Fanless Heat Sink

[dBTelos]

I have a Socket 754 3700+ Clawhammer @ stock speeds. Looking for a heat sink solution that I would be able to run without a fan (like without a fan on top of the heatsink). This will be used with the antec P180, with the exhaust fan being used at slow speeds and the top fan being removed (can be added as a intake if needed in upper chamber).

 

[996GT2]

Hmmmm...I don't have a lot of knowledge in the fanless HSF department, but I know that the Scythe Ninjs is probably the best out there, although @ $50 it isn't cheap at all.

Since you're running a P180 w/o a side window you could probably go with a low noise HSF (with a fan) and never notice the difference. Arctic Cooling makes some great ones in that category

 

[Bullhonkie]

Scythe Ninja and the P180 are a very good match. I can get away with passive cooling on my Opteron 165 at 2.6ghz, although with the top two fans at <7v it gets a little toasty.

You could probably get away with just one exhaust fan there, but adding the second one or a fan directly on the HS would help out a lot. I use an undervolted Yate Loon on the Ninja. It's completely inaudible but helps out the load temps quite a bit.

 

[RallyMaster]

Thermalright HR-01 is another suggestion.

 

[Howard]

I'd go with the Scythe Ninja.

 

[dBTelos]

Looks like the Scythe Ninja should do it. Is it easy to install a quiet 120mm or whatever fan in it if needed?

 

[RallyMaster]

yes, it has clips to install a 120 mm

 

[dBTelos]

Should the Scythe Ninja be able to cool a 3700+ w/o any overclocking? Case temps being medium/average. If not then what is a good quiet 120mm to go with it. PS: in the p180, how do you change the speeds on the fans? What fans can you change the speeds on?

 

[RallyMaster]

Scythe Ninja is one of the top 3 air coolers available. It is easily capable of handling a 3700+. Search around for 120 mm...there's about 30 of those threads just in the past two months. As for changing fan speeds, use the motherboard (if it is capable given that you have 3-pin fans) or buy yourself a Sunbeam Rheobus

 

[dBTelos]

How would you use the motherboard to change fan speeds? Do you mean using something like speedfan software wise, or are you talking hardware? The Sunbeam Rheobus has large knobs, wouldn't that prevent the case door from shutting?

 

[Bullhonkie]

Originally posted by: dBTelos
Should the Scythe Ninja be able to cool a 3700+ w/o any overclocking? Case temps being medium/average. If not then what is a good quiet 120mm to go with it. PS: in the p180, how do you change the speeds on the fans? What fans can you change the speeds on?

It should be adequate as long as you have decent airflow around it and your ambient temps aren't too high.

The wide spacing of the fins on the Ninja means it doesn't take very much airflow for it to cool well. Any 120mm fan running at 800-1000rpm on it helps temps a lot and is pretty much inaudible in all but the quietest systems.

The P180 comes with 3 120mm tricool fans installed. You can change the speeds on them using their built in dipswitch-like thing. Check out SPCR's comprehensive review of the P180 for all the details.

I like the Yate Loon D12SL-12 for its price/performance ratio. People also seem to like the Scythe X-Flex and Akasa amber fans. Any of those fans should be extremely quiet below 1000rpm.

How would you use the motherboard to change fan speeds? Do you mean using something like speedfan software wise, or are you talking hardware? The Sunbeam Rheobus has large knobs, wouldn't that prevent the case door from shutting?

Your mobo may have built-in functions for varying fan speeds based on temps. Speedfan is another option if your mobo is supported. I like having manual control of my fans at all times so I use a Sunbeam Rheobus. It fits behind the door of the P180 no problem.