GTX285, Need aftermarket cooler, but 2 slots not 3!

[thebeephaha]

As title states, I need an aftermarket cooler for my GTX285 but it can't take up 3 slots like my current Arctic Cooling Accellero.

It must take up a maximum of 2 slots with fans attached. Anything out there that will work?

I don't care about VRM sinks or ram sinks, I can get/make those, I just need a 2 slot cooler that will cool the GPU while overclocked successfully.

No I am not going to just use the stock cooler, it just isn't good enough.

Thanks everyone!

[francis511]

Thought about watercooling ?

[entropy13]

Thermaltake DuOrb Extreme?

[Wile E]

If those are your hard and fast requirements, I suggest you start considering water cooling. If you use a universal gpu block, like an MCW60, it keeps the costs a little lower, plus you can take it with you to the next video card. It's far superior to air cooling, and nor really hard to set up at all.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

T-Rad (if it fits)

[..'Ant'..]

What about the Thermalright HR-03 GTX?
http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_pa...r_hr03gtx.html

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

Originally Posted by ..'Ant'..

What about the Thermalright HR-03 GTX?
http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_pa...r_hr03gtx.html

definitely 3 slots unless he runs it back around the card, but a good option fo great cooling as well

[thebeephaha]

Hmm, my problem is I got a second 285, EVGA model, for $175 brand new. (I suckered my boss after he made a pricing error) I can go SLI and I could use a three slot cooler but then I lose my last PCI-E which I was going to use with a new raid controller and some SSDs.

I *could* use my stock cooler but it is noisy and runs hot compared to my existing setup.

I thought about water but I already have so much money into my air cooling I'd hate to scrap it all and go that route. My case is a little cramped for all that under water as well.

What I wanted to know was, is there a two slot cooler which isn't "compatible" per manufacturer specs but would fit the mount holes and cool enough? I know a lot say they aren't compatible just due to ramsink and vrm layouts and I hate to buy some and try them just to sell them at a loss, defeats my cheap purchase on a second 285.

I mean my accellero isn't 100 % compatible with my 285, there is a huge thread dedicated to us TPU members modding it to work.

A cooler I was looking into as a possibility was the thermalright t-rad2 gtx. But their site says it won't work.



Per this image it looks like it would fit perfect by dimensions though. Ignore their VRM cooler part though.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Wile E]

If you only water cool the cards, there's no need to abandon your current cpu cooling.

[OnBoard]

Originally Posted by thebeephaha

A cooler I was looking into as a possibility was the thermalright t-rad2 gtx. But their site says it won't work.

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/wp-co...e4-300x231.jpg

Per this image it looks like it would fit perfect by dimensions though. Ignore their VRM cooler part though.

Thanks for the help guys.

That is what you want and it does work as it's made specific for the GTX cards. (GTX 285(55nm) PCI-E Okay http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_pa...-gtx_mclt.html)

Doubt it's 2 slots though, can be seen on that picture as well that it's a bit more and also reads on their page:

Before installing T-Rad2 GTX for SLI or CF, check to see if you have at least two PCI slots between the first and second video card. This takes up the assumption that the fan to be utilized is of 25mm in height/thickness. If a thinner fan is used, the above limitation does not apply.

So you want 15mm thick fans and you're good to go, or some of these: http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/ac...12_detail.html

[thebeephaha]

Ordered a t-rad2 gtx and will use the stock fans for now, gonna get some of those slim scythe fans later.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Bo_Fox]

Or you could've used Accelero Xtreme GTX 280 (285?) and removed the fans that were attached to it. Then put a couple of fans on top, blowing down across the card. It actually worked better for me.

Perhaps it'll work wonderfully with t-rad heatsinks with 5 heatpipes up above on top, but I think there's a metal cover on the top that would prevent some airflow.. hmm..

[thebeephaha]

I have installed the card with the T-Rad2 GTX and similar fans as suggested earlier, idles around ~45c with 22c ambient room temp, load temps in Crysis with fans at about 75% are around 70c.

I bought two Scythe Shuriken heatsinks just to get their 100mm x 12mm four pin PWM fans as Scythe does not sell those fans on their own. I then took the fans, made my own PWM Y cable which then goes to a mini PWM 4 pin that can plug right into the video card to give me software RPM control.

I didn't take pics of the install process cause I was in a hurry tonight to get L4D2 and MW2 working but I had to mod the cooler and fans a little bit to get it all to fit within my 2 slot max requirement. (cut notches in the fan frame, removed fan mount brackets off the T-Rad and screwed the fans direct into the fins)

There is just enough room I'm pretty sure I can squeak my raid card in the slot below the video card when I need to though it will block some of the airflow to one of the fans, but it can't be helped.

My other card with the modded Acellero Xtreme 280 on it which is on the bottom of the mobo near two intake fans on the bottom of my stacker idles at 35c and loads at around 55c, big difference between the two coolers but the T-Rad2 so far seems quieter and cooler than the stock heatsink at least, though it took more effort and money to get this solution working than I would have liked.

Overall the T-Rad 2 with these fans is not bad IMO, not great, but not bad. I do need to find some support for the card, with this cooler it sags a bit.

I will take some pictures later.

[OnBoard]

One option could have been taking the Accelero fans (shroud) and sticking it to the Thermalright sink and use something else on the Accelero if there is more room But your Accelero card is so fine that would be a waste to mess it up.

Good that you got it working and pics will be nice.

PWM fan adapters are really a rarity. Just in last couple months there's been a few out (in US) and I haven't seen any with the small GPU head. I'd so want a PWM Y-adapter to get some push-pull action going, but there aren't any here. Might solder 2 fans together some day.

[thebeephaha]

Originally Posted by OnBoard

One option could have been taking the Accelero fans (shroud) and sticking it to the Thermalright sink and use something else on the Accelero if there is more room But your Accelero card is so fine that would be a waste to mess it up.

Good that you got it working and pics will be nice.

PWM fan adapters are really a rarity. Just in last couple months there's been a few out (in US) and I haven't seen any with the small GPU head. I'd so want a PWM Y-adapter to get some push-pull action going, but there aren't any here. Might solder 2 fans together some day.

Tried the Acellero fans on the T-Rad, too thick, blocked my precious PCI-E slot I'm reserving for my future raid card for my future SSDs. Lol.

I will try to get some pics up for you all.