.

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 05:39 AM

I agree Widjaja I just have to fight them for the pc when I get home from work coz they are always playing it. lol
I disabled A few things in there.... knocked the voltage down. runs cooler....?
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/gg.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/coretemo.jpg

imperialreign

12-15-2007, 06:37 AM

never seen a Coolermaster Gemeni II?

naw, those pics are the first time I've ever seen one :laugh: Damn, Cooler Master makes so behemoth coolers, I swear!

It's a good thing your kid has knowledge about PCs since they are going play a big part in his future with the way the world is going.

defi agree with this, cb. I've grown up around computers, my father started teaching me how to program and repair stuff when I was only 5. I tell ya, it's made a big difference for me, I think - I pick up new concepts and I understand new technology real quick, and I can usually logically deduce how things work and operate with very little knowledge going in.

Just a recommendation on my part, as you learn new stuff, be willing to teach your kid and keep him interested in computers. For starters, it's an ever constant growing field, and should he decide to pursue a computer related career years down the road, he'll be much further ahead than most of his classmates; and you know where to look if there's ever anything you don't understand or need more info on!

Not sure how you'd feel about teaching him how to overclock just yet, though! :laugh:

eidairaman1

12-15-2007, 06:43 AM

despite its size, it performs worse than the Ultra-120 cooler from TRight, the IFX-14 is just 2x Ultra-120s.

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 06:45 AM

He was out the back trying to O/C his bike today lol
despite its size, it performs worse than the Ultra-120 cooler from TRight, the IFX-14 is just 2x Ultra-120s.
Why did Thermalright bring it out if it is not an improvement??? Mate it has been proven that the IFX-14 performs better than the Ultra!

pmcalduff

12-15-2007, 09:10 AM

He was out the back trying to O/C his bike today lol

Was he trying to put tiny little heat sinks on the chain.

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 09:15 AM

Was he trying to put tiny little heat sinks on the chain.

ROFL:laugh::slap:

eidairaman1

12-15-2007, 09:33 AM

He was out the back trying to O/C his bike today lol

Why did Thermalright bring it out if it is not an improvement??? Mate it has been proven that the IFX-14 performs better than the Ultra!

Ok, what i was talking about was the Gemeni 2, Despite its enormous size and looks, it fails in compare to the Ultra-120 and the IF_14 is just 2 120s tied to eachother

Widjaja

12-15-2007, 09:41 AM

@Craigle
I'm guessing CPU-Z is off?
I had the same thing happened with my CPU.
I would bump up the voltage to 1.40 and CPU-Z still assumed it was 1.30v

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 09:48 AM

@Craigle
I'm guessing CPU-Z is off?
I had the same thing happened with my CPU.
I would bump up the voltage to 1.40 and CPU-Z still assumed it was 1.30v

How can I fix it yo?

tkpenalty

12-15-2007, 09:50 AM

@Craigle
I'm guessing CPU-Z is off?
I had the same thing happened with my CPU.
I would bump up the voltage to 1.40 and CPU-Z still assumed it was 1.30v

CPU is NEVER correct about my voltages, it always display 1.325v. Apart from that, does that backside cooler get warm at all? As in the fins? You might want to attach a 70mm fan to it :laugh:. Craig, add my email (check on first page of clubhouse please), ill send you something.

(Guests please look at pages 103 and under for information, and the first page for most of it on the 1k~HD3k information, err we are going off road for a bit atm, sorry for the inconvenence)
(Moderators, please don't do anything about how off topic we are. I will be very angry if it happens).

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 09:52 AM

CPU is NEVER correct about my voltages, it always display 1.325v. Apart from that, does that backside cooler get warm at all? As in the fins? You might want to attach a 70mm fan to it :laugh:.

Fan City ..... I will soon get complaints from my neighbours when I power on my rig and their lights dim!:laugh:

Widjaja

12-15-2007, 09:55 AM

CPU-Z was fine with my old P4 3.0E but not this CPU.

Craigle,
Has the fan noise increased substantially since adding the IFX-14?

tkpenalty

12-15-2007, 09:55 AM

Fan City ..... I will soon get complaints from my neighbours when I power on my rig and their lights dim!:laugh:

That will never happen unfortuneately, even with two HD2900XTs and a QuadFX system in one, you wouldnt be able to do anything like that. PCs dont use that much power... in your case, 350W at load, at the most.

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 10:15 AM

yeah I know I was kidding! The 4 120mm coolermasters are quiet. Its the 80mm fans that are loud. Noise didnt change at all after adding the IFX-14. I need a fan controler so I can shut the 80's up a bit!

eidairaman1

12-15-2007, 10:16 AM

that or get 120 fans

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 10:22 AM

O.K I will attempt to bring this thread back to its topic now.
What heatsink should I get for my Sapphire X1950 Pro?:laugh:
Any suggestions would be great afterall TK helped me choose the Thermalright:p
QUOTE=Widjaja;569825]CPU-Z was fine with my old P4 3.0E but not this CPU.

Craigle,
Has the fan noise increased substantially since adding the IFX-14?[/QUOTE]

No extra noise with two extra 120's

Widjaja

12-15-2007, 10:30 AM

I'm guessing it's going to be between a Accellero X2 and a Zalman VF series vga coolers.
By the looks of your Sapphire you don't have VRMs.
Is that correct?

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 10:37 AM

I dunno I am a total noob at this stuff mate but willing to try anything. Page 104 there is a pic with side view of my card.

pmcalduff

12-15-2007, 12:36 PM

O.K I will attempt to bring this thread back to its topic now.
What heatsink should I get for my Sapphire X1950 Pro?:laugh:

I took a look at the picture on page 104 and his card has capacitors instead of the VRM units. Now the Accellero X2 was designed specifically to fit onto the relatively flat surface of the VRM based cards. If you try to put it on a card with capacitors the capacitors themselves get in the way. How do I know? Before getting my Zalman VF900cu I bought an Accellero X2 and it wouldn’t fit. :banghead: To make matters worse I didn’t figure this out until I had already torn the packaging open and put the thermal pads on my memory chips meaning that I couldn’t ask for my money back. :banghead: :banghead:

Anyway that leaves you with the choice between the Zalman VF700 series and the VF900 series. The 900 series had dual heat pipes and more fins. As a result it can dissipate a lot more heat than the 700. If you’re thinking of overclocking your card you should definitely go with the 900.

Widjaja

12-15-2007, 12:49 PM

Do the spikey ram heatsinks come in the same package as the VF900 or 700?
And what do they use as adhesion?
Epoxy or stick pads.

pmcalduff

12-15-2007, 04:40 PM

They both come with the spiky memory heatsinks and they attach with adhesive sticky pads. All you have to do is peel off a small plastic tab and put them on the chip.

tkpenalty

12-15-2007, 08:45 PM

You'll have to clean your memory chips, its not that simple, or else the RAMsinks will come off really easily. Make sure your fingers DONT touch the pads, because any oils from your hand detract from the stickiness of the pad. Its best to use rubbing alcohol to clean the chips, like 70% +

Craigleberry

12-15-2007, 08:53 PM

I took a look at the picture on page 104 and his card has capacitors instead of the VRM units. Now the Accellero X2 was designed specifically to fit onto the relatively flat surface of the VRM based cards. If you try to put it on a card with capacitors the capacitors themselves get in the way. How do I know? Before getting my Zalman VF900cu I bought an Accellero X2 and it wouldn’t fit. :banghead: To make matters worse I didn’t figure this out until I had already torn the packaging open and put the thermal pads on my memory chips meaning that I couldn’t ask for my money back. :banghead: :banghead:

Anyway that leaves you with the choice between the Zalman VF700 series and the VF900 series. The 900 series had dual heat pipes and more fins. As a result it can dissipate a lot more heat than the 700. If you’re thinking of overclocking your card you should definitely go with the 900.

The first PC I built with not knowing anything really about PC's but after a few months I relised I had given myself some serious limitations with the hardware I chose. So I sold it and built a new one...... Thats why I always ask on here now so I can learn from everyone else's mistakes! If I didnt ask I wouldnt know that Accellero X2 wont go with my card and I wouldve wasted time and money AGAIN.
So the Zalman VF900 is the choice?

eidairaman1

12-15-2007, 09:17 PM

ive been working on this machine since 04, the oldest part of the system is the Case and the fans that came with it Antec SX830. Im starting to feel its time to build the new machine and retire this one to a Media Server

Widjaja

12-16-2007, 01:07 AM

@ Craigle
If you want to be a bit more clued up on OCing the Sapphire, go PM Tigger.
I'm unsure if he's installed a aftermarket heastsink on his though.

pmcalduff

12-16-2007, 01:48 AM

So the Zalman VF900 is the choice?
My Powercolor X1950PRO 256 is very similar to your card and I’m very happy with the VF900. It runs cooler than the stock cooler and it's a lot quieter even at high speed. If you don't intend to overclock your card you can even put it on quiet mode.

tkpenalty

12-16-2007, 04:32 AM

The first PC I built with not knowing anything really about PC's but after a few months I relised I had given myself some serious limitations with the hardware I chose. So I sold it and built a new one...... Thats why I always ask on here now so I can learn from everyone else's mistakes! If I didnt ask I wouldnt know that Accellero X2 wont go with my card and I wouldve wasted time and money AGAIN.
So the Zalman VF900 is the choice?

VF900CU is the choice if you have the money, but a VF700CU would do fine as well, and cost less.

Craigleberry

12-16-2007, 06:33 AM

VF900CU It is

erocker

12-16-2007, 06:37 AM

VF900CU is the choice if you have the money, but a VF700CU would do fine as well, and cost less.

I would think that a VF700CU would work really well on a HD3xxx series! It's pretty cool that some of these smaller coolers are going to have a market with smaller cooler chips coming out. I'm so glad that Nvidia/ATi aren't making thier cards any bigger. These last generation cards are freakin powerpants.

tkpenalty

12-16-2007, 12:31 PM

I would think that a VF700CU would work really well on a HD3xxx series! It's pretty cool that some of these smaller coolers are going to have a market with smaller cooler chips coming out. I'm so glad that Nvidia/ATi aren't making thier cards any bigger. These last generation cards are freakin powerpants.

Yeah thats true, a VF700ALCU Takes the HD3870 down to 50*C Load, which is nonetheless impressive. Hey craig, don't purchase a VF900CU, you're somewhat wasting money since the X1950PRO won't overclock much, regardless of cooling. Just purchase a VF900ALCU.

pmcalduff

12-16-2007, 01:46 PM

For what it’s worth I still recommend the VF900CU. If you don’t need the full cooling power turn it down to silent mode which will cool you GPU better than the VF700ALCU running at full speed.

tkpenalty

12-17-2007, 04:55 AM

For what it’s worth I still recommend the VF900CU. If you don’t need the full cooling power turn it down to silent mode which will cool you GPU better than the VF700ALCU running at full speed.

Thats fairly incorrect ya know?

Duffman

12-17-2007, 05:26 AM

seriously, i think the VF 700's are way underrated

pmcalduff

12-17-2007, 05:57 AM

Thats fairly incorrect ya know?

This chart compares the VF900CU and the VF700CU and shows them to be very similar when the 700 is set to its maximum speed and the 900 is set to its minimum speed. The VF77ALCU performs even worse than the VF700CU.

Don't get me wrong, the 700 series is good but the 900 series is better.

pmcalduff

12-17-2007, 06:04 AM

pmcalduff

12-17-2007, 06:07 AM

By the way, how do I post pictures instead of tiny little thumbnails?

tkpenalty

12-17-2007, 06:08 AM

It's also quiter at all fan settings:

VGA Cooler Test Results: Fan Noise and MP3 Recordings
Fan Voltage/VF700CU LED/VF900CU
12V -- 33 dBA@1m -- 31 dBA@1m
9V --- 28 dBA@1m -- 27 dBA@1m
7V --- 24 dBA@1m -- 23 dBA@1m
5V --- 21 dBA@1m -- 20 dBA@1m

HOW TO LISTEN & COMPARE
These recordings were made with a high resolution studio quality digital recording system. The microphone was 3" from the edge of the fan frame at a 45° angle, facing the intake side of the fan to avoid direct wind noise. The ambient noise during all recordings was 18 dBA or lower.

I laugh at you for not realising that those sound differences are minimal. I've used both coolers in different applications before, and afaik, they sound the same. 1db difference is negliable, moreover at 7v (best choice), i doubt you can clearly hear the fan. In Australia, the VF900CU costs $50, whilst the VF700ALCU costs $30. $20 difference.

pmcalduff

12-17-2007, 06:17 AM

I laugh at you for not realising that those sound differences are minimal. I've used both coolers in different applications before, and afaik, they sound the same. 1db difference is negliable, moreover at 7v (best choice), i doubt you can clearly hear the fan.

I'm well aware that 1db is not a difference anyone would ever notice, but your making the wrong comparison. According to the first chart the 700 series cools the same at high speed as the 900 series at low speed. So the comparison you need to be making is:

VF700CU at 12V -- 33 dBA@1m
vs
VF900CU at 5V -- 20 dBA@1m

Is thirteen dBA negligible?

pmcalduff

12-17-2007, 06:21 AM

In Australia, the VF900CU costs $50, whilst the VF700ALCU costs $30. $20 difference.

Okay you got me on the price. Here in Korea the price difference is that same as in Australia.

Wile E

12-17-2007, 06:35 AM

I'm well aware that 1db is not a difference anyone would ever notice, but your making the wrong comparison. According to the first chart the 700 series cools the same at high speed as the 900 series at low speed. So the comparison you need to be making is:

VF700CU at 12V -- 33 dBA@1m
vs
VF900CU at 5V -- 20 dBA@1m

Is thirteen dBA negliable?Not at all negligible. Every 6dBA is double the volume. +13dBA is 4x louder.

Dangle

12-18-2007, 01:03 AM

Can I join this club? I use 2900XT.

Craigleberry

12-18-2007, 03:04 AM

Which one is it?

tkpenalty

12-19-2007, 09:34 AM

Wow, what happened? Guys, whats with the inactivity?

imperialreign

12-19-2007, 11:46 PM

http://mindphaser.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/sleepy.gif

imperialreign

12-20-2007, 12:05 AM

Actually, though - I did have a question . . .

I'm thinking right now it's due to the xFire setup.

Alright, whenever I open a 3D program, after about 5 seconds or so, it stutters a little bit slideshows for a couple of seconds, then goes back to normal and I don't have the problem again until I open another program.

For example, if I run PCm05 - as soon as it opens and starts the 3D and Physics test, it starts stuttering.

If I open Crysis, a couple of seconds after the saved game loads, it'll stutter a bit.

I've already ruled out the soundcard, I never had this problem running one GPU.

It will also do it if xFire is disabled, but not as much as with both cards running.

I assume, then, that this is just stuttering from all the textures, etc being loaded to both cards at the same time? Or is it because both cards are running at x8 on a P4 (somewhat bottlenecked) setup?

Craigleberry

12-20-2007, 05:30 AM

I didnt realize you had two x1950 pro's imperialreign.

imperialreign

12-20-2007, 05:35 AM

I didnt realize you had two x1950 pro's imperialreign.

:D I do now! Damn cheap, too. The first card I bought back in July, retail was $245 - with $10 off at the register, and $70 mail-in rebate. That card came out to $165.

The second one I got earlier this month off of a friend. It's the same exact card that I already have, but was manufactured a month or two before the first one I bought. Anyhow, he moved up to a 2900XT and offered me his card for $85 (instead of keeping it :shadedshu), I talked him to $70.

Total for both 1950's = $235 :rockout::D:rockout:

tkpenalty

12-20-2007, 05:48 AM

I'm going to probably RMA my X1950PRO, the god damn cooler buzzes a lot, when its not supposed to.

Craigleberry

12-20-2007, 09:32 AM

Why not replace the cooler yourself T.K?

tkpenalty

12-20-2007, 11:41 PM

Why not replace the cooler yourself T.K?

I would have if the memory pads werent stuck on with adhesive. Its impossible to remove the cooler atm without breaking the card, as far as I can see.

Craigleberry

12-22-2007, 02:29 AM

good point!

tkpenalty

12-22-2007, 09:18 PM

After the 1.1 patch, pro street runs surprisingly well, ignoring the fact that there is a 30FPS framelock, however at the settings I play at, 6x AA (Temporal), 16x HQ AF, 1280x1024, there is rarely ever a drop in FPS now, before i was getting something like 25~15 FPS. Looks like I won't have to upgrade for a while.

Sidenote, why are all the forums seemingly very inactive? Including TPU, is everyone on holidays?

Craigleberry

12-22-2007, 11:21 PM

Re your side note TK I have noticed that too. They are all out shopping for christmas.
Hey Widjaja noticed that my clock speeds are below stock is this correct?
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/Myclockspeeds.jpg

rick22

12-22-2007, 11:55 PM

Why don't you just add the new ATI cards to the club you have..How can you start this club when you don't have the card..

eidairaman1

12-23-2007, 12:10 AM

why do you care?

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 12:18 AM

rick22

12-23-2007, 01:01 AM

why do you care?

1. to many new clubs..2. to many new clubs:wtf:

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 01:51 AM

@Craigle
Yeah I'm sure I'm correct.
PCI-E Sapphire X1950pro have the same clock speed as the AGP, I looked it up on the Sapphire website.
Probably also the reason your'e a few degrees cooler than usual.
Temps should be in the early 40's

I wonder if it will hurt the memory to put it where it should be??http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/coreclocksnow.jpg

pmcalduff

12-23-2007, 02:32 AM

I wonder if it will hurt the memory to put it where it should be??http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd145/Craigleberry/coreclocksnow.jpg

It’s really funny that you and I seem to have had the exact problems. I noticed that my card was running below it’s rated speed and contacted the folks at PowerColor to see what was the matter. It seems that the core and memory speeds are set incrementally. As a result your card will be a little below or a little above the rated speed. To be safe manufactures set cards just below the rated speed. However, I don’t think putting it up one setting level will hurt anything.

I believe your card is rated at the following:

• ATI RADEON™ X1950 PRO core (580MHz)
• 256MB GDDR3 onboard memory (1400MHz) 700 X2

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 02:35 AM

Although I have now put the core and mem speeds at the rated specs I dont think that it will result in a big difference in my crappy 3dmark 06 scores.

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 03:07 AM

Why don't you just add the new ATI cards to the club you have..How can you start this club when you don't have the card..
1. to many new clubs..2. to many new clubs:wtf:

Okay, please observe what I say rick but, you misunderstand a lot of things.
First of all, this Club is one of the oldest and thriving clubhouses that are actually useful. "1. to many new clubs..2. to many new clubs:wtf:", from what I understand you meant too, its no problem if you aren't from an english speaking country, but I don't think thats the case. Moreover, this club has been around for more than half a year, its almost a year old. Please differentiate this club from the rest.

Now, do I have to reiterate this debate? Useful clubs vs useless clubs, useful as in providing much support for issues etcetra. Useless, as in spamholes, etcetra-which is not what this club is.

"Why dont you just add the new ATI card to the club you have.... how can you start this club when you dont have the card.." What is that supposed to mean in the first place? Are you saying that I dont deserve the right to help others? And fact, this USED to be a X1950PRO Clubhouse when I started it. I have several other people to help me on the newer cards, in terms of support etcetra.

No offense, clean your bad grammar up, because it can cause MUCH misunderstanding.

Although I have now put the core and mem speeds at the rated specs I dont think that it will result in a big difference in my crappy 3dmark 06 scores.

100~200 points at most. I don't think you could get much out of overclocking by a small amount like that sorta sucks that the X1950PRO is almost maxed out, out of the box, but meh.

pmcalduff

12-23-2007, 03:13 AM

I made the following increases to my card (it was rated very low)

Core Clock 574MHz up to 594MHz
Memory Clock 600MHz up to 695MHz

And that brought my 3dmark 06 scores for similar systems up from second to last to average. Since I'm not a hardcore overclocker I'm very happy with the results.

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 03:13 AM

If he is against clubs then WHY the bloody hell does he come in and read and post in them?

pmcalduff

12-23-2007, 03:19 AM

If he is against clubs then WHY the bloody hell does he come in and read and post in them?

For shits and giggles?

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 03:20 AM

If he is against clubs then WHY the bloody hell does he come in and read and post in them?

Because he's bored and lonely.

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 03:27 AM

lol.... Any idea why my 3dmark scores are so crap?

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 03:33 AM

GPU clocks were low.
You were getting the correct CPU mark.

pmcalduff

12-23-2007, 03:38 AM

lol.... Any idea why my 3dmark scores are so crap?

What are your scores?

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 03:46 AM

What are your scores?

http://service.futuremark.com/orb/resultanalyzer.jsp?projectType=14&XLID=0&UID=12861242

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 04:13 AM

Here's some proof of me getting higher scores and I think it's just GPU clocks.
http://service.futuremark.com/orb/resultanalyzer.jsp?projectType=14&XLID=0&UID=12887571

pmcalduff

12-23-2007, 04:26 AM

There your speeds are 573 core 688 memory. When you get your Zalman cooler kick it up to 600 core 700 memory. You'd be surprised what a difference a few clocks will make. Seriously, I was in the same boat as you.

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 04:54 AM

Duffman

12-23-2007, 04:58 AM

Hey guys.

It seems the 700alcu's that i bought aren't quite up to the task or are not making proper contact on the gpu. When running Hellgate London, I was seeing temps of 90c and having lots of clipping. When i had the one 2900 with the Thermaltake cooler, temps never got much above 60c under load.

I'm also looking at maybe getting another motherboard that has two x16 slots as my 3Dmark06 scores didn't really improve all that much. Also, a new mobo might let me use two thermalrights. My current one won't let me use two, at least not with a fan on the top card.

eidairaman1

12-23-2007, 05:01 AM

My HIS 1950 Pro ran at 573/688 when it was advertised as 575/690, But that card started artifacting.

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 05:03 AM

Mine is running at the stock specs now fine... No problems running Crysis

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 05:12 AM

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 05:51 AM

http://service.futuremark.com/orb/resultanalyzer.jsp?projectType=14&XLID=0&UID=12888766

heres mine

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 06:00 AM

Pretty good for only having a gig of RAM..

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 06:21 AM

Pretty good for only having a gig of RAM..

and 400mhz less clockspeed :p

http://service.futuremark.com/orb/resultanalyzer.jsp?projectType=14&XLID=0&UID=12889057

a small improvement. The system doesnt run at 3.15Ghz anymore for some odd reason

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 06:22 AM

Nope found the problem some way some how in CCC all of the settings were cranked right up and application control was set to off. Here is my result after a little tweaking in CCC.
Thanks for pointing that out for me widjaja.
http://service.futuremark.com/orb/resultanalyzer.jsp?projectType=14&XLID=0&UID=12888106

Much better.
It was just wrong having a system with those specs get under 5K in 3Dmark.
I only use ATT so I don't get all those wierd clocks happening for no reason and no long wait at startup.

BTW with everything stock your temps should not get above 82deg.

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 06:36 AM

Still runs pretty cool 42 idle temp I will check load soon

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 06:50 AM

See if it stays that way after gaming.
The Rev2 X1950pro you have should be a little cooler than mine.
I think with the cooling in your system you will get about 76deg. . .

My Sapphire is idling at 53-54deg and as usual hit 80deg max temp.
Does this after playing the very unoptimized console port, Colin Mcrae DiRT.
Some races with AI cars bring my system to a crawl.

I have pretty average case cooling trying to figure out how I can add a 120mm at the front Also get a better CPU cooler, the stock x2 just doesn't cut it for overclocking.

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 06:52 AM

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 07:03 AM

http://service.futuremark.com/orb/resultanalyzer.jsp?projectType=14&XLID=0&UID=12889441

Jesus, this is driving me nuts. My setup ATM is:

Core 2 Duo E6300 @ 2996mhz Stock Voltage
2x512MB DDR667 Generic @ DDR644 Stock Voltage
Powercolor X1950PRO Extreme 256MB @ 621/776..

Craig, take note I also have less frame buffer on my GPU :p

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 07:12 AM

Dude thats coming close to my score do you use CCC or ATT?

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 07:15 AM

Dude thats coming close to my score do you use CCC or ATT?

CCC, ATT, both dont give any difference, its the matter of luck.

Craigleberry

12-23-2007, 07:20 AM

My load temps for my cpu are 48 and 52 with that IFX-14 idle is 35 and 41

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 08:21 AM

My load temps for my cpu are 48 and 52 with that IFX-14 idle is 35 and 41

Holy f***.... thats lower than my Idle and Load temp at 1.86Ghz Impressive! Know I know what numbers i'll get once I get that HR-01 Plus.

Duffman

12-23-2007, 08:13 PM

WHOA STOP. VF700ALCU isnt for the HD2900PRO. HURRY UP AND BOLT BACK ON THE STOCK COOLER.

Yeah, it fits physically, but i think there is a gap where the cooler should meet the gpu. The GUP die sits a mm or so lower than the square metal that surrounds the gpu. I can feel the AS5 making contact with the cooler, but i don't think it is seated on the gpu

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 09:52 PM

Yeah, it fits physically, but i think there is a gap where the cooler should meet the gpu. The GUP die sits a mm or so lower than the square metal that surrounds the gpu. I can feel the AS5 making contact with the cooler, but i don't think it is seated on the gpu

First off, to make things clear, even if it fits, its not at all relevant to what I mean. the VF700ALCU is no way, a solution for the R600, even if it fits, it doesnt have the capacity to handle the heat of the R600. Thats why only some coolers can cool the R600 because of its monstrous heat output, get it? Even IF you get the mounting properly, the stock cooler will do much better than your VF700ALCU. In case you don't get it:

SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER
SWITCH BACK TO THE STOCK COOLER

Side note: Proof, touch the fins of the cooler I can assure you they are hot to touch, its like putting a Pentium 3 Cooler (Small aluminium cooler) on a Pentium D 820

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 11:02 PM

My load temps for my cpu are 48 and 52 with that IFX-14 idle is 35 and 41

Looks like I might be getting a CPU coole soon.
The brick like Tuniq Tower 120 LFB is going cheap here atm.

edit:-
I just bought the Tuniq Tower 120 LFB.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2198

I mean shit I'm getting up to 54 deg max temp in this summer heat.

tkpenalty

12-23-2007, 11:22 PM

Looks like I might be getting a CPU coole soon.
The brick like Tuniq Tower 120 LFB is going cheap here atm.

edit:-
I just bought the Tuniq Tower 120 LFB.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2198

I mean shit I'm getting up to 54 deg max temp in this summer heat.

Eheheh... is that good?

Widjaja

12-23-2007, 11:42 PM

AMD X2 4800+. . . 60 and it will crash.

Craigleberry

12-24-2007, 04:20 AM

@ Widjaja I like the look of that cooler sure to bling up your rig!! I lapped my cooler got a couple deg's lower I will have another shot at it one day as I couldnt seem to get the mirror finish that people have got.

Widjaja

12-24-2007, 04:44 AM

Anything cooler is better than what temps I'm getting right now.

Looks like I'll have to get a slim window fan too.
25mm might be cutting it to close to the cooler.
I don't think they make LED fans 15mm thick though.
Only bog standard black.
Unless someone knows of one.

Craigleberry

12-24-2007, 06:01 AM

The ones I have are 25mm thick good luck finding them in 15mm. I had a look here http://www.pccasegear.com/category326_1.htm couldnt see any though.

imperialreign

12-24-2007, 06:03 AM

Looks like I'll have to get a slim window fan too.
25mm might be cutting it to close to the cooler.
I don't think they make LED fans 15mm thick though.
Only bog standard black.
Unless someone knows of one.

what size LxH fan? I'll see if I might be able to dig something up with a 15mm width . . .

edit>>

aww . .. hell with it:

80mm x 80mm x 15mm (http://www.xoxide.com/hiper-80mm-fan-wbled.html)
they have a few others listed in 80x80x15

80 x 80 x 15 (http://www.svc.com/ixp-52-11.html)
not LED, but it's not black, either

120 x 120 x 15 (http://misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=282605&Sku=138006)

Widjaja

12-24-2007, 06:30 AM

Yeah found a clear HIPER 80X80X15 LED in a UK store but I'm in damn New Zealand.
I'm just looking for something a bit bling.
I think I've found two but they're not LED

SilenX iXtrema
http://www.legionenterprises.co.nz/fans-accessories/80mm/silenx-ixtrema-pro-80x15mm-14dba-slim-fan/prod_601.html

Zalman replacement VGA fan.
http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=88&code=013

I already have one of these grills http://www.directron.com/mosw80lachfa.html
so what I could do is put the Zalman plate in between the window and the fan behind the grill.

But thats about it and they'll probably be better than the 80 LED fan I have at the moment.

Craigleberry

12-24-2007, 06:59 AM

Widjaja

12-24-2007, 07:17 AM

They may look the mutts nuts but I have to say they can bring up the noise of the fan over the standard ones you have.
Although yes they would look nice on your machine.

Craigleberry

12-24-2007, 08:05 AM

I replaced my silent exhaust 120mm with my Thermaltake high speed today and I dont think a little bit more noise will bother me. ROFL

AciDCooL

12-25-2007, 11:41 AM

Hey guys guess I was posting in the wrong area ;)

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpost.php?p=579885&postcount=576

imperialreign

12-25-2007, 05:50 PM

I replaced my silent exhaust 120mm with my Thermaltake high speed today and I dont think a little bit more noise will bother me. ROFL

That's what the volume knob on the speakers is meant to adjust for :D

Craigleberry

12-26-2007, 04:53 AM

Hey I am in the process of getting another X1950 but I dont have a crossfire bridge where can I get one?

imperialreign

12-26-2007, 05:23 AM

best price, go with AMD/ATI shop themselves:

Crossfire interconnect (http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=3186855)

Widjaja

12-26-2007, 05:27 AM

Here:-http://www.eyo.com.au/prod_D-XFire-Bridge_proddesc_ATI_CrossFire_Internal_Interconnec t_Bridge.html

Craigleberry

12-26-2007, 07:01 AM

I never got one with my x1950 pro from brand new... Pretty stupid having to buy that aswell. I guess that is how they make money!

Widjaja

12-26-2007, 07:29 AM

Once you get the second card in crossfire, you should get 1 1/2 times the performance of one card!:D

You will benefit from having two cards though, with the size of your screen.

Craigleberry

12-26-2007, 07:53 AM

Even with my p35 chipset :) Am I right that one runs at 16x and the other retards down to 4x?

Wile E

12-26-2007, 08:00 AM

Even with my p35 chipset :) Am I right that one runs at 16x and the other retards down to 4x?You're right, but you'll still see improvements over a single card. Test show a 4-10% performance loss with 16+4 Crossfire. Worst case, it's still around 50% boost.

Widjaja

12-26-2007, 08:03 AM

Even with my p35 chipset :) Am I right that one runs at 16x and the other retards down to 4x?

As far as I know it's true but I think the performance is on par with SLi.
Can't remember exactly how it works, my brother told me about it.

Wile E confirms what I was saying about 1 1/2 cards.
But this goes for SLi too even though you can get both cards going at 16x

Craigleberry

12-26-2007, 08:04 AM

Sweet I can play around with O/C aswell once I score some good cooling for em
Cool @ Widjaja I think its about time your avatar took her Christmas bikini off dont you? After all Christmas is over lol and I wanna see her without it of course lol

Widjaja

12-26-2007, 08:08 AM

Lol!
Getting addicted to modding?
Nothing wrong with it.
Just don't talk to the missus about it.
I'm sure she wouldn't give a damn how many more 3Dmarks you scored.

Craigleberry

12-26-2007, 08:11 AM

Lol!
Getting addicted to modding?
Nothing wrong with it.
Just don't talk to the missus about it.
I'm sure she wouldn't give a damn how many more 3Dmarks you scored.

She likes the PC coz it keeps me out of her hair lol

eidairaman1

12-26-2007, 02:34 PM

She likes the PC coz it keeps me out of her hair lol

Thats a First, usually its the female wants you off the machine to pay attention to them.

AciDCooL

12-26-2007, 02:45 PM

Mine is nagging about the noise when I set my fanspeed to 100% and then wants some attention :P

Craigleberry

12-26-2007, 05:44 PM

Mine has a bun in the oven and wont let me anywhere near her (my work is done! for now)

tkpenalty

12-26-2007, 09:18 PM

Guys, stop going off topic, thank you. We don't need a rebirth of the teen clubhouse over here.

imperialreign

12-26-2007, 10:31 PM

You're right, but you'll still see improvements over a single card. Test show a 4-10% performance loss with 16+4 Crossfire. Worst case, it's still around 50% boost.

I can concur, also - even on an 975X/P4 system. Just by synthetic scores alone (3m06), I went from 4693 single card in x16, to 6471 xFired with both in x8. Both scores with same CPU/MEM clocks.

For the few games I've been playing recently, I've seen a near about 50% increase in FPS. ALthough, it's worse in Crysis . . . until we see a patch or something . . . FEAR was running ~24-35 FPS with full AA/AF and options with one card, in xFire runs about ~45-60 FPS with full AA/AF with options. Black & White 2 was running ~29-40 FPS with full options with one card, and runs about ~45-60 FPS with two and all options enabled.

I've been too busy to get around to any other games though . . . the only thing I don't really like, is every once in a while I'll get an error when opening a game, usually referencing a DX9 .dll - I get the feeling it's an issue between CCC and ATT. Also, after loading up a game, there's a few second stutter; I think just the lag of opening up large textures into mem, because the stutter doesn't ever happen again in-game. I've had to not save my games right before a ton of action.

Occasionally, they'll be some graphical glitches . . . best way to describe it is like shimmering lines at the edges of polygons, sometimes textures disappear for a quick instant. Nothing major or irritating, though.

*I had a quick question for some others here . . . when not in xFire, you can enable the second primary output display once you've tricked WIN into thinking there's one there (even if you don't have a monitor attached). I've been doing this for using the F@H GPU client, one console for each card . . . but, I just installed CAT 7.12, and now WIN won't leave the desktop "extended" even though I've tried the trick method (plug the monitor into the primary output of second GPU so WIN sees a second monitor, click 'extend desktop' and unplug and reboot). I've made sure to disable auto detect displays in CCC, but no avail. Any ideas, aside from actually installing a 2nd monitor?