Anyone have overheating problems with 4870?

My friend was blabbing about how the Hd 4870 gets really hot and now he's telling me to buy a cooler if I get one.

Does anyone else with a 4870, or has experienced one, ever had overheating problems?

I had two 4870s in Crossfire and I can definitely attest to the fact that they get very hot. However, you shouldn't have any problems as long as your case has good airflow. And, you should not need an aftermarket cooler either -- again, if you case airflow is good.

Well my case is a micro ATX one, and it will be cramped once the 4870 is fitted.

Heat isn't always a major issue, just as mpcrsc562 said. Depends alot on case airflow,if OCing or not .. etc
Most cards are designed to actually run in the mid 70s or so.
For the most part, it shouldn't be a issue.

It also truly depends on the maker of the card and if they just followed the ref. design for cooling, or made thier own.


If it really bothers though, You have 2 options.

1) Grabbing any 4870/90 based on the ref. design, and a aftermarket cooling solution and install it.

2) Check into some of the other cards that do NOT use a reference design cooling solution.

For example, my personal favorite: (And, yes im a fan :) )
Sapphires Vapor-X line, Toxic line are 2 very good ones I have experience with.

Of course Sapphire isn't the only company that makes their own cooling solution better than the stock version.

There are also a couple other very good brands, but as to how well their cooling solutions do, I honestly couldn't say.
Just because I've never owned one.


Mine typically runs in the low 60s at full load.
Sometims Mid. 60s depending on the game.

The cards that have their own cooling design do run cooler(regardless of brand) , but will also cost a little more.
Still, cheaper than buying a card and cooler IMHO.

Good catch Stormy.

The 4870 will need room for 2, 6pin connectors.

So thats going to be at least another 1.5- 2" extra clearance youll need if the connectors are at the back of the card.

I'm looking for a new case now, as I need enough space for my cards. This should be alright, shouldn't it? IRIS BLACK Novatech Iris Tower Case - Black -NO PSU Novatech Value, Up To 4 x 5.25inch & Up To 6 x 3.5inch Drive Bays, Supports ATX & Below Motherboards : novatech.co.uk

& by the way, will all SATA HHDs fit in that case?

Even though my computer will be cramped once I install the 4870, would it be reasonable to open the side case of my PC, so too much heat won't build up? Or wouldn't that affect it?