AM2 Heatsink + Fan

[Darak]

So I'm upgrading my PC for the first time in.....awhile. Byebye 2500+ and NF7 hello 5600+ and Crosshair! I've pretty much got my new rig picked out, with the exception of my CPU cooling. I'm undecided over getting a TR Ultra-120 Extreme or a Zalman 9700 LED. I know the TR is top of the line, but what fan should I be looking to get with it? Furthermore, the TR costs more by itself than the 9700 LED does. What should I get?


New Rig Setup:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+
XFX 8600 GTS
ASUS Crosshair

As for size constraints, I'm using a Thermaltake V5000A with all of the stock fans in. ATM is does fit a TR SI-97 heatsink with a Vantec Tornado on it. The case has 6 fan controllers on it, so the FanMate2 on the Zalman isn't really an issue

 

[996GT2]

Are you going to OC? If not, then you'll be fine with the OEM heatsink. If you plan to OC moderately, go with an AC Freezer 64 Pro for about $20. It will offer good performance at a nice price. If you want to do some extreme OCing on air, then get a Tuniq Tower 120 since the Ultra-120 seems to have many manufacturing problems and the 9700 just doesn't perform all that well for its price.

 

[Darak]

Is the fan included on the TT decent, or should I be replacing that? Also, what are the dimensions on the TT, with the fan placed vertically, which has got to be the oddest looking setup I have ever seen, it looks massive.

 

[996GT2]

Heatsink Dimensions 131mm (W) x 108mm (H) x 153mm (D)
Fan Dimensions 120mm (W) x 120mm (H) x 25mm (D)
Weight 1.75 lbs, 798 g

The included fan is supposed to be pretty good, so you should probably wait to try it before swapping it out. If you don't like it you can always go for a SilenX or something.

 

[Darak]

Well, seeing as how my case is 205mm wide, I don't think I can fit the Tuniq. 153 + 25 + another 25 for the case fan, 2mm of room just is too little. If the 9700 really doesn't perform for the price, I think I might want to take my chances with the 120 extreme. Is there any estimate to the odds of getting a bad production one?

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: Darak
Well, seeing as how my case is 205mm wide, I don't think I can fit the Tuniq. 153 + 25 + another 25 for the case fan, 2mm of room just is too little.

http://www.crazypc.com/images/coolers/cpu/tuniq/tuniq120view2full.jpg

If you observe this picture, you will see that the TT 120 is not much taller than the 120mm fan, so it's about 150mm tall. There is no need to account for any more width for the fan since the fan fits inside the cooler. You'll most likely be fine with this cooler if you have around 150mm between your mobo and case fan.

 

[Darak]

Oooo it goes inside? The newegg pic I saw had it on top. I was wondering how that worked lol.

Still, any word on the odds of getting a working 120 extreme? Or even a 120 ultra, Anand's review shows it at just under the temperature of the Tuniq

 

[996GT2]

Well look at it this way...if you're planning to get an Ultra-120 Extreme, you are paying more for a part that may be defective and give you completely absurd temps. The Ultra-120 (non Extreme) still costs more than the Tuniq Tower and performs exactly the same according to AT's review (linked below). I would just get the TT if I was in your situation...one degree or two won't matter one bit in actual use, and could vary depending on what thermal paste you use or how you mount your HSF.

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/coo...malright-utral-120-extreme/idle-sm.png

EDIT: Check out svc.com for your cooling needs. Their prices are usually lower than Newegg's.