BFG 9800 GT 512MB ThermoIntelligence Passive Cooling Review

Conclusion

With this 9800 GT, BFG has continued the respected tradition of their ThermoIntelligence lineup and have also brought it to the next level. By partnering with one of the best heatsink manufacturers in the market, they have shown that their eyes are open to what enthusiasts want by bringing a good card and a great cooler together at an acceptable price. Indeed, how history remembers limited edition graphics cards usually has a lot to do with how well they are received within their respective markets. From what we see, consumers will be more than happy to greet this passively cooled card with open arms.

BFG has really gone for a simple approach with their 9800 GT ThermoIntelligence Passive considering other than the Thermalright heatsink, there is absolutely nothing to distinguish it from other stock-clocked 9800 GT cards on the market. Granted, the PCB is slightly modified from the reference version to increase efficiency and decrease heat output but is there anything else? Not really. Since they were going for a passive approach (remember there are other 9800 GT TI cards on the market), the clocks couldn’t be increased and the temperatures under some conditions show how wise BFG was to use stock clocks.

According to our conversations with BFG, Thermalright and other manufacturers, designing a passive cooling solution for the current generation of Nvidia’s cards is a tall order of business. Looking at the performance of the cooler in a low-airflow environment brought that fact right into our faces since temperatures climbed to pretty alarming levels. However, please remember that the old stock 8800 GT cooler allowed heat to rise to the exact same level. After some further testing it seems that the cooling solution excels when there is enough air movement over its fins and does amazingly when a 92mm fan is installed.

Speaking of heat, one really has to wonder about the lack of heatsinks over the VRMs and the memory ICs. While ramsinks may be of debatable use, we think that the VRMs need some additional cooling especially considering the passive nature of the heatsink. It is understandable that BFG had to cut cost somewhere as Thermalright’s products are notoriously expensive (the HR-03 Rev A. retails for almost $50CAD alone) but I would personally prefer to take a $5 increase in this 9800 GT’s price rather than leave the VRMs naked.

Unfortunately, while this card represents a great step forward for GPU cooling, it also suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. Does BFG want their new ThermoIntelligence card to appeal to HTPC aficionados? If so, where are the necessary connections for HTPC use? Things like a HDMI adaptor and S/PDIF cable are missing in action. Also, with its high temperatures in an environment typical of HTPCs, we can honestly say that this card is not what you should be looking for if you are in the market for a home theater PC. Is it a performance oriented card? If so, then where are the fan wire clips and heatsinks on the memory and VRMs? They are MIA as well.

All in all, the BFG 9800 GT ThermoIntelligence offers a little something for everyone. Its performance is typical of the 9800 GT 512MB which means it sits firmly in the middle of the road while cooling is quite good under the proper conditions. You can also mod easily modify it for some pretty amazing temperatures and its price is just excellent considering the Thermalright cooler strapped to its haunches. While it does everything well, it doesn’t exceed our expectations in any discipline other than the fact that BFG somehow added a $50 cooler to a $160 card and is selling it for less than $180. That in itself should make you stand up and take notice.



Pros:

- Thermalright cooler
- Good passive cooling performance under the proper conditions
- Price
- Lifetime Warranty


Cons:

- Lack of VRM heatsinks
- No included fan clips
- Overclocking not recommended
- No accessories for HTPC integration