duorb hsf on 3870's

[Skyguy]

Good point Bungle.......very valid point. But I wonder, does that open up a can of worms? What I mean is when everyone tests hardware, do they put in the low-end components, and only push the products a little? Or do they put in the heavyweights? There's nothing wrong with comparing stock coolers to aftermarket ones for any product......people want to know whether they're good or not, and if they're worth the money. True, a $600 card/cooler has higher standards and expectations, but it also give a better indication of how well a cooler performs.

If that weren't the case, why are 2900 PROs included beside 8800 Ultras in GPU testing/reviews? Because we want to know how something responds when pushed HARD. It's a universal, simple concept common to all hardware/tech sites, including this one.

Otherwise, I think it should be stated that the DuOrb/VF-900/Accelero/etc are each good, but only for mid/low range cards at most, and don't bother if you're a serious gamer or are want something that performs top-notch. No shame in saying a product is geared towards the mainstream, non-enthusiast, low/mid-range market.........but I would suggest that doesn't boost sales for the companies that want these products reviewed

Just my opinion though. If someone is happy with their Orb/VF/S1/etc, that's great!! But no harm in pointing out its limitations or how it stacks against all competitors.

All things being equal regarding the DuOrb, however........it does great at idle, but not so great at load.....its efficiency drops considerably. It does not have a fan-speed adjustment, and is rather noisy compared to other products on the market. When taking its price into account as well, it's not the top contender. That's simply a fact. Is is a good cooler? Yes. But only in very specific circumstances, and has design features that pose potential problems. If we ignore that, then we are foolish. We're here to become informed, so........that's lowdown on the DuOrb