Alpha PAL8942 lets you overclock the P4 even more..with lower voltage!

[KenAF]

From Dinglehoser over on Arstechnica...

Well, got mine in the mail yesterday. This thing is absolutely gigantic, and it was a tight (but not forced) fit on my Gigabyte 8IRXP. The base is smooth, with some slight concentric machining marks, but nothing that can be felt with a fingernail. The retention mechanism, though it still requires you to remove the mobo to install the standoffs, is a lot better than that of the Swiftech MC462A series. The springs allow for sufficient installation pressure (unlike preproduction models), so no problems there. Here are some MBM numbers:

Pentium 4 1.6A (Northwood) at 2560, 1.65V (measured with MBM)

Common parameters:

Case: Coolermaster ATC201SX
Ventilation: 2x Panaflo L1A 80mm blowing inward (front), 1x Panaflo L1A 80mm blowing outward (top), 1x Panaflo L1A blowing out (behind CPU), Antec 400W PS (single thermally controlled 80mm fan, blowing outward)
Ambient temp: 21-22C
Case temp: 24-26C
Load: 100%, Folding @ Home

Arctic Alumina was installed cleanly for each different heatsink. Each setup was run for 2 hours to ensure temperature stability.

Measurements:

Intel retail HSF: 56-58C (case 25C)
AVC Sunflower, 70mm 38CFM fan: 49-50C (case 26C)
Alpha 8942T with 80mmx25mm 38CFM Sunon fan, blowing outward: 44-46C (case 24C)
Alpha 8942T with 80x25mm 38CFM Sunon fan, blowing inward: 47-48C (case 25C)
Alpha 8942T with 80mmx33mm 53CFM Sanyo Denki fan, blowing outward: 42-44C (case 25C)
Alpha 8942T with 80mmx33mm 53CFM Sanyo Denki fan, blowing inward: 44-46C (case 25C)

I wish I had a more sophisticated means by which to measure temps, but it's obvious to me that the Alpha HSF bests the popular AVC Sunflower (of which I have two ... one of which is for sale in the Agora). With the 38CFM Sunon fan installed, the cooler is darn near silent, and the pitch of the noise is a notch less annoying than the 70mm on the AVC.

For best results, the fan should be sucking off of the HSF, not blowing inward. Relatively speaking, it's slightly noisier, but nearly enough to make up for the performance sacrifice for putting the fan in an impingement orientation.

Maximum stable overclock numbers:

Intel retail HSF: 2511MHz, 1.70V
AVC Sunflower: 2544MHz, 1.70V
Alpha 8942 with 38cfm Sunon: 2560MHz, 1.65V
Alpha 8942 with 53cfm Sanyo Denki: 2560MHz, 1.65V

Personally, I highly recommend the Alpha 8942T with a relatively low flow fan, as it seems that little is gained by airflows above ~50cfm. (This includes Delta 68cfm fans, air compressors, and pressure washers. I put them all in the same noise class. *shudder*)

I haven't seen the Swiftech MCX478, but it's $30-$40 more, and I can't imagine how it can be all that much better than the Alpha.

 

[Cheapparts4u]

wow, take up the voltage to the max and o/c some more!

 

[jiffylube1024]

Thanks for bringin the info to us! I'm definately going to get either this HSF or the Thermaltake Volcano 7+ Cu (the new one with the fan speed adjustments) for my P4.

 

[Duvie]

Since heat rarely seems to be an issue with limits on many ppl's overclocks of p4's...How the hell does this allow you to oc more at LESS VOLTAGE....

It dissapates heat well but if heat isn't much of a factor like my chip at 2.52ghz with 1.675 volts will not climb over 45c during prime95 but if I had a .025v it will last for several more hours but still gain 1c....

Please explain this to me....

 

[golfreak]

Theres no question that the Alpha is one of the best P4 coller out there.
If you want the latest and greatest, go ahead and get it.

But I question is it neccessary ???
The P4 generate alot less HEAT than AMD so is it worth it to spend an extra $40++ to get an extra 50mhz ??
Most people with the retail cooler get this CPU up to ~2.4 just fine.

If you're a hardcore OverColocker, get it by all mean.
BUt personally spending the extra $40++ and get so little in return is unwarranted.