Best heatsink for P5B-VM + Ultra Microfly (or X-Qpack) based SFF

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
Thats just your eyes playing tricks on you, theres like a half inch clearance between that cap and the heatsink. On the northbridge side, the stock heatsink has about 1/4 inch of vertical clearance to the 7700 and around an 1/8th horizontally.
Anyway the zalman 7700 is installed, but it wasnt as simple as it should of been. While it fits just fine when its installed in the case, you cant slide in the mobo tray with it attached. You have to slide the mobo tray it while holding the heatsink above the cpu area at the same time. This is the only way it will fit, so apply thermal grease before, slide it in and screw it while its inside the case. A bit a pita but its doable. Maybe other mobos have the socket lower so it might slide in, but not on my p5ld2-vm board.
The idle temps have stayed the same compared with the 7000, but the fan is quieter so im happy. Havent done any load tests but im sure the 7700 will perform better.

http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=z7700bj1.jpg
 
M

MrNeutrino

Member
Dec 24, 2006
82
0
66
Shabby, thanks for sharing your experience with 7700 in this case (if even with a different MB)! I take it that the 7000 didn't have problems sliding in / out of the case on the tray like the 7700, is that correct?


Though still doable, sounds like a messy setup if you can't ever take the MB out without taking the HSF out each time. Quite unfortunate that you can't have your cake and eat it too, with this case's completely silly sheetmetal design right on top of the CPU! I find myself swapping PCI/e cards often enough that I'd have to remove the MB + HSF each time, or remove the PSU on top of the cards.

Given this data, I might have to consider either going for the CNPS7000 or something similar, or going with a different case. :confused:
 
S

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
Ya there was no problem sliding out the tray out with the z7000, but im pretty sure i'd be able to add a video card in there without taking the heatsink off again. Especially if it'll be a half height card, that'll be no problem.
Just go with the z7000, the z7700 is a beast so im not suprised you have to wrestle around with it to fit it in the case. You cant expect a big heatsink like that to fit with no problem. The antec aria will probably have the same problem, the qmicra can fit a cnps9500 if thats what you want.

Btw i re-checked the temps again, yesterday my room was pretty warm so the temps seemed the same as with the z7000. Now that my room is around the same temp that it was before, here are the new temps http://img181.imageshack.us/my.php?image=z77002zx4.jpg craaaaazy!

Edit: removing the psu gives you plenty of room to add cards in, so no need to take the z7700 off :)
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
Shabby. I'm a little shaky on how to interpret what Coretemp is displaying. According to the site, I should read the core temp = tjunction - delta. Either assuming that the delta is core0-1, each core would be 85-11 = 74C?
Splitting that in half would bring it more in-line with my Northwood. So I did some searching on Google and lo and behold.

UPDATE: I spoke with Mr. Liberman...it appears there's a bug with 0.94 and the E4x00 series, but it should be fixed in the next release!
Click to expand...

doh!

What are the other progs reading?
 
M

MrNeutrino

Member
Dec 24, 2006
82
0
66
Great, thanks for the suggestions, shabby! I guess if PSU removal is not too bad when accessing at least the non-VGA cards (which I'd be swapping from time to time), then maybe I can live with it.

Unfortunately while I've seen the Qmicra case before, the aesthetics don't quite appeal to me. :) I might just end up going with the 7000 if that's the case.

Hopefully its not too loud compared to 7700.
 
S

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
At the highest setting the 7000 is very audible, not loud though. If you take it to the lowest setting its pretty quiet but it doesnt move as much air as the 7700 at the lowest setting.

Treripica: even if coretemp is buggy the cpu temp sensor is still showing a relativly low temp. I still cant believe this cpu is running so cool, but whatever i like it :)
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
Shabby: I imagine it's running quite cool with the 7700 :). I'm interested in the temps. What's PC Probe reporting?
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
This may be out-of-scope for this thread, but I was wondering what your thoughts were on the new 690G chipset that AMD just put out? Are you pretty much invested in the P5B, or is that still up for debate? I've never made an AMD system before, but was pretty impressed with the numbers. I'm still holding out for their mATX roundup due soon, but today the P5B-VM still looks like my choice.
 
M

MrNeutrino

Member
Dec 24, 2006
82
0
66
Originally posted by: Treripica
This may be out-of-scope for this thread, but I was wondering what your thoughts were on the new 690G chipset that AMD just put out? Are you pretty much invested in the P5B, or is that still up for debate? I've never made an AMD system before, but was pretty impressed with the numbers. I'm still holding out for their mATX roundup due soon, but today the P5B-VM still looks like my choice.
Click to expand...

Pretty much? Yes, though not willing to be a blind fan of G965 / P5B-VM. One of the side benefits of holding out is to see how the P5B-VM stacks up against the other mATX solutions / chipsets.

I've benefited from an open mind toward either vendor - Intel or AMD. If they can put their performance / features where their mouth is, they've got my $$$ when the time for a build comes. So far, the times when I've been building new systems, AMD has been the better solution. If AMD loses per the upcoming mATX review, Intel will win for the first time in my experience... never built Intel systems before.
 
S

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
Right now its 21c, this is about the same temp that those temps were taken at.
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
Shabby I get the feeling that information being reported by the PC Probe and Coretemp isn't complete as per that formula I offered. You shouldn't be able to run a CPU below ambient temperature with just the 7700. Maybe with a peltier system or something with refrigeration.

I'm afraid you might be running it at something more like 69C (85-16), which if that's the case, you should have either had a thermal event or the motherboard would have barked at you. What happens the the CPU, MB temp when you crank up the RPM's on the HSF?

Do you have another source for checking the ambient? If the formula on Coretemp's site is nutters, maybe the ambient reading is off...
 
S

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
Theres no forumla in coretemp, 85c is the thermal limit of the cpu and the rest is the temp of each core. I dont believe the temps either, but the heatsink is cool to the touch, and yes its seated properly.
The mobo sensor temp seems more realistic but still low, who knows. The temps drop like a degree or two if i up the rpm's on the fan.
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
Here's what I was talking about. I think it confused me a little because it defines the TJunction as a MSR with a preset constant, then there are two MSR's who report the delta of each core. However, in the program, it just says core1 or core2. I can't tell if those two are already calculated or if that is the delta.

Since you say that the processor is seated correctly and the HS is cool to the touch, my next thing would be to recalibrate whatever is being used for the ambient. I still wouldn't rule out error on the sensor's part.

The idea of using the 7700 is really starting to grow on me. How much quieter is the fan compared the to 7000? How are the load temps looking with it so far? It says it supports 775, but is that with the separate adapter or does it come with its own?
 
S

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
The 7000 has a whine like most small fans do, while the 7700 doesnt. You can still hear the 7700 pushing the air, but it doesnt whine, and at the lowest setting its pretty quiet.
I have a temp sensor in my room on a cardio machine, how accurate it is i dont know.
I still dont believe these temps since my e6400 with a scythe mine never ran that low at stock speeds. In fact it was idling at around 30c with a 120mm fan on the heatsink.
 
M

MrNeutrino

Member
Dec 24, 2006
82
0
66
I wish the designers had designed this case such that the sheet metal (two bars) running above the heatsink didn't come in the way of the HSF growing taller. I can see how the two bars could have been stacked vertically instead of horizontally next to each other (parallel to the MB).

Oh well, I must agree with Treipica - if there is that type of whining ruckus (at least to my silence = utopia ears), I might just have to:

1. Go with 7700
2. cut one or both those sheet-metal bars running parallel to the MB and perhaps solder / connect them vertically, parallel to the side pannel somehow, so I can get the best of bot worlds - taller HSF and decent (though no longer perfect) support structure.
3. Consider going for another case

If I end up still sticking to this case structure, I'm most likely now considering getting the new version of the ultra microfly (check out sffclub.com) - the Microfly MX6 case with a 600W PSU! Looks a lost more classy than the older microfly / xqpack cases. :)
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
Damn. If the PSU on the MX6 is worth anything, I might have gone with that. I had originally wanted a Cooler Master Mars in there, but saw the inside and cursed. If someone does figure out how to keep it structurally sound and put larger HSF's in there, lemme know. :)
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
How about this case?
I think I kinda like the look of these. They also come with the 600W PSU, but I know nothing about them.

I did end up going with the Corsair 520HX. The only nagging thing about it(and probably any PSU, is that the main bundle exits the PSU right at the optical interfaces. It's certainly manageable, but annoying, since there's all this dead space to the right. It leaves me about 1 1/5" clearance between PSU/optical, but damn if it doesn't look like it was made to go in there. Paint/finish matches the case to a 'T'.
 
M

MrNeutrino

Member
Dec 24, 2006
82
0
66
I don't mind such cases / that case except for the fact that I have to flip open the lid to access the optical drives each time. Let aside those few rare times when Nero pops out the discs at the end of a burn process - I always wonder how people with these lidded cases (some with strong magnets holding them shut) can keep these types of issues from ruining the tray slide / drive mechanism of the optical drive.

The other version also looks more classy - that's just my personal take. Though appearance is one of those to-each-their-own type deals.

I just wish they'd make more variety of mATX cases similar to the Aapire / microfly / Shuttle XPC / Sugo types that have both, the beauty to admire and space to work in.

Well, I guess the 'speak and you shall receive' has turned out to be true w.r.t. IGP vs. non-IGP chipset performance for me... Perhaps if all SFF fans whine enough in the right forum categories at the right times, maybe one of them case company engineers will read the posts and release a sleek shiny cases that can fit a Scythe Ninja + std. PSU + optical drives + mATX MB all in the case the size of the microfly.

Makes you wonder why microfly designers didn't go the extra mile to change the design to allow tall heatpipe tower HSFs like Scythe! So much for something being so close to ideal for the price range.
 
T

Treripica

Member
Nov 9, 1999
65
0
0
Really? I've been pestering Gary for about a month about the g965, 960G, and mATX roundup. Glad to see I wasn't the only one.

A classy case has eluded me for ages, but the ugly ones keep showing up. I remember wishing Lian-Li had another mATX case other than the V300-A I was looking at while back. I wonder... If you used only one optical drive and no more than two 3.5" internal drives, If you could dremel off the external 3.5" and one of the 5.25" and put either 1 or 2 120mm fans on the front and replace the side with another 120mm. It couldn't be any wierder, but I believe it at least would be quieter. Now I'm wondering what the clearance on it is, since it looks to place the PSU right over the cpu area.
 
M

MrNeutrino

Member
Dec 24, 2006
82
0
66
Nice! Thanks for sharing the link on that mod.

It sounds a bit more than I was hoping to mod to make things fit. However, it's still great to see someone who's tried this out, been successful and has readily shared their learnings. The picture sizes and the zoomed-in point of view though, does really suck. Anyway, this is a handy link to have - will have to refer back to this if / when I get the microfly or the next gen ultra case.

BTW, not to ruin your or others' perspective on that V300-A case, but every time I look at that case, it reminds me of the top half of the head of a robot - two big round eyes and a nose. All we need is Stephen Hawking type computerized voice from the PC speakers and a pair of blinking lights / LED fans and you've got your self a true AI sitting atop your desk. :D

To some the grill with two fans symmetrically located underneath, may be quite pleasing. To me it's a sheer distraction. My other and probably bigger gripe with this case being the fact that they have the nerve to charge you $100+ for a puny little case that uses maybe 3/4 to half the sheet metal of el cheapo $40-50 ATX tower case (need I say, at times with a PSU, if even junk quality). Why? At least thanks in part to the 'brand' behind it. I've never been a 'pay more to get less except that brand stamp' type guy. However, had the front not looked so distracting, I'd have seriously considered it for the current $99 price - ~ 10-20 more than the microfly cases is not too bad.

BTW, you can use quite a few more HSFs with that case - use your Corsair PSU with its downward facing 120mm fan inlet along with something similar to the NT06 heatsink and optionally drop the fan and use that PSU fan to suck the air (or have both fans in place).

Alas, no mATX case that can officially fit the Scythe Ninja HSF. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom