I am building a 3500+ AMD system (MSI K8N-E Platinum). Maybe I'll give it a faster processor (3800+ or an FX) but at any rate, I have no plans to ever overclock it. But my real concern is that I want it quiet.
One standard move is to add my own heatsink/fan combo. I live in Singapore, so I have limited choices, but one available candidate was the Zalman 7000-AlCu CPU Heatsink.
But before I bother to do any of this, I have the question: how much quieter would the Zalman be than the stock/standard heatsink/fan combo that can come with the 3500+ cpu?
Second question: How much can you quiet things by replacing the Neo2's chipset fan with something else. And if so, what is a recommended unit for this application?
Unfortunately in Singapore I don't have access to many product lines: Zalman, Thermaltake, Coolermaster. I keep reading scathing things about Thermaltake and Coolermaster, so I am hesitant to use them.
Sound savings: non-OC 3500+ w/ Zalman heatsink, fan
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SometimesWarrior
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I tend to spit venom at Thermaltake (Tt) not because their products are crap, but because their marketing literature and noise specs are just lies lies lies. The same probably goes for Coolermaster, although not to the same extent. pony-tail's experiences with the Thermaltake Fanless103 are basically all you need to know about Tt: they make decent stuff, but they advertise it as something much better than it is, especially when it comes to fan decibel ratings. And when one company lies about decibels, it confuses the average computer enthusiast about all quiet PC products, including ones that are honestly rated. That's why Tt is almost universally loathed by SPCR regulars.
So if you do come across a Tt cooler, and it's the only one you can get, that's okay. You'll just have to get a good replacement fan from somewhere.
Regarding the 3500+ stock vs. the Zalman: I think SPCR might post some calibrated recordings of the stock AMD cooler soon, which will allow you to make a direct comparison. I personally haven't heard either cooler. The chipset fan question is easier: just lightly press the fan hub until the fan stops, and that's how much a replacement will help the noise situation.
Something equivalent to the Zalman ZM-NB32J should suffice: Gigabyte has an nForce3-ultra board with a passive heatsink smaller than this one. But if you can find any heatsink as big or somewhat bigger than the Zalman, and some thermal epoxy to stick it to the chipset, that should work too.
So if you do come across a Tt cooler, and it's the only one you can get, that's okay. You'll just have to get a good replacement fan from somewhere.
Regarding the 3500+ stock vs. the Zalman: I think SPCR might post some calibrated recordings of the stock AMD cooler soon, which will allow you to make a direct comparison. I personally haven't heard either cooler. The chipset fan question is easier: just lightly press the fan hub until the fan stops, and that's how much a replacement will help the noise situation.
Something equivalent to the Zalman ZM-NB32J should suffice: Gigabyte has an nForce3-ultra board with a passive heatsink smaller than this one. But if you can find any heatsink as big or somewhat bigger than the Zalman, and some thermal epoxy to stick it to the chipset, that should work too.-
GrahamGarside
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 11:34 pm
zalmans are much better than the stock coolers. I used to run my stock cooler on 5v and it was actally quite quiet but the temp would reach 70°C, where as with my CNSP7700-AlCu at 5V it's slightly quieter and only reaches 55°C
Thermaltake actually do reasonably good heatsinks for the price, but the fans they use are often quite noisy, and as SometimesWarrior says, they just plain lie on acoustic ratings, but on a budget, there are much worse available, but seeing as zalman gear is quite inexpensive they are the best choice.
Depending on your choice of graphics card you might be able to get a passive cooler on the neo2
Thermaltake actually do reasonably good heatsinks for the price, but the fans they use are often quite noisy, and as SometimesWarrior says, they just plain lie on acoustic ratings, but on a budget, there are much worse available, but seeing as zalman gear is quite inexpensive they are the best choice.
Depending on your choice of graphics card you might be able to get a passive cooler on the neo2
The stock Athlon64 fan is reasonably nice for its size but it's inadequate to do proper cooling unless running at high speed.
Zalman 7000 series works very well, especially in low-airflow scenarios. I'll even venture to say there's nothing in the AMD CPU arsenal that it cannot cool running at 5V - which is quiet.
I'll undersign SometimesWarrior's comments on Tt. Actually even their workmanship isn't so top-notch to warrant the extra-price. Still, they're decent enough in a pinch with a different fan.
SW said a NB32J will suffice on the northbridge. though I have no direct experience, I got the impression that nForce3 chips run a bit hot and that a NB47J might do a better job but the height is a problem. There are a few threads discussing sink replacement on the Neo2, look them up.
But most importantly,
WELCOME TO SPCR !!!
Zalman 7000 series works very well, especially in low-airflow scenarios. I'll even venture to say there's nothing in the AMD CPU arsenal that it cannot cool running at 5V - which is quiet.
I'll undersign SometimesWarrior's comments on Tt. Actually even their workmanship isn't so top-notch to warrant the extra-price. Still, they're decent enough in a pinch with a different fan.
SW said a NB32J will suffice on the northbridge. though I have no direct experience, I got the impression that nForce3 chips run a bit hot and that a NB47J might do a better job but the height is a problem. There are a few threads discussing sink replacement on the Neo2, look them up.
But most importantly,
WELCOME TO SPCR !!!