It's possible for the Accelero to run passive actually but it wouldnt be truly passive. You need at least a front intake blowing on it a bit or it'll skyrocket. Had one before and went from 40C idle to 100C+ load and throttling/crashing.
IMO, stick with stock for now, the cost of aftermarket cooling isnt worth it. If you set up a support ticket with xfx and complain about the noise and ask for something to quiet it down they'll probably send you a resistor adapter for it. I've even gotten them to send me a different version of a heatsink once for an 8600GT since I complained about the noise (I had the cheaped out revision :P). I should also note that I wasn't even under warranty at that point.
Dangtx's idea of taking off the shroud is a good idea but just make sure you don't strip any screws when removing the metal plate. Instead of a 120, I'd suggest you use a 92 or 80 since the fan hub is smaller and will restrict airflow less.
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