<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/31/05, <b class="gmail_sendername">Devan Lippman</b> <<a href="mailto:devan.lippman@gmail.com">devan.lippman@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><span class="q"><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/13/05, <b class="gmail_sendername">Yann Lehmann</b> <<a href="mailto:aristide@tiscali.ch" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">aristide@tiscali.ch
</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">I am planning to build a MythTV system, and would like to install a<br>NVidia grafic card for software decoding of the recorded shows.
<br><br>The newer cards almost always have active coolers (with fan). Does<br>software decoding use the "heat producing" features of the gpu, and if<br>not, can I just unplug the fan to get a silent system ?<br>
<br>Thank's<br>Yann</blockquote>
<div> </div></span>
<div>FWIW I have a GeForce2 that I unplugged the fan on, but that was
only because the bearings seized. Haven't had a problem over the
past few years.</div></div></blockquote><div><br>
<br>
All features will produce heat, but most generic rendering of
images isn't going to be terrible for it. I don't know of anyway
to underclock your video card for Linux, but if you could it'd
help. If you keep relatively good airflow in your case and don't
drive your card too hard with games or such, you very likely will be
alright. You card will most likely not live as long as it
otherwise would, but many people, like the above, haven't had any
problems. I recently unplugged mine after looking at Zalman's
passive coolers. I have a Zalman on my gaming machine and am very
satisfied with its performance, but for me it was simple math.<br>
<br>
If my card happens to burn out, a GeForce MX4000 is $30, and so is the
Zalman cooler. Obviously, if I needed more than s-video out, that
could change. Your math may vary.<br>
</div><br></div><br>