Best heatsink and fan combo for A64

[dmw16]

I am just wondering if anyone has suggestions on heatsink and fan combos for athlon64s. I have an arctic silent cooler now which is ok but I was thinking of going with something a little bit better. Any ideas?
thanks,
-doug

 

[Bar81]

The two best are the Alpha PAL8150 and the Thermalright SLK948U

 

[Markfw]

And don;t forget the Themaltake Silent Boost K8. 21 dba and cools very well.

 

[Axon]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
And don;t forget the Themaltake Silent Boost K8. 21 dba and cools very well.

I own this and it is excellent. Unless I'm doing a crazy stress test, my cpu never rises above 39 celcius.

It's not the best cooler, but it is an excellent balance of cooling/low decibel level.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Zalman 7000A-Cu or AlCu

 

[Metron]

Check out the all copper Zalman 7000. It has an integrated fan, and it's noise output is just 20.0 decibels.

It's thermal resistance is .27 degrees C/W.

Most vendors don't post dB or thermal resistance numbers, but that's the best basis of comparison.

I have the Aluminum/Copper model on my overclocked P4, and it works very well.

Metron

 

[Brian48]

If you're getting the retail processor, I'd just stick with the unit that it comes with. It's an excellent heatsink. Quiet, efficient, has Shin Etsu G751 thermal paste already applied (better than anything from Artic Silver in my opinion), and is even adequate for light overclocking. AMD picked a real winner this time around.

 

[Brian48]

Sorry, misread your post. You're already running with something else, which implies you've already tried the retail unit or are running an OEM. In that case, here's another vote for the Thermaltake Silent Boost K8.

 

[camara120]

How bout a Swiftech 6400V?

 

[Lyfer]

Thermalright SLK948 owns all other Socket 754 coolers because it has been proven to work with the Athlon 64 Mobiles.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Bar81
The two best are the Alpha PAL8150 and the Thermalright SLK948U

Both great coolers, but Zalman has them beat for quiet...of course not by enough to really matter unless you want super quiet . Zalman's biggest boon is that you can get the thing for $35 with the fan and it performs, quietly, on the same level as the other big boys.
And with the Zalman at no more than $40 shipped, do forget about TT's SilentBoost. it ain't terrible, but the Zalman is better and not expensive.

 

[Bar81]

Originally posted by: Cerb

Originally posted by: Bar81
The two best are the Alpha PAL8150 and the Thermalright SLK948U

Both great coolers, but Zalman has them beat for quiet...of course not by enough to really matter unless you want super quiet . Zalman's biggest boon is that you can get the thing for $35 with the fan and it performs, quietly, on the same level as the other big boys.
And with the Zalman at no more than $40 shipped, do forget about TT's SilentBoost. it ain't terrible, but the Zalman is better and not expensive.

That's simply not accurate. Both coolers allow you to choose a fan of your choice so you can be louder or quieter than the Zalman. I've used both with Papst fans and fanmates and they are quieter and better performing than the Zalman. The Zalman is a good cooler but that's all it is; the Alpha and Thermalright are elite.

 

[Insane3D]

Yeah, I agree. You aren't taking into account you can use as quiet a fan as you like on the 948U.

 

[bluewall21]

Thermaltake SLK948U with a quiet fan (biggest you can find that fits for those extra cfms )

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: bluewall21
Thermalright SLK948U with a quiet fan (biggest you can find that fits for those extra cfms )

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Bar81

Originally posted by: Cerb

Originally posted by: Bar81
The two best are the Alpha PAL8150 and the Thermalright SLK948U

Both great coolers, but Zalman has them beat for quiet...of course not by enough to really matter unless you want super quiet . Zalman's biggest boon is that you can get the thing for $35 with the fan and it performs, quietly, on the same level as the other big boys.
And with the Zalman at no more than $40 shipped, do forget about TT's SilentBoost. it ain't terrible, but the Zalman is better and not expensive.

That's simply not accurate. Both coolers allow you to choose a fan of your choice so you can be louder or quieter than the Zalman. I've used both with Papst fans and fanmates and they are quieter and better performing than the Zalman. The Zalman is a good cooler but that's all it is; the Alpha and Thermalright are elite.

Not the end of the world, but I generally trust their results. The TT is the only one I'd recommend not getting, though.
It's not like you'll get the Alpha or TR and then wish you hadn't--fantastic coolers with solid construction--but the best performance per dollar is clearly the Zalman.

 

[Bar81]

That's great and all except it has nothing to do with the A64.

 

[Futher]

One of the reviews on Newegg for the Thermalright SLK says that it does not cover the entire surface of the processor of the A64. This could be very likely since a lot of heatsinks are altered with a slight groove to make them compatible with other sockets. That's the only reason I am tentative about this heatsink. Anyone have an A64 with the SLK on it?

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Futher
One of the reviews on Newegg for the Thermalright SLK says that it does not cover the entire surface of the processor of the A64. This could be very likely since a lot of heatsinks are altered with a slight groove to make them compatible with other sockets. That's the only reason I am tentative about this heatsink. Anyone have an A64 with the SLK on it?

The A64 has a heatspreader over the die to protect it from chipping, and that's what it is not covering all of. It covers significantly more space than the die itself, so that should have no impact at all on cooling. Just get it; you won't be dissappointed.

 

[Mavrick007]

I have a Thermalright heatsink on my Barton and it cools very well along with my 92mm fan.
Huh? What's that sound in my case? It must be my hard drive cause it's not the cpu fan.
I would definitely recommend either the Alpha or the Thermalright.
I've had TT hsf combos before and I can't say they're that great, but they're bound to get one right. Right?

 

[Insane3D]

I've had TT hsf combos before and I can't say they're that great, but they're bound to get one right. Right?

ThermalTrash? My guess is no...

 

[imported_chrisbtx]

I have the Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu (the all copper one) and it works great. I recommend that one so long as you don't plan on oc'ing too much if any....

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

If your case has a window the zalman 7000 reigns supreme.

 

[Metron]

Originally posted by: Bar81
That's great and all except it has nothing to do with the A64.

If your comment is in reference to the Zalman 7000, you are incorrect. The "heat source" is irrelevant to this discussion. What is germaine to the discussion is the thermal resistance, or "...the number of degrees of temperature rise per watt of heat dissapated by the CPU." The lower the thermal resistance is, the better.

This is just common sense. The more efficient the HSF is, the cooler the CPU will run. The page to which Cerb's link directs you IS testing a P4 processor, but it compares the Zalman and Thermalright in terms of "Temp Rise" and thermal resistance. The data shows that the Zalman 7000 AlCu performs the best.

Whether you put it on a P4 or an A64, the Zalman is more efficient at dissapating heat.

You might have an argument if the Zalman wouldn't fit on an A64, but it does. Zalman markets the 7000 for the A64, Opteron, and P4. The commendation above from chrisbtx provides some empirical support as well.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

I've had TT hsf combos before and I can't say they're that great, but they're bound to get one right. Right?

ThermalTrash? My guess is no...

Actually this Venus 12 I'm using is very nice It is even easier to install than the stock A64 cooler which I wouldn't have believed till I used it, and it has several methods for controlling fan speed. I've been very happy with it, and I was a serious TT basher before this too.