Well, for example I played Oblivion on a x1900xt using the stock cooler, and the noise was noticeable over the sounds of the game through speakers at a medium volume. It wasnt that loud that it made the game less enjoyable, but it was loud enough that I eventually replaced it with a quiet aftermarket cooler. Also, I should mention that the rest of my fans are quiet, so the video card was the only loud fan in my case. And that's with the case next to me on my desk. If your case is on the floor under the desk, the noise may be less noticeable.