Arctic Cooling Silencer NV 5 Review

[Clay]

FINALLY got this B**ch .....

I'm getting very good contact on GPU, but now some memory modules are not.

However I think I will fill some gaps with thermal paste. Is this thermal paste that is provided any good? I dont have anything better, just some paste that I own from years back, wich I'm using to see if the NV5 fits on card.

I'ts pretty good using the dremel, just be carefull about the screws.
Yeah the Dremel can really speed things up. What kind of grinding attachment are you using out of curiosity?

Yes, the thermal paste provided is fine for the memory IMO. Some people insist on AS5 on even memory modules but I don't think it nets you much at all from my experience.

[Clay]

Also, I like to use a double bastard cut flat mill file (http://shorinternational.com/FilesAmericanHand.htm) in situations like this where the screws really limit how you can do any lapping. The flat file helps to level out the surely uneven Dremeled surface. Use water with the flat file and it'll chew right through the copper.

[gacaferri]

Yeah the Dremel can really speed things up. What kind of grinding attachment are you using out of curiosity?

Yes, the thermal paste provided is fine for the memory IMO. Some people insist on AS5 on even memory modules but I don't think it nets you much at all from my experience.

I used the disk that i found in the toolbox:

3STARS Flex 115x3x22,2 mm Steel (as it says, i believe this is for cutting steel, though it did do the job by facing the disk on the memory pads, contrary to its proper use I supose)

:D

[Clay]

Ah ok...heh, whatever works! :) I used one of the stone grinders and they work well but take a while to remove material...adding water always helps.

[gacaferri]

OK, got it up and running ... 49C idle ... 51C after 20 min of playing. I think with stock it was almost 60C, so I believe its all OK. However there is a slight buzzing of the fan. Is that normal? I am not complaining, this is MUCH better than stock in the noise department, wich is the reason that I bought NV5 in the first place.

[Clay]

I've heard of a few other people that had a fan buzz. Check all of the blades closely and make sure they're not making any contact with the housing. If they are, then trim the housing as needed with a small file. Also check for any loose paper, etc that might be in the fan area.

[gacaferri]

I've heard of a few other people that had a fan buzz. Check all of the blades closely and make sure they're not making any contact with the housing. If they are, then trim the housing as needed with a small file. Also check for any loose paper, etc that might be in the fan area.

I checked the fan, it seems OK, however I noticed that the buzz is created by a sound created on each fan revolution only when the fan is connected to power source. I believe this is more a factory fault because I removed the fan before I did any work on NV5 and when I was done I was very carefull cleaning the heatsink before I assembled it.
I dont like the idea of buying another NV5 just for this, however it did spoil the glorious moment of turning it on. :D

[Clay]

I checked the fan, it seems OK, however I noticed that the buzz is created by a sound created on each fan revolution only when the fan is connected to power source. I believe this is more a factory fault because I removed the fan before I did any work on NV5 and when I was done I was very carefull cleaning the heatsink before I assembled it.
I dont like the idea of buying another NV5 just for this, however it did spoil the glorious moment of turning it on. :D
Maybe the buzz will go away after it's warmed up or ran for a few days. Wishful thinking I suppose but I have seen that happen on other fans.

[chris998]

ok guys anyone know about low power 3d mode, ive heard some people use it on another forum, posted there as well no luck yet tho

i know it exists, on rivatuner on the clock settings there, there is 2d, 3d low power or summit and then 3d performance or woteva, just wondering how u tell if its in 3d low power etc

ive ordered some more AS5, getting here soon, gonna put the stock cooler back on see what happens

[chris998]

stupid graphics card!!

ok earlier today i decided to put the stock cooler back on,

i was having probs with the hs, cos of the spring screw things, i eventually got it on

put it in the comp, and its seriously under performing, on the start of 3dmark05 test i got like high 20's low 30's (frames per second) with stock cooler before i took it off

im getting like 10 - 15fps now, and it has crashed when i tried to exit 3dmark05 a few times

i took it off, i thought the contact wasnt great but i thought lets do it again, had probs again with the hs and the screws, but got it on, when i first put the hs on the gpu, it did come off once or twice before i scrwed it down

after doing this its still under performing!! any reason why

also will XFX take it back and send me another? or because i took stock hsf off have i voided the warrenty

[gacaferri]

stupid graphics card!!

ok earlier today i decided to put the stock cooler back on,

i was having probs with the hs, cos of the spring screw things, i eventually got it on

put it in the comp, and its seriously under performing, on the start of 3dmark05 test i got like high 20's low 30's (frames per second) with stock cooler before i took it off

im getting like 10 - 15fps now, and it has crashed when i tried to exit 3dmark05 a few times

i took it off, i thought the contact wasnt great but i thought lets do it again, had probs again with the hs and the screws, but got it on, when i first put the hs on the gpu, it did come off once or twice before i scrwed it down

after doing this its still under performing!! any reason why

also will XFX take it back and send me another? or because i took stock hsf off have i voided the warrenty

My guess is that you're not putting it on back right. What are the temps now? if it gets too hot then it under performs.

[chris998]

idle at around 57 58,

any tips for putting hs on with spring screws?

[gacaferri]

idle at around 57 58,

any tips for putting hs on with spring screws?


thats a bit too hot. Spring screws cat be tricky but not a big problem. try to put the hs ove a glass table, so you can see through holes of the card and the x plate and then hold hs with one hand while putting the screw with the other. Just be carefull and a little more patient, and you will get it on in minutes. I changed my stock with AC at least three times, no problems at all. What thermal paste are you using?

I really would like to hear from someones first hand experience, is there a big difference between different thermal pastes. I'm out of the paste that came bundled with AC NV5, so I am using a cheap noname one that got from a local electronics shop and dont see much difference.

[chris998]

i use arctic silver 5

the hs popped up a few times when i had put the first screw in, is this a problem? or does that not matter

[gacaferri]

i use arctic silver 5

the hs popped up a few times when i had put the first screw in, is this a problem? or does that not matter

mine to, but i have no problems

idle 51, load 57 with stock cooler

[chris998]

u got a 6800, a 6800gt or a 6800 ultra, also which brand model is it eg xfx gigabyte etc etc

[chris998]

how depressing, fraps was confilicting with 3dmark causing a lower score, that was the prob :( lol all fixed now ocee to 435 / 1.16 idles at about 54 55

[Cheval]

Well, hm, I just put my AC 5 rev 2 on my graphics card and it sounded like a machine gun going off. I took it off and the fan is hitting the casing pretty bad! :mad: I'm not sure I want to go cutting stuff off it. I filled out the form at the company's site lastnight so will see what they have to say.

I see others mentioned it up above but not sure it was as bad as this is. :confused:

[Clay]

Well, hm, I just put my AC 5 rev 2 on my graphics card and it sounded like a machine gun going off. I took it off and the fan is hitting the casing pretty bad! :mad: I'm not sure I want to go cutting stuff off it. I filled out the form at the company's site lastnight so will see what they have to say.

I see others mentioned it up above but not sure it was as bad as this is. :confused:
Sorry to hear that. Keep us posted on what you find out.

[Cheval]

Sorry to hear that. Keep us posted on what you find out.


I decided to take a knife and just kind of trim a bit off the edges and it works fine now. :) Unfortunately, my tube of artic silver 5 got up and walked away. Spent 2 hours searching the house so I'm using artic silver 2 instead. She's currently idle at 56/57C with ambient of 45C. I haven't checked the temperatures during the warmer time of year that it is now (only winter) so those temps seem good.

[Clay]

Great! Yeah those temps sound good to me...do you have a GT or an Ultra?

[Cheval]

Great! Yeah those temps sound good to me...do you have a GT or an Ultra?

BFG 6800 ultra OC.

One thing I notice is that there seems to be an awful lot of air coming out of the top of the fan? Doesn't seem to be much warm air coming out of the exhaust of the unit. I thought there would be lots of air coming out of the unit but I guess not. :confused:

[Clay]

BFG 6800 ultra OC.

One thing I notice is that there seems to be an awful lot of air coming out of the top of the fan? Doesn't seem to be much warm air coming out of the exhaust of the unit. I thought there would be lots of air coming out of the unit but I guess not. :confused:
The fan should be taking air in as I'm sure you know...try holding a small piece of paper a few inches from the fan...see if it is being blown down or pulled into the fan. Do the same for the exhaust. On mine, the fan definitely pulled the paper and the exhaust definitely pushed the paper away.

[jgerrits]

I searched as much of this thread as I could, but didn't see the issue that I have had.

I recieved an NV5, rev.2 just a few long days ago. Unfourtunatly, the design seems to have changed for the rev.2.

As of the time when I bought mine. They no longer have any copper plates on the bottom for contact with the memory. The bottom of the heatsink is now 100% flat. In order to connect with the memory on your 6800 series card, a series of 8 thick thermal pads (1.3mm or so) are there instead of the lowered copper sections.

The pads were too thick for my card (evga 6800 GT). The nv5 rested about 1 mm above the main chip. The solution in the manual is to tighten the back bracket more. However, I could not get enough tension on the card to make even close to suitable contact with the GPU.

I tried switching the pads that were included with the old weaved thermal pads from the stock unit. They were too thin, and could not make contact with the memory, when the copper base of the cooler was resting on the GPU.

As of right now, I consider this review wrong, as it cost me time, and money. I bought a product based on this review, and recieved a product that is much much different.

Why arctic cooling would ever decide that a flat copper base was the best way to go for this cooler, is beyond me. But that is how the nv5 rev.2 is currently shipping, at least from ncix.com.

I would love to see some changes made to this otherwise excellent review, to reflect the new changes to this revision of the cooler.

[jgerrits]

I just noticed, even the technical diagram that is shown of the card in your review, has a flat copper base to it. That is the unit I recieved as a .rev 2. Not the one that you have in all of your pictures.