[kklein]

Hi folks. I started this topic over in the Mac Pro & Power Mac forum, but my discussion there seems to have concluded that either my 8800GT is too loud and should be serviced (I don't think so) or I am just a freak about silence and the fact that I can hear the computer is enough to drive me mad (my own diagnosis).

If you wish, read the backstory here:

http://forums.macnn.com/65/mac-pro-a...ng-for-8800gt/

Now I come here, hoping to find someone with some modification cred who can help me figure out how to put something like this on my brand-new 8800GT.

I'd love to go fanless, but that would require something on both sides of the card, and it sits flush with the case on the bottom. Or perhaps I could move it up one slot? I think that one is full-speed as well...

Any experience with this? I've done this kind of thing on PCs I've built, so I know how to physically do it, but I worry if there is any Apple strangeness I might run into...

[Crimson]

Umm, the zalman-link is wonky, no product is specified? Are you perhaps pointing at this or what? your link lacked ?idx=nnn from the end...

[eggman]

I haven't installed it myself, but apparently you'd need this installed along with this.

The combo is reviewed here.

They'll set you back about $80 or so.

[kklein]

I was thinking more like this.

What we really need is someone who has already taken the stock cooler off and knows what's in there. If the chips are in a circular pattern, like the guy's GT, the VF1000 is fine. If it's more like the GTS you've linked to, I need the extra sinks.

My wife says she can't hear it. It's deafening for me. Okay, not deafening. But it's there. And it irritates me.

[ebuddy]

Originally Posted by kklein 

My wife says she can't hear it. It's deafening for me. Okay, not deafening. But it's there. And it irritates me.

zoinks. This is white noise essentially. Little things like rain, a calm breeze, and birds must really drive you crazy.

[dave49er]

I replaced the stock ATI 2600 with the 8800 yesterday, and I can't hear any difference at all.

[kklein]

How much is the 8800 (if I have to replace it)? Where did you get it?

[thetman]

Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev 2 (V2) Passive Noiseless Heatpipe VGA Cooler for 8800GT

that site does not list the 8800GT , but I searched and several other sites list it as compatible

[kklein]

Heheh, I was just coming here to say that I had found that cooler, and that it would be delivered today! Wish I'd checked back sooner...

Will let all y'all know how it works out. Seems to come very well-recommended from the denizens of silentpcreview.com (where one goes to learn about silencing), and there's about 4 cubic miles of empty space in which to put that cooler in the MP case, so I think it's going to be ideal!

[kklein]

Installed. I'll post pics/howto on my blogospace soonish.

For the naysayers, who said that the video card fan wasn't the source of the sound: Well, it wasn't the only source (I think there's a lot of HDD noise in there, too), but it was about half of it. It was the frequency that was boring into my skull. There's more in there, though.

Maybe another project will be switching the case fans with golfball fans, but actually, the ones in there are really quiet already.

I realized that my old case had acoustic dampening insulation inside of it, whereas this one is mostly open and what isn't full of holes is built like an echo chamber. I'll probably never get it as quiet as my Windows box.

Maybe a Hackintosh is in my future...

[mr. burns]

that's one heavy duty cooling device. not a bad price too. think i'll get one.