Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 PRO and NV Silencer

[imported_Sincity]

Silence Components:

Case: Antec P160
PS: Antec True Blue II 480w @ 21db
Fans: 2 x 120mm intake/exhaust running at 900 RPMs ea
CPU: Venice E6 3200+ OC'd 2.6 ghz cooled by Freezer 64 PRO @ 2000 RPMs
GPU: MSI 7800GT OC'd 495/1180 cooled by NV Silencer 5 rev 3 @ stock RPMs
AMD "Cool & Quiet" OFF

Ambient room temp: 23c
Idle CPU temp: 26c
Load CPU temp: 46c (Prime 95 Small FTTs max CPU)

I finally achieved an overclocked system that is running cool and blisfully quiet. This setup is almost as quiet as my company issued Dell Centrino based notebook and totally silent in comparison to my Acer Ferrari gaming laptop! What also helps is the Abit AN8 SLI mobo uses a heatpipe to cool the chipset. I originally purchased the Thermaltake Big Typhoon locally at FRY's ($35 after rebate) but returned it because, though it has a lot of positive reviews, I find the weight and size unappealing. Also, the Big Typhoon is so tall that the fan is close to the side panel and I was afraid of the air turbulance noise may cause some resonance to the thin aluminum side panel of the Antec case. Also, there is a possibility or air starvation since the fan sits close to the side panel. I loved the Zalman CNPS9500-truly a piece of fine art and priced like one! This left me with the Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 PRO. Performance on par with the Big Typhoon and CNPS9500, but at a lot lower price ($40 shipped from Newegg). Also, Maximum PC gave it a "Kick Ass" in their current issue.

The next piece of this puzzle is Arctic Cooling's NV Silencer 5 to cool my OC'd 7800GT. Now I read mixed reviews between this cooler and the Zalman VF700 series. The Zalman seems to have an edge in the cooling department. But it just fans the hot air inside the case. Remember, my intake/exhaust fans are running only 900 RPMs each. The NV Silencer sucks in the cooler air from the bottom of my case (near my intake fan) and blows it outside. This helps in keeping the cool air moving inside and the internal case temps down. The only downside to the NV Silencer is the size. This thing is wide. I will not be able to use both of these coolers in my SLI mobo. In order to use two of these in SLI, you will need to get a mobo that has two PCI-E slots in between each SLI slot.

I used to be a Zalman Diehard. But considering the cost of the CNPS9500 and VF700 is almost $105, the Arctic Cooling combo is a bargain at $75 (Newegg prices shipped).

I hope this helps those of you who cannot decide which cooler to get. Read the reviews and draw your own conclusions.

Link for picture: Pic

 

[jlbenedict]

Thanks for the info on the Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro. I've been eyeing this CPU cooler since I first read about it in the Maximum PC issue this month.

Is it easy to install as Max PC describes it? I guess that would make it as easy to install as a stock heatsink, correct? I'd hate to have to remove my motherboard, just to install a CPU cooler.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Good post. Congrate on a winning set-up for your case/needs. :thumbsup:


...Galvanized

 

[GTaudiophile]

Could someone please post product links to sites with these products? TIA!

 

[imported_Sincity]

Gtaudiophile: Here you go: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...ry=0&minPrice=&maxPrice=&Go.x=0&Go.y=0

Jbendict: It is super easy to install! It only takes a few seconds to clip it on. Just like installing the OEM HSF.

I think the reason I am able to get away with using slow spinning intake and exhaust fans is that hot air is not spun-around inside the case like other GPU/CPU coolers (with exception to Zalman 9500). The VGA cooler draws air and spews it outside of the case. And the CPU cooler, you can orient the air flow upwards to the bottom of your PSU and have PSU draw the air outside or you can orient it to face towards the rear exhaust fan to draw the air outside.

 

[Wentelteefje]

I'm glad someone other thinks the AC's are great... I have a combo of an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 (non-Pro) and a NV Silencer 5 Rev. 3... I just love it... It's very silent and cools perfectly...

I recommend the Freezer 64 Pro to everyone as well... No, there's reason to, they're amazing value and cool very good... High-end cooling for a mid-range price...

 

[imported_Sincity]

In addition, they are a high quality piece. When I had the Big Typhoon, the heatpipes were not even soldered onto the base plate! The heatpipes on the AC products are soldered onto the base plate for optimum heat transfer. I cannot believe the price they are asking for the Big Typhoon. The Big Typhoon should be priced closer to the Freezer 64 PRO or even a few bucks below it. Since I had/have both of them, the Freezer 64 is definately a better made piece than Big Typhoon.

 

[Dave Sz]

If the freezer 64 pro jumps 20*C from idle to load, I'd say that's rather poor.

 

[imported_Sincity]

Originally posted by: Dave Sz
If the freezer 64 pro jumps 20*C from idle to load, I'd say that's rather poor.

Really? Hmmmm....I just thought I had an unusally cool idle temp from ideal airflow inside the case? But the load temp seems consistent with the Zalman CNPS9500 reviews. Go figure.

 

[RallyMaster]

i'm going the same route with my comp. won't order just yet though.

 

[Wentelteefje]

Originally posted by: Dave Sz
If the freezer 64 pro jumps 20*C from idle to load, I'd say that's rather poor.

Most of 'em rise quite a lot... The 20°C jump means nothing, the fact that it stays around 40 - 45°C while under load, is the real feat...

@ Sincity: My CPU (AMD64 3000+ Venice @ 2.4GHz @ 1.44V) idles at 32°C, and under load it's 40°C (OCCT)...

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Did you guys use the MX-1 thermal paste that comes pre-applied with the Freezer 64 Pro, or did you take it off and use something else (Arctic Ceramic, Silver 5, etc.)?

I'm going to be building a new system soon--my first. With this HSF, should I mount it on top of the processor before screwing the motherboard (Epox+9NPA-Ultra) onto the standoffs, or should I put the motherboard in the case first and then add the processor and HSF?

Is it really as easy to install properly as the reviews say?

 

[Wentelteefje]

I first used the paste that came with the heatsink, but reapplied AS 5 later... No difference in temps... When I build a new comp, I always mount my cooler and RAM first, before putting the mobo in the case... It works a lot easier...

EDIT: Yeah, it's no big deal, only taller than a stock heatsink...

 

[imported_Sincity]

I used the MX-1 stuff. I mounted the cooler 1st before popping in the motherboard. Makes no difference since the cooler installs so easilly. So easy....that you do not need tools unlike the other ones. Just like the stock one.

Wentelteefje: Wow...your load temp is quite low! :thumbsup:

 

[Dave Sz]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje

Originally posted by: Dave Sz
If the freezer 64 pro jumps 20*C from idle to load, I'd say that's rather poor.

Most of 'em rise quite a lot... The 20°C jump means nothing, the fact that it stays around 40 - 45°C while under load, is the real feat...

@ Sincity: My CPU (AMD64 3000+ Venice @ 2.4GHz @ 1.44V) idles at 32°C, and under load it's 40°C (OCCT)...

I don't think so. The rise from idle to load is what really shows how good a cooler is.

 

[Icepick]

Hey Sincity, Congrats on your quiet setup!

Just thought I'd share my experiences with these GPU coolers. I'm a big silence fan too and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to attain a blend of quiet computing and overclocking goodness! My current setup is just as quiet as my Dell Pentium Mobile-based notebook.

I have similar components to you:
A64 3500+ overclocked to 2.6GHz
Antec SLK-3700BQE
Antec Trupower I 480W (28A on 12V)
BFG 6800GT overclocked to 400/1100 (6800 Ultra)

I'm using the following components to cool:
Case: A single Antec 120mm case fan in the back of the case.
CPU: Thermalright XP90/Vantec Stealth 92mm van @ 1700RPM/Arctic Silver 5
GPU: Zalman VF700-Cu/Arctic Silver 5

Regarding the NV5 Silencer, I have used it from January through December 2005. The performance of the NV5 was rather disappointing. It didn't reduce my temps at all from what they were with the stock cooler. It got noisier and noisier as the months continued. This summer the fan started to go bad (I think). It would make a rumbling noise at times. the only way to make the noise stop was to tilt the case and eventually it would quiet back down. When I removed the side from the case to look at it I noticed that the heatsink within the NV5 cooler had coollected quite a bit of dust and I found it very difficult to remove the dust without disassembling the cooler. One note about the theory that it vents hot air out of the case instead of recirculating it: I believe this is a sales gimmick and I question it in practice. I could put my hand behind the opening at the rear of the case and I could only feel the slightest bit of air pressure. Upon closer examination the heatsink vent on the cooler does not sit flush against the PCI slot opening. There was a surprisingly large gap between the cooler and the opening making it ineficient at removing the hot air.

In December I had enough of the noise generated by the deteriorating fan and replaced it with a Zalman VF700-CU. I installed it with the low fan speed (5V) power connection. I was pleasantly surprised that it was quieter than the NV5. It also allowed my GPU to run 5 degrees C cooler than the NV5. Given my experiences with the NV5 and it's short lifespan I can not recommend it to anyone over the Zalman option.

Hope some of you find this helpful when making your decision.

 

[imported_Sincity]

Icepik: Did the temperature inside the case go up a degree or two using the Zalman? You are right about the vent not sitting flush against the back plate....I guess this can be remedied by using thin foam insulation tape arounf the back vent as a seal.

Yeah...I read some reports that the NV Silencer does not cool as well as the VF700 series. The issue I will have is that when the time comes to SLI (hopefully in a few months) I am not able to use the 3 slot cooler like the NV Silencer. I may have to look into Arctic Cooling's new Accelro line or the new Zalman VGA slim heatpipe solution.

Well, you could warranty the cooler (6 years I believe) and sell the new one on Ebay.

 

[RallyMaster]

Originally posted by: icepik
I'm using the following components to cool:
Case: A single Antec 120mm case fan in the back of the case.
CPU: Thermalright XP90/Vantec Stealth 92mm van @ 1700RPM/Arctic Silver 5

Did you clean it every month? If you did, it wouldn't collect as much dust. And you never thought that you would need a fan in the front of the case to provide air to the Silencer? Where's that case sitting? On carpet? If so, the fact that the NV5 is down at the bottom of the case would add even more dust to it. From what I remember, cleaning the NV5 required a vacuum cleaner sucking on the back of the exhaust. Is it really needed to disassemble the cooler?

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Sincity

I think the reason I am able to get away with using slow spinning intake and exhaust fans is that hot air is not spun-around inside the case like other GPU/CPU coolers (with exception to Zalman 9500). The VGA cooler draws air and spews it outside of the case. And the CPU cooler, you can orient the air flow upwards to the bottom of your PSU and have PSU draw the air outside or you can orient it to face towards the rear exhaust fan to draw the air outside.

Are you still talking about the AC 64 Pro? I didn't know it could be orientated in two different positions

 

[RallyMaster]

Yep, it sure can be oriented in different directions. I'm going to have it flowing out the exhaust fan and have it cool the mosfets, which is what most people would do.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
Yep, it sure can be oriented in different directions. I'm going to have it flowing out the exhaust fan and have it cool the mosfets, which is what most people would do.

That is the way I want to have my future AC 64 Pro mounted as well, but I'm concerned about clearance issues w/ my RAM sockets.

 

[imported_Sincity]

Yep...seems to draw the air out more efficiently and coll the mofsets.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Sincity
Yep...seems to draw the air out more efficiently and coll the mofsets.

What about RAM clearance issues Sincity?

 

[RallyMaster]

Well, if you're using an Abit KN8 like me, you can move the memory (if you have only 2 sticks) to slots 3 and 4. That way you'll still have dual channel but still have space for the Freezer. Otherwise, you'll be better off facing the bottom of the PSU (if it has a fan). If not, face the rear end of the cooler to the front of the case and make the rear exhaust an intake fan.

 

[imported_Sincity]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Sincity
Yep...seems to draw the air out more efficiently and coll the mofsets.

What about RAM clearance issues Sincity?

I did what Rallymaster stated (on a Abit KN8 series). But you could also use the slots closest to the cooler (on a AN8 series). Since the fan sits on rubber isolators, you could pull it up a little and slide the RAM in (this only affects the 1st RAM slot).