Zalman CNPS9700 LED or Scythe Ninja?

[FaCarnival]

Hi everybody, I'm looking for a good and cheap CPU cooling for my Core 2 Duo.

Since Scythe Ninja got excellent scores on almost every review, I was planning to buy that. But CNPS9700 LED is out too and it's a great, silent CPU cooler with a nice LED fan and Zalman quality.

Also there is one more good choice: Thermaltake Big Typhoon, which is also a great cooler.

I'm confused. TT BT and Ninja are lower priced coolers. But if CNPS9700's performance is better, I might also go for Zalman too.

 

[JAG87]

the BT rocks both of them, but you must have side panel intake.

if the fan of the BT is against your side panel it wont perform as good because you will limit the CFM of the fan.

the zalman in that case is a better choice, because it has front intake so it draws air from the front.

 

[Qi]

Tuniq Tower 120 or Thermalright Ultra-120. Great air coolers and with the right fan, they are very quiet too. The Thermalright Ultra-120 is recommended by SPCR. I'm going for the Thermalright Ultra-120 personally, since I'm looking for a good silent cooler as well.

 

[Ayah]

I'd go with the Thermalright U-120 and stick a 7v Yale Loon/Nexus on it.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Lets see the OP asked about only 2 heatsinks....

He didn`t ask for suggestions on any different heatsinks?

Also the BT doesn`t rock iether of those 2 heatsinks!!

YES its a good heatsink but hardly in the Ninja`s league or for that matter the 9700 league!!

Even though all 3 are close!!

 

[FaCarnival]

So, I guess this means Ninja rocks all... That's what I thought anyway. I'll probably go for that. Thanks for the answers.

And one more question. Is the 120mm Scythe fan that comes with Ninja good enough? Thanks.

 

[Qi]

The Scythe Ninja is a very good heatsink, but the Thermalright Ultra-120 is still better.

Review 1
Review 2

From what I've read, the Tuniq Tower 120 has slightly better thermal conductivity than the Thermalright Ultra-120, but it is heavier and from what I've heard, it's louder with the same fan. Probably because the fins are spaced differently.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Qi
The Scythe Ninja is a very good heatsink, but the Thermalright Ultra-120 is still better.

Review 1
Review 2

From what I've read, the Tuniq Tower 120 has slightly better thermal conductivity than the Thermalright Ultra-120, but it is heavier and from what I've heard, it's louder with the same fan. Probably because the fins are spaced differently.

again the OP only asked about 3 heatsinks and no the Ultra 120 is not the best heatsink on the market!!

Sir you will point to the reviews but.......I can point to people on these forums who when the Ninja came out bought the Ninja and then posted they were having issues with the Ninja! Such as I just replaced my old heatsink with the Ninja and my temperatures are not any better! What gives?

the bottom line is there is no such thing as the best heatsink. From system to system what rocks on your system might not rick on a different system. There are just way too many variables to content with!!

Yet I will agree that on paper a case could be made for what is the best! Yet real world applications don`t always agree with whats on paper!

 

[Qi]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
again the OP only asked about 3 heatsinks and no the Ultra 120 is not the best heatsink on the market!!

First; I never said that the Ultra-120 is the 'best' heatsink on the market, in fact, I even said that the Tuniq Tower 120 has (slightly) better thermal conductivity. Still, for me personally, the Thermalright Ultra-120 is the better heatsink, because it is quieter with the same fan and it is lighter.

And about suggesting more heatsinks than the ones the opening poster specifically asked about, I can't possibly see what's wrong with that. The more suggestions for the opening poster, the better. If we carefully read the opening post by the way, we can see that FaCarnival was just suggesting some heatsinks himself, but he opened with the question: "Hi everybody, I'm looking for a good and cheap CPU cooling for my Core 2 Duo".

Sir you will point to the reviews but.......I can point to people on these forums who when the Ninja came out bought the Ninja and then posted they were having issues with the Ninja! Such as I just replaced my old heatsink with the Ninja and my temperatures are not any better! What gives?

That's the case with ALL heatsinks, not just the Ninja. And that's the case with ALL system components, not just heatsinks. There will always be some people who have trouble installing a certain system component or unlucky people with a flawed system part. Precisely because of that the reviews are so important, because they are mostly objective about the matter and because they provide empirical data.

 

[Butterbean]

I have the Ninja on an ASUS P5W DH (E6600). It's inside a Lian LI 6077 case. Installation was easy. Its very quiet and I have yet to get higher than 24C. Its generally around 22C. I don't game but I make videos etc. Keep in mind if you use Artic Silver5 etc instead of included material that the maker of AS5 has new directions for C2D install. You make a line that covers both cores down the center - as opposed to the rice grain in the center of cpu etc.

 

[Skott]

JediYoda does have a point. There is not exactly a single best hsf for all mobos. Take the Tuniq Tower for instance. Generally regarded as the current best overall in performance its not going to fit some of these mobos. The newer 680i mobos are going to have compatibility problems due to design. The Striker Extreme comes to mind as one example. So its not going to be the best in that situation. Another hsf that fits it will be best for its application. So you do have to consider each mobo when talking about what hsf is best for it. And thats just talking about mobos. Cases will also play a part in what you can use due to roominess of the inside case. Although if its a full tower case its less of an issue generally speaking than say a midtower case.

 

[moosey]

For the Ninja or the Thermalright 120, would you see a big difference in a C2D system (2.4GHZ....no major o/c) between something like a Nexus fan at 37CFM or a Scythe fan at 33.5 CFM or 49CFM? Mainly looking for a good balance between cool CPU and quiet.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: moosey
For the Ninja or the Thermalright 120, would you see a big difference in a C2D system (2.4GHZ....no major o/c) between something like a Nexus fan at 37CFM or a Scythe fan at 33.5 CFM or 49CFM? Mainly looking for a good balance between cool CPU and quiet.

again speculation that cannot be 100% corrobrated...

 

[Howard]

Good and cheap? The CNPS9700 is certainly good, but how the heck is it cheap?

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=519

 

[bjp999]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
the bottom line is there is no such thing as the best heatsink. From system to system what rocks on your system might not rick on a different system. There are just way too many variables to content with!!

Yet I will agree that on paper a case could be made for what is the best! Yet real world applications don`t always agree with whats on paper!

What a crock. There are not that many variables with cooling ...

1. There is the case cooling
2. There is the HS
3. There is the Fan
4. There is the TIM
5. There is the TIM amount / application technique
6. Finally there is the flatness of the CPU and HSF

The best HSF in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing is going to get better results than the same person using second best.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: bjp999

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
the bottom line is there is no such thing as the best heatsink. From system to system what rocks on your system might not rick on a different system. There are just way too many variables to content with!!

Yet I will agree that on paper a case could be made for what is the best! Yet real world applications don`t always agree with whats on paper!

What a crock. There are not that many variables with cooling ...

1. There is the case cooling
2. There is the HS
3. There is the Fan
4. There is the TIM
5. There is the TIM amount / application technique
6. Finally there is the flatness of the CPU and HSF

The best HSF in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing is going to get better results than the same person using second best.

Sorry but youhave no clue at all.....
think for a minute about the many variations from how a PC is set up to the actual heat out ouyt of each item...to and including multiple harddrives...a full load of memory...a case that doesn`t have proper ventilation a case with too many fans or the wrong fans and the lost goes on...yet what you call a crock is absolutely 100% the truth.....

Then you have the temperature inside the computer not the ambient temperature to worry about unless you have great circulation.......

What you listed are not the many variables involved in setting up a heatsink to achieve goods temps.

What you listed are what heatsink reviewers list in order to trst a given heatsink....

You can follow those 6 steps until you are blew in the face and depending in the varuables not associated with those 6 steps your heatsink could be shizza......

Go back a year or so and look up threads fgrom people posting whey am I getting temps that are higher than my old heatsink.....

The person making this statement could not be any more misinformed!!!The best HSF in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing is going to get better results than the same person using second best. -- There is NO best heatsink forst of all thats a crock of shizza -- just go to these as well as other forums....there are maybe a dozen or so that hang within 1c to 2c of each other.....

Then we have the unknown varuables......sorry your arhuments are way too simplistic based in the complexuty ir the varuables from PC to PC!!

 

[F1N3ST]

I have the scythe ninja on my E6300, like 10C drop in temps with good ventalation, the fan is probably 20Db or lower

 

[bjp999]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Sorry but youhave no clue at all.....
think for a minute about the many variations from how a PC is set up to the actual heat out ouyt of each item...to and including multiple harddrives...a full load of memory...a case that doesn`t have proper ventilation a case with too many fans or the wrong fans and the lost goes on...yet what you call a crock is absolutely 100% the truth.....

Then you have the temperature inside the computer not the ambient temperature to worry about unless you have great circulation.......

What you listed are not the many variables involved in setting up a heatsink to achieve goods temps.

What you listed are what heatsink reviewers list in order to trst a given heatsink....

You can follow those 6 steps until you are blew in the face and depending in the varuables not associated with those 6 steps your heatsink could be shizza......

Go back a year or so and look up threads fgrom people posting whey am I getting temps that are higher than my old heatsink.....

The person making this statement could not be any more misinformed!!!The best HSF in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing is going to get better results than the same person using second best. -- There is NO best heatsink forst of all thats a crock of shizza -- just go to these as well as other forums....there are maybe a dozen or so that hang within 1c to 2c of each other.....

Then we have the unknown varuables......sorry your arhuments are way too simplistic based in the complexuty ir the varuables from PC to PC!!

:roll::roll::roll:

World hunger is complex, CPU cooling is simple!

You are willing to give up 1-2C+ on the HSF, you are willing to give up 1-2C+ on TIM, you are willing to give up 3-5+C on TIM application, and blame it all on "its too complex to figure out." Before you know it you have given up 6C+. In your prior post you said you tried a Ninja and it didn't help at all. What does that mean? Changing your HSF is going to do something. Did you try different TIMs or use the junk they give you? Did you experiement with differnt TIM amounts and application techniques? Were you testing temps at load or temps at idle? Your general statement undermines your credibility.

Quoting "just read the forums" and suggesting that people wade through a YEAR'S worth of posts is crazy. What I listed are the components of CPU cooling (and a HSF review is not going to compare case cooling, TIM application technique, or the fan). Having you say there are others without even one example is just talk. I thought of one more - the fan orientation. In some cases, blowing UP would be better, while in others bloowing to the side would be better. This really is a case cooling issue, but at least it is something you could have said.

Everything else you mentioned (hard drives, fans, etc.) are just case cooling issues. And they will be EXACTLY THE SAME if all you are doing is changing the HSF. They are therefore NOT variables.

Each person should do their homework. He/she should factor in how well it cools, cost, how quiet it is, ease of installation, forum comments, and maybe aesthetics to find the BEST hsf for them. I hope we can at least agree with this.

Call me misinformed if you want, but I did drop my CPU temp by 23C by experimenting and learning.

 

[bjp999]

Originally posted by: F1N3ST
I have the scythe ninja on my E6300, like 10C drop in temps with good ventalation, the fan is probably 20Db or lower

Awesome! Were you moving from stock HSF? Did you use AS5 or the supplied TIM?

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: bjp999

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Sorry but youhave no clue at all.....
think for a minute about the many variations from how a PC is set up to the actual heat out ouyt of each item...to and including multiple harddrives...a full load of memory...a case that doesn`t have proper ventilation a case with too many fans or the wrong fans and the lost goes on...yet what you call a crock is absolutely 100% the truth.....

Then you have the temperature inside the computer not the ambient temperature to worry about unless you have great circulation.......

What you listed are not the many variables involved in setting up a heatsink to achieve goods temps.

What you listed are what heatsink reviewers list in order to trst a given heatsink....

You can follow those 6 steps until you are blew in the face and depending in the varuables not associated with those 6 steps your heatsink could be shizza......

Go back a year or so and look up threads fgrom people posting whey am I getting temps that are higher than my old heatsink.....

The person making this statement could not be any more misinformed!!!The best HSF in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing is going to get better results than the same person using second best. -- There is NO best heatsink forst of all thats a crock of shizza -- just go to these as well as other forums....there are maybe a dozen or so that hang within 1c to 2c of each other.....

Then we have the unknown varuables......sorry your arhuments are way too simplistic based in the complexuty ir the varuables from PC to PC!!

:roll::roll::roll:

World hunger is complex, CPU cooling is simple!

You are willing to give up 1-2C+ on the HSF, you are willing to give up 1-2C+ on TIM, you are willing to give up 3-5+C on TIM application, and blame it all on "its too complex to figure out." Before you know it you have given up 6C+. In your prior post you said you tried a Ninja and it didn't help at all. What does that mean? Changing your HSF is going to do something. Did you try different TIMs or use the junk they give you? Did you experiement with differnt TIM amounts and application techniques? Were you testing temps at load or temps at idle? Your general statement undermines your credibility.--- I never said I was willing to give up anything...you are putting woirds in my mouth...you don`t read very well do you??
I have installed all my heatsinks with AS5 and with the Thermal paste that shipped with those heatsinks!! -- No difference in temperatures!!

Quoting "just read the forums" and suggesting that people wade through a YEAR'S worth of posts is crazy. -- Its only crazy to you because you know those posts back up what I am saying!!
What I listed are the components of CPU cooling (and a HSF review is not going to compare case cooling, TIM application technique, or the fan). Having you say there are others without even one example is just talk. I thought of one more - the fan orientation. In some cases, blowing UP would be better, while in others bloowing to the side would be better. This really is a case cooling issue, - case cooling and CPU cooling go hand in hand....the higher the temps in your case the higher your CPU temps will be!!but at least it is something you could have said. -- I am sorry but what you do with your system will NOT give me the exact same results!! Why? Because I could have more heat producing items in my system....I could have more or less fans or more or less airflow......I could be using more harddrives or more memory....My case could be set ip differently that yours.....etc...all variables..

Everything else you mentioned (hard drives, fans, etc.) are just case cooling issues. And they will be EXACTLY THE SAME if all you are doing is changing the HSF. They are therefore NOT variables. ii they certainly are variables...even the ambient temperature is a variable......Each person should do their homework. He/she should factor in how well it cools, cost, how quiet it is, ease of installation, forum comments, and maybe aesthetics to find the BEST hsf for them. I hope we can at least agree with this.

Call me misinformed if you want, but I did drop my CPU temp by 23C by experimenting and learning.

I have run temps and still do as low as 17 -- 19c range depending on the ambient temperature and of course I run very close to whatever the ambient temperature is outside my case! Because I have very good air circulation due to experimenting with different fans and fan placement...etc....Yet there are people who have the same exact set up and get higher temps....you have to be real nieve or simplistic to not believe that everything that happens inside your case is not a variable....to and including what fan and what cfm it produces ....

I would hope we can agree that each person has a different set of variables to contend with that may lead each person to quite possibly over time order more than one heatsink in hopes of achieving that magical optimal temp......of course a certain amount of experimenting must take place....to achieve that goal because we both know that all cases and systems are not created equal!!

Have fun!!