[mythtv-users] OT: unplugging the fan of the grafic card

[Ryan Steffes]

On 10/31/05, Devan Lippman <devan.lippman at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 10/13/05, Yann Lehmann <aristide at tiscali.ch> wrote:
> >
> > I am planning to build a MythTV system, and would like to install a
> > NVidia grafic card for software decoding of the recorded shows.
> >
> > The newer cards almost always have active coolers (with fan). Does
> > software decoding use the "heat producing" features of the gpu, and if
> > not, can I just unplug the fan to get a silent system ?
> >
> > Thank's
> > Yann
>
>  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.
>


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.

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.
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