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Going quiet(er) Part 1. HSF Suggestions

A

Acert93

Member
The short: Quiet HSF for P4 2.533GHz but needs to work with AMD64 s939 because I am planning an upgrade in 3 months. Suggestions welcome 🙂


The long. Here is my situation: I am planning to upgrade some parts to make my system quieter. My current specs:

P4 2.533GHz (OC: 2.85GHz)
Ventari Aeroflow HSF
Asus P4PE MB
Generic PSU
6800GT
2x DVD-RW
FDD
2x HDD (1x 74GB Raptor, 1x 80GB Maxtor)
Audigy 2ZS
90mm case fan

In the next 3 months I plan to move to a 3200+ 90nm, but until then I want to replace my PSU, HSF, Case fan, and cables (I am getting rounded cables for better airflow).

The Part I want to focus on first: HSF

Any reviews/roundups/comparisons would be nice. Based on my own searching, here are some I am looking at--but I am not limited to these options!:

Option 1: Thermaltake Fanless 103 http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-106-047&depa=0]$40.[/url] Fanless and works on P4 and AMD64 chips.

Option 2: Zalman 7000b. http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-118-118&depa=0]$40[/url] Seems to have a lot of good word of mouth and appears to be fairly quiet. Works on s478 and s939.

Option 3: Freezer 6464http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-185-115&depa=0]$30[/url] Sounds interesting, fairly cheap, bad news is that I would have to choose s478 or s939 🙁

Option 4: NCU-2000 http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=35-185-109&depa=0]$40[/url] Just found this, I do not know much about it, but looks interesting also. Looks huge though!

Option X: Others?

#1 is fanless which is interesting. This with a quiet PSU, case fans, and a NV Silencer would really make my rig VERY quiet. I just wonder how well it will cool though. Will I have problems with this HS? Also, can you OC with this fan? I am willing to step down my current OC, just curious. No fan means no noise, so it has me interested! This http://www.techfreaks.org/reviews/fanless103.shtml]review[/url] indicates it does ok--any thoughts on how this may perform for me on a P4 to AMD64 transition?

Basically I want something near quiet when doing desktop tasks. When gaming I could care less, but when I work I get really tired of the vacuum I have now 😉

Suggestions, links to articles and products, and debate welcome 🙂 Just trying to convert the vacuum to a gentle breeze! Your help is appreciated 🙂
 
If you are going to overclock and you want quiet (when necessary), you might want to consider the Thermalright XP90 (or 120 if your mobo/case can take it), and put a quiet fan on it. It has the lowest thermal resistance of any current heatsink out there.

Get yourself a Seasonic PSU with 120mm fan as well (Super Tornado or S12). Those are the quietest fan-cooled PSUs you can buy, very efficient, and very well-vented (will help keep your case cool without a bevy of case fans).

HTH.
 
Option 1: Dont even think about it

Option 2: Excellent Choice, one of the quietest and best cooling solutions out there

Option 3: Crap, just looks like it does a lot

Option 4: DOnt bother with passive cooling, but also this doesn't support S939.

Option 5: Thermalright XP-90: Can use up to 90mm fan, huge, and you choose your own fan. Excellent choice but not as good as:

Option 6: Thermalright XP-120: ENORMOUS, arguably the best HS out there and it has the ability to use a huge quiet 120mm fan.

Dont bother with Fanless you will have to add more fans to the case to compensate and i doubt the Tt does a good job. If you want that quiet get WaterCooling.

-Kevin
 
Also, here is my free advice, and worth every penny...

Thermal controlled-fans are nice (if your mobo does not throttle the fans themselves). Then, your fan is at its quietest when surfing the web, etc. When you crank up a game, the fan spins faster, but you cannot hear it over the gun shots and explosions.

**EDIT**
I would not trust software to do this. Once unattended BSOD and your computer overheats itself. Bad idea (IMHO)
**END EDIT**

I have also read about mods where you use cardboard to duct the output of the HSF to the rear exhaust fans. I hope to try that soon. It costs $5.00 plus some time. The advantage is that the HSF does not re-breathe its own hot exhaust. This can let you lower the speed of your case fans. The 7V mod works wonders for case fans!

 
Do not get THermal Controlled fans. Generally they are poor quality, and do not throttle smoothly. If you want to tune your fans then get a front panel controller... 10x better especially since the fans are cheaper and higher quality (Nexus, Panaflo).

-Kevin
 
Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Option 1: Dont even think about it

Option 2: Excellent Choice, one of the quietest and best cooling solutions out there

Option 3: Crap, just looks like it does a lot

Option 4: DOnt bother with passive cooling, but also this doesn't support S939.

Option 5: Thermalright XP-90: Can use up to 90mm fan, huge, and you choose your own fan. Excellent choice but not as good as:

Option 6: Thermalright XP-120: ENORMOUS, arguably the best HS out there and it has the ability to use a huge quiet 120mm fan.

Dont bother with Fanless you will have to add more fans to the case to compensate and i doubt the Tt does a good job. If you want that quiet get WaterCooling.

-Kevin
Click to expand...

I would like to add that the option3 mentioned as crap is NOT crap. I own this HS + Fan and 1. it is extremely quiet. 2. it is extreemly effective.

I can give you this as I actually own it. I run a 3000+ up to 2.6Ghz and am staying in very reasonable temps.

 
I'm supprised at how many users love the Zalman 7000 on 64 chips. I have one, and it didn't even cover the entire chip. Ran about 2c hotter then my xp-90. I would let it go cheap if anyone want's one...

I'd go with the XP-90/120...90 if you want to get at your memory, 120 if you really need the extra cooling.
 
For those with the XP-90:

What fans are you guys putting on your HS? Any specific suggestions on a quality/fairly quiet fan for the XP-90? I have heard both positive and negative reviews of the Panasonic Panaflo (only 80mm for the 21dBa) and the Thermaltake Stealth (louder than stealth!), but first hand experience is always nice.

A stupid Q: How are these fans (80mm? 90mm?) attached to the HS?

Btw, thanks for all the suggestions and feedback 🙂
 
You can use either an 80mm or 92mm fan with the XP90. The heatsink includes two sets of bent-wire clips-- One for a 80mm fan and the other for the 92mm fan.

HTH.
 
I'm running a generic 92mm on mine at the time...going to switch it out with a nice Nexus 90 in the future.
 
Originally posted by: Acert93
For those with the XP-90:

What fans are you guys putting on your HS? Any specific suggestions on a quality/fairly quiet fan for the XP-90? I have heard both positive and negative reviews of the Panasonic Panaflo (only 80mm for the 21dBa) and the Thermaltake Stealth (louder than stealth!), but first hand experience is always nice.

A stupid Q: How are these fans (80mm? 90mm?) attached to the HS?

Btw, thanks for all the suggestions and feedback 🙂
Click to expand...

The best fan for the XP-90 is the Panaflow L or M1A depending on how much performance you want, you won't find anything that moves more air per dBA. Also I would suggest controlling your fan/fans with Speedfan, this will give you the lowest possible noise at idle and performance when you need it, much better then any hardware based fan controller. For your 6800GT check out the Zalman VF-700.

Also ditch the generic PSU as soon as possible, Seasonic makes some of the best PSU's around and they happen to be some of the quietest as well.
 
Originally posted by: Acert93
For those with the XP-90:

What fans are you guys putting on your HS? Any specific suggestions on a quality/fairly quiet fan for the XP-90? I have heard both positive and negative reviews of the Panasonic Panaflo (only 80mm for the 21dBa) and the Thermaltake Stealth (louder than stealth!), but first hand experience is always nice.

A stupid Q: How are these fans (80mm? 90mm?) attached to the HS?

Btw, thanks for all the suggestions and feedback 🙂
Click to expand...

I'm using the Vantec Stealth 92mm fan with my XP-90. It's one of the quietest you can buy. It's max speed is around 1750 and it's very quiet. The XP-90 with this fan cools better than the Zalman 7000 series and is just as quiet.

The XP-90 has two clips on it's sides that are raised up over the top and latch into place on the fan. The fan is very simple to mount. You'll understand when you see it in person.
 
Originally posted by: harrkev
Also, here is my free advice, and worth every penny...

Thermal controlled-fans are nice (if your mobo does not throttle the fans themselves). Then, your fan is at its quietest when surfing the web, etc. When you crank up a game, the fan spins faster, but you cannot hear it over the gun shots and explosions.

**EDIT**
I would not trust software to do this. Once unattended BSOD and your computer overheats itself. Bad idea (IMHO)
**END EDIT**

I have also read about mods where you use cardboard to duct the output of the HSF to the rear exhaust fans. I hope to try that soon. It costs $5.00 plus some time. The advantage is that the HSF does not re-breathe its own hot exhaust. This can let you lower the speed of your case fans. The 7V mod works wonders for case fans!
Click to expand...

i guess it worth much then 😛

7000b is good price/perforamce
 
Wow, thanks for all the help and suggestion guys 🙂 I have learned a lot!

I am leaning toward the XP-90. Newegg only has 3 Panaflo, and 2 of them are in the 35dBa range which is close to my current HSF, although they have 80mm one that is 1900rpm and 21dBa.

Would this be sufficient cooling for a mild OC (2.0=>2.4GHz) ona 3200+ system if the case had good ventalation?

The Vantec Stealth 92mm seems to push more air at about the same noise and is like $8, so that sounds like a good deal IF it lasts/does not make noise down the road. What does a "smart" fan do btw?
 
I have been hearing a lot of mixed reviews on the Vantec 92mm Stealth. Mainly that the motor noise is a bit more than advertised.

So I am looking at these options on a XP-90 or XP-120 (probably the 90 since trying to figure out if the 120 will fit is a pain):

? The Panaflow L1a 80mm (24CFM, 21dBa)

? Arctic-Cooling Arctic Fan 3 TC 80mm (28CFM, 0.8 Sone)

? Vantec Stealth 92mm (28CFM, 20dBa)

The Panaflo seems to be well received, but how important is the small difference in airflow going to affect this setup? Also, how does .8 Sone compare to 21dBa?

Again, thanks for taking my hand through this. It looks like by weeks end I will have a very quiet system 🙂
 
Sone is a measurement Arctic-Cooling created to make their fans harder to compare to others.

The Panaflo is popular because that's the fan Thermalright specifically recommends for it's product. It's a very good fan too. You can use any fan you choose with it since there's not really any special requirements other than size (80 or 92mm). No matter which fan you choose, I'd recommend getting a 92mm version since it will be capable of pushing more air.
 
The Panaflo hands down. The Panaflo uses a special bearing (Hydro Wave Bearing/Fluid Bearing) and has very little electrical chatter. It also still manages to push a pretty nice amount of air.

The Vantec Stealths have more electrical chatter but are a bit quieter. However they dont push a lot less air and the build quality is not as good. Vantecs are known for their high speed tornados, don't waste your money on the stealths.

The Arctic Cooling fan, i haven't heard much about. But Arctic cooling seems to be going the route that Tt did by making flashy coolers that do not cooler nearly as well as Zalman, and Thermalright. I wouldn't get it.

You might also want to look at the Nexus Fan which pushes a little less air than the Panaflo but is a bit quieter.

Check out Link They are the authority on sound and cooling.

-Kevin
 
Thanks Gamingphreek!

I had been looking for Nexus stuff at Newegg and Pricewatch with no luck. They look VERY nice. And thanks for the info on the 3 other fans. You guys have all been great. When I get this project done I will let everyone know how it turned out!
 
Another :thumbsup: for Panaflo - the medium speeder is going to be tough to find, Jab-Tech has the L1BX for $8 plus s/h. 2100 RPM, 42.7 CFM, 27 dBA. I'm gonna grab one soon.

You might like the Enermax adjustable 92mm - I have one, it's quiet and pushes good air when it's tuned to 2000-2250 RPM. It doesn't have a particularly beefy motor, though that may not be a big deal if it's going to run at a lower speed. I'm going back to Panaflo mainly because I'm a neatnik, and the Enermax has a lot of wires that need to be routed and tucked.
 
Originally posted by: Acert93
For those with the XP-90:

What fans are you guys putting on your HS? Any specific suggestions on a quality/fairly quiet fan for the XP-90? I have heard both positive and negative reviews of the Panasonic Panaflo (only 80mm for the 21dBa) and the Thermaltake Stealth (louder than stealth!), but first hand experience is always nice.

A stupid Q: How are these fans (80mm? 90mm?) attached to the HS?

Btw, thanks for all the suggestions and feedback 🙂
Click to expand...

While not as quiet as the 21dBA 80mm Panaflo I would seriously consider the (low flow) 92mm Panaflo FBA09A12L1BX with RPM-sensing. The 92mm fan will move a greater volume of air at a given RPM, disappating the heat off of the XP-90 more quickly, thus
allowing the XP-90/fan combo to cool more efficiently. This is an obvious advantage if you decide to overclock at all.

I've got the 92mm Panaflo FBA09A12L1BX with RPM-sensing on my XP-90. Rated at 42.7 CFM @ 2100RPM @ 27.0dBA. As someone else said you won't get better CFM/noise ratio than Panaflo. Panaflos' use a sleeved - YES, a sleeved bearing they call a "Hydro-Wave" that is more quiet than ball bearing fans. I normally prefer dual ball bearing fans for long-life, but I was looking for something that runs quiet at full speed while still moving a fair amount of air so I chose the low flow 92mm Panaflo.

The Retail XP-90 comes packaged with a 92mmx92mmx25mm 2400 RPM, 44.79CFM, 35.0dBA fan (don't know the manufacturer). It runs $29.95 at Jab-Tech. When you order the XP-90 you can select an (optional) 92mm fan with a 3-pin fantail for a few more bucks (42.7 CFM @ 2100RPM @ 27.0dBA Panaflo FBA09A12L1BX or 2850RPM, 56.8CFM, 35.0dBA Panaflo H1BX for $7.00). The BX models have the RPM-sensing feature. You can also get the Panaflo M1 (2450RPM, 48.0CFM @ 30.0dBA) for $6.00) but it doesn't have RPM-sensing.

Heres a link to the XP-90 page at Jab-Tech:

http://www.jab-tech.com/customer/product.php?productid=2474&cat=0&page=1

Please note the "drop-down" menus under "Options" towards the bottom of the page for configuring accessories and options such as the optional fan, thermal compound, ect.

Also, the XP-90 comes with clips for both 80mm and 92mm fans. The ends of the clips hook into locating holes in the side of the XP-90, and then the "bale" portion of the clip hooks onto the lower lip of the fan.

BTW, My system idles at 38-40C CPU, 20-21C Case, 30-32C North Bridge at 74F room ambient. Prime95 rarely raises the CPU temp. Running Halo multiplayer raises the CPU temp to max of 53C with resolution at 1280x1024 with everything turned-on and set at max. Case temp is 25C, Northbridge is 35C. This is after several hours of intense Halo online.

Get the XP-90 and a 92mm fan. You won't regret it...

EDIT: I forgot to mention that my FX-53 is slightly OC'ed at 208Mhzx12=2,496Mhz.
 
Wow Aries64!!

Thanks man 🙂

I think you won me over: A XP-90 with a 92mm Panaflo FBA09A12L1BX with RPM-sensing for ~$40? That is about a lot less than the $60-$70 I was going to have to spend elsewhere for the XP-90 ($50 at newegg) and then another $10-$20 for a good fan.

I will try this out... if it is too loud (27dBa does not sound too bad for 40+CFM!) I will try Speedfan.

Any opinions on Speedfan? With the RPM-Sensing will this be a good combo? Run at a low RPM when at idle and speed up when at load when the temp rises?

Again THANKS Aries--and everyone else. Worse case scenario is I get the L1BX with the XP-90 from Jab-tech, and it if is too loud I can get a Nexus or a quieter Panaflo and STILL save money over what I was going to pay at Newegg (which has great service and usually some of the best prices, but always exceptions).

With all your help this is what I decided on:

XP-90 ($30)
PanafloL1BX 43CFM @ 27dBa ($7)
Zalman VF-700 ($35)
Rounded Cables ($15)
Enermax Noisetasker 420W PSU ($75)
2x Free quiet case fans from a friend (extras)
-----------------------------------------------------
Total: $162.

And this is about $40 less than I expected to pay, so that goes toward my AMD64 3200+/MB upgrade I am planning 🙂 And with the HS+F setup I should get a good OC at not much noise. I just wish I could have gone with the XP-120, but too much concern it would not fit into my current system or coming system.
 
L1(BX) is Panaflo's quietest, so if it's too loud, you'll have to go with Nexus, SilenX or something.

I gotta say this about Jab-Tech: I ordered my L1BX and some other stuff from Jab tonight around 8 EST, hoping to have it on hand to play with this weekend. They've already had USPS email me a delivery confirmation number! :Q They're in NY and I'm in MA, so I should have this stuff by Friday. This is some of the fastest service I've ever seen...
 
Originally posted by: Acert93
Wow Aries64!!

Thanks man 🙂

I think you won me over: A XP-90 with a 92mm Panaflo FBA09A12L1BX with RPM-sensing for ~$40? That is about a lot less than the $60-$70 I was going to have to spend elsewhere for the XP-90 ($50 at newegg) and then another $10-$20 for a good fan.

I will try this out... if it is too loud (27dBa does not sound too bad for 40+CFM!) I will try Speedfan.

Any opinions on Speedfan? With the RPM-Sensing will this be a good combo? Run at a low RPM when at idle and speed up when at load when the temp rises?

Again THANKS Aries--and everyone else. Worse case scenario is I get the L1BX with the XP-90 from Jab-tech, and it if is too loud I can get a Nexus or a quieter Panaflo and STILL save money over what I was going to pay at Newegg (which has great service and usually some of the best prices, but always exceptions).

With all your help this is what I decided on:

XP-90 ($30)
PanafloL1BX 43CFM @ 27dBa ($7)
Zalman VF-700 ($35)
Rounded Cables ($15)
Enermax Noisetasker 420W PSU ($75)
2x Free quiet case fans from a friend (extras)
-----------------------------------------------------
Total: $162.

And this is about $40 less than I expected to pay, so that goes toward my AMD64 3200+/MB upgrade I am planning 🙂 And with the HS+F setup I should get a good OC at not much noise. I just wish I could have gone with the XP-120, but too much concern it would not fit into my current system or coming system.
Click to expand...

No problem Acert93. I don't actually use Speedfan, although by all accounts I've read on the net' (for whatever thats' worth) it is an excellent program. I still prefer to let the mobo's BIOS control the CPU fan (expensive chiip I have!) so I have my Panaflo L1BX plugged-in to the (3-pin) fan header on my mobo. I did this because whenever I wasn't running 3D games such as Halo my CPU ran so cool (38-40C) that the CPU's fan would annoyingly start and stop when I had "Smart Fan" enabled in my BIOS. See "NOTE:" below.

NOTE: The MSI K8N Neo2 has an option in the BIOS called "Smart Fan" where you can set a manual threshold of 40C, 50C, or 60C and the fan will automatically turn-on when the CPU reaches this pre-set temp. There is also a "Smart Fan Target" temp you can set between 1-5 degrees Celsius which will turn the fan on or off when the CPU temp gets to within this tolerance.

I turned off Smart Fan because as I said above, the CPU fan would frequently turn on and off. This happened whether the fan tolerance option was enabled or not (Smart Fan has to be enabled to enable the fan Tolerance option). Asus has a option in the BIOS of their A8V Deluxe called "Q-Fan" ("Q" being short for "Quiet") where you can set a lower fan speed ratio.

But back to fan monitoring. I use a program called Motherboard Monitor 5 (MBM 5) version 5.37 for fan monitoring. Great program - monitors all kinds of stuff on your PC such as CPU, NB, and Case temps, Fan Speeds, Voltage, ect. You can even use it with custom add-in sensors. MBM 5 is available for free download from many sites and supports many popular motherboards. Problem is that MBM 5 support has been discontinued - so while it works great for many mobos it WILL NOT support newer boards as they arise AND EVEN SOME OF LAST YEAR'S BOARDS.

For example - MBM 5 does not officially support my K8N Neo2 (Socket 939 Athlon 64). Luckilly for me, it works. The K8N Neo2 uses the same chipset that the K8N Neo (Socket 754 Athlon 64) uses so I'm OK - for now. I might be screwed later on if someone else does come up with a sucessor to MBM 5 that works with my LIS2 VFD Premium. See link below if you don't know what this baby is and does:

http://www.xoxide.com/vl-system-lis-premium1.html

Heres a link to the Mother Board Monitor site:

http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

WARNING: I like toys and enjoy spending money. Mine and other Forum member's!
 
I'm using a Silenx 92mm fan and am pretty impressed. I haven't seen this mentioned and was wondering what others' opinions were of this fan. 14 db and 36 CFM are the published specs.

CJ
 
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