# Fan for 8600gt "noisy as sin"



## zaknafein72 (Jan 8, 2008)

I recently purchased an XFX 8600gt 540mhz video card. I could not be happier with the performance. However, it is an extremely loud card. I'm not the only one with this problem: one review I read said the card was "noisy as sin." The main problem (from what I have read in reviews) is that the fan is only mounted with 2 holes, so it cannot be controlled or throttled. What would be a good aftermarket solution to mount? Since I want it to be quieter, I would want:
A--a passive solution
or
B--a better fan that could be throttled and would ramp up when using intensive 3D apps. This is probably the best solution, given that I was planning to overclock the card some, and in that case, it's probably better to have active cooling.

What would you guys recommend? I don't know much about this subject, so I would appreciate any advice on specific models. Thank you very much!


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

i think basically all gfx card fans are loud.It's not mounting holes that makes a difference, it's because it's a 2 wire lead. HOWEVER, thats also misleading you. 

My 7800GT is a 2 wire setup, but it has an internal thermistor system that cuts down on voltage to slow down the fan i believe. If it's under 38F it's quiet, when it's over 45, it's about 45-50 db.


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## zaknafein72 (Jan 8, 2008)

So, I was thinking about ordering the Zalman VF900-Cu.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118001

Is this fan compatible with the 8600gt? Zalman does not list it on the compatible card list, but I would assume it is, because no nVidia 8 series cards are listed and the wide variety of fan mounting holes would suggest compatibility. 

Also, I know this fan has a manual controller for adjusting the RPM, but can you use software control (eg. Rivatuner) to set profiles for the fan speed as well? 

Thanks for the assistance.


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## forcifer (Nov 20, 2005)

yes, but only if you dont use the included fan controller and connect the fan on the heatsink to the PCB


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## zaknafein72 (Jan 8, 2008)

How would that be done? Sorry for the noobage, but I really don't have much experience with this stuff. Would you just use a standard 4 pin molex from the PSU, or is there a special connector to use?


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## forcifer (Nov 20, 2005)

if you look on your graphics card, there should be a little 3 pin connection point. use that, and you can control the fan using software


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## Albrainya (Jan 12, 2008)

i bought the 8600 gt without the fan, and installed a "fan card" under it to help with cooling. nice n quiet, works great, great video performance too


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