A Heatsink to suit my needs

[Morgan]

hey,

i have been running forum searches and doing hours of research on reviews, but i just cant find an answer.

I have an AMD 3200+. The current average ambient temperature is 22 degrees, being winter, and my CPU socket is running at 43 degrees. Im not sure what the hell the diode is, because using mbm the only other two temperatures i get (apart from case) are 25 degrees and 125 degrees.

In summer, when the ambient temperates average around 35 degrees (and sometimes as high as 38 - 40) im worried about my computer. I would also like to keep it cooler to a) increase lifespan and b) perhaps do a bit of light overclocking.

all temperates are in celcius by the way.

My fan setups are:

Two 32cfm coolermaster 80mms in the front pulling in
One 32cfm coolermaster 80mm in the top back blowing out (soon to be a vantec stealth 120mm)
One 80mm temp controlled coolermaster intake in side
One 80mm temp controlled coolermaster exhaust in top

I will also soon be adding an Arctic Cooling ATI Silencer 3 on my 9800XT which should hopefully help remove hot air from the bottom of my case, along with a vantec spectrum fan card.

I will be purchasing arctic silver 5, which i will use on my ATI silencer 3, and new hsf for my mobo (when i get one)

If possible, i can easily get a 80-120mm fan adapter bracket for the heatsink fan. Id rather a 120mm fan, as i can get more performance for quieter that way.

Now for my requirements as a CPU cooler.

It cannot be loud all the time, but It can be loud if it has the ability to be turned quiet (i can turn it loud while gaming as i wont hear it, but i have to sleep with this thing).

I do not want anything much heavier than 450 grams, and preferably less than 400 grams. Especially if its a tall heatsink, because i dont want to have to worry about this thing ripping the socket out. If you can suggest a solution by which i could support it using some kind of brackets or something, which will take the strain off my motherboard, be my guest (please)

Its gotta be superior to the stock cooler.

Money is an issue (i prefer cheaper), but if the heatsink really is worth it i can dish out anything up to $80.

Ok.

I originally decided to get the Aluminium/Copper 7000B cooler from zalman, but i did the measurements and found that my powersupply is in the way.

My motherboard is an asus a7n8x-e deluxe.

At the moment i am considering the following hsfs. Some of them ive had real difficulty finding info on, so if any of em are really poor please inform me. Also, if you could give me your opinion on which one that i have listed is better than the others? Perhaps a reorder from top (best) to bottom (worst)? Thanks.

Arctic Cooling Copper Silent 2L
Thermaltake Polo 735 Cooler
Thermalright ALX800
Globalwin Cak5 (can anyone find ANYTHING on this?)
Thermaltake Volcano 12
Thermaltake Venus 12
Gigabyte 3D Cooler PRO
Aerocool HT-101 SuperConductor AMD/Intel Heatsink
Bitspower Aurora (Aluminium) (can anyone find ANYTHING on this?)
Coolermaster Vortex Dream 7
Alpha Pal8045

I know its a long list, but its just so hard to sort trash from good quality stuff when the only processors they review them on are 2400+ and below...

Im also interested in the XP120 by thermalright. its out of my cost range but i can probably get it, if you think it will be worth it. Also, if it will fit in my case.

Thanks for your time. Any help is appreciated,

Morgan

[edain]

i recomend this heatsink

http://www.cpucitystore.co.uk/catalo...roducts_id=545

combined with this fan

http://www.silenx.com/productcart/pc...3&idproduct=78

to give you one of the most silent and efficient combinations on the market.

[Gh3tt0PC]

xp120 with a 120mm fan from www.silenx.com should be more than sufficient...dunno about finding it in austrailia though, probably better off having someone in us order it and ship it to you....

[Morgan]

thanks for the swift replies.

Edain, it is a nice heatsink, but its over 500grams. Unless you can suggest some way of taking the strain of my mobo im afraid to use it! Im sure it works fine for other people, but when im moving my case around...

I have seen silenx fans before, i remember i was really impressed at the CFM to DBa ratio. I might see if i can find an australian store for them.

Also, the xp120 is availlable to me. I can get it, although it will really hurt my 15 year old wallet. I have concerns about it fitting in my case however. Is it really as great as it is supposed to be? I have only seen reviews of the xp120 while it was in production stages, not the final product.

Also, any word on the hsf's i listed?

Thanks,

Morgan

[edain]

dont worry man, 500grams is nothing. i use it, i've dropped my case on it's side, etc, it's solid as a rock!

dont worry about the weight, because it's bolted onto the motherboard. the motherboard would snap in half before the cpu was affected, and trust me, your mobo ain't gonna snap from 500grams.

[chocobo1104]

Originally Posted by Gh3tt0PC

xp120 with a 120mm fan from www.silenx.com should be more than sufficient...dunno about finding it in austrailia though, probably better off having someone in us order it and ship it to you....

If zalman HSF cannot fit in his case, what makes you think XP120 will, since its like 1.5 times the size of it??? My answer - SLK-948U + Panaflo High

[Morgan]

ok, ive decided that im going to replace all my fans with high speed sunons.

Ive found a nice looking fan controller with 4 fan knobs controllers, each supporting 13 watts.

so ill use two 50.6CFM 80mm's on the first knob for front intake, two 50.6CFM 80mm's on the second knob for side intake and top exhaust, one 108CFM 120mm on the third knob for rear exhaust, and the fourth knob for the sunon fan i will use on the heatsink i get, most probably a 108CFM 120mm (i will use a fan adapter to use a 120mm instead of 92/80mm if possible).

This way i can turn it down when its idle, and turn it up if im gaming/overclocking. But as these 80mm fans are 40dba spinning at 3900rpm... This one does from 7 - 12volts, so how far/quiet should i be able to lower it?

Should this be a good setup? If so then i will grab an SP-97, as its only a bit more than the SLK (and better i heard?), and use a fan adapter to chuck a 120mm sunon on there?

Would that setup

a) Give me hardcore cooling when i need it?
b) Be quiet when i turn it down when i want it?

I would like your opinions please, because all up ill be purchasing (apologies for AU dollars)

Arctic Cooling ATI Silencer 3 $37 (To cool my 9800XT)
Arctic Silver 5 3.5g $8 (For use instead of stock thermal pastes)
Vantec Spectrum Fan Card $19 (To aid in overclocking my radeon, and airflow when fans are set lower)
2xVantec 80mm Silic. Vibr. Damp.$9 (for the window and top fan so they dont rattle at full speed)
3.5" Rheobus - Black $31 (The fan controller)
4 x Sunon 80mm 50.6cfm Fan $40
Sunon 120mm 108cfm Fan $19
Sunon 92mm 120.2cfm Fan $18
Thermalright SP97 $89
Grand Total $270AU ($195US)

My job gets me $8AU ($5.75US) an hour. I do 9.75 hours a week. This means it will take me 3 and a half weeks to get the money together. If this will be the answer to my cooling problems ill do it gladly, but if you dont think it will work then please voice your opinion so i dont pointlessly waste what little cash ive got.

Thanks,

Morgan

*edit*

oh and, if anyone knows any cheaper australia online stores than www.coolpc.com.au, do share

*edit2*

Ok ive read that fan adapters are apparently not hot with heatsinks, so ill get a Sunon 92mm 120.2cfm Fan instead. I assume that the fan blows into the heatsink, not sucks out of it?

[mike vick]

it might just be me but I think you might be wasting your money. It seems like you have hafway decent fans already..i would just get a SP97 and a 92 mm Tornado with a Sunbeam fan controller...take it one step at a time instead of just buying everything at once. Also from what i hear the Sunon are really annoying...i have a couple of Enermax 120's at front and rear and an Antec 120 mm on the top. I have a Thermalright SLK900 A and a 80 mm Smart Fan on that and my temps right now in the middle of a Texas summer(most of the time over 100 F if not upper 90's) is 35 idle and 38 load but its at 1950 Mhz. I was getting like 45 load when I was running at 2330 Mhz with the same setup.

[edain]

$195 us dollars, thats about £110!!

seriously man, dont waste your cash like that.

just follow this rule:

the difference between no airflow and minor airflow is HUGE!
the difference between minor airflow and major airflow is SMALL!

the setup you have right now is fine. ayou'd rather have betetr heatsinks than higher cfm and noise.

get an sp-97 for the cpu, and vga silncer for your 9800xt. this will make the biggest difference of all.

scrap the vantec spectrum card. the silncer directly exhausts heat out the case.

scrap the vibration dampners. you wont notice the vibration over your harddrive.

so i reccomend:

sp-97 + any 92mm fan
arctic cooling vga silencer
arctic silver 5

[Morgan]

alright, thanks

so with the sp97 mounted, are there any worries about weight? Can i move my case around without worry about the thing snapping off?

[mike vick]

course man...its fine ...its not like its some massive thing and one false movement of your case will break your mobo in half

[fant0mkid1412]

Originally Posted by edain

sp-97 + any 92mm fan
arctic cooling vga silencer
arctic silver 5

what he said... best air ever

Originally Posted by Morgan

so with the sp97 mounted, are there any worries about weight? Can i move my case around without worry about the thing snapping off?

dont worry about this one... its not massive enuf to crush anything....
speaking of massive... take a look at this one for fun
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...d.php?t=123539

[edain]

i dont understand what AA said about TIM's in that heatsink. isn't soldering just like making 2 pices of metal into one? isn't that the whole point of soldering?? to avoid TIM's??

[Morgan]

which heatsink is better? SP97 or SLK-478U?

[john_spit010]

assuming u meant Sp97 or slk947u, the sp97 is better not by much but it is.

[Morgan]

thanks.

I found a good online store for it, and i was browsing through the fan options and i noticed the aeroblower, like the one used on the aero 7.

I know the aero 7 is not a good hsf, but does anyone have an idea of how the blower would do on a sp 97? better than a 92mm vantec stealth?

Thanks,

Morgan

[fant0mkid1412]

sp97 is a really good hs, and a lot of ppl put generic 80mm-92mm case fans on there and it works very well
a vantec stealth 92mm would be a good choice for cooling and silence
.. max cooling go vantec tornado 92

[A138thDelta]

Originally Posted by Morgan

alright, thanks

so with the sp97 mounted, are there any worries about weight? Can i move my case around without worry about the thing snapping off?

Yes you can drop it and it wont fall off... It mounts to the mobo.... Its an awesome hs I now own 3 and am giving a 4th one to a friend .. For ocing they are the bomb man....

[Morgan]

ok thanks

but ive still got it boiled down to either 92mm vantec stealth or aero 7 fan. Does anyone have any idea if the aero 7 fan will do well?

[john_spit010]

they both blow around 28cfm so just get whichever's cheaper