Cooling

Now let's take a look at cooling systems. We'll skip those installed on 9800 GX2 and 9800 GTX as they copy the reference design.

ASUS RADEON 3850 Smart OC (EAH3850) 1024MB
We've already seen this Glaciator cooler made exclusively for ASUS. It's an oval cup with a turbine in the center. The cooler is quiet, so dimensions is the only problem -- the card requires two slots in a PC enclosure. And don't forget about the overclocking button that needs some room as well.
ASUS GeForce 9600 GT Silent (EN9600GT) 512MB
This noiseless system doesn't have a fan. It features two heatsinks connected by the same frame as well as heatpipes. Cooling only the GPU, this system covers the entire card and also requires two slots.

We monitored temperatures using RivaTuner (by A.Nikolaychuk AKA Unwinder). Results are below.

ASUS GeForce 9800 GX2 TOP (EN9800GX2) 2x512MB

ASUS GeForce 9800 GTX TOP (EN9800GTX) 512MB

ASUS GeForce 9600 GT Silent (EN9600GT) 512MB

ASUS RADEON 3850 X2 (EAH3850X2) 2x512MB

ASUS RADEON 3850 Smart OC (EAH3850) 1024MB

All coolers provide satisfactory efficiency, core temperature never exceeding 85°C (sometimes even 75°C). This is a normal and even good result for today graphics cards. Note that the massive cooler on 9600 GT copes with its task very well.

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