SI-120 installed. Now what!!!

[egale]

In my previous post I ask for opions as to whether my machine was running too hot. I have a P4 3.4ghz (650), Asus P5LD2 mobo, and a Sonata II case with a 120mm fan in the back and the front.

Taking the advice I got, I purchased an SI-120 heatsink, 120mm panaflo fan and Arctic Silver 5.

First, let me say that the Sonata II case is horrible to work with. It is way too small to move around and it was a hastle getting stuff in and out. But, with a little bit of patience, a little bit of tantrums, I got it installed ok.

With this setup, the noise is a little less. It isn't great but a bit better. Now for the temps. They are a little better. It was running at idle at 46 cpu 42 mb. Now it runs 43 cpu 40 mb. At load, the cpu before was reaching 61 or 62. Now is goes to 59. I thought this setup would really help. A couple of degrees is a couple of degrees but this is nothing fantastic!

Do you think another case would give me noticeably better temps? The P180 is a little too deep for where it has to go. What else would you suggest?

THanks to all!!!

 

[tw33ter]

http://www.svc.com/rc-531-ssn1.html

that's a very nice case, has 2 120's, one in front, one in back and half the price of the p180

 

[BonzaiDuck]

How fast is this Panaflo spinning?

I would think that the 120mm intake and exhaust fans would move plenty of air through the case. In my situation, I have the 3.2E OC'd to 3.5. You would think that the thermal power maximum is similar to your 3.4 (650).

But at room 70F, my idle CPU is 32C and the load CPU is less than 38C. I "sinked" my Mosfets and I have a foam-board motherboard duct, channeling front intake air through the CPU fan and directly out the case rear. I still think your temperatures should be lower.

I think your motherboard temperatures are indicative of this. You say they are 40C after installing the SI-120 and 42C before you installed the SI-120. Unless your room temperature (outside the computer) is 80F or higher, these temperatures are too darn high.

I think if you either modify your case, increase the throughput of air in the case, or take action to cool some other parts such as the graphics card, you should be able to bring these temperatures down.

I'm not that familiar with the Sonata case. At one time, I had a CoolerMaster WaveMaster, and I re-sold it because the temperatures were too high even running an 80mm fan on the CPU heatsink at 4,200 rpm -- so also there was a noise problem.

You mention that the case is "cramped" and difficult to maneuver in while working with components. This was why I temporarily embraced full-tower cases, and I currently have two 120mm intake fans running at about 1,700 rpm each. I'm making a guess-timate that this brings some 100 CFM into the case, despite wire-screen filters and the grill on the front case-bezel. But I think you could still achieve better cooling with a midtower case.

 

[eXx08]

This Antec case is very good for cooling and is very solid. It may be a little big if that's what you don't want.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

I'm in the middle of a very $low build, P4 3.4e/ASUA P4P 800,going in a modded Lian Li mid tower. I don't like doors or filled bays blocking air flow on the suck or push side of the fan.

Clear all bays that block air flow, move them up if you got room. At the very bottom of the 3.5" bays install a deverter/deflector to direct the air toward the SI-120. Just tape a smoothly curved piece of cardboard in place for testing. If this give a major improvement make one of better quality for long term use.

Using a toaster for a CPU we need air flow. So i hope you don't have a 50cfm intake fan.
Because the bays block the intake, only i would reccomend a 100cfm intake not a undervolted Yate Loon ;-) I don't know what kind of fan control you use, I'm going with an old fashioned Sunbeam. I just bench tested two 120x38 fans. The Pan @114cfm rips air with it's 7 blades(45dB) undervolts well but has a low volume high piched throb i don't like. The Delta Triple Blade that just arrive today has a deep Tim Allen grunt sound 147cfm & 54dB.It also undervolts well. Both fans seem to produce the same sound pressue at 9V. The Delta has a more pleasent baratone voice. On the bench both could not be heard at 7V when i was 4' away. If you up-rate your intake don't bother with a 120x25, go with a 120x38.

On this Lian Li the HDD cage was removed. Two PATAs are in the lower 5.25 bay, the two SATAs are mounted vetical at the far left toward the front on the case floor. An aluminum deflector will be installed after it is made to my cardboard pattern's dementions.
You would not have to make one out of metal. Ace Hardware and others, sell plastic sheet in small pieces.

Galvanized

 

[egale]

I think I may run it a while with the case open to see how it does. That would rule out case problems I think. How should case open temps compare to a good cooling case?

The panaflo on the si-120 is the l1a model - low rpm model runs at 1700rpm all the time. There is no sensor on it. It's te fan they recommend. I asked about higher rpm fans but was told it would only make things noisier.

 

[JEDIYoda]

friend...you have the inmy opinion one of the top 4 heatsinks money can buy....
You have an excellent fan to go with that....
Bottom line...
Now you work on getting proper airflow to your CPU....
Be it a shroud directing the air focused on the CPU.....
or playing with your intake and exhaust fans...
You will get it eventually...
Trustme it takes alot of work sometimes...
but you eliminated the heatsink issue.....
Now take your time and work on aceiving a real good airflow....

 

[Capt Caveman]

I would reseat your hsf. It might also need to be lapped. I had an Intel 640 w/ XP-120. My temps were 38c idle and 46c at load.

 

[JEDIYoda]

lapping is way over rated.....sure on the rare occasion you need to lapp the heatsink base...but I would seriously doubt if this is not more of an airflow issue that a lapping issue....

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: thekillerjks
This Antec case is very good for cooling and is very solid. It may be a little big if that's what you don't want.

Looks almost exactly like a Chieftec Dragon or Matrix. Hmm, I wonder why <g>. I have the Matrix with the two 80 mm fans in the back, the two up front, and one in the side.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've made some errors of understanding at this forum, but I haven't misled anyone about my own results with the SI-120.

Here's my opinion. The SI-120 should perform slightly better than the XP-120. I am oh too sure of that, since I've used both. Second, CAVEMAN's processor is similar -- not identica, but similar -- to EGALE's, and CAVEMAN used the XP-120. So the both have a similar maximum thermal power. Third, the difference between idle and load temperatures for CAVEMAN is about 8C, but for EGALE it is about 16C. And finally, EGALE's fan speed of about 1,700 should only increase thermal resistance by about 0.01 C/W, per the table of results reported in Citarella's Overclockers.com review.

I noticed a couple months ago that it is possible to have three out of four spring clip hooks properly seated for either of those coolers, with the fourth improperly secured. So check this.

As for lapping, Bob at ThermalRight says "Don't do it." My SI-120 had noticeable scratches on the base, but I refrained from lapping it. With the range of temperatures I get in my own setup, it would be a waste of time to lap.

 

[mdkinsal]

one thing that is critical with the si-120 (I've had an xp-90) is that you need to make sure you put a paper even less coat of thermal material. If you over do it you will get high temps.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

mdkinsal

Would you care to elaborate? Would not the excess thermal material get squeezed out the edges?

 

[egale]

I followed the instructions for Arctic Silver as best I could. It called for a drop smaller than the size of an uncooked grain of rice. It also said it needed 200 hours to work effectively so maybe temps will improve a bit eventually. I will also try running today with the case open to see how that helps.

I will also be sure to check that the fan is properly seated. Will post when I have more info.

 

[egale]

Update:

I ran with the case open and a floor fan blowing in. Temps dropped to 38 cpu and 34 mobo. Those were the lowest they would go so I assume if I could improve the airflow in the case, this is the absolute minimum this setup is going to do.

But, I did notice that the rear case fan in the Sonata II has 3 speeds. It was set on medium speed. I switched it to high. At high, it makes a racket but the case temps dropped to 38 and the idle CPU is now at 41/42 (it keeps fluctuating). So it is 43/40ish at medium and 42/38ish at high. Also at load, temps only went as high as 57 mobo 41. Still not wonderful I would think.

Sound was reduced by installing the si-120 but now its back up there by running the rear fan at high.

The SI-120 is not quite as great as I thought it would be.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Nevermind, backwards.

-Kevin

 

[egale]

When the system is under load, isn't it the CPU temps that should rise?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Many thanks to tw33ter for recommending the Centurion 531 case.

We're playing musical circuit-boards and computers for the holidays in my family. I needed an extra midtower case that has good airflow with 120mm intake and exhaust, and that case fills the bill. Plus, $20 rebate through mid-November.

Very grateful.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

While were at it -- trying to un-puzzle your temperatures, EGALE -- take a look at this article:

Mobo ducting

As I said, your mobo and CPU idle values are too high. I'm still trying to figure out what gives with your CPU load value, since CAVEMAN has half the temperature spread that you do.

You haven't posted a sig of your rig. What memory do you use? Have you OC' d the processor, or bumped up the VCORE voltage?

 

[egale]

I have 2gb of OCZ gold running at 667mhz 4-4-4-8. Vcore is 1.3. Everything is running at stock speeds no ocing.

Asus P5LD2 mb
wd 250gb sata
maxtor 2gb ide
Evga 7800GT video
Audigy 2 ZS