advice on hsf

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Jibby

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Oct 3, 2002
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Heya. I've just decided to look at getting a new hsf setup for my 1800+ on 8RGA+. It's using stock cooling at the moment, and it is definitely the noisiest thing in my PC. Since I have it in my room, I'm looking for a quiet, yet fairly cool hsf to replace the existing one. Taking into account where I live, and being on a tight budget, these are the choices I've come up with:

1. Vantec VA4-C7040
2. ThermalRight SK6 + fan
3. SK7 + fan (almost twice the price of the above two though)
4. Thermaltake Volcano 7+
5. Thermaltake Volcano 9
6. Stick with existing hsf :p

Well, this is pretty much my first experience with using non-stock cooling, but after reading articles and posts online, it seems like the vantec might be a good choice, being fairly quiet and cool. What I don't know though is how it compares with the stock cooling noise-wise - I've only been able to find an article at Tom's Hardware that compares it to the stock 2700+ hsf. I have seen people commenting that the vantec isn't that quiet either, hence my concern.

Could another option be just replacing the existing fan, as well as installing some case fans (I have none in there)? My only fan options are Vantec Stealth 80mm and Sunon B2 80mm ones (no Panaflos).
 
DT4K

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
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SVC GC68 is supposed to be a very good performer and it's cheap. Like 5 bucks with a fan.
I got mine in the mail yesterday but haven't installed it yet. If you wait until tomorrow, I'll tell you how I like it.
Here's the link

The fan that comes with it is supposed to be 28db, but if you wanted, you could probably replace it with a slightly quieter fan. I'm not sure what the stock fan is like, since I replaced mine a long time ago with a Volcano 6 Cu+. It's got a 60mm 7000 rpm fan that is 38db. And it's annoyingly loud which is why I ordered the GC68. It's gotten very favorable mention on the forums here and some good reviews, and for 5 bucks you can't really go wrong.
 
J

Jibby

Member
Oct 3, 2002
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I'm not sure if I can get that without ordering from the US (ie halfway round the globe). :) I live in Western Australia, by the way, so I'm pretty much restricted to anywhere in Australia if I'm ordering (well, preferably anyway). I'll dig around some more online to see if any store here has it, but I'm pretty sure no store has it in WA.
 
DT4K

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
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81
Yeah, one of the perks of living in the U.S. is the great online computer stores.
Even if you could get it shipped from here, it would probably end up being more expensive.

My advice then, would be to see what all your choices are and search for some comparisons. Lots of the overclocking sites do heatsink comparisons.

Your best bet for noise is to make sure you get one that takes an 80mm fan. Then look for a fan that pushes the most air with the lowest db rating. Assuming the same airflow, an 80mm fan will be much quieter than a 60mm fan. And even at the same noise level, a 60mm will have a higher pitched, more irritating noise.

Do you know what kind of temps you have?
If not, download something like Motherboard Monitor.
Compare your temps to other peoples here.
If your case temps are high, adding a case fan would definitely help, or at least allow you to use a quieter cpu fan without an increase in cpu temps.
Basically, whatever heatsink you have, it will tend to keep your CPU a certain number of degrees above your system temp. So by lowering your system temp, you will also lower your cpu temp.
 
Insidious

Insidious

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2001
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Pretty much any HSF that will accomodate an 80mm fan can be a lot quieter than the stock 60mm things.

It sounds like there is no reason for you to splurge since you have been happy with the amount of cooling you presently run.

Have 60mm:80mm adapters gotten any better? maybe you could just change the fan to an 80 with an adapter (if they are any good)

-Sid
 
J

Jibby

Member
Oct 3, 2002
110
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0
Thanks for the replies. The 8RGA+ comes with its own hardware monitor, so I fired that up, and idle temperatures were 35 deg C CPU and 32 deg C system. I then had it loop the 3dmark2001SE lobby scene high detail 10 times, and the temperatures were 47/35. I then looped it another 25 times straight afterwards, and they were 49/38. These were all taken today, which is a fairly cool day... it was warmer yesterday (and more humid), and I did similar tests, and the max CPU temperature was 51 deg C.

The hardware monitor also says that the CPU fan is running at about 4600 RPM. Opened up the case, and it is indeed a 60mm fan.

About the temps, they aren't particular high for stock cooling, right? My reasons for changing the cooling, though, are:

1. Want to keep the noise level as low as possible without going broke (or more broke ;) ). It's the first time I'm having a computer in my room, and I've already spent more than I thought I would originally on an LCD (ended up getting the Hitachi CML174SXW instead of cheaper 17" LCDs I was considering). And at the moment, the CPU fan is bugging me a little bit.

2. I don't want to sacrifice too much cooling either, because sooner or later I will upgrade my gaming rig, and the GF4 Ti4400 from that rig will go to the computer in my room. This GF4 is using passive cooling (though I might eventually replace that with the better Zalman ZM80A-HP heatpipe cooler), you see. Since I don't have any case fans at the moment, I thought putting a couple of quiet ones (eg the Vantec Stealth 80mm ones) may be a good idea. And hopefully, doing so may allow me to go with a slower and quieter CPU fan.

I'm kinda interested in the Vantec VA4-C7040 (AeroFlow), because I can get that at a store in WA (hence without ordering), while I would need to order the SK6 and SK7 (I can get the volcanoes at a store here too). I'll probably see if I can have a listen to it at the store early next week or maybe this weekend, but I was wondering what you guys think of it. I've read a few reviews, and they have been saying that it's "very quiet for the amount of cooling you get." The thing is that this doesn't mean a lot to me because I don't know what the hsf setups they compared it to (eg the volcanoes) sound like since I'm new to this. :p Reading a few posts in the anandtech forums, there were people saying the same thing as the reviewers, while others were saying that it isn't completely silent (and I didn't expect it to be anyway). So, I'm at a lost at the moment. :(

A few combos I'm thinking of...

1. Vantec AeroFlow for CPU, 2x Vantec Stealth 80mm fans as case fans
2. SK7 plus Sunon 80mm for CPU, 2x Vantec Stealth 80mm fans as case fans
3. Retain hs, change the CPU fan to a Sunon 80mm, and 2x Vantec Stealth 80mm fans as case fans.

What do you think of them?
 
Insidious

Insidious

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2001
7,649
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0
I put those enermax adjustables in my case. I liked them. Not particularly powerful, but it was nice to tweak the whistle out of them.

(pretty cheap too)

-Sid
 
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