does anyone have a way i can keep my reference 7970 cooling and in return making it quieter i will do simple mods but i don't want to spend any more money. what are your suggestions?
All you can do really is to have enough intake in your case, preferably a sideintake fan aimed at your card, so it gets supplied with fresh air. (and maybe even a front intake aswell).
It's a cheap tip, but its pretty much all you can do to help your card cool itself.
try turning your PC upside down where the heatsink is *on top*