M
Marc Missire
Hi,
I was recently given a Tyan Tachyon G9800 PRO-M video card, based on
the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (lucky me, huh?).
I tried using it in my main system, a Shuttle XPC SS51G. The card is
great, but I am having heat issues and may have to use the thing in a
roomier machine.
I think the Shuttle's air flow is rotten. The videocard comes with a
temperature monitoring program, called Tachyon Graphics Monitor. It
says the safe operating range of the card's VPU is < 70C.
With the Shuttle's case off, and the machine in Windows but not
working hard, the program says the VPU temperature is 55C.Playing lots
of games, or running 3DMark03 game tests, sometimes pushes it up to
about 63C. No trouble with stability, though.
However, with the case on, running the games can push the card out of
the safe range, up to about 70C. That's way too hot, so I've been
running with the case off.
I went to Fry's today a new fan, which hangs over the adjacent PCI
slot. No help. Can't do much else; not much room in that mobo case.
Voltage to the card is on the low end of the acceptable range,
according to the monitoring program, so excessive voltage isn't doing
it.
A few questions, before I give up and put this card in another box:
1) Do you think cutting a big hole out of the left side of the case,
and replacing it with a mesh grill, might help?
2) What is normal operating temperature for this card? I see some
people claiming 50C, and others claiming higher. Still, isn't 63C
under load too hot? Yes, I see it's still "within the acceptable
range," according to Tyan. But does that mean it's normal?
3) Any other creative cooling ideas? I like this card, and don't want
to return to using the slimey old GeForce4 MX440 thing I had in there
before.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Marc
I was recently given a Tyan Tachyon G9800 PRO-M video card, based on
the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (lucky me, huh?).
I tried using it in my main system, a Shuttle XPC SS51G. The card is
great, but I am having heat issues and may have to use the thing in a
roomier machine.
I think the Shuttle's air flow is rotten. The videocard comes with a
temperature monitoring program, called Tachyon Graphics Monitor. It
says the safe operating range of the card's VPU is < 70C.
With the Shuttle's case off, and the machine in Windows but not
working hard, the program says the VPU temperature is 55C.Playing lots
of games, or running 3DMark03 game tests, sometimes pushes it up to
about 63C. No trouble with stability, though.
However, with the case on, running the games can push the card out of
the safe range, up to about 70C. That's way too hot, so I've been
running with the case off.
I went to Fry's today a new fan, which hangs over the adjacent PCI
slot. No help. Can't do much else; not much room in that mobo case.
Voltage to the card is on the low end of the acceptable range,
according to the monitoring program, so excessive voltage isn't doing
it.
A few questions, before I give up and put this card in another box:
1) Do you think cutting a big hole out of the left side of the case,
and replacing it with a mesh grill, might help?
2) What is normal operating temperature for this card? I see some
people claiming 50C, and others claiming higher. Still, isn't 63C
under load too hot? Yes, I see it's still "within the acceptable
range," according to Tyan. But does that mean it's normal?
3) Any other creative cooling ideas? I like this card, and don't want
to return to using the slimey old GeForce4 MX440 thing I had in there
before.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Marc