So you're looking to squash every source of noise from that HTPC or maybe you're just tired of the Boeing 747 that calls your computer home. After all, the last thing you want to hear in the middle of an important movie line or your favorite music track is the nagging sound of another fan spinning at speeds that'd make a tornado sick.

The problem: Many of today's video cards spew out enough heat to rival that of your systems CPU. While the stock heatsink and fan combination provided by the manufacturer might provide adequate cooling, they often do so at the cost of increased noise levels; that hot air isn't going to move itself you know. But what about alternatives for those looking to reduce noise levels yet keep a matching level of cooling performance?

The solution: Liquid oxygen based phase changers with thermal couplers that require 1.21 jigawatts of juice to achieve optimum efficiency. Not sounding like something that's in your budget range or local zoning laws? Then how about something more along the lines of AeroCool's VM-101 fanless card cooler? The first in their VM (Video Magic) series of coolers, the VM-101 utilizes heatpipe technology to transfer heat from the GPU to a large array of aluminum fins where it is then be dispersed.

Designed primarily as a replacement for the stock cooling solutions found on NVIDIA GeForce FX5900 and ATI Radeon 9800 Pro series cards, we'll take a look and see just what kind of aftermarket cooling the VM-101 provides. Will it match the performance of the stock solutions or turn your GPU into a Hasbro Easy-Bake oven? Read on to find out.