Has anyone used this cooler?

[lewislink]

I want to use this cool looking cooler on a 7900GT but it is passive and I don't know how well it'll cool. If anyone has experience with it I'd appreciate the info and does the center pop out to allow for a cooling fan?

Thanks

http://www.directron.com/vnf100.html

[PP Mguire]

Hmm that looks like a bigger brother to what i used to use on my 5600ultra. (pictured on a GF3 TI500 below) It was actualy a really good passive cooler and this one looks even better. The cooler on my 7950GT right now is passive too and without my fan it stayed pretty cool but i didnt trust it. For 10 bucks more i believe you can order the Zalman Fatal1ty cooler and it would work alot better i bet.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7195/s4020028mi8.th.jpg (http://img167.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s4020028mi8.jpg)

[Ranzear]

Zalman's passive video coolers are the best thing they make. I had a ZM-80 on my Ti-4200 way back in the day. Still have the card and sink in my car, want to mount it in acrylic as an art piece.

[PP Mguire]

Ha another TI card owner! I had a PNY TI 4400 to go along with my TI 500 GF3. It fried though so i dont think i can hang it on the wall.

[Ranzear]

I've gone XFX ever since that first Ti-4200 that actually had Ti-4600 (3.2ns) ram chips.

[PP Mguire]

I was a n00b at OCing so i accidentaly fried my card and had to use my TI 500 until my unle gave me his 5600ultra (cause he bought a 9700pro)

[Frag Maniac]

You basically buy such a cooler mainly for it's lack of noise, not it's cooling performance. Test results verify that such designs are usually no better than and often a bit worse than stock coolers thermally. Thus they're not a good choice if you want to do some serious OCing.

There are designs similar to this with fans that do considerably better at cooling though.

[PP Mguire]

Actualy i second that, they are more designed for HTPCs.

[lewislink]

Well, what I'm wanting to do is capture the looks of this unit in my open-ended project. I like the looks because the cooler will be visible without having to bend over and twist my head upward to see it. I'm not a video card OC'er so I'm concerned about that aspect of heat production.

If Zalman were to make an active verion of this cooler, that would be outstanding. They have a copper colored one that is similar but the fins are on the GPU side of the card rather than the back like this blue one.

[PP Mguire]

If it was active it would defeat the whole purpose. What you should do is look at their compatibility list and if the 7900GT is on the list (and you have good cooling in the case) then you can use the cooler and not worry about it.

[lewislink]

If it was active it would defeat the whole purpose. What you should do is look at their compatibility list and if the 7900GT is on the list (and you have good cooling in the case) then you can use the cooler and not worry about it.

How would it defeat the whole purpose? Active coolers are available similar to this. The only difference is, this one, the heat pipes wrap around the backside of the card, whereas the others are placed directly over the GPU. This kind of cooler made to be active would be a much more efficient cooler because heat rises and the fins being on top of the card would allow the heat to rise right off of the card.

As far as purpose, and the defeating of, I am not looking for quietness. I like the looks of this cooler and prefer it to Zalman's VF1000.

[Frag Maniac]

Defeat the purpose, yes and no. If the purpose of buying one is a silent solution, then yes. It the purpose is the most quiet and affordable solution good for OCing, then no.

What's odd is that neither of these purposes fit Lewis' desire to just get more bling look. Personally I'd like to see how this Zalman would work if they incorporated vacuum assisted water to it, but keeping it fanless. They've used it on smaller units that are fan assisted.

For those whom aren't aware of such designs, the water being vacuum assisted boils at much lower temps. The steam then evaporates up through the heat pipes to the fins where it condenses back into water then circulates through the water block again.

The larger wrap around design I tend to think would lend better to the water boiling, evaporating, then condensing, as it would have a longer route to travel with larger cooling fins.

[PP Mguire]

Well i was just saying that the purpose of the cooler is silent and efficient. I know your not OCing then making it active kinda defeats it. I mean, you dont have to keep it silent i was just saying it defeats the purpose of the design. Totaly quiet passive cooling. Again, i wsa just saying.

[lewislink]

Bling or not, this cooler is bound to be a good one. If it was just bling, I'd pass it up because there are other better looking coolers on the market but since it is a Zalman and I'm liking all things Zalman, I have to have one...or two. :) Would you please send a note to Fred Zalman and ask him to make me two of these coolers with fans embedded in the middle...Ooh, and ask him to put my name on it instead of his? Thanks, thanks, thanks...hehe

[Frag Maniac]

First you say you like it for the look, then you say, no not the look, I like the name, then you say you'd rather have your name on it. Tell me, is there really any sense to this purchase? :roll:

What ever happened to buying an aftermarket cooler with it's cooling ability as first priority?

[PP Mguire]

My thoughts exactly really. (even though i think you blocked my posts)

[Ranzear]

What ever happened to buying an aftermarket cooler with it's cooling ability as first priority?
The day I bought Koolance 8800 blocks instead of the DangerDens because they were half the price

[lewislink]

First you say you like it for the look, then you say, no not the look, I like the name, then you say you'd rather have your name on it. Tell me, is there really any sense to this purchase? :roll:

What ever happened to buying an aftermarket cooler with it's cooling ability as first priority?

What in the world Are you talking about????

Good grief, I never said I didn't want it because of it's looks! I have always said I liked the looks of it but I prefer something that looks good AND works good.

If you are referring to my last post, isn't it obvious I was joking?

Piss on this. Try to be a decent, kind gentle person and all you is a ration of crap.

[PP Mguire]

At first i got what you where tlaking about but then he jumped in and your posts where confusing me. Sorry, i guess it proves he starts arguments.