OCZ Vendetta 2 – non clip feet mounting
OCZ Vendetta 2 – non clip feet mounting
This is a partial continuation of my other review, OCZ Vendetta 2 vs. Zalman 9700 – benefits of bare heatpipes to solid contact plate. I am going to touch base with it and give my thoughts on the idea of bare heatpipes since in the last article I tried to simply state the facts and allude to the conclusion I have drawn from my personal experience with both of these top tier cooling devices.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Test rig:
EVGA 790i
Q9450 lapped@ 3.552GHz ~ (1.304v-1.296v) with drop, mirror finish
Antec Formula 5 spread with card on proc
2GB (2x1GB) PC3-10600@ 1.7v 888MHz
8800GT (G92) with Thermaltake DuOrb, mirror finish, FanMate set to low
PCP&P 610Watt PSU
Antec 900 with front two fans set to low, 39CFM, rear vent at medium, 56CFM
5.25’’: One ROM, iMon media device, hotswap with Seagate 500GB
Seagate 500GB in top cage bottom slot almost in line with video card
Some cable management done to bundle and clear airflow, ref pic.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The OCZ, though fairly unknown to a lot of people, is one heat sink that has nothing to hide and bares it all.
Price: $49.99 retail, MicroCenter
Sockets: 754, 755, 939, AM2, LGA775
Heatpipes: 3 exposed copper pipes placed in aluminum block
Fan: 120mm, 800-1500RPM, 65-81 CFM, 20-32 dBA, rifle barring, 4 pin
Weight: unknown
Sink: Aluminum fins
<o>:p> </o>:p>
I am going to go ahead and restate all the results I posted with the previous review that I did with the OCZ using the clip feet.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
There was an ambient of 77-78F off of the digital thermostat during the test period. Also temperatures are being recorded using reattempt which uses a Timex for the 45nm cores of 95C. I let the motherboard control the OCZ fan this time, 30C=1% and 70C=100.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp idle 41-35-33-46C max low.
Zalman temp idle 40-34-33-44C max low.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 65-59-59-69C max high
Zalman temp load 66-59-59-68C max high.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Zalman temp load 66-59-59-68C fan high
Zalman temp load 66-59-59-68C fan low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Zalman temp idle 46-41-34-46C fan low
Zalman temp idle 55-47-45-57C fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Here are the temps for load with the side on and top fan off, my 24/7 settings all applied, these are not max but the average temps that are being read.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 60-55-56-67C
Zalman temp load 62-55-56-65C fan low
Zalman temp load 59-53-49-60C fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Now as it should be apparent, the usual temp difference between core0 and core3 is fairly extreme, though a 10C spread on a quad is still fairly large but not uncommon as I have been reading with the 45nm quad chips. The main reason to try and achieve a more uniform temperature for all the cores is to help increase life of the processor, especially after a heavy 24/7 OC, but also this means that there is improper contact happening with the cooler and the processor. My first plan was to use the backplate of the 9700 and an assortment of Zalman mounting screws, washers, and need be springs. After several attempts trying to mount this way I gave up, it would require removing the motherboard from the case and a lot of time trying to screw the contraption together for the first attempt and I got lazy. If you want to try and best me you will need number 4 and/or number 6 washers and also an assortment pack of springs from Home Depot. There is not enough room to mount in the case so it requires a pre-install or a re-installation of the mother board and all attached devices. The trick is to use washers for spacers with the long Zalman mounting bracket screws or the number 6 washers with the same screws and the longest springs that will fit the screws themselves, they are almost equal length of the screws.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
So I broke down and used the retention bracket of the Zalman cooler and used the K8/K9 mounting spring of the Vendetta2. It does not fit perfectly centered on the processor but fairly well as it will be seen. The major problem keeping the unit from being centered is the fan bumping up against the locking arm on the spring clip, which can be made a non-issue with a Dremel or a thinner fan.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Now for the temperatures that were recorded, same testing as the previous article except I set the fan to max speed through the board (1410-1450RPM). I tried combinations of the side on and off and the top fan on the 900 on and off, low setting.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 63-56-53-64C fan high, max high
OCZ temp load 57-50-46-57C fan high, max low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp idle 47-41-33-48C fan high, max high
OCZ temp idle 41-35-33-46C fan high, max low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
With an ambient of 72F with the side on and the top fan off.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 58-52-48-60C fan high, max high
OCZ temp load 56-48-43-56C fan high, max low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp idle 37-30-33-41C fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
My average temp on load with ambient 78F, side on top fan off with the fan set to 100%.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 60-53-50-60C, fan high
OCZ temp idle 44-38-33-47C, fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Now the Vendetta2 and Zalman 9700 temps that I was seeing just glancing during the testing and while just using the computer regularly are extremely comparable if not identically on a standard basis with the Zalman’s regular mounting and the V2’s AM2 mounting with Zalman hardware, this is of course with both fans on max RPM. The major difference though is the fact being the OCZ stock fan is much quieter all around when compared to the Zalman fan that is attached to their unit. This is the aspect that impressed me the most with the V2. Besides this there is a retail price difference of 20 dollars between the V2 to the 9700. So if you are feeling adventurous and want to succeed where I have failed mounting the Venedtta2 or have spare hardware left over from a 9000 series Zalman I would recommend the OCZ Vendetta2 over the Zalman on these points. There is also the fact that you can replaced the fan on the V2 for something that is even stronger and possible increase the performance of this unit even further.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The other item that I would like to comment on is the idea of thermal pipes that are in direct contact with the processor. This, in my mind, is the way to go for most of the high end air coolers now because you are getting rid of one of the thermal interfaces that the processor has to transfer heat through to get it to the rest of the sink where it can be cooled. With this, one can cut out one more area of possible heat loss from the sink that would heat the air around the processor and make it stay hot. The main issue that arises from this design is a non-mirror finish on the bottom of these heatsinks as well as aluminum contact that you are not wanting. What I would really love to see from a manufacturer is a bare heatpipe sink that is only copper on the bottom in a way that the pipes have been flattened out into a flat and solid contact area that can given a true Zalman mirror finish.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The OCZ’s fan speed was monitored through SpeedFan 4.34. The fan speed was not as consistent as I would have liked it to be so later this week, maybe, I will crap a cable and see what I can do with a FanMate on getting more consistent fan speeds or closer to the fan’s max RPMs of 1500. I will simply add a post or just edit this post.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Variables: Fight Club.
[FONT="] Morgan Webb hair thread.
Here is the word doc if you don't like the paste formatting. [/FONT]
This is a partial continuation of my other review, OCZ Vendetta 2 vs. Zalman 9700 – benefits of bare heatpipes to solid contact plate. I am going to touch base with it and give my thoughts on the idea of bare heatpipes since in the last article I tried to simply state the facts and allude to the conclusion I have drawn from my personal experience with both of these top tier cooling devices.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Test rig:
EVGA 790i
Q9450 lapped@ 3.552GHz ~ (1.304v-1.296v) with drop, mirror finish
Antec Formula 5 spread with card on proc
2GB (2x1GB) PC3-10600@ 1.7v 888MHz
8800GT (G92) with Thermaltake DuOrb, mirror finish, FanMate set to low
PCP&P 610Watt PSU
Antec 900 with front two fans set to low, 39CFM, rear vent at medium, 56CFM
5.25’’: One ROM, iMon media device, hotswap with Seagate 500GB
Seagate 500GB in top cage bottom slot almost in line with video card
Some cable management done to bundle and clear airflow, ref pic.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The OCZ, though fairly unknown to a lot of people, is one heat sink that has nothing to hide and bares it all.
Price: $49.99 retail, MicroCenter
Sockets: 754, 755, 939, AM2, LGA775
Heatpipes: 3 exposed copper pipes placed in aluminum block
Fan: 120mm, 800-1500RPM, 65-81 CFM, 20-32 dBA, rifle barring, 4 pin
Weight: unknown
Sink: Aluminum fins
<o>:p> </o>:p>
I am going to go ahead and restate all the results I posted with the previous review that I did with the OCZ using the clip feet.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
There was an ambient of 77-78F off of the digital thermostat during the test period. Also temperatures are being recorded using reattempt which uses a Timex for the 45nm cores of 95C. I let the motherboard control the OCZ fan this time, 30C=1% and 70C=100.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp idle 41-35-33-46C max low.
Zalman temp idle 40-34-33-44C max low.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 65-59-59-69C max high
Zalman temp load 66-59-59-68C max high.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Zalman temp load 66-59-59-68C fan high
Zalman temp load 66-59-59-68C fan low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Zalman temp idle 46-41-34-46C fan low
Zalman temp idle 55-47-45-57C fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Here are the temps for load with the side on and top fan off, my 24/7 settings all applied, these are not max but the average temps that are being read.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 60-55-56-67C
Zalman temp load 62-55-56-65C fan low
Zalman temp load 59-53-49-60C fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Now as it should be apparent, the usual temp difference between core0 and core3 is fairly extreme, though a 10C spread on a quad is still fairly large but not uncommon as I have been reading with the 45nm quad chips. The main reason to try and achieve a more uniform temperature for all the cores is to help increase life of the processor, especially after a heavy 24/7 OC, but also this means that there is improper contact happening with the cooler and the processor. My first plan was to use the backplate of the 9700 and an assortment of Zalman mounting screws, washers, and need be springs. After several attempts trying to mount this way I gave up, it would require removing the motherboard from the case and a lot of time trying to screw the contraption together for the first attempt and I got lazy. If you want to try and best me you will need number 4 and/or number 6 washers and also an assortment pack of springs from Home Depot. There is not enough room to mount in the case so it requires a pre-install or a re-installation of the mother board and all attached devices. The trick is to use washers for spacers with the long Zalman mounting bracket screws or the number 6 washers with the same screws and the longest springs that will fit the screws themselves, they are almost equal length of the screws.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
So I broke down and used the retention bracket of the Zalman cooler and used the K8/K9 mounting spring of the Vendetta2. It does not fit perfectly centered on the processor but fairly well as it will be seen. The major problem keeping the unit from being centered is the fan bumping up against the locking arm on the spring clip, which can be made a non-issue with a Dremel or a thinner fan.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Now for the temperatures that were recorded, same testing as the previous article except I set the fan to max speed through the board (1410-1450RPM). I tried combinations of the side on and off and the top fan on the 900 on and off, low setting.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 63-56-53-64C fan high, max high
OCZ temp load 57-50-46-57C fan high, max low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp idle 47-41-33-48C fan high, max high
OCZ temp idle 41-35-33-46C fan high, max low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
With an ambient of 72F with the side on and the top fan off.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 58-52-48-60C fan high, max high
OCZ temp load 56-48-43-56C fan high, max low
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp idle 37-30-33-41C fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
My average temp on load with ambient 78F, side on top fan off with the fan set to 100%.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
OCZ temp load 60-53-50-60C, fan high
OCZ temp idle 44-38-33-47C, fan high
<o>:p> </o>:p>
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Now the Vendetta2 and Zalman 9700 temps that I was seeing just glancing during the testing and while just using the computer regularly are extremely comparable if not identically on a standard basis with the Zalman’s regular mounting and the V2’s AM2 mounting with Zalman hardware, this is of course with both fans on max RPM. The major difference though is the fact being the OCZ stock fan is much quieter all around when compared to the Zalman fan that is attached to their unit. This is the aspect that impressed me the most with the V2. Besides this there is a retail price difference of 20 dollars between the V2 to the 9700. So if you are feeling adventurous and want to succeed where I have failed mounting the Venedtta2 or have spare hardware left over from a 9000 series Zalman I would recommend the OCZ Vendetta2 over the Zalman on these points. There is also the fact that you can replaced the fan on the V2 for something that is even stronger and possible increase the performance of this unit even further.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The other item that I would like to comment on is the idea of thermal pipes that are in direct contact with the processor. This, in my mind, is the way to go for most of the high end air coolers now because you are getting rid of one of the thermal interfaces that the processor has to transfer heat through to get it to the rest of the sink where it can be cooled. With this, one can cut out one more area of possible heat loss from the sink that would heat the air around the processor and make it stay hot. The main issue that arises from this design is a non-mirror finish on the bottom of these heatsinks as well as aluminum contact that you are not wanting. What I would really love to see from a manufacturer is a bare heatpipe sink that is only copper on the bottom in a way that the pipes have been flattened out into a flat and solid contact area that can given a true Zalman mirror finish.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
The OCZ’s fan speed was monitored through SpeedFan 4.34. The fan speed was not as consistent as I would have liked it to be so later this week, maybe, I will crap a cable and see what I can do with a FanMate on getting more consistent fan speeds or closer to the fan’s max RPMs of 1500. I will simply add a post or just edit this post.
<o>:p> </o>:p>
Variables: Fight Club.
[FONT="] Morgan Webb hair thread.
Here is the word doc if you don't like the paste formatting. [/FONT]
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