Rethinking my amd64 cooling solutions.. $12 works for me

TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
edited May 2005 in Hardware
I have 8 amd64's in the house right now counting the dual opterons, s754 and s939 computers.

I had been a HUGE fan of the zalman's with their huge round copper HSF's with 92mm fans. Very quiet and cooled very well. I have like six of them at the moment. Thats $240 worth of HSF's.

So I sold one of the s754 3200+ MSI neo MB's to Robins sister and didnt think she needed a $40 HSF and I went to a little local store called PC club... bought a big azz Coolermaster for $12 and it idles at 1 degree higher and under load it's 2 degrees higher. Easily the differance in just mounting the HSF twice. Its oftena degree or two differance each time I tear it down.

And thats with the cheaper arctic alumina not Arctic silver paste and I can't even hear the sucker run a couple feet away with it sitting on top my desk. I have to turn and watch it start to see the fan blades turn as I can't hear it at all.

Uhhhh.. I think I'll be dumping the zalmans in the future for the $12 Coolermasters. I mean the zalmans look cool but... TWELVE BUCKS works for me. I would rather put the same money into other parts. Unless your trying to OC really hard there is no need to use $40 HSF's on these newer AMD64 cpu's. Not for noise or cooling.


Tex

Comments

  • madmatmadmat
    edited April 2005
    Why not just use the stock AMD HSf units if you're not going to be OC'ing? From what I've read and heard they work adequately and if you're buying retail boxed CPU's for the 3yr warranty, they're included free.

    Just my 2 cents worth but for just everyday cooling of a non OC'ed system paying anything extra seems to just be a case of throwing away good money. Aside from proper case cooling that is, I meant CPU wise.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited April 2005
    I don't buy retial boxed cpu's. I pay 50 to 60 percent the cost of retail boxed cpu's
  • madmatmadmat
    edited April 2005
    Ah, that makes sense.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    Tex, what model is the Coolermaster you're using? I've got a Coolermaster with a 70MM fan, and it is the loudest PC fan in any PC I've got. If I can silence this thing for 12 bucks, I'll be a happy camper.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited May 2005
    No idea what model. It was the only one they had for the AMD64's at PC Club and was 12 bucks. Ibought it because it was CHEAP and local to me.

    I bet this is equivalent to the stock cooler the supply with the retail cpu's but I am not sure.

    Tex
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    It might actually be the same one I have then. It's strikingly similar to the stock HSF.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    madmat wrote:
    Why not just use the stock AMD HSf units if you're not going to be OC'ing? From what I've read and heard they work adequately and if you're buying retail boxed CPU's for the 3yr warranty, they're included free.

    Just my 2 cents worth but for just everyday cooling of a non OC'ed system paying anything extra seems to just be a case of throwing away good money. Aside from proper case cooling that is, I meant CPU wise.
    I have also noticed that while the stock A64 HSF's cool quite well they are some of the noisiest stock units ever. I would have been happy with mine for moderate OC'ing had it not been for the noise!
  • maximusbadmaximusbad The Burg
    edited May 2005
    To tell you the truth the stock hsf i have isn't noisy at all, it's my case fans and they are only like 2 weeks old.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited May 2005
    I can't hear the coolermaster fan over the one in the PSU and my case is open right now.

    Tex
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    mtgoat wrote:
    I have also noticed that while the stock A64 HSF's cool quite well they are some of the noisiest stock units ever. I would have been happy with mine for moderate OC'ing had it not been for the noise!

    I've assembled a half dozen stock A64s now, and the HSF was always whisper quiet.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    Thrax wrote:
    I've assembled a half dozen stock A64s now, and the HSF was always whisper quiet.
    Interesting! Mine was noisy as hell and as soon as I instsalled my XP-90 my case was quiet again.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited May 2005
    I wonder if perhaps since they are such budget units that every once in a while they get one with a fan slightly out of balance or soemthing.

    Any slight problem in that area would produce a ton of noise via the vibration generated. Or maybe some MB's do that whole "cool and quiet" AMD64 thing better. Or since mtngoat folds his is always nailed to the hilt.

    The ones I have used are awesome.

    Tex
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    Tex wrote:
    I wonder if perhaps since they are such budget units that every once in a while they get one with a fan slightly out of balance or soemthing.

    Any slight problem in that area would produce a ton of noise via the vibration generated. Or maybe some MB's do that whole "cool and quiet" AMD64 thing better. Or since mtngoat folds his is always nailed to the hilt.

    The ones I have used are awesome.

    Tex
    I always power all my fans with molex connectors and never off the board. I disabled "Cool and Quiet" in the bios on the very first run and don't ever plan on using it. I am running a DFI NF4 Ultra-D withn nothing on 'Auto' and only ther essentials are 'Enabled". I did notice that the stock fun turns at 5,700 RPM. :eek:
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