Noobie question on heatsinks and cooling.

[Sirrion]

I hope i'm not asking some redundant question as i have searched the forums both here and in CPU section and i cannot find too much information about these comparisons. I'd like to overclock an Athlon 64 3200 past the 2.6g mark and I'm not sure if i can do that with air only. If i can, I am assuming i should go with the Thermalright and a huge fan or should i go with the Zalman 9500 i've heard a lot about? Lastly if i cannot get there with air only, is buying a water-cooling kit like the Zalman Reserator worth purchasing? I've never messed with water-cooling and would be looking into something very easy to setup and understand as my first attempt. Ultimately i'd rather just stick with air-cooling and not even mess with water if i can o/c well. Noise isn't really a factor, as it doesnt bother me much. Any recommendations?

 

[suszterpatt]

The Zalman is supposed to perform as well as entry level water cooling systems, so that would be a safer bet than the XP-120. With that said, the XP-120 is still a very good HS and coupled with a powerful fan you may be able to get that CPU to higher clocks.

 

[Munky]

If my venice 3000 can hit 2.6 ghz using a zalman 7000, then your venice 3200 should definitely go above 2.6 using a zalman 9500. I'd stick with air cooling, because it's simpler and safer than water.

 

[CraKaJaX]

I love my XP-120. Hook a U1A Panaflo on it and use Q-fan and your set.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The "S-EYE" at SVC

Test Results -- table of bench-test results

Water-cooling specs -- three kits -- bottom of page -- blue highlights

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Post Dated 9/14/05, approx. 9PM, "OK. Here it is."

 

[BonzaiDuck]

A FOOTNOTE: THE MYTH OF CFMs

Citarella's bench test showed that the ThermalRight unit performed in a range of 0.14 C/W through 0.15 C/W with a range of different fan-speeds.

First, you should be able to get a high-throughput fan that pushes in excess of 3,000 rpm (Citarella's choice ran at 2,940), throughput in excess of 100 to 110 CFM, and a noise level AT THAT SPEED in the mid-40's dBA range.

Second, you should be able to muffle that noise with a combination of foam-board (or noise-deadening Spire pads) and teflon-grease bearing lubrication.

Third, even at lower fan speeds, for instance, Citarella's 2006rpm, the CFMs are sufficient to bring the cooler within range of water-cooling performance.

Fourth, Ah don' know WHAT fan that boy is usin,' but he must purposefully have picked aloud one. A SUNON 120x38mm 6W fan should spin up to 3,200 rpm and only produce 45 dBA. And that's a cheap, $9 fan with no tach-wire in the tail.

You can get a Panaflo that would produce the same results, with the three-pin tail, with even less noise.

 

[JEDIYoda]

As of today I will tell you that a good water cooling rigg will beat the Zalman as well as the XP!!

Both the zalman and XP will beat most cheap water cooling riggs or at least temperature wise be very close...

Thus the age old question....unless your a silence freak el mundo....

Why get water when you can have air with temps that are at least very very colse or better than water?

You don`t have to drain your air system every so often and flush it out...

Anyways good question!

If you search other threads you eill find the Zalman 9500 and XP120 thing has been hashed and rehashed over and over..lol

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Yes, indeed. Re-hashed to the point of stale-leftovers, but some visitors here aren't looking in the fridge, so to speak!! Same-ol, same-ol questions . . .

Looking at the Swiftech kits, the best of the three at Sidewinder achieves a minimum TR value of 0.125 C/W.

What's the best you can get with water-cooling -- excluding any form of chilled-water?