Need a new heatsink Fan for S754 CPU

unseengundam101

Senior member
Oct 26, 2005
253
2
81
I need a new Heatsink fan for my A64 3400+ S754 cpu. Its a 3 year old system and currenlty running on Retail Stock HSF. For last 3 years, its been running very hot (core is 60-65C) even though it is NOT overclocked. Recent, clean WinXP install is giving some issues, so I think I will finally get new HSF. It did sucessfully run 11 hour and 57 min prime95 test. However, my linux OS (which was fully stable before my clean WinXP install) is getting stuck up. In fact knoppix live cd even gets stuck up sometimes. I might add more fans to my case also, though case is already very loud...

Here my current System config:

A64 3400+ S754 newcastle (not overclocked)
MB: MSI K8N Neo Platinum, Nforce3 250gb
1gb + 512 gb of DDR 400 Corsair Value Select
ATi Radeon x850 Pro AGP
5 HD: 120 gb 7200 ATA Seagate
1 x 250 SATA Seagate
1x500gb SATA Seagate
2x 500 gb SATA 7200.10 Seagate (Nvida Software Raid 0)
Antec EA 430w PSU

I need to make sure HSF installs in my MB and perferably with having to take out the whole MB out of case. I want keep this under $50 total.

Currently I have looked at the following:

Zalman CNPS9500A LED - not sure about MB compatibility

Zalman CNPS9500 AM2 - Zalman list Neo Plat as compatible

Zalman 7700 will NOT work on my MB (looked at Zalman's site)

Zalman 7000, look like this will work on MB

Also, most Zalman have this warning:

"The maximum weight for a cooler is specified as 450g for Intel Socket 478/775 and AMD Socket 754/939/940, and 300g for AMD Socket 462 CPU. Special care should be taken when moving a computer equipped with a cooler which exceeds the relevant weight limit. Zalman Tech is not responsible for any damage that occurs when moving a computer."

Does that weight really matter? Not sure how good my old system will old up to it.


I have also looked at Thermaltake blue orb and some of the Artic cooling ones. Any suggestions on ideas on what to get?
 

imported_Kiwi

Golden Member
Jul 17, 2004
1,375
0
0
I've just put a Cooler Master TX2 on an A64 3200 that I intend to overclock a bunch, while using the system as a host for DOSbox. It's on an MSI K8n Neo3 (NF4) mainboard (yes, s754 like yours), and the space constraints were tight. Neither an Arctic Cooling Freezer64 nor a Thermalright XP 120 would fit. I really liked that XP-120 due to its comparative light weight, but the heat pipes didn't angle steeply enough, and conflicted with the RAM slots. The Freezer64's clamping system wanted too much space for itself around the socket, and couldn't be used.

Right now, I have everything in an Aspire X-Gamer case, which has "fair" ventilation without being noisy. I haven't gotten into the overclocking and stress testing yet, so I don't know how much noise to expect from that. Given the minimal video requirements of DOSbox's games (mostly to be older Wing Commander SF / Fantasy fighter sims), I'm using the coolest- running PCI-e card I had on hand, an X800 GTO (even though DOSbox and the old games probably could get along fine on an x600 or less, I never have had one of those, and this PC isn't particularly high priority among systems here at my place).
 

unseengundam101

Senior member
Oct 26, 2005
253
2
81
Kiwi, I just looked the Neo3, looks like the layout is a little different from my Neo Plat. I think I can probably put in a Freezer64 but probably not a Thermalright XP 120 or any 120mm type HSF. Looks like 7000cu will go in there well (I actually have have a zalman 7000 for my HTPC case), so kind of leaning towards getting another one.

Anyone know out of Zal 7000cu, Freezer64, Thermaltake Orb which one gives the best performance?