AMD AM3+ Stock Cooler

Pedroc1999

Senior member
Jan 8, 2013
305
0
0
Well today I was looking at the stock cooler for this generation (Vishera) and is it just me or does the cooler look quite capable, or is it actually crap?
 

Vesku

Diamond Member
Aug 25, 2005
3,743
28
86
Well today I was looking at the stock cooler for this generation (Vishera) and is it just me or does the cooler look quite capable, or is it actually crap?

The stock cooler is good enough to go to about 4.4GHz (10% OC for 8350) assuming ok ambients. Not too shabby for stock cooling.
 

Pedroc1999

Senior member
Jan 8, 2013
305
0
0
WOW, never though it would handle that. What about for a 6300, would it be able to get it upto 4.5 maybe?
 

SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
1,001
126
I think the stock cooler AMD includes is very decent... large copper base, four heat pipes. Some people claim it can get loud, though. I never had a problem with my Phenom's from what I remember, but I think Vishera is a bit more power hungry and warm, so that may change things a bit.
 

Pedroc1999

Senior member
Jan 8, 2013
305
0
0
I have always read people say to never OC on stock cooling, but this is quite decent, i guess it only applies to Intel
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,000
3,357
136
FX6300 has a smaller non copper based non heat-pipe cooler, but it has less cores and it can be OC to 4+GHz easily with the default heat-sink.

FX6300 Heat-Sink
fx6300heatsink1.jpg


FX8350 Heat-Sink
fx8350heatsink1.jpg


fx8350heatsink2.jpg
 
Last edited:

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,567
2,626
136
I have always read people say to never OC on stock cooling, but this is quite decent, i guess it only applies to Intel
The reason to not overclock on Intel stock cooling is that the headroom is less than aftermarket solutions.

AMD ships these better heatsinks with their FX CPUs because this series of processors generate more heat and hence need the superior ability to draw away heat at stock.

Also, aftermarket thermal compund helps reduce temps.
 

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
141
106
I have one of those heat sinks in my closet. Looks like the design hasn't changed in years... I think I got mine either with my x2 3800+ or my Opteron 165.
 

jvroig

Platinum Member
Nov 4, 2009
2,394
1
81
As far as I know, from personal experience and reviews, AMD ships two kinds of coolers.

HSF Type 1: Non-heat pipe cooler by AVC - for CPU's 95W and lower.
HSF Type 2: Copper base with heat pipes, also by AVC - for CPU's over 100W

Traditionally, #1 are dual-core chips, and practically anything labelled Athlon since the Athlon X2. I believe even Athlon II X4 chips use the non-heat pipe cooler, due to being 95W only.

As for performance:

HSF Type 1: The AVC non-heat piped cooler is not really very good, but it is very silent. In my experience (I've had two chips that came with it), I never hear it. It's as if it doesn't exist.

HSF Type 2: Evidently, AVC makes good coolers. FrostyTech has a review of it (look under AVC), and their results mirror my experience - cooling is ok, but the noise is terrible. It's a very audible high-frequency noise, not a loud vacuum-cleaner-like sound (i.e., very annoying).

I have always read people say to never OC on stock cooling, but this is quite decent, i guess it only applies to Intel
Not really. If you remember the Sandy Bridge review, Anand wrote "effortless 4.4Ghz" using the stock cooler (both 2500K and 2600K). The real thing to remember here is to not take what people in forums say very literally - instead, understand the rationale behind it. When you understand the how's and the why's, you do not need to just blindly follow "general rules of thumb for convenience". When they say "don't OC with stock coolers", they don't literally mean "you can never OC on stock coolers". It simply means that while YMMV, you most certainly will have far more headroom and lower temps (i.e., more success and satisfaction) using a far more potent HSF. However, as long as you follow certain constraints (not going beyond max operating temps and reasonable voltage) and be satisfied with whatever OC you can get (be it 100Mhz or 500Mhz), there is nothing wrong with overclocking using the stock HSF.
 
Last edited:

Pedroc1999

Senior member
Jan 8, 2013
305
0
0
Youve kind off lost me a bit. So you are saying that the hsf shipped with the 6300 is not very good
 

Hubb1e

Senior member
Aug 25, 2011
396
0
71
Has anyone tried replacing the fan on the 125W AMD cooler? I got one with my PhII and it is loud. I'm considering getting a 60mm to 80mm adaptor and dropping on a quieter fan but I'm not sure what kind of results I should expect. The heatpipe cooler certainly looks capable except for that tiny fan.
 

Pedroc1999

Senior member
Jan 8, 2013
305
0
0
Try replacing it with a higher quality but same size fan. I bet the amd ones are cheapish and therefore loud. Also certain bearing types are louder than others
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,118
58
91
Try replacing it with a higher quality but same size fan. I bet the amd ones are cheapish and therefore loud. Also certain bearing types are louder than others

Its not so much that they are cheap as it is that they are small (physically). I'm speaking of the fan.

Replace that 90mm stock HSF with a traditional 120mm and the noise/CFM goes down.

But the FX8350 is quite capable for mild OC'ing. The Intel HSF is anemic in that regard.
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,290
389
126
I stuck the stock cooler from my 8120 on my sons +3200 and was louder then fuc......shut you mouth. Sounded like a jet taking off.
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,118
58
91
I stuck the stock cooler from my 8120 on my sons +3200 and was louder then fuc......shut you mouth. Sounded like a jet taking off.

Why? Did the fan ramp up to 100% or something? The fan on the heatsink for my 8350 can get loud, but only when the CPU temps get into the 70's. But I could see where if you have a mobo that just sets the fan to 100% at all times, even idle, then it probably would be "louder than fuc" to me too.