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View Full Version : Two 3850's, non-stock design, which to get?


Voidbringer
01-20-08, 07:35 PM
So I was shopping around and decided that the 3850 would be the card to replace my sapphire x800 gto2. With this card I went the route of after-market cooling but I was looking to avoid that this round through. I've come across two interesting makes of cards that have cooling different from the regular reference design everyone usually uses.

Asus:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121219

Gigabyte:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125084

The one from Asus has not only the gpu section but another part that sits on top of some of the chips that I suspect handle the vcore, nothing on the ram though. I can't seem to find anything on this cooler in terms of reviews or general information. The Gigabyte one uses a Zalman cooler very similar to the one I have now and is a proven brand as far as I'm concerned, but doesn't have anything else for cooling.

Anyone have experience or know where to find some information on the heat and noise of these two? Which would you get?

Hazaro
01-20-08, 07:44 PM
I'd get a normal 3850, then buy a Accelero S1 for ~$25 shipped

Out of those 2 if I HAD to pick it would be Gigabyte for the free game.

chrome-187
01-20-08, 09:33 PM
i would pick the the original hsf design...the single slot design cools really well once the fan is speed up faster...if you go for a cool slot cooler might as well get the original dual slot as well..it cools even better once fan is speed up faster..

Shiggity
01-20-08, 10:25 PM
I'd get a normal 3850, then buy a Accelero S1 for ~$25 shipped

Out of those 2 if I HAD to pick it would be Gigabyte for the free game.

Can I ask you something about the Accelero S1? If you crossfire 2 cards is there enough room to put a S1 on both?

BossBorot
01-21-08, 04:25 PM
You can if you bend the fins to allow the crossfire cable to fit inbetween them. Also you would be more limited with what fans you can put on the cards. Generally speaking the s1 is a two slot cooler and when you add fans it becomes a 3 slot cooler so you most likely will need to run airflow over them in other ways then direct mounting