I have just bought a SilverStone LC20s case to build an HTPC system for my father, into which I have fitted a GA-E7AUM-DS2H mATX motherboard (which has an onboard 9400GT GPU). (installation also includes an LG BR player, E7400 dual core processor with a fanless mini ninja, 2 GB RAM and a Corsair 520W silent PSU).
When I got the case I realised that it didnt include the case fans (this has passed me by). So I have used the fan that is supplied with the mini ninja as a case fan for the time being.
The system is very quiet indeed and the CPU temperature is only at about 38 degrees after 2 hours of running with only the one case fan. The PSU is so quiet I didnt believe it was switched on until the monitor showed the boot screen!
The problem is that the heatsink for the onboard GPU is very hot indeed (I am not convinced that the design of the heatsink is that good to be honest and although castellated, it doesnt have a massive surface area and is fitted 90 degrees rotated from what I expect the general airflow direction would be). Anyhow, after 2 hours of running, I took the case lid of and although the general temperature inside the case was very low (around 30-35 degrees estimated), when I touched the GPU heatsink, it was too hot to touch for more than 2 seconds!
I took the lid of my case (a far older system, but also has a fanless 9400GT albeit a PCI-e card installation) and touched the heatsink from that after it had been running for roughly the same duration and it was also very hot, but definitely cooler than the new system.
After all of that my questions:
- Is this too hot what sort of temperature do other peoples GPU heatsinks sit at?
- Does anyone else have this mobo and had this problem if it is a problem that it?
- Clearly additional case cooling will help, but will it really make much of a difference when the air temperature inside the case did not seem to be all that hot anyway?
- What case fans are recommended for this case and how much do they cost?
- Would it be quieter and more efficient to keep my one case fan and to install something like a Northbridge fan onto the GPU heatsink to directly cool it?
- Any other suggestions or comments?
Thanks all
Robbo100
When I got the case I realised that it didnt include the case fans (this has passed me by). So I have used the fan that is supplied with the mini ninja as a case fan for the time being.
The system is very quiet indeed and the CPU temperature is only at about 38 degrees after 2 hours of running with only the one case fan. The PSU is so quiet I didnt believe it was switched on until the monitor showed the boot screen!
The problem is that the heatsink for the onboard GPU is very hot indeed (I am not convinced that the design of the heatsink is that good to be honest and although castellated, it doesnt have a massive surface area and is fitted 90 degrees rotated from what I expect the general airflow direction would be). Anyhow, after 2 hours of running, I took the case lid of and although the general temperature inside the case was very low (around 30-35 degrees estimated), when I touched the GPU heatsink, it was too hot to touch for more than 2 seconds!
I took the lid of my case (a far older system, but also has a fanless 9400GT albeit a PCI-e card installation) and touched the heatsink from that after it had been running for roughly the same duration and it was also very hot, but definitely cooler than the new system.
After all of that my questions:
- Is this too hot what sort of temperature do other peoples GPU heatsinks sit at?
- Does anyone else have this mobo and had this problem if it is a problem that it?
- Clearly additional case cooling will help, but will it really make much of a difference when the air temperature inside the case did not seem to be all that hot anyway?
- What case fans are recommended for this case and how much do they cost?
- Would it be quieter and more efficient to keep my one case fan and to install something like a Northbridge fan onto the GPU heatsink to directly cool it?
- Any other suggestions or comments?
Thanks all
Robbo100