[ConradC]

I was all excited building my 3rd HTPC for my new Mitsu 1080p lcd. I was happy all the way up until I noticed something that was out of place...

Sure enough, the heatpipe from the XFX 7950GT sits too high in a Silverstone LC-13B!

No. No. NO!

I guess I have a few options:


1. Get a different case


2. Get a different video card


3. Don't put the cover on. (It will be in a console rack, won't really see anything but the front.


4. Cut the top of the case to allow the heatpipe to stick out a little.


What do you guys think?

 

[sayeah]

I vote for 4. it might look cool actually...

 

[kapone]

I faced a similar situation this week with my Ahanix D4 case. I have the same 7950 as well..and I was keeping my fingers crossed while it was in transit, but it fit!, There's probably less than half an inch between the heatsink of the 7950 and the top of my case. If I press a lil hard I can feel it.

Where I got stuck is with the Scythe Ninja 1100P...sigh....just way too tall....tried everything, but won't fit. And I doubt there's very many HTPC cases that fit that CPU cooler. The Ahanix is about 7.13" tall, which makes it one of the tallest cases available.


Note to self...keep researching.... (But the combo of that 7950, which is silent...and my motherbaord, ASUS M2N32..with the heat pipes..and the Scythe..with that 120MM fan loafing at 900 RPM or so...would have been kick ass.....

)

 

[Tinker]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kapone /forum/post/0


I faced a similar situation this week with my Ahanix D4 case. I have the same 7950 as well..and I was keeping my fingers crossed while it was in transit, but it fit!, There's probably less than half an inch between the heatsink of the 7950 and the top of my case. If I press a lil hard I can feel it.

Where I got stuck is with the Scythe Ninja 1100P...sigh....just way too tall....tried everything, but won't fit. And I doubt there's very many HTPC cases that fit that CPU cooler. The Ahanix is about 7.13" tall, which makes it one of the tallest cases available.


Note to self...keep researching.... (But the combo of that 7950, which is silent...and my motherbaord, ASUS M2N32..with the heat pipes..and the Scythe..with that 120MM fan loafing at 900 RPM or so...would have been kick ass.....

)

Check out the Thermalright SI-128. That fits well inside a D4. I use one in my D4 with a Noctua 120mm fan. I been using Thermalright SI-120 and now the SI-128 in all my builds. The only concern is that some mobo with massive passive heatpipe coolers for the bridges these might not clear. Check the Thermalright site for their mobo compatiblity tables for each of their heat sinks. I also have the ASUS 7600GT Silent with a sim cooler as the XFX and it just fits inside the D4 also.

 

[pcCinema]

I'd go with #4 also. Just cut a hole that gives 1/2" around it.


Down the road if you ever upgrade again and the hole isn't needed you could just expand the hole for a 120mm slow running fan. Either way it's better cooling all around.


I might take it a step further and get a passive cpu cooler that also sticks out the top with another hole.


Case metal is easy to cut and to finish the edge there's that rubber bead roundish stuff (I can't remember what it's called.) that has a slit in it, you just slide it over the cut all the way around and it'll look like it was designed that way.


You need as much ventilation as you can get with passive cooled parts. BTW I saw newegg had a fanless passive cooled 350w power supply on sale for $99 to round out the package.


Troy

 

[adamt]

You could do something like this.

Cut it out and build a hood scoop

 

[Chuchuf]

Option 5: Remove the heat pipe and radiator on top of the card and mount a good quiet 60mm fan on the heat sink of the card so that it is plugged into your MB and speed controlled by your bios. I used to do something similar on the 6600 cards which had very noisey stock fans.


I really like that XFX 7950 card you got BUT as pointed out it just won't fit all cases.


Terry

 

[umdivx]

I'd go with cutting the case top as well.


- Josh

 

[ConradC]

Thanks for all the suggestions. At the moment, I'm running the PC without the cover on. I think I'm going to cut the case. I would replace the heatpipe with a fan, but part of my decision for going with the 7950 was of the passive cooling.