1 Question to all you Athlon 64 owners...

[govtcheez75]

What Heatsink are you using? I just got mine (the MoBo won't be here for a few days though), and the stock HSF looks pretty nice. I actually like the stock HSF, and will probably use it, as there doesn't seem to be any good aftermarket ones out there, but I have one reservation. The thermal "pad" that's on the copper core. It's like some "mesh" like material. I'm temped to scrape it off, lap the core, and spread on some AS ceramique. Is this wise? Should I just use the shady stuff that's on there now? It looks like a piece of squre duck tape on the bottom! Can anyone recommend a good aftermarket HSF, and where I can get one? I would rather not pay over $30 or so for one, and I don't think those Thermaltake Venus ones perform any better than the stock ones do.

 

[Markfw]

Thermaltake silent Boost K8. OC'ed to 2170-2200 and running 32-44c depending on load, and 21dba noise. $28 plus shipping. If you keep your stock one, scape off whatever is one there and put on some thermal compound (AS3 is fine). You don;t really even need to lap it.

 

[o1die]

I wouldn't scrape off the thermal pad. You may void your 3 year amd warranty. Leave it on there, even if you use a different heatsink.

 

[Cashmoney995]

You void your three year warranty if you suposedly use it with a heatsink other than the one provided...they dont say anything about not using the thermal pad...bunch of baloney if they do.

 

[govtcheez75]

Yeah. I just read the manual, and I think it actually DOES say that you must use the thermal pad crap that's on there. Oh well. I think it's Shin Etsu though.
Stock HSF Specs

...I think I am getting the Thermaltake Venus 12. The reviews are good, but LOUD. Good thing it comes with a fan controller.

 

[joe2004]

.I think I am getting the Thermaltake Venus 12. The reviews are good, but LOUD. Good thing it comes with a fan controller.

It is loud on max (which I am running all the time ;) but other than that it is fine. And it isn't as loud as say Vantec/Sunon Tornado. The heatsink itself is in a mode of Thermalright successful heatsinks and it is large. I think this is the best air solution right now in the meager choice field.
If you are not going to increase voltage then the retail heatsink is just fine. However the CPU tops at about 2.32-2.33 GHz with default voltage, else you can squeeze out 2.4 GHz.

 

[BoomAM]

Apart from the Zalman one, their isnt any stand out 754 or 940 HSFs out.
Go for the Zalman. Low temps. Good For OCing, and very quiet.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: BoomAM
Apart from the Zalman one, their isnt any stand out 754 or 940 HSFs out.
Go for the Zalman. Low temps. Good For OCing, and very quiet.

Yes, there is an alternative, Alpha baby! EDIT: It is OOS already though, no surprise there. Finding it anywhere else is going to be tough too!

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: BoomAM
Apart from the Zalman one, their isnt any stand out 754 or 940 HSFs out.
Go for the Zalman. Low temps. Good For OCing, and very quiet.

My Thermaltake Silent Boost K8 is 21 dba, and cool. Just as good as the Zalman.

 

[BoomAM]

Was`nt aware of the Aplha, but that`ll probably be quite good. And the SilentBoost, on the fence about that some says its good, some say its bad.
Luckly, when i upgrade to a 3200, i wont have to worry about which HSF to get, as im going water as well!

 

[Jeff7181]

Well you're voiding your warranty by overclocking anyway, so go ahead and put any heatsink and any thermal interface material on there that you want.

 

[Deathshroud]

I have a Volcano 12 that I have been using to cool my Athlon XP 2100+. I just bought an Athlon 64 3000+, will I be able to use the Volcano 12 to cool the Athlon 64?

 

[joe2004]

Apart from the Zalman one, their isnt any stand out 754 or 940 HSFs out.

Actually, on my surprise, Thermaltake Venus 12 is better than Zalman. Beside once you need to replace the fan, you can use a standard one. With zalman you can throw the whole thing into the trash.

 

[Deathshroud]

*bump*

Can anyone help me out? ^

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: Deathshroud
*bump*

Can anyone help me out? ^

how do you plan on sticking it on the CPU? The clips are different, so you'll have to do some modifying.

 

[Deathshroud]

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: Deathshroud
*bump*

Can anyone help me out? ^

how do you plan on sticking it on the CPU? The clips are different, so you'll have to do some modifying.

I haven't recieved my mobo and proc. yet. I guess if the clips are different I won't be able to use it unfortunately. =(

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I've already tried the stock cooler with pad and a CoolerMaster KK8 w/Ceramique' and both are very quite but the stock is 2c cooler and copper bottomed while the CM is Alu. Amazingly, it seems the thermal pad is similar to the CoolerMaster premium I've used that's based on Shin-Etsu, I was able to use it for a day, take it off to use the CoolerMaster, and put it back on with the same pad because it has a good layer of T.I.M. *maybe too thick to begin with* In fact I'd say it's better now that some came off on the CPU. Anywho, temps are in the low 60's under load so I'll be in the market for that Alpha or maybe live with this till Thermalright gets A64 coolers out.

 

[LilGator]

the BEST one should be the Thermalright 948u, it's not out yet, but just wait, it'll be worth it ... that and some Arctic Silver 5 and maybe a Tornado or TT Smartfan II Oh yeah

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: LilGator
the BEST one should be the Thermalright 948u, it's not out yet, but just wait, it'll be worth it ... that and some Arctic Silver 5 and maybe a Tornado or TT Smartfan II Oh yeah

Yeah, I'm not using the Ceramique' with a A64 again, it pulled the CPU right out of the socket like the P4 guys complain about! :| Too much surface area for that stuff, it turns into a adhesive.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: LilGator
the BEST one should be the Thermalright 948u, it's not out yet, but just wait, it'll be worth it ... that and some Arctic Silver 5 and maybe a Tornado or TT Smartfan II Oh yeah

Yeah, I'm not using the Ceramique' with a A64 again, it pulled the CPU right out of the socket like the P4 guys complain about! :| Too much surface area for that stuff, it turns into a adhesive.

:Q

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: LilGator
the BEST one should be the Thermalright 948u, it's not out yet, but just wait, it'll be worth it ... that and some Arctic Silver 5 and maybe a Tornado or TT Smartfan II Oh yeah

Yeah, I'm not using the Ceramique' with a A64 again, it pulled the CPU right out of the socket like the P4 guys complain about! :| Too much surface area for that stuff, it turns into a adhesive.

:Q

Even more shocking, it bent the 3 pins inward on the arrowed corner! :frown: I thought correcting bent pins on P4B's was hard, it was like painting angles on the heads of needles! All is well though, currently running SETIbench 3000+@2.15ghz 230DDR to see what kind of time it gets. I will test 2.3ghz out but I have to clock the ram@384DDR since my cheapo Apacer 3200DDR can't take 460DDR even@3-3-3-7 timings and IIRC SETI likes bandwidth, correct?.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: LilGator
the BEST one should be the Thermalright 948u, it's not out yet, but just wait, it'll be worth it ... that and some Arctic Silver 5 and maybe a Tornado or TT Smartfan II Oh yeah

Yeah, I'm not using the Ceramique' with a A64 again, it pulled the CPU right out of the socket like the P4 guys complain about! :| Too much surface area for that stuff, it turns into a adhesive.

:Q

Even more shocking, it bent the 3 pins inward on the arrowed corner! :frown: I thought correcting bent pins on P4B's was hard, it was like painting angles on the heads of needles! All is well though, currently running SETIbench 3000+@2.15ghz 230DDR to see what kind of time it gets. I will test 2.3ghz out but I have to clock the ram@384DDR since my cheapo Apacer 3200DDR can't take 460DDR even@3-3-3-7 timings and IIRC SETI likes bandwidth, correct?.

S@H likes high bandwidth, low latency, and large caches. I suspect that an A64-optomized version of the client could take additional advantage of the 1MB of L2 that the 3200+ and 3400+ have to offer, but with S@H 1 wrapping up very soon to make way for the next-generation S@H and other BOINC-based distributed-computing projects, I doubt we'll see any more revisions of the client for S@H 1.

Bummer about the bent pins, BTW I guess if they can stand the pull-out, they'll hold up to some straightening though.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Thanx mech! Listen, I'll be switching the few people on the nForcersHQ team to BOINC or maybe even asking them to switch to F@H and just disband the SETI crew completely since it's not going anywhere over there. So, I want to know what a good time to dump my WU's bak into the TeAm would be? I should have 6200+ WU's to help "protect this house!"

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
Thanx mech! Listen, I'll be switching the few people on the nForcersHQ team to BOINC or maybe even asking them to switch to F@H and just disband the SETI crew completely since it's not going anywhere over there. So, I want to know what a good time to dump my WU's bak into the TeAm would be? I should have 6200+ WU's to help "protect this house!"

Whoa, 6200+! Well I wish I knew when they're calling it a wrap, but last I heard, it was sort of a To Be Announced thing. You might want to make the jump soon, in case they pull the plug without warning us.

I guess I should figure out what project I want to work on after S@H wraps up. So many good projects, only one PC (I don't count my work PC)...

 

[fleflikr]

thermalright!!!