intel p4 2.8gig MHZ cooler

[rickyman]

i want to know which brand and type of p4 cpu cooler should i buy?

 

[Zucarita9000]

Northwood (521KB cache) or Prescott (1MB cache)?

Good choices are (if you want to stay within Intel specs):

Zalman CNPS7000B Al-Cu
Thermalrigth XP-90+92mm Panaflo fan

If you want more, consider the CNPS7000B Cu or 7700 Al-Cu. The XP-120 from thermalright is nice too. Be aware that these two exceed Intel HSF recommended weight limit.

 

[Flip504]

I have Zalman CNPS7000B-CU and it does a pretty good job.. I have a 2.8E @3.7 52/63 avarage according to abiteq, but my thermal probe say 36/46.

I also have a Swiftech MCX478-V and IMO it's not as good as Zalman.

I'm thinking about buying an Arctic-Cooling Freezer 4.

http://store.yahoo.com/directron/freezer4.html

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I don't think the XP-120 by itself exceeds the weight limit. I think it measures in at 375 grams. But the fan you put on it is going to just tip it over the edge if the limit is 450 grams. Even so, that's an arbitrary guideline for Intel mobos, knowing that they want to honor warranty for users who are diligent enough to provide enhanced cooling.

The Zalman CNPS-7000-Cu weighs in at 775 grams, and the CNPS-7700-Cu is about 938 grams. I settled on a 326-gram Sunon fan for my XP-120 after testing several lighter ones, because they just don't have the throughput and speed-range I want, or they have a slight motor whine. I was really happy when I found a 213-gram 120x38mm fan, but it boasted 125.5 CFM and didn't even come that close to the SUNON's 108 CFM. Where does that put me? At about 700 grams, or 75 grams less than last year's Zalman CNPS 7000-Cu.

Someone on this forum is about to test a fan-reversal and ducting solution for the XP-120. If it works, it will also mean that a lower-throughput fan with lighter weight can be used for the XP-120 with outstanding cooling performance.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

ADDENDUM:

I don't remember the web-sites, and the URL's are not at my fingertips, but I found at least two reviews -- one German and one American, where the following comparisons were made using a single testbed and computer case, rigidly controlled room temperatures and several types of universally applied measures of idle and load temperatures:

German review: CNPS-7700-Cu versus a near identical clone of the 7700 versus the XP-120.
Result: The Zalman scored only marginally better than its clone, while the XP-120 was way out in front of the Zalman and clone using a fan with the same amperage and speed as the Zalman. Footnote: the fan speeds and sizes were rigidly controlled for comparability. Footnote: By "way out in front", I mean a load temperature improvement of more than 2 to 3C -- or as much as 6F.

American review: An XP-90 was compared to a Zalman 7000-Cu and several other coolers. Conditions and tests were controlled with the same consistency and care as the German review tests. The XP-90 was "out in front" again.

This does not mean that the Zalman option is not "good", but it proves the efficacy of heatpipe coolers and specifically the ThermalRight XP series.

Also, without firsthand observation but with some input by someone who can offer it, I am thinking that a copper cooler like the Zalman may show better performance with lower idle temperatures. But the performance at load is eclipsed by the XP heatpipe coolers. It may have something to do with the sheer mass of the Zalman heatsink, and the conductivity of that mass. But this is just speculation.