Looking for QUIET Socket-A HSF

[brigden]

The stock HSF on my (non-overclocked) Athlon XP 1800+ is too loud for my liking. It does the job in terms of cooling - my CPU temp is typically 42 degrees, but I'm looking for something quiet (that won't raise temps). Any suggestions?

 

[Cirinde]

VANTEC AeroFlow VA4-C7040 seems to get good reviews for performance and quietness. Price not too bad either (~$30). Here are some reviews:

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030113/cooler5-33.html
http://www.ascully.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=169
http://www.ipkonfig.com/Reviews/Heatsinks/AeroFlow-Vantec/

 

[brigden]

Cheers!

That's a nice looking fan, and my favourite supplier has them in stock...

 

[powergyoza]

You'd be better off with a high-perf HS that can take a slow 80mm fan. 80mm fans are generally more quiet at the same cfm rating than their 60/70mm counterparts. That includes (but is not restricted to) any of the following: Thermalright AX-7, SK7, SLK-800/900, Swiftech MCX462, Alpha 8045.

You should be able to add a Zalman fanmate to the fan and dial down the speed to the point where you can't hear it over your other components.

 

[PraetorianGuards]

Brigden, you might want to try the SVC GC-68. I know you said you didn't want the temps raised but this won't raise them too much(if installed properly). Also, you could get the Zalman CNPS-6000Cu which is the "flower" design. It has a slow 92mm fan paired with a high surface area heatsink.

 

[FlippyBoy]

im looking at the ax-7 with a panaflo - the aeroflow cools better, but is still a little too much niose for me.

 

[Drewpy]

The AX-7 is a great HS. Just make be careful when mounting it. It can come very close to the capacitors around the socket on some motherboards. I use an AX-7 paired with a Panaflo High. At full load (during the winter) right now with the fan on full speed it keeps things at a nice 48 degrees (42 if I take the case side off). I can turn the fan down to approx 6.5V when the CPU is at idle and it is barely audible.

For ultra quiet, zalman's "flower" heatsinks are hard to beat.

 

[vegeto456]

If you just get one of these good hs you can just use a regular case fan with it?
Sorry Im a n00b.

 

[powergyoza]

Originally posted by: vegeto456
If you just get one of these good hs you can just use a regular case fan with it?

As long as you're not using a thermally controlled fan, you will not need to take any extra steps to use a reg. case fan.

If it's thermally controlled, then it's may be a little too complicated for you to get it to work right.

 

[OulOat]

Originally posted by: powergyoza

Originally posted by: vegeto456
If you just get one of these good hs you can just use a regular case fan with it?

As long as you're not using a thermally controlled fan, you will not need to take any extra steps to use a reg. case fan.

If it's thermally controlled, then it's may be a little too complicated for you to get it to work right.

How is it complicated?

 

[brigden]

I know just how quiet the Panaflo is, I have an L1A in my case.

Regarding the Vantec Aeroflow; just how much noise does it make? How does it compare to the stock AMD HSF?

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

[Nerdwannabe]

Forget TMD fans, many people have issues with it.
I would pick ANY heatsinks that accepts a 80mm fan.
SLK-800 would be a nice choice, but cost is on the high side.
If you want to go cheap, X dream(Cooler master's HAC-V81) or Volcano 9 will all perform well for little money.
They comes with adjustable fan, so you can set your own desire rpm.

 

[powergyoza]

Originally posted by: OulOat

Originally posted by: powergyoza

Originally posted by: vegeto456
If you just get one of these good hs you can just use a regular case fan with it?

As long as you're not using a thermally controlled fan, you will not need to take any extra steps to use a reg. case fan.

If it's thermally controlled, then it's may be a little too complicated for you to get it to work right.

How is it complicated?

It is complicated in the sense that it requires a lot of decision making wrt: thermister placement (if possible at all) & picking the fan with the right temp vs. rpm characteristics.

 

[brigden]

What kind of issues are people experiencing with TMD fans? I'm quite interested in that Vantec.

Remember, I have zero intention of overclocking. I just want a quiet fan (less noisy than stock AMD) that'll maintain, or lower, the current temps. of my CPU (around 42 degrees).

 

[powergyoza]

The 1st batch of TMD fans (silver body) were reported to have a problem with the casing shorting out the innards. I believed they solved it now. You can tell the difference by the colour of the body. Black body means newer version.

Overall, I'm not pleased with any of the fans the YS-Tech makes. My sources says its too noisy for quiet computing. Noisy bearings. Noisy electronics.

I can almost say without a doubt you can maintain your 42C temp with an SK-7 and a Panaflo L1A @ <12V. This pretty gives you the best balance of cooling/noise/cost.

From looking at your rig, I get the idea that you're located in somewhere in BC. If your issue is to try to find something locally, don't bother. The states is the only place where you can get anything high-calibre. If cross-border shipping/brokerage is an issue, you can have it shipped to Pt. Roberts and pick it up your self.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: brigden
I know just how quiet the Panaflo is, I have an L1A in my case.

Regarding the Vantec Aeroflow; just how much noise does it make? How does it compare to the stock AMD HSF?

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I have some Panaflo's but they have only two leads, so when I ordered my Panaflos I also ordered two Vantec Stealth 80mm fans. They cost a bit more but still cheap and have RPM monitoring. They're for my AX-7's. One's installed (it's a LOT quieter than the Volcano II HSF I had on it), and I'll get around to the other soon.