So close to finishing my Inspiron 570 build, but need Graphics Card help...

Here is the same Card at Amazon.

ASUS EAH6670/DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 6670 GDDR5 1 GB Video Card

Logisys 5.25" Full Color Thermal / Clock Control - Black (FP708BK)

This 5.25" Full Color Thermal / Clock Control Panel

5.25" full color LCD display for thermal control and clock.

Evercool 5.25" Cross Flow System Fan - Revision 2 - (PCAC2)

First unique turbine lateral cross-flow fan design

100 CFM which allows the blower to dispense large volume of heat.

Fits any 5.25" external drive bay.

Dual Fan Ultra Thin HD Cooler (3.5 bay)

The Dual Fan Ultra Thin HD Cooler mounts under your  HD.

Features 2 fans .

The main idea is that heat flows up and out.

You've been really helpful- I'll answer your question about the thermometer first. The model I have is this one, but there are a hundred versions depending on how much information you want. You could get one that records humidity, high/low over a period of time, ect- personally I wouldn't even spend the $13 for wireless if you are using it for the computer. I just had mine on the patio, then moved it in for this project when it seemed like a logical bit of info to have. I personally would look here - it's about half the price, and you could easily thread the thin lead wire through some opening in the case. That means you are left with a little tiny sensor to glue into place somewhere, not a giant one like I have. 

I really don't know how I fried the card that I just put in there less than a week ago- the core temps never exceeded low 50's even during stress testing. I did overclock it by a little bit, attempting to gain back the performance I had vanish randomly, but it was verified by CCC as being stable. Oh well... I have been reading though, and it seems as if disabling the integrated graphics from overtaking the PCI-express card can be a real issue for some people with the 570's. It sounds from some sites as though it's essentially removing the entire driver and any trace of software from the HD4200 that comes with the computer. Then, making sure to watch and not automatically update things and let it reinstall the driver again. Maybe this was a rare thing to read about, but it seems to be what happened with my card. This mysterious frying of the GPU is why I asked about the unusual power configuration my PSU offers for PCI-e. I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss a basic wiring issue different from what the original PSU was configured to do. If the new PSU is just overkill in the sense of being more power (which is harmless and unused) than I need, that's fine with me. I still might add other components at some point in the future, and like you said, I don't want to be running on the verge of exceeding the output ceiling.

I knew I'd end up biting the bullet and ordering the Asus 6670. It's the most popular graphics card on Amazon and right now has a mail-in rebate that knocks the final price down to $79.99- I might as well stop with the nickel-and-dime attitude I've taken thus far and know I'm done swapping out one card after another.

In terms of the fan, I figure I'm never going to find a perfect compromise of airflow and sound. The Noctua 92m puts out 37.84 CFM at only 17 dB- that is MUCH better than the stupid 29-40 dB that my Vantec Thermoflow ranges between, but the Vantac moves from 34.8 to 58.5 CFM at the same time. I am tempted to give up on the "quiet" fan idea and just install a nice reliable model like the Antec Pro DBB 92mm (single speed version) for the case and move the computer onto the floor and off of my desk. 42.3 CFM at 33dB is fairly respectable, it's cheap and reliable, and moving the whole tower away from my direct working space would let me install whatever it takes down the road (Vantac Tornado?).

I took some photos of the open case and how I have things laid out right now; going to lunch and I'll post those.

@SpeedStep. Evercool had so many negative comments regarding poor airflow that it is not even considered, plus Dell front panel is very thick, so it is not going to be an easy job. Second, when I asked about space under HDD, I meant the space between HDD and non-removable side panel (motherboard is attached to this panel) - this is the only place where 120mm fan can fit, I tried to find any brackets available to be bolted by the side(or 2 sides, but not all 4 sides) only, and there is none. In your nice picture of airflow fan location would be at the tip of the first intake red arrow. I am not sure why you pictured HDD cooler?

@OC Thanks for the hint - you second link is working, first is not, but it is enough, I got the idea. "This mysterious frying of the GPU is why I asked about the unusual power configuration my PSU offers for PCI-e" - rales on PSU are applicable when you are planning to attach something power hungry to your PSU (directly, by cable), Video Card is the most power consuming device in the PC. Since you most likely will have one or the other 6670 - it will use PCI express slot power (up to 75 watt) and would not be connected to PSU directly, so no worries here (I hope).

How loud is Vantec, really? Is it whining sound or just like fan noise? Look at productivity/performance vs noise. I got used to sound of fan in front of my XPS, if this Vantec is about the same I will buy one (my third fan is not that fast). And don't forget - Noctua NF-B9 Fan is about $21.99 at Newegg, that is expensive for a regular fan! Vontec Tornado? Only with fan controller - but it is different territory, overclocker's one - basically it is too much for Inspiron 570, I might consider place 3 -fan controller maybe, but nothing digital nor fancy.

How loud is Vantec, really? Is it whining sound or just like fan noise? Look at productivity/performance vs noise. I got used to sound of fan in front of my XPS, if this Vantec is about the same I will buy one (my third fan is not that fast). And don't forget - Noctua NF-B9 Fan is about $21.99 at Newegg, that is expensive for a regular fan! Vontec Tornado? Only with fan controller - but it is different territory, overclocker's one - basically it is too much for Inspiron 570, I might consider place 3 -fan controller maybe, but nothing digital nor fancy.

I've been checking the cooling numbers on 1 hour OCCT tests the last couple of days, and I can safely say that right now, prior to installing the new video card later this morning, I top out at 58c and level off around 55c for most of the test. I looked at the Noctua and it's rated at producing higher airflow in CFM than the current fan I'm being driven crazy by the noise (not sound level as much as awful whine tone)- so I'm giving that one a whirl today too. Here is my question: With the exhaust fan installed two PCI slots below the top PCI-e slot and the two empty PCI slots using vented covers, should I have the 92mm rear case fan directed to move cool air in, or push hot air out? It's currently an intake setup, as I figured blowing air right onto the CPU heatsink/fan would be ideal, but I wonder if it wouldn't be more efficient to direct it as an exhaust. I have the side case vents, the front extra CD bay (took off plastic so air can move through the grill), and the PCI vents- maybe those places will be able to provide airflow for two exhaust fans (PCI and 92mm rear mount)?

I've also considered using a dremel, removing a section from the removeable side pannel, then install a tasteful looking 80mm intake fan right in the side of the case with a grill over it.This is what I was looking at.

With the video card issue resolved (hopefully), I still am going to add a 128gb SSD for the OS and a couple of applications that are often used plus a BD-R drive to burn my photography and video work onto discs for storage instead of eating my entire hard disk. With all of that, I am somewhat sure I'll need a bit more cooling. My workspace never has the ambient room temperature above 23.5c, so any air from the outside will help greatly.

I'll update after the new installs today and such. I'm also working on a second project now- I took my brother's totally stock HP A1250N that I want to upgrade and install a video capture card into, along with 2TB of disc storage to opperate as a more functional DVR for my wireless home security setup. The plan is to mount it in the attic where the current DVD sits, but then figure a way to relay the display and use the system from directly below it in the office space I compute at now. :emotion-2:

Since the air usually goes up in the case try installing 92mm rear case fan as exhaust and see the results - it is very easy switching sides for fan, plenty of room. If it is not going to work for you - you will just switch back. That was a quick reply.

I have the system humming along now- no real heat issues and strong benchmark numbers across the board..... except I still feel like the 2D graphics and CD speed should be better. Is there a card (can't believe I'm considering this again) slightly higher level than the Asus 6670 Radeon that will give me the same level of 3D graphic performance with a significant bump in the 2D arena?

Also, I replaced the factory DVD+RW drive with an Asus DVD+RW DL drive, both for increased storage ability and to hopefully speed the obvious lag in reading discs. Well, it had the opposite effect and seems to only be half as fast at reading as the factory drive. Is there such a thing as just a CD-ROM drive these days that reads at high speeds- no burning or DVD reading to slow down the regular CD function?

Below is my benchmark for the entire system- is there any obvious bottleneck I'm missing?

2D performance is quite difficult thing to solve, just did search and can not find easy straight answer, look here for now for some answers, it seems to be that Win7 is not that great for 2D performance (vs XP), and I saw many people complaining about 2D performance with professional graphic cards, I am not sure if we, with limited $$ and compact desktops can do any real change in 2D.

Edit. Just found AutoCad graphic card reference guide, it might be some help since it is centered around 2D performance, worth to take a look.

Speedstep you offering poor guy to jump from sub $100 to $400-500 card?! This is professional card territory, OC was wondering is it possible to achieve higher 2D performance with budget card, or something like this, or/and tweak something in his system.

Ack! Yeah, I certainly am not looking to step up beyond the $150 range or so. For $400-$500 I'd simply buy a faster system or more likely, buy the parts needed for a scratch-build project.

I think the numbers look good for 3D, and the 2D seem to be more a function of W7 than of anything I'll be able to afford to fix via hardware. At this point I suppose the last thing to really do for me to see an appreciable difference is install the SSD for the OS to run from, and perhaps switch over to PC3-12600 (1600mhz) DDR3 RAM from the factory speed 1333mhz DDR3 RAM that I've maxed at 8GB. Not sure if that little bit of speed will be noticed, but it's nearing the end of the line for things I can deem practical here. That'd set me back about $150-$175 to make both the above improvements... at that point I could call it a day and move onto a new project. I wanted to try breaking the 2000 barrier for overall benchmark score and have something faster than my brother's HP Pavilion Intel i7 that he spent WAY too much money on and is convinced needs not a single upgrade- even to fill the vacant RAM slots :emotion-18: He's in the high 1900's running the same parameters I use for the test. It sounds silly, but it's an extra bit of fun beyond just the fact I can do my essentials on the system now without any lag whatsoever.

Hi all, just been reading this topic and thought i would chuck in a few thoughts.

Are there really that many people who have problems keeping their systems cool? My 570 runs a 435 triple core (ok a lower power'ish' CPU), 8GB ram and an XFX Radeon HD6750 1GB GDDR5. Temps for the CPU at idle are between 20 and 25 degrees celcius, up to 40 degrees under stress (rare). Graphics card usually idles around the 30's and hard drives (one is a 10k) late 20's. Standard rear fan but an upgraded CPU cooler (see pics below). Something to steer clear of with these compact cases are PSU's with bottom mounted fans - too much conflict in airflow between that, CPU fan and exhaust fan. I've got an Antec Neo 550 modular (not pictured) which has one rear 80mm fan and the cooling is more than adequate - no need for front mounted fans or noisy PCI exhaust fans.

It would also be worth installing software such as 'Speedfan' to manually control your fan speeds and also closely monitor temperatures.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/ali69734/Image164.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad107/ali69734/Image165.jpg

I guess, I am in a little disadvantage here due to location in Southern California (hot climate) and 125W TDP CPU (Phenom II X4 965 BE), all current Inspiron 570 CPUs do not exceed 95W TDP - much easier to cool down.

Thanks to you Ali, I choose my current setup as is now, I wish I got modular PSU, but I was on hurry, oh well...

This is the reason I choose MSI Cyclone card (NVIDIA to avoid AMD driver issues) - for huge fan and very active cooling architecture. Yes, I stuck 80mm X2 intake fans in the front (from old parts bin) just in case, the only advantage of them is fast drop in temperatures after stress test (maybe they are keeping T from climbing fast up as well). Just for comparison I run Crysis 2 and compared with OCCT stress test - about the same load, same temperatures. Under heavy load I feel hot air coming out from exhaust fan and cool air from Video Card, so I still need may be more powerful fan or something else to help with temperatures upstairs. Other than this I am done here, placing SSD is to much I think, 128GB still high $$, smaller is no good.

Edit. I tried SpeedFan - no good, can not control fans in 570, I guess only hardware control is good here - fan controllers.

kisianik, can you post more pictures of your case? Have you been able to jerry-rig more fans onto the case? I am going to install an Phenom II X4 965 soon with a Hyper TX3 heatsink. Also, so you have the rear fan blowing air in or out of the case? I currently have a SilenX 92mm fan in the rear blowing air in since there is no front case fan option. What I am think of doing is using one of the drive bays as a way to install an intake fan. What do you think?

Also, I have a 550w Antec modular PSU that I installed as well as an EVGA GTX 460v2 SC graphic card, which is why I want to upgrade the CPU from the Athlon II X4 630 to the Phenom II X4 965.

I bought another 570 off ebay a couple of weeks ago and took the 630 quad out of that to replace my 435 tri core. To be honest i've not noticed much difference just doing that, and i think as mentioned it will be the same situation upgrading to a 965 (oh and alot more heat!). Something to note is if you've got a certain code on your CPU it can be unlocked to have an L3 cache (which to be honest is all you really gain on a phenom). See the picture, where there is the code CADAC it is followed by AD, this is the code that will show whether it is able to be unlocked (obviously all this would depend on a motherboard upgrade). Unforunately my triple core had AC not AD where if it had been AC it could have been unlocked to a quad. http://www.cpu-world.com/info/AMD/Unlocking_cores_and_L3.html

In terms of temps and cooling, there really is no need for extremities. To be honest if you are going for really serious gaming, then you are better off upgrading the case completely. There are a few pics below of my case internals (after a good clean) and i can honestly say its more than ample, giving average temps of 35 degrees celcius on the 630. DUST is the biggest cause of thermal problems and failure, which is why the entire front of my case has been filtered (sorry no pics currently). It doesn't stop very fine dust coming in, but the big clumps of it that collect certainly don't get in, and cleaning is alot easier.

Samy,

I don't know what your expectations are, but there shouldn't be a HUGE difference in the X4 965 compared to the X4 630 if you look at benchmarks at passmark (Phenom ~4200, Athlon ~3200). Yes a 30% increase in your processor speed might help your benchmark, but honestly you'd probably speed the actual user experience up more by simply buying a 128gb SSD to throw your OS and applications onto. I say all of this because I have an Athlon II X3 455 (slightly slower than yours) and felt a bit wasteful in upgrading it. It is supposedly our MOBO that bottlenecks a processor from exceeding where the Phenom X4 940-965 range chips run too.

I can say that in terms of efficency, I screwed around enough to find the perfect fan application for our case, provided you are using a 95w side CPU cooler. It might change with the giant suckers sitting there- but I have an indoor/outdoor temp display affixed to the outside pannel and the sensor under the two 5.25" bays (same height as CPU but no airflow past to cool). The inside of my case runs approximately 0.8 to 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the outside case temp, regardless of what the CPU is doing. I have stress-tested it up to the 50-55c core temp range for an hour (I can't get it any hotter) an the case was still 1.6F warmer inside than out. So, I might not be able to help with the actual component coolng, but I can give you my layout for airflow that was tested and adjusted over and over one weekend:

Starting with the front of the case, move the CD/DVD drive into the lower slot. Next, buy one of these fan intakes for the empty top bay. Note that you will need to either accept the fact it will move around a bit, or do what I did and place clear silicone glue around the entire bottom and adhere it perfectly atop of the CD drive, then give it 24 hours for the glue to cure beforre replacing the front plastic cover/bezel. They just don't make the ideal 5.25" intake that is intended to be used in totally blank bays- so the mounting brackets are garbage. 

*note while front plastic of case is removed, you can see the vast amount of space for air to enter the gap under the front of the bezel and flow into the case through the mesh metal front usually hidden*

Next thing is to get your silicone glue back out, along with a nice, quiet 80mm square fan that can run on a molex power source. This is the perfect option from my point of view.  Take and use a good amount of the glue to secure the fan to the center of the case floor, filling the entire void between the two. Use electrical tape to keep presure on it while setting for 24 hours, left upright with the side off. It should be pretty darn secure now. Oh yes, obviously, make sure it's flowing INTO the case. That was a sloppy mistake to make the first time around. 

Now you have all the air you could ever need coming from the front- if the tower sits on a desk or raised stand on the floor, you can stick your hand around the front of the case and FEEL air being pulled in from all angles. Last parts are pretty basic:

Do your own thing with a CPU cooler. I won't even start suggesting what to use, I think it's like arguing car brands sometimes. But, take your pick and install it with some nice Artic Silver thermal paste. 

You do NOT want to use a PCI exhaust. too much air is going to go straight under the video card and never make it to the CPU/exhaust (already entering low, + cold air naturally flows lower in the case). Instead replace the PCI slots not occupied by your video card with these - this seems trival but is not. It doesn't move air, but it prevents stagnant air from being trapped under the GPU cooler's fan. 

Finally, pick a nice single-speed 92mm fan with a molex 4pin power plug and the standard 3-pin used together to keep the system happy in knowing there is a case fan. I personally love the CFM/dB/$ ratio of the MassCool. 45 CFM airflow, 28dB, <$10. Don't worry, the LED doesn't get bright enough to notice. The other option I used for a few days but found to be WAY too annoying was the thermally controlled Antec. This was supposed to have a max volume of 33dB at full speed, but I swear it was continuously louder than my Masscool. It was still better than all other case fans tried so far though. Just make sure it's blowing out, not drawing air in- also, a spot of that silicone seal at each of the four corners will prevent any vibration noise with the case. 

So yeah, as I type this it's now 75.6 outside the case and the temp sensor inside is showing me 76.2. The whole rig is still quiet enough to keep ON the desk if you desire as well. 

Wow I had some time on my hands. I think that needs to be turned into a sticky for anyone unsure about optimal case cooling. :emotion-8: