Water-Cooled ATI X2900 XTX Video Card Pictured

[malware]

VR-Zone brings us a picture from the water cooled version of the ATI R600 video card. The water cooling solution is probably provided by Aavid Thermalloy and coincidentally Aavid is preparing their Turbo Tube cold plates (http://www.aavidthermalloy.com/) for mass production in May, same time as R600 launch. ATI's AIB partners can choose to use it, design their own or use a 3rd party water-cooler from Thermaltake.

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-03-24/R600WC-1_thm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-03-24/R600WC-1.jpg)

Source: VR-Zone (http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=4854)

[mandelore]

Wow, thats pretty damn nifty! :) :)

[Pinchy]

The pictures start :D

[TXcharger]

ill take two please :)

[wickerman]

the water cooled model would be great for OEMs to use as most of them are notorious for using poorly designed cases with terrible airflow, but I cant help but get the impression that most hardware enthusiasts would rather cover up their case window with something that looks like that in there. I think most people would rather have a full card block (like you can get for the x1900/7900/8800 series from dangerden, alphacool, and now zalman I has one) that looks so much better, and pair it with a more powerful and expandable loop.

But if its an affordable system to put on the card and doesnt increase the retail price too much compared to the traditional air system I think it would probably sell pretty well, looks like it will provide pretty respectable cooling.

[Zalmann]

Okay, let's buy the cooler as it looks nice, then we can buy a card to go with it once they are released!!

It's just like buying a nice set of alloy wheels, then shopping for a car that will match the stud pattern of the wheels.

[POGE]

Looks puny, I doubt it will be that much better than its beefy air cooler.

[wickerman]

Okay, let's buy the cooler as it looks nice, then we can buy a card to go with it once they are released!!

It's just like buying a nice set of alloy wheels, then shopping for a car that will match the stud pattern of the wheels.

I was not talking just about the looks, what I was saying was that most people would rather have a air cooled version, strap on their own full card block, and add it to a full water cooling loop using more power pump, larger radiator(s), larger tubing, etc. I dont think there will be a high demand for this water cooled card in the retail market unless it can have some rather worth while benefits over the air cooled version. If it is quieter, cools significantly better, is the same price or cheaper, etc, would certainly be a reason for it to sell more. But with a pretty beefy looking air cooler, 3rd parties having been given control to create their own cooling solution, and companies like Zalman and Arctic Cooling always willing to pitch in their solutions it makes sense that what you see here is probably not going to be the big seller, unless of course the standard version fly off the shelves and people are left with no other options :p

[Zalmann]

I was not talking just about the looks, what I was saying was that most people would rather have a air cooled version, strap on their own full card block, and add it to a full water cooling loop using more power pump, larger radiator(s), larger tubing, etc. I dont think there will be a high demand for this water cooled card in the retail market unless it can have some rather worth while benefits over the air cooled version. If it is quieter, cools significantly better, is the same price or cheaper, etc, would certainly be a reason for it to sell more. But with a pretty beefy looking air cooler, 3rd parties having been given control to create their own cooling solution, and companies like Zalman and Arctic Cooling always willing to pitch in their solutions it makes sense that what you see here is probably not going to be the big seller, unless of course the standard version fly off the shelves and people are left with no other options :p

Sorry mate, wasn't having a go at anyone. Just making fun of the fact that the accessories are coming out way before the actual release of the product.

[wickerman]

well the product was supposed to be out by now, so who can blame the companies for having accessories ready on time for once :p

[WarEagleAU]

Schweet board. ::drool::

[OnBoard]

Looks too home made aka ugly :/ Bolts stiking out, tube going over a heatsink (can't do good) and a boxed shape. Prettiest part is that radiator and that won't even show. Might still wan't this for free as my GPU slot is low and window doesn't go too low, so it would hide most of it :P Propably would sell it and buy something not so hot as my PSU wouldn't handle it (after testing it with 2xPSU ghetto mod).

[INSTG8R]

Hmm well I dont think it will replace my current WC set up because the size of the unit would make Crossfire impossible without shelling out for one of the 4 PCI-E slot boards and even then I think it wouldnt work

[Judas]

Does not look too nice ,i see a radiator but no fan i guess you have to buy that separately..:p

[RickyG512]

wasnt R600 originaly meant to be out nov/dec last year

[Bastieeeh]

That thing looks so hideous! I wouldn't put that into my machine even when I would win it. And I am not one of these case window freaks...

The R600 should be out late last year but AMD/ATI didn't make it. Anyway, this card is surely a fine one even considered the very high power consumption (around 200W under load) and the long time one have already been waiting for it.