Need a very quiet HSF for overclocking...

[NervousNovice]

I wasn't thinking about overclocking before and I was planning to get a Zalman CNPS7000AlCu.

I guess the other model, the Zalman CNPS7000Cu (pure copper), should perform better if I want to do some overclocking.

If I can't keep the noise level down to at least the Zalman level, then I'll just forget about overclocking.

Is there any other HSF that performs better than the Zalman while having the same or even lower noise level? How about those Thermalright?

Is there anything bad about using a massive 500g+ heatsink? Mobo bends?

 

[Corporate Thug]

the weight is fine

slk900 + panaflo will give you similar results

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

i have a 700+ g copper HS, and its clipped onto the socket, not mounted to the mobo. i also transport my computer often to and from school. weight isn't a problem but its pushing it...

 

[Margalus]

yup, a good thermalright heatsink with a nice quiet fan will do very well for overclocking.

 

[NervousNovice]

I found that the most expansive Thermaltake heatsink for AMD is the SP-97. Is it the best one out there (even better than the SLK900)?

Although I want it to be quiet, how much CFM should I look for when buying a fan for that heatsink?

I see a "SilenX 92mm 14dBA 2000rpm 36cfm Case Fan", is 36CFM enough?
The stock fan that comes with the SP-97 is a 110CFM fan at a crazy 55dba noise level. It scares me.

 

[NervousNovice]

How about the Swiftech MCX462-V (that looks like a sunflower or a brush, something like that) ?

 

[exar333]

The Zalmon 7000AlCu is pretty quiet and cools really well for the money!

 

[Fricardo]

Originally posted by: NervousNovice
I found that the most expansive Thermaltake heatsink for AMD is the SP-97. Is it the best one out there (even better than the SLK900)?

Although I want it to be quiet, how much CFM should I look for when buying a fan for that heatsink?

I see a "SilenX 92mm 14dBA 2000rpm 36cfm Case Fan", is 36CFM enough?

The stock fan that comes with the SP-97 is a 110CFM fan at a crazy 55dba noise level. It scares me.

Yes, it is the best one out there. If the stock fan is too powerful for you just buy the HS and get a seperate, quiter fan. Having a better heatsink will only serve to decrease noise levels.

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: NervousNovice
I found that the most expansive Thermaltake heatsink for AMD is the SP-97. Is it the best one out there (even better than the SLK900)?



Although I want it to be quiet, how much CFM should I look for when buying a fan for that heatsink?



I see a "SilenX 92mm 14dBA 2000rpm 36cfm Case Fan", is 36CFM enough?

The stock fan that comes with the SP-97 is a 110CFM fan at a crazy 55dba noise level. It scares me.

No Thermalright heatsink comes with a fan, unless the site you're considering ordering from is offering the Vantec 92mm Tornado (yes, 55db is loud). Actually, the SP-97 isn't really any better than the SP-94: link. And you can't use a case fan to cool your cpu, unless it has the 3-pin connector for monitoring it's speed. This one is the one that i would buy if I were worried about noise: link, unless 33dba is too loud for you.

edit: With that fan and an SP-94, you'd have about twice as much cooling as the Zalman can do with it's fan on high speed (or close to 2x, anyway). You'd definitely be able to overclock.

 

[NervousNovice]

Originally posted by: myocardia
Actually, the SP-97 isn't really any better than the SP-94: link. And you can't use a case fan to cool your cpu, unless it has the 3-pin connector for monitoring it's speed.

I guess SP-97 and SP-94 are the same thing, except one is for AMD, the other one is for Intel.

I found the SilenX 14dBA fan here link It said it has the "3->4 pin convertor...so you have the option of running it off the motherboard of the power supply". Is that the 3-pin connector you mentioned above? Can you check that link out for me to make sure?

 

[MDE]

There isn't too much of a cooling difference between the all-copper Zalman and the AlCu version. If you get a Zalman I'd get the AlCu, it's cheaper, performs almost the same and is lighter.

 

[myocardia]

I assume, on a fan that expensive, that it would have a four-pin connector to supply the power, along with a 3-pin connector for monitoring only. But I would find out before I bought one, because powering a large fan through the motherboard is definitely not good for the motherboard, or even for your overclocking ability. It should have a single wire 3-pin connector, if it's only for monitoring. Here's a link to one that's like I'm talking about, but with a picture: link. Just don't buy that one, it's louder than a helicopter!

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: MDE
There isn't too much of a cooling difference between the all-copper Zalman and the AlCu version. If you get a Zalman I'd get the AlCu, it's cheaper, performs almost the same and is lighter.

Yeah, I've seen a review or two that said exactly the same thing.

 

[NervousNovice]

In fact, will the Zalman AlCu do a good job (or adequate) for overclocking? Say for 2500+@3200+.

 

[NervousNovice]

Originally posted by: myocardia
I assume, on a fan that expensive, that it would have a four-pin connector to supply the power, along with a 3-pin connector for monitoring only....It should have a single wire 3-pin connector, if it's only for monitoring.

I get what you mean. I checked that tornado uses like 10W of power. However, for that SilenX I've showned you, it just uses 1.2W of power. I guess it's ok in that case.

 

[NervousNovice]

Say I want to overclock an 2500+@3200+ with that Thermalright heatsink.

How much CFM should I look for when buying a fan? Those 100CFM are insane. I know about 50CFM will do the job. But can a fan as low as 36CFM do the job as well (like that SlienX) ?

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: NervousNovice
In fact, will the Zalman AlCu do a good job (or adequate) for overclocking? Say for 2500+@3200+.

Yes, Zalman says that their 7000's will cool a 3200 non-overclocked at the low-speed fan setting. It will do more at the high-speed fan setting, of course. And yeah, if that fan's only using 1.2 watts, it would be fine to run it off of the motherboard. And yes, if you were to buy one of those Thermalright heatsinks, any 92mm fan will do the job, if you are only wanting to overclock to 11x200.

 

[NervousNovice]

So I can compare to heat of a 2500+@3200+ to a 3200+(not overclocked) ?

 

[myocardia]

Yes, unless you buy one now. Some of the desktop XP2500's are requiring crazy voltage to hit 11x200, and raising the voltage is what makes a chip get hot. If you have one that will do it at 1.65v, then it will be the same temp as a non-overclocked XP3200, if you use the same heatsink on both.

 

[NervousNovice]

Hm...a few questions about overclocking:

Should I get AMD 2500+, 2500 mobile, or 2800? My guess is the 2500 mobile.

Are the Samsung PC3200 ram good enough? Or I need to go get some PC3500+ or I should to get Corsair/Kingston ram?

 

[NervousNovice]

Originally posted by: myocardia
Some of the desktop XP2500's are requiring crazy voltage to hit 11x200

So some of them don't? The overclocking ability of a cpu depends on each individual cpu as well?

By the way, 1.65v is the default core voltage right?

 

[myocardia]

Yes, you should get the mobile. And any PC3200 ram is good enough, unless it's Corsair's, Kingston's, or Geil's Value ram. If you buy a name brand, buy the good stuff-- Corsair XMS, Kingston HyperX, Mushkin Level I, etc.

 

[NervousNovice]

I want to get an idea how far can the 2500+ mobile go.
Is it a "piece of cake" or a "no big deal" overclocking to get it to 11x200?

I heard that an overclocked cpu dies faster. How much faster will it be? How long can an overclocked cpu last, compare to a non-overclocked one? (I don't know how long the latter lasts though, a few years?)

 

[JediJeb]

I have a 2400+Mobile running at 13.5x168 right now( cant go faster on FSB due to ram), but that is 2267mhz and I am running the Zalman7000 AlCu and at 100% load I am getting around 46C, on a really hot day when the room temp is 80F I run about 49C. A mobile will oc pretty good using the Zalman and I can not hear it at all on high, ps is not that loud but it drowns it out totally.

 

[nvfx]

When it comes to Noise less Solution, only one name stands out "ZALMAN", they have also released worlds first complelety Noise less case filled with tons of Heat pipes.

Now OC is the main issue, You may want to look at Thermaltake's soultion but they may produce some noise.

Now About ALCU, well the price difference is less than 10 $ infact, i saw 36 for ALCU and 41 $ for CU at newegg, now i believe the Total CU model might just help in OC over the ALCU,

Take it this way, More weight in CU ( About 750g ) compared to ALCU ( 435g ), this means that
Cu is much more heavier than Al and hence has far more electron population, despite the fact that the surface area of both are same yet under severe overclocking the Full CU may benifit from the extra Mass and super conductivity of Copper.

In the end, the best ever heat sink would than be imaginary, MADEUP OF SILVER AND INFINITE SURFACE AREA to dissperse heat. And Infinite surface area means infinite $$$, i think i'll but the Thermaltake Aquarious III.