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Is the SP-94 worth the extra cost over a Zalman 7000 Al-CU?

M

Mloot

Diamond Member
I've never overclocked a P4 before, and I'll be getting a 3.0C soon. Now, I've seen a couple of reviews that showed the SP-94 running overclocked P4's a few degrees (2-3) C cooler than the Zalman HSF, but do you guys think the cost of the SP-94 is worth spending over the Zalman? If you consider that you can get the 7000 Al-Cu for ~$37-38 (which includes a 92mm fan), and that the cost of an SP-94 + a decent 92mm fan can top $60, what would you guys do? Assuming the chip and board overclock decently, I would be happy with 3.4-3.6. My case has good airflow and noise is not a concern for me.

I would appreciate any input from you guys. TIA.
 
well it weighs a little less than the zalman but with 3 heat pipes im sure you get better performance than the zal but 30 dollars worth hmm
 
What about fans, does the SP-94 with a normal fan perform as well as the zalman? or does it need a tornado to do well...
 
Let's see

considering Zalman 7000 Al-CU can be found for $26
and it doesnt not perform 2 times worse, it is definately a better bang for the buck

you might also want to consider that cleaning the dust out of the zalman with a Q-tip is very easy, while cleaning the Thermalright will require taking it off completely because the dust will get right between all of its fins, reducing its effectiveness over time (requiring cleaning - unless you install filters on your intake fans - which costs more $$$ again)

Even if Thermalright performs better, if you have a case window you'll impress ppl much more with a Zalman cooler simply due to its size alone (and quietness). Both of them will allow you to max out your cpu before the temperatures become too high.

I think of that extra money that could be spent on better RAM, a videogame, etc.

Thermalright won't be significantly faster until you start stepping up into a faster fan which is louder. Of course you can always customize the fan (LED, etc.) on the SP-94.

Of course if noise is not a concern for you then SP-94 with a Tornado fan is an unbeatable performer.
 
The reason I say choose anything over the Zalman is that the Zalman has a fan integrated. A noisey fan at that. It clicks, and makes a lot of whine as well. Better to have your choice of fans.
 
Originally posted by: Nebor
The reason I say choose anything over the Zalman is that the Zalman has a fan integrated. A noisey fan at that. It clicks, and makes a lot of whine as well. Better to have your choice of fans.
Click to expand...

Are you serious? noise? whine? It runs at 20db at low and 25db at high. I've had mine for a long time and i think its is extremely quiet. Considering I have Panaflo 21db intake/exhaust fans and I can barely hear it at 25db (I cant hear it over the other fans 1 foot away at 20db), I would have to strongly disagree. And this is with my case door completely off on the side. Unless you are sensitive to the noise of the wind outside your house, you'll never find the Zalman loud. But then again if you are that sensitive to noise, you might as well kill yourself 😉

Thermalright is the better performer all-around and it can be customized - that is a huge bonus no doubt. As the original poster already mentioned the noise is not an issue for him and considering Zalman is going to be quieter than 99% of the systems out there, this is never an issue. And if you do end up getting a fan as quiet or quieter than the Zalman you will most likely lose performance or gain 1-2*C as has been shown in reviews.

The fact of the matter is both coolers will allow the processor to go to 3.5-3.6ghz and serve it sufficiently, but neither will allow it to go a lot more, as 3.7 and above will mostly require watercooling.....so why waste money? There is no scientific data that shows that a processor will last longer at 30*C than 68*C (esp since most ppl buy a new one every 2-4 years tops)

I just cant believe people on these forums would spend $30+ for 4-5*C of cpu temperatures.... That is like stepping up from A64 2800+ to A64 3000+ = a 200mhz speed increase (assume on the top end of overclocking) = something that a 5*C temperature drop will never allow you to do *esp since P4 chips are speed binned and will all top out at around 3500-3600. So you might as well spend more money towards the cpu to increase your chances of reaching those speeds.
 
The funny thing is that I see a ton of threads with nebor saying he has owned something and it sucked. like a REAL REAL lot of thread its kind of funny. I wonder how he gets all these crappy things? and many other people are pefectly content with them.
 
I'm doing some encoding as I post this. I have a 3.0C oc'd to 3.3Mhz my temp is 28C w/ a Zalman 7000 Al-Cu heatsink.

Regards,
Jose
 
Originally posted by: JBT
The funny thing is that I see a ton of threads with nebor saying he has owned something and it sucked. like a REAL REAL lot of thread its kind of funny. I wonder how he gets all these crappy things? and many other people are pefectly content with them.
Click to expand...

I think other people just have lower standards. When I dish out $200 for a case that's supposed to be near silent, I want it near silent.

The Zalman 7000Cu stock fan sucks. When it's turned all the way down, temps are unacceptable, when it's turned up, it's whiny and loud, not to mention it clicks all the time (every one does this.) By contrast the 120mm Acoustifans exhibit less whining and motor noise. So obviously a heatsink which could accomodate it would be better than a Zalman 7000Cu.

I tell ya, another huge dissappointment has been my 400w Zalman power supply. It was way too loud in stock form, and even modded with a panaflo l1a, it gets insanely hot if the fan is turned down to quiet levels.

I'm not saying that the XP-120\Acoustifan combination is worth 4x as much as the Zalman 7000Cu to everyone, but it is to me. I've paid more for less return.
 
I know you probably researched this already, but just in case - make sur eyour mobo and case can accomodate teh zalman or thermalright heat sinks. all of these are large heatsinks and 1 capacitor can ruin your fun. Also, if your PSU is too close to the mobo, the XP120 is probably out, unless your socket is arranged far below the border of your mobo.

In the best of possibilities, i would get the XP120 and fit it with a Evercool aluminum 120mm and drop the voltage to 4-6V. Quiet, lots of air, cool your ram, NB and processor at the same time😀D
 
I found the Aluminum Evercool 120mm to make a lot of motor noise even at 5v... But that was nothing compared to it's behavior at 12v, where the air noise it made was crazy, although it did move a LOT of air.

I'd say the Evercool isn't for the silent PC enthusiast, but is probably a good fan for most people.
 
Originally posted by: Nebor
I found the Aluminum Evercool 120mm to make a lot of motor noise even at 5v... But that was nothing compared to it's behavior at 12v, where the air noise it made was crazy, although it did move a LOT of air.

I'd say the Evercool isn't for the silent PC enthusiast, but is probably a good fan for most people.
Click to expand...

Nebor, maybe instead of buying all those expensive parts & be unhappy with them you should just go buy a pair of earplugs.:roll:
 
what can you do with a zalman after the fan dies? nothing?

at least you know the thermalright will be kicking around until it doesn't mount to anything.
 
Originally posted by: Budman
Originally posted by: Nebor
I found the Aluminum Evercool 120mm to make a lot of motor noise even at 5v... But that was nothing compared to it's behavior at 12v, where the air noise it made was crazy, although it did move a LOT of air.

I'd say the Evercool isn't for the silent PC enthusiast, but is probably a good fan for most people.
Click to expand...

Nebor, maybe instead of buying all those expensive parts & be unhappy with them you should just go buy a pair of earplugs.:roll:
Click to expand...

Then how would I listen to my woefully inadequate Creative Gigaworks speakers? :roll:
 
Originally posted by: AWhackWhiteBoy
what can you do with a zalman after the fan dies? nothing?

at least you know the thermalright will be kicking around until it doesn't mount to anything.
Click to expand...

The chances that the fan on the Zalman fails before you end up buying a new motherboard and a cpu are very slim. I've had mine for 1 year now and there are 0 problems

since the Zalman can be found for less than $30, even if the fan fails you can always get another one. That's 2 Zalmans for the price of one SP-94 with its fan that probably has an equal chance of failure dont you think?
 
i dunno where you buy your stuff but i got my SP-97 for $40 shipped. a good fan only costs $8. the much larger airflow and superior heatsink(thats not as large or hard to fit) makes for superior cooling and lifespan. i don't see it being a better deal.
 
Originally posted by: AWhackWhiteBoy
i dunno where you buy your stuff but i got my SP-97 for $40 shipped. a good fan only costs $8. the much larger airflow and superior heatsink(thats not as large or hard to fit) makes for superior cooling and lifespan. i don't see it being a better deal.
Click to expand...

You are very lucky then.

Where I live here in Ottawa,Canada the SP97 is 79$ and that without a fan,while the Zalman is 51$ and you dont need to buy a fan.

Much cheaper here to get a zalman & a few degress is not worth the extra expense,in my opinion.
 
Originally posted by: Budman
Originally posted by: AWhackWhiteBoy
i dunno where you buy your stuff but i got my SP-97 for $40 shipped. a good fan only costs $8. the much larger airflow and superior heatsink(thats not as large or hard to fit) makes for superior cooling and lifespan. i don't see it being a better deal.
Click to expand...

You are very lucky then.

Where I live here in Ottawa,Canada the SP97 is 79$ and that without a fan,while the Zalman is 51$ and you dont need to buy a fan.

Much cheaper here to get a zalman & a few degress is not worth the extra expense,in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I agree with your opinion. Temperatures aren't all that people make them out to be. Noise is another matter. A few decibels IS worth the extra expense, in my opinion.
 
Can't we all learn to love and not hate? 😉

Based on the initial post...

"My case has good airflow and noise is not a concern for me."
TRANSLATION: He wouldn't even hear the Zalman fan, nor would he mind mid-RPM fans for a Thermalright.

"I would be happy with 3.4-3.6"
TRANSLATION: He isn't going for some world record overclock.

"but do you guys think the cost of the SP-94 is worth spending over the Zalman"
TRANSLATION: He is a wee bit concerned with cost.

Conclusion: He probably would be happy with the performance of the Zalman and the few extra bucks in his pocket.

FWIW I own units from both manufacturers. Just ordered an XP-120 and an SLK-900A. Have owned a few ALX-800 and one SLK-800A, but have sold/traded them (the SLK-900A should be better 🙂 ). Currently have three 7000-AlCu (two in use, one new). Used to own a 7000-Cu, but I couldn't tell a temperature difference so I gave it to a friend for his birthday.
 
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