If geeks love it, we’re on it

Socket 775 and AM2 heatsink roundup II

Socket 775 and AM2 heatsink roundup II

SilverStone Nitrogon NT06-Lite AM2 Installation.

The Nitrogon installed without issue on our DFI Infinity NF570-M2/G. I must say that the installation left me feeling very confident about the security of the mount and the healthy amount of pressure that was applied as a result. It was a little awkward getting the backplate and posts secured, but after some careful work with a pair of pliers and a screwdriver, I had them secured. The Nitrogon installs a lot like a waterblock.


The backplate feels very functional. As I tightened the screws and posts, I felt pressure being applied to the area directly behind the socket to counter any pressure from the front. As I mentioned earlier, it is a very secure mount.

Once the protruding posts are secured, the nitrogen fits nicely in place and can be tightened down with the spring-loaded thumbscrews.

The fin bank of the Nitrogon covers all of the DIMM slots but does not prevent their use. Clearly, a lot of airflow will reach the RAM and motherboard components.

SilverStone Nitrogon NT06-Lite Socket LGA 775 Installation

Unfortunately, the Nitrogon NT06 backplate was not compatible with the Asus P5K-E that we’re using as our reference board. Many of the newer LGA 775 boards have protruding pins that cause an issue with large backplates. I happened to have a DFI Infinity P35 Blood Iron board in the lab at the time of this roundup. Sure enough, the backplate was not compatible with the DFI P35 board either. Although the Nitrogon backplate has a fairly thick plastic covering and some soft padding, the backplate does not sit flush against the back of the P5K-E. I was hesitant to continue with the mounting as the sharp pins may have perforated the plastic and caused a short. Ideally, SilverStone should offer an “X shaped” backplate like what is included with the Tuniq Tower 120 and the Noctua NH-U12P. This shape totally avoids the power regulation areas at the rear of LGA 775 boards. Hopefully they’ll offer another LGA775 backplate as an optional accessory in the future. I have passed this suggestion along to them.

I decided to give the Nitrogon a shot on our Intel platform despite this unfortunate compatibility issue. Since the backplate was the only thing preventing me from installing the Nitrogon, I improvised with some thick plastic washers and installed the Nitrogon without a backplate. I considered trying a backplate from another heatsink, but felt that it may give the Nitrogon an unfair advantage if the backplate is superior to the one included. Since running the heatsink without a backplate does not put it at an advantage, I decided to give it a try.

As you can see, with a little creativity, anything is possible. The washers were from an old Danger Den water block I had. Coincidentally, they are the exact same thickness as the Nitrogon backplate.

The posts were mounted and we had no issues with clearance on the top side of the board.

As you can see, it is difficult to access the thumbscrews due to the passive Asus heatsink near the rear I/O panel. With some patience, I got them all tightened down. There was a noticeable buldge at the rear of the socket, so the backplate is definitely ideal. I was comfortable to proceed, however, as the retail intel heatsink actually did far worse.

Look at the northbridge directly in the line of fire. No sense wasting all of that extra airflow! The Nitrogon can be rotated by 90 degrees specific areas of the motherboard can be targeted for some second hand cooling.

In the end, we have a securely installed Nitrogon NT06, albeit without a backplate.


« Previous Next page »

Comments

  1. GHoosdum
    GHoosdum That Noctua looks like a real winner...

    Coincidentally, prices on it seem to be going up since the review was published. Hmm...
  2. lemonlime
    lemonlime It is an excellent heatsink--especially when you consider its footprint, weight and fin spacing.

    It is unfortunate that newegg does not seem to carry Noctua products. Canadian buyers can find it at NCIX in the $49-59 range. There should be other US based retailers that carry it.
  3. Leonardo
    Leonardo Thanks, Mike. Good review. I'm always eager to learn of the latest in air cooling for CPUs.

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!