thanks again.
a friend suggested that i get a passive heatsink and snip off the prongs that would be blocked by the pci-e video card.
here's the thing he's recommending:
http://www.mysterybyte.com/index.htm...e=sidepart.htm
(Zalman ZM-NB32J Fanless Northbridge Chipset Cooler)
I'm not that much of a techie, so the simplest solution (and quietest) is the best.
I will check out the alternatives suggested though - thanks
mike