EVGA Akimbo cooler (for the 8800gt) (lots of pics)

[theburan]

So, I got my new cooler in the mail, an EVGA Akimbo cooler, the same one used on their latest line of 8800gt's. Cost $39.99 + ~$7 s/h.




Came in a plane brown box, no sort of retail package. No instructions either. Just a bag with the backplate and the screws, a bag with the backplate cooler, and a bag with the main cooler.

No instructions either, but it was pretty straight forward to install (used all the same screws as the stock cooler, pretty much a straight replacement).

First thing I did was take off the old cooler:



and then I cleaned it up. I also removed the stock thermal paste that had come preapplied to the new cooler. (this was done with arcticClean)


Then, it was just a matter of putting on thermal paste, and screwing it all back together. IC7 was used. The backplate is held on by the 4 screws directly around the gpu core, btw.




I use RivaTuner 2.06 to adjust the fan speeds, and I adjusted the new cooler's speed up until it was just inaudible. With the stock cooler, this wound up happening at 43%, but I can run the Akimbo's fan at 60% without any issues (at 62% it starts to make a noticeable whine, so 60% is my max).

So, with the stock cooler I was getting idle temps of ~46c, and a load temp, after 6 minutes of an nvidia stress test, of ~50c.

With the akimbo cooler + ic7, I'm getting an idle temp of ~35c, and a load temp of 36c ( I don't think the nvidia stress test is really stressing it much with this cooler, lol.)

So, I'm giving this cooler a 10/10, as it cools really well, looks pretty good to me, was really easy to install, and didn't break the bank.

[dedgar]

I've also got one on order and shipped. Should be here Wednesday.
Thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to giving it a run on my 8800GT KO (I may even OC it even more than it already is.)


I just thought of a question: did you use the IC7 on just the GPU or GPU/memory or GPU/memory/mosfets?

[RA1D]

11 - 14 degree drop, bad ass! everyone that owns an 8 series card should reapply their TIM as we've seen on several occasions that its just slopped on the gpu from the factory. and the i personally think the white thermal pads that's used for the memory chips are seriously low quality.

[theburan]

Originally Posted by dedgar

I've also got one on order and shipped. Should be here Wednesday.
Thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to giving it a run on my 8800GT KO (I may even OC it even more than it already is.)


I just thought of a question: did you use the IC7 on just the GPU or GPU/memory or GPU/memory/mosfets?

Just on the gpu, the cooler already had some red thermal tape type stuff on all the mosfets and ram locations, and well, I didn't have enough ic7 to do that even if I wanted to (and I didn't want to use as5 when it might get all over the card).

Also, just some things I noticed when looking at the card, it looks like there are at least 2 heat pipes on the main part of the gpu, and I also noticed that while the bottom of the cooler was largely just flat alumminum, the top part of this plate, but below the fan, had a lot of little like spikes or nubs, to help cool it off, I think. Kinda hard to describe... and just as hard to get a picture of.

[onebxr]

Did you download the new bios that takes advantage of the new cooler?
-1

[gvblake22]

WOW! Those temps are very impressive! Is that a dual slot cooler?
Try running rthdribl, it's one of the better GPU stress tester/heat-'em-up programs there is

[Parker]

Originally Posted by gvblake22

WOW! Those temps are very impressive! Is that a dual slot cooler?

+1 on the temps, I was surprised!
Yes thats a dual slot cooler.
I'm going to have to order one of these bad boys....

[screwballl]

wow looks great and great cooling!!

[theburan]

Originally Posted by onebxr

Did you download the new bios that takes advantage of the new cooler?
-1

No, I didn't flash it at all, I'm just letting the fan run as fast as it can without making more noise than everything else.

[onebxr]

It says on the EVGA forums that the bios is optimized to work with this cooler. "They say" that you will get a performance boost out of the new bios and that cooler combination. I think it was like a 125% increase in frame rates....HAH! iwas just pullin your chain, but they really recommend it.
-1