Trimming the Zalman AlCu

[naddicott]

My friend is assembling a system with parts that I reccomended to him, and on his motherboard, the 7000B AlCu and the Gigabyte 6800 with the passive heatsink don't play well together (which I should have forseen, mea culpa).

Rather than returning the Gigabyte and getting a 6800 without the massive heatsink (which should fit fine), he is considering "trimming" the fins on the Zalman AlCu up to the fan on the video card side to create clearance.

We're talking about a Winchester Athlon64 3200, not overclocked. The case is the Antec P160 with both 120mm fans running @ full voltage. Will a "trimmed' AlCu still do an adequate cooling job in that scenario?

I'm still pushing for the replacement video card, but I want to get a sense of the implications of his proposed "mod". 😀

 

[slash196]

I'd just switch video cards, frankly. It's a lot simpler, and there's no real risk or work involved.

 

[akira34]

"Trimming" any part of a processor cooler is a BAD idea. Better off either getting a different video card, or replace the cooler (video card) with one that has a fan and won't interfer with the processor cooler. Best case, with the trim, is the processor will run warmer/hotter than it should/would have without the mod. Worst case, he'll cook his chip, taking who knows what with it.

Why did you recommend getting the passive cooler on the video card to begin with? Especially with such a large processor cooler??

 

[racolvin]

I would definintely NOT trim the Zalman - what if it gets screwed up? What if it doesn't cool properly, e tc? Better to swap the video card than take a chance of toasting a CPU.

R

 

[HomerSapien]

Its not a bad idea, but it is a lot more work than i bet he realizes. The fins can be bent pretty easily and i would bet that he ends up breaking a few of them. I have that heatsink and it stays pretty cool to the touch so i bet it would just raise the temp a degree or two. Im running a barton 3000.

I vote to replace the video card.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'd suggest looking at it as a matter of costs versus benefits.

If the video-card is a pricey one, chosen for performance, and if he decides to pass it on as a "used" sale item, there will be a significant drain on the investment.

But the Zalman cooler is only a matter of $30 to $50, depending on where he bought it.

Further, a massive-passive cooling solution that was "stock" with the Gigabyte 6800 might pre-empt spending money on a Zalman ZM80D or similar VGA heatsink, while replacing the card with a less formidable stock cooler may increase temperatures.

I have heard of some people bending the fins on the CNPS-7000 coolers (Cu or Al-Cu version). Bending them, even if a few get smashed together, might be a viable option. Trimming them -- depending upon the reduction in fin-area -- may not result in a significant cooling loss.

But there are better coolers than the CNPS-7000, and in the same price range. Your friend only needs to release his attachment to the cooler and remain objective as he might consider either the ThermalRight XP90 or the ThermalTake PIPE101 as two viable options. The only remaining problem there is to choose a $10 to $20 fan that would fit either one of these, and they both take 92mm fans. There is a Panaflo 92mm fan with respectable throughput values and noise rating in the low to mid 30's dB/A. And there are other fan options and heatsink options, as well.

 

[naddicott]

Thanks for the input everyone.

The Zalman is a $30 part, and the video card is a $300 part. My friend did measuring and other prep work yesterday, and I think he's going to give it a try regardless of my input. For him it's more of an aesthetic choice than anything, he loves the massive heatsink on the 6800 and while he anticipates the Zalman looking "ghetto" when he's done with it, he's still looking forward to being so hands on with his new system.

I'll look at the final result before he powers anything up, and we'll be watching temperatures very closely during burn-in.