Looking for a Low profile Socket A cooler

[Philippine Mango]

Ok I've got two questions though this first one isn't as important. Can you use a socket A cooler with a Socket 7 motherboard? I was pretty sure that you could but I would like to confirm it..
Two, I'd like to know where I can find the best cool to noise ratio for a socket A cooler. I have about 43mm of clearance because of where the PSU is situtated in this case: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=29&threadid=1731943
the coolers I've found are about 20mm high which is too short which causes them to be too loud.

Ones I've found:http://www.directron.com/cck6012.html
http://www.directron.com/dc1206bmr.html

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

I did read the linked thread, looked very closly at the poor pic pic is OK.

Being that the PSU is eight years old and seems quite large, have you considered changing it out to a smaller unit? That would open up lots of possibilities for the selection of a CPU HSF.

What are the dementions of the current PSU compared to a standard ATX?

There are 2U PSUs on ebay in the 300-350 watt range that are very inexpensive. They are long and skinny but might get close to the opticals. An addapter can be modded to one for up-rating the fan from 60mm to 80mm. I know this seems a bit much but you do want to have a sleeper rig and you are attached to this old case.

Sorry that all i can post is a brain storm. If the PSU was out of the way,a SI-97 is the best Socket A cooler and a thin 120mm fan can be mounted under the fins.

Galvanized

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
Ok I've got two questions though this first one isn't as important. Can you use a socket A cooler with a Socket 7 motherboard?

Actually, I tried within the past few days, with a stock AMD XP hsf that was too big to fit.

Never having faced that kind of height clearance problem, I've never had to learn about any shallow heat sinks, but I have seen many ads regarding "1U" heat sinks for skinny rackmount enclosures.

 

[vanvock]

I believe ALPHA makes some of those 1U coolers

 

[mechBgon]

They did at one time, anyway: photo of Alpha PAL15

 

[Jimmah]

Why not just chop a heatsink a little? Taking a little off the top fins shouldn't cause too much issues.

 

[Zepper]

I like and have been using the Thermal Integration V77L (1.78" tall) available from the Egg for $10.+sh (often cheaper elsewhere). But it does have a feisty fan which tames well with a fan controller. Another drawback is that it is designed for a die-type CPU (Athlon/Duron/Sempron sock-A) - it has a round copper core which is raised a bit above the aluminum fin extrusion (a tiny bit) and that is all that contacts the CPU. The heat spreader chip like the AMD Sock-7 CPUs would work better with a full copper base HSF - but I think the V77L would still fit and cool adequately. I've not found a better designed HSF at anywhere near that price point.
. Re. the PSU. It looks like it might be a standard ATX size (called the PS/2 form factor) and they are/were available in both AT and ATX configs. Just go by the physical measurement of the PSU's case. The standard PS/2 dimensions are: 5.9-6.0" wide x 3.375-3.5" high x 5.5" deep (the screw mounting pattern is also important, but both the AT and ATX configs have the same pattern).
. There are also ATX PSUs available in the PS/3 form factor (which is the same in height and width as PS/2 but MUCH shallower. That could eliminate your HSF clearance issue but the power ratings in which the PS/3 is available might be too low for your application. A new form factor that I think is called "mini-ATX" or short ATX is a bit shorter than the standard (about 4.5-5" deep). I've seen them in the Aspire X-Qpack/Chenming 118 cases. One of those could help with your clearance problem depending on where exactly the CPU socket is located on the mobo you get.

.bh.

 

[Jhhnn]

If the case has a removeable atx type i/o shield, then it probably has the ability to mount an atx board. There were lots of "in-between" designs of that period, with near atx boards and AT psu's.

The other big issue is ventilation. If the box isn't properly vented, the system won't work well. I've seen some improvements in such systems by leaving the cardslot covers off, and using some coarse meshed screen to keep out cats & bugs... also the use of top blowhole cutouts w/ exhaust fans....

Seeing as how it'll require a new psu, anyway, using a sfx model on an adapter plate may give the required clearance-

http://www.power-on.com/microatx270snv.html

http://www.power-on.com/brackets.html

The sfx psu being both thinner and shorter may solve your problem....

And this cooler might fit in with all that-

http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Coolmax_Coo...Socket_A_Copper_Core_Cooling_Fan_Up_to

Or even a standard cooler, depending on how well the socket vs new psu clearance works out...

 

[Philippine Mango]

bump