Since we're using an open case test platform, it's hardly ideal to test a passively cooled graphics card or any other component for that matter. In a closed case, air flow will likely be more 'concentrated' than with an open case environment. So, we decided to run test on two configurations - with and without a fan. For this purpose, we use a slow, 8 cm fan rated at 0.22A which spins at around 1200 rpm. First, let's look at test results without a fan.
Well, 78 ° Celsius with an ambient temperature between 40 to 43 ° Celsius is pretty high, so you'll likely have to make sure you have very good air circulation and flow inside your case if you want to use this card. Now, let's see how the situation improves with a little bit of air blowing on the heatsink.
62° Celsius on full loads is quite acceptable, but you'll likely also notice the ambient temperature also went down as well (37 - 38° Celsius) That's around 24° Celsius difference betweenn core and ambient temperature. If you look back at the previous results, you'll see the difference between core and ambient teperature is around 35° Celsius. So, in a closed case, you'll likely get something between that range, depending on the fan and how good the airflow is inside the case.
So, what do we think of the silent, passively cooled ASUS EN8600GTS? Well, with it sparse bundle, the only factor going for this card is passive cooling. We do think ASUS could've done better in this regard (RAM sinks), so we have to rely on the heatsink's thermal performance. That means the ASUS EN8600GTS face a tough component, the Gigabyte GeForce 8600GTS.
[Previous Page]
[Go to top]
[Next Page]