wondering what to do??

I currently have the desktop listed in my sig (Dual G80 640MB 8800GTS's in SLI). These cards are plenty for everything I do because I don't really game that much. I bought them when they were one of the best at the time with the idea that they would last me for a long time and serve any need that I would come up with.

Now I have a new issue. I just got a new desk and it's a really nice, big, executive desk. I want to keep the top as clean and neat as possible, and do not want to put my tower on the top of the desk. My options are to get a smaller case and put it under my desk or to put it in the cabinet. The cabinet would be preferred but I'm really worried about heat. I don't mind turning the OC on my CPU back of killing it completely. I would prefer not to, but I can. I think that most of my heat is still coming from my video cards though. The G80's originally idled at like 70C. I have a Thermalright HR-03+ and a fan on each now and they idle at like 47C but there is still alot of heat being dissipated out and around.

I'd like to get a new, smaller case no matter what. So here are some thoughts I have been throwing around and I Was hoping you guys could give me some advice on what to do.

#1. New case and lose both cards for something newer and hopefully not as hot. I don't know what would run any cooler though. Would something like the EVGA GTX260 Core 216 run a good bit cooler and not give me heat issues being in the cabinet? Remember, this card shouldnt't be worked too hard. I don't really game.

#2. New case and lose one of my 8800's and just run a single card.I don't know how much of a heat difference it would make losing one. I could try it and see and may end up doing that over the next few days.

#3. Biting the bullet and going water cooled. I would rather not if I'm going to have to buy a new case too because I know I would probably have to have two loops for those cards and a cpu. Two gpu blocks, a cpu block, pump, 2 rads, etc, and a new case would get a lot more expensive that I really want to get right now. If I have to do it though, I guess I can *sigh* It just wouldnt be bought all at once. I would have to piece it together slowly.

What do you guys think? Gimme some ideas. Throw something my way. I wanna get my desktop running regularly again but right now, it keeps getting way too hot under my desk with all that stuff running.

Grab a nice case and show it proudly. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163118 is hella stylish for example.

Something like that is nice but the reason I don't want it on my desk is, for now, I only have my two 24" monitors on my desk, but I plan to buy a 24" iMac to go in the middle of them. At that point, I would be right back in the same position because I wouldnt have room for that on the desk.

Do really like that case though. Something like that is what I want. I just dont know if it's going to get too hot in the cabinet. I could always put that under my desk on a shelf or somehting though. The Armor is just WAY too big to put on a shelf under the desk though.

I would try to find a case that is square, more room inside!

This is kinda what I'm working with here.



I can move that shelf up some and make some more vertical space, but I would prefer something that would fit in here. As I said though, I am worried about heat from the video cards. Would the GTX260 run any cooler that the 8800's I have now? Does anyone know average temps for them?

Max TDP of a 260 is 180W. TDP of your current setup is 300W, do the math.

Is that 300W value for a single GTS or both?

jdf_warrior said:

This is kinda what I'm working with here.

I can move that shelf up some and make some more vertical space, but I would prefer something that would fit in here. As I said though, I am worried about heat from the video cards. Would the GTX260 run any cooler that the 8800's I have now? Does anyone know average temps for them?

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You aren't gonna just stick a computer in there and close the door are ya? Cause no matter what GPU(s) you are running it's gonna heat up like mad..

ratbuddy said:

You aren't gonna just stick a computer in there and close the door are ya? Cause no matter what GPU(s) you are running it's gonna heat up like mad..

Click to expand...

yeah that is just brutal in there. Unless you go watercooling and have your rad(s) mounted externally from that oven lol

I wouldn't just power it on and close the door and forget it. I know it would just bake in that situation. I was hoping I could find something that would run cooler than my current setup so I could just leave the door cracked while the machine was on and it not be a sauna. I may just buy a smaller case and just build a shelf or something to go under my desk.

Water would be the easiest thing because the desk has holes all through it for running cables and wires and such. I could make something to dress up the radiator to where it looks really nice and have it sit elsewhere, but if I needed to pull it out, that would be a pain in the butt.