- Oct 23, 2000
- 9,200
- 765
- 126
I have a mobile Barton 2600+ sitting on an MSI K7N2 Delta2-LSR motherboard. So far I have been fairly pleased with the speed and stability of the system. However, I would love to take advantage of the Barton's ability to be dramatically overclocked.
I am currently using this HSF because of the low price and great reviews that it received. Unfortunately, those reviews are a VERY far cry from my own experience. The blue LEDs in the fan look cool, but I can't say much else nice about the HSF combo. With the Barton running at 1.5 volts and stock speed, and with the ambient/case temperatures around 25-30C, the CPU is running between 57C and 64C. Needless to say, this is far too warm to do any kind of overclocking. The AS5 is applied correctly and the heat sink is making very good contact with the CPU (the heat sink gets quite hot so it is absorbing heat from the CPU, but it doesn't seem to be able to dissipate that heat).
My case is a boring, generic mid tower but I have made some modifications to give it good (I believe) air flow and that has helped a little bit, but not nearly enough. By improving the air flow with a 120MM blow hole pointed directly over the CPU and a ~60CFM fan pulling air into that hole I have been able to reduce the temperature enough to do a little bit of overclocking. I now have the processor running at 3200+ speed (2.2Ghz) still at stock voltage, but the temperatures are once again in the high 50's and low 60's.
I've decided that I probably need a new HSF if I want to push it any higher, but I can't decide what to use. The few recent reviews I've been able to find here and on other sites recommend the Zalman 7000 or the Thermalright XP-90 most of the time, but those both say that the are only for Socket 754/939, so I'm assuming they would not work with my system.
I've actually seen a few recommendations here for the HSF that I already have (which is part of the reason that I bought it) and for the Thermalright SI-97. Some sites gave the SI-97 good reviews and others have given it very poor marks because it can fail completely if the heat pipes do not work properly, so I'm not sure I want to go down that path.
I'm not especially concerned about something super-quiet, but I don't want a jet engine in my PC either, so something like the Thermaltake Volcano wouldn't be my choice.
I'd really appreciate any other suggestions you can give me, particularly if I can get something for a reasonable price. Under $30 would be preferable.
Thanks in advance.
I am currently using this HSF because of the low price and great reviews that it received. Unfortunately, those reviews are a VERY far cry from my own experience. The blue LEDs in the fan look cool, but I can't say much else nice about the HSF combo. With the Barton running at 1.5 volts and stock speed, and with the ambient/case temperatures around 25-30C, the CPU is running between 57C and 64C. Needless to say, this is far too warm to do any kind of overclocking. The AS5 is applied correctly and the heat sink is making very good contact with the CPU (the heat sink gets quite hot so it is absorbing heat from the CPU, but it doesn't seem to be able to dissipate that heat).
My case is a boring, generic mid tower but I have made some modifications to give it good (I believe) air flow and that has helped a little bit, but not nearly enough. By improving the air flow with a 120MM blow hole pointed directly over the CPU and a ~60CFM fan pulling air into that hole I have been able to reduce the temperature enough to do a little bit of overclocking. I now have the processor running at 3200+ speed (2.2Ghz) still at stock voltage, but the temperatures are once again in the high 50's and low 60's.
I've decided that I probably need a new HSF if I want to push it any higher, but I can't decide what to use. The few recent reviews I've been able to find here and on other sites recommend the Zalman 7000 or the Thermalright XP-90 most of the time, but those both say that the are only for Socket 754/939, so I'm assuming they would not work with my system.
I've actually seen a few recommendations here for the HSF that I already have (which is part of the reason that I bought it) and for the Thermalright SI-97. Some sites gave the SI-97 good reviews and others have given it very poor marks because it can fail completely if the heat pipes do not work properly, so I'm not sure I want to go down that path.
I'm not especially concerned about something super-quiet, but I don't want a jet engine in my PC either, so something like the Thermaltake Volcano wouldn't be my choice.
I'd really appreciate any other suggestions you can give me, particularly if I can get something for a reasonable price. Under $30 would be preferable.
Thanks in advance.
