9800 GT upgrade advice

[KaputField]

Hi folks,

 

Seeking some advice on an upgrade from a 9800 GT.  I'm fairly content with its performance, but the constant fan noise is really getting to me and it runs very hot (idle at 65 C even after a thorough cleaning...).  Basically, I just want something that runs much quieter and don't really care too much about an upgrade in performance.  Currently I can play Dirt 3 at 1600x900 on medium settings at around 40 fps so something that would allow me to do that would be great.  But again, I am more than willing to sacrifice performance in favor of low noise.  I'm finding it pretty hard to find consistent noise-level reviews since there are so many different coolers on cards.  Can this be done for no more than 80 bucks?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

i7 860

8gb ddr3

cx430W

 

[orangecat]

No fan under 80$

 

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=83425&vpn=GT630-DCSL-2GD3&manufacture=ASUS

[Volbet]

This one has a fan, but it is not that loud. Have one in my home server, and it is barely noticeable.

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=72472&vpn=GV-N630-1GI&manufacture=Gigabyte

I would only recommend a passivly cooled graphicscard if you have very good airflow in you case.

[werty316]

Try applying some aftermarket thermal paste to see if that helps your temps.

[Underachiever101]

You may want to look into some aftermarket VGA cooling. Its not as expensive as a new card, and it will more than likely solve your problem. However, the 9800 is a fairly old card in today's standards so you may have trouble finding one to fit. Hope this helps!

[MattDaemontools]

Don't waste your money on after-market cooling, you can get a graphics card that's faster than your 9800 GT cheaper than a new aftermarket cooler.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121632R

The 7770 is about 40-50% faster than the 9800 GT.

[killerx525]

Asus DCII coolers are really quiet but you could go with passive cooling.

[KaputField]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

The GT 630 looks good, but after some research I'm seeing that I can get a new Galaxy GT 640 for even cheaper than the 630, which seems like a pretty good deal given the difference in performance.  Anyone know anything about that card?  Will it be exceptionally louder than the 630?

[Volbet]

Most of the reviews online says it is quiet, and i can't find anyone complaining about the noise. Then again I can't tell from personal experience