Arctic Cooling Accelero XTREME GTX 280

[Kane01]

Introduction :

In mid-January 2009 were presented at last available to 280th in mid-March 2009 - the Arctic Cooling Accelero XTREME GTX Arctic Cooling made himself some time with the brand "Accelero XTREME" a good name, is not it, for example, the Geforce 8800 GTX has a very good cooler of the model tested here certain similarities. Accelero XTREME GTX 280 is as the name says Kompatiblel the GeForce GTX 280 and GTX 260 (65nm) and with a few "restrictions" even for GTX 285 and GTX 260 (55nm).

Product Description :

Accelero XTREME GTX 280 is equipped with three 92 mm fans, as opposed to 80 mm fans of the previous generation. These are controlled by PWM of the graphics card and turn rpm zwischen 1000 and 2000. Rich 5 heatpipes help with 6mm diameter of the radiator to a cooling capacity up to 250 watts. According to the manufacturer so that the card is 31° C colder than the stock cooler. Despite these brutal cooling back down, the user must not in terms of volume. Because with just 0.5 sun, the fan quieter than the entire 4.5 sun Nvidia fan of the original GTX 280.

Technical data summary :

• Extreme Cooling capacity - up to 250 watts
• Three ultra-silent 92mm fan with PWM silent cooling fan
• Bearing Fluid Dynamic Bearing
• Speed range 1000 - 2000 rpm
• Air flow 81 CFM / 138 m3 / h
• Efficient heat distribution over five Heatpipes
• Patented fan holder prevents hum
• RAM and voltage regulator
• Pre-applied Arctic Cooling MX-2 thermal compound
• SLI compatible
• Weight 680g
• Compatible with nVIDIA GeForce GTX285, GTX 280, GTX 260

Package / Delivery :

The Transparent plastic packaging is a guess before they buy, what kind of Kuhlmonster it. Once that is easily removed to open packaging, come next to the Accelero yourself the following things to the fore :

• A large back plate (only for GTX 280 and GTX 260 65nm)
• 2 long-RAM cooler (just enough for GTX 280 and GTX 260 65nm)
• Voltage regulator (only for GTX GTX 280 and 260 65nm)
• Large heat sink for the chip NVIO
• Various thermal pads
• Screws and spacers
• Arctic Cooling case badge
• German manual (complete only for GTX 280 and GTX 260 65nm)

On delivery you can now see more clearly what I have mentioned at the beginning of my review. The manufacturer advertises a compatibility page for the 285th GTX A note that only the 65nm version of the GTX 260 is supported entirely missing, too. So it is assumed that the GTX 260 is supported in 55 nm as completely. Accelero itself fits so great on the two cards, but unfortunately, fit for the GTX 285 and GTX 260 55nm neither the voltage regulator, nor are the RAM cooler sufficient. The instructions, however, lost not a word. And so you should buy in the fall necessarily more cooler, since the voltage converter to be absolutely cool. The GDDR3 RAM may not need a heatsink, if you want to overclock the graphics card, however, should not it still do without.

In my case, the Zalman ZM-RHS1 are RAM-cooler. For the voltage converter I have an old Pentium 1 CPU heat sink sawed, as the cooling me the Zalman cooler was too small. Other tests have shown that the voltage converter you can even reach 100° C, because I wanted to play it safe. At that point there's so clear swabs for the Accelero. Particularly annoying is like saying that not a word about missing Arctic Cooling heatsinks for GTX 285 and GTX 260 55nm loses.

[Kane01]

Impressions :

Five 6mm heat pipes, a massive base from Kupfter, dozens of aluminum fins and three 92 mm fans - a truly impressive sight. So I let the pictures speak :

Installation :

The cooler is used in this review for a PNY GeForce GTX 285 in the standard clock. The installation is, apart from the lack of coolers, quite simple :

First, take off the stock cooler, this one turns the card on the back and solve the 12 large screws, besides two screws on the front (DVI connection side). Now you can remove the coolers. This is, at times quite difficult, because the original thermal paste very firmly "stick". Remedies you can do with a hair dryer, in which heating the map CAREFULLY something or shortly before the development of the graphics card or a demanding 3D application can be run. Then just remove the fan cable, and the cooler is off.

Second, to remove the ring, which is bolted to the GT200b GPU. The first installation attempt I had not made and the Accelero had NO contact with the GPU, the result was 92 ° C in a hasty and Windows handle for on / off switch on the power strip for my PC ...

After you thoroughly clean all components on the graphics card, the contact with the original radiator or its thermal pads were. Arctic Cooling recommends in the instructions to use an eraser, but little of it I think. That is why I use "CONTACT WL", this is a spray scrubbers for all electronic components. The parts are cleaned properly, the spray evaporates quickly and you can be sure that you do not hurt the card. Wiped clean with paper towels, finished. The same goes for the GT200b GPU, this is also made sparkling clean.

Next, get to the thick thermal pads NVIO chip and on the center two RAM chips on the left Reie. For the upper RAM chip on the left row, I have taken three of the thin thermal pads on top that are normally used for the backplate, as this in my case are left, as you are not the backplate on a GTX 285 uses. Now create the NVIO on heat sink, turn the card around and screwed them down with two screws.

Then the voltage transformers are provided above and below with Zalman RAM coolers. I have a shared RAM coolers, as the coolers for a small transducer below the NVIO chips from the big cooler is almost hidden. Also on the lower RAM chip on the left. Also provided with heat sinks, the upper row of RAM chips, and here comes again beside the long supplied a Zalman cooler RAM cooler is used, just like on the right row of RAM chips.
The following are in the right part of the card more RAM Zalman cooler for the coils and voltage transformers as well as my big copper colored cooler.

Therefore all the components supplied with coolers, except of course the GT200b GPU itself. Arctic Cooling Accelero delivers the advance is applied, with MX-2 thermal compound. This is quite at the level of Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound. Unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, coated much too small area with thermal paste, so I have removed in my test the MX-2 and the GPU with Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound was smeared.

Is done, shall be the Accelero with the fans down on a flat surface and sends it to the outer four holes, the white plastic spacers.

[Kane01]

Cooling capacity / volume :

Noted to airflow is that no obstacles are sitting behind the front case fans, because the disk is sitting at the top in the housing below the DVD drive. Ideal conditions for an effective case and video card cooling. Further noted is the use of Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound on the Accelero instead of the already applied MX-2 from the above reasons.

Tested at 20° C room temperature and the following software: Furmark 1.6.5 .. Are set to 1280x1024 with 16x MSAA. Load tests were running every 10 minutes. Measured with GPU-Z 0.3.2.

At idle, can the Accelero with fan speed automatically controlled at 5 ° C deposed down. This is not important, but the fact that the Accelero is significantly quieter than the original radiator, sehrwohl is important. I have no measuring equipment for the volume, but the Accelero I can not hear out of my system, but clearly the original radiator.
At maximum speed, the original radiator to make up some ground, the Accelero is here with only 2° C front. However, absolutely unacceptable noise in the original radiator. The Accelero you can now easily hear from the system, but not annoying. Thanks to the open design and the three 92 mm fans can settle the Accelero even at the ambient temperatures of 5 and 1° C.

Under load, the Accelero then shows his brutal final cooling. Entire 22° C the cooler the GPU GT200b at automatically controlled fan speed. These are the Accelero as well as in neutral 40% (about 1450 rpm). The original radiator, however, turns to 69% (approx. 2270 rpm) and is now in contrast to the Accelero to hear clearly. And even under load are the three 92 mm fans for the benefit, the Accelero reached at 9° C ambient temperatures better than the original radiator.

At maximum speed of the lead is shrinking by the Accelero to a difference of 15° C. But this is still a very good value when you consider the Accelero hardly out of the system, the original radiator is unbearably loud, however. When the ambient temperature at maximum speed, Accelero reserves its 9° C lead.Overall a very good cooling performance, even though in my case, no promised by the manufacturers were 31° C difference reached. This one is fair to say that Arctic Cooling with a GTX 280 and GTX I have tested with a 285.

Conclusion :

Accelero XTREME GTX 280 is a very solid cooler with excellent cooling performance at very low noise. It is well made and the Installation is relatively straightforward. Gross blunder, it allows only the delivery, because if he was compatible than GTX 285 and GTX 260 55nm advertises on the Internet, then one expects a complete set. In the same breath I must also criticize the manual that addresses in any way for the GTX 285th Nevertheless, I can recommend the cooler for overclockers all but silent lovers warmly. To acquire it is currently available, which for a high end cooler is quite favorable when the lack of heat sinks for the two above-mentioned cards apart.

[jackalz]

A very nice review!! I think it's especially great that you've described the assembly and pointed to problems arising at the 55nm cards! With the low temperatures would have a lot overclockability be present, what have you been tested in this direction?