HTPC Nsk2480 CPU Fan help

elendil850 · Post by **elendil850** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:12 pm

I recently built an HTPC system with an NSK2480 case and want to get a different cooler for the cpu.

I have a socket 775 motherboard and would like to get a blow-down cooler instead of a tower cooler like the Mini Ninja.

Anyone have any recommendations? I'm mostly worried about the height of the cooler being to tall with a fan attached for the case.

jessekopelman · Post by **jessekopelman** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:26 pm

Are you looking for best value or best overall performance? I think Thermalright SI-128SE with 25mm fan should just fit and that is probably the champion for top-down coolers under 120mm high, but it ain't cheap -- especially give you need to buy a fan too. Thermalright XP-120 is no slouch either, is a sure fit, and the price is better but still not the best bang for the buck. I'd think the Scythe Shuriken is probably the best for the money, but I doubt it's even as good as the XP-120 with a quality fan. The Zerotherm CF900 might also be a top value contender.

elendil850 · Post by **elendil850** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:41 pm

Extreme performance isn't a huge deal. The NSK2480 has to 120mm fans very close to the cpu area already.

Biggest reason that I want a blow-down cooler is my motherboard (ASUS P5N7A-VM) has a northbridge that runs pretty warm, and I would like to get a little extra airflow over it if possible.

I was looking at the Scythe Zipang, but it looks MASSIVE in pictures, so I'm not sure if it would fit.

jessekopelman · Post by **jessekopelman** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:18 am

So why not go with Scythe Shuriken, then? I think that is the lowest cost option, if you can live with the included fan.

DaveD · Post by **DaveD** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:40 am

elendil850 wrote:Biggest reason that I want a blow-down cooler is my motherboard (ASUS P5N7A-VM) has a northbridge that runs pretty warm, and I would like to get a little extra airflow over it if possible.

This is what Lawrence Lee wrote about the temps on this board:

"Cooling

To test the cooling on the board, we lowered the CPU cooling fan's voltage to 6V to reduce the amount of top-down airflow the nearby components received. We then stressed the system with Prime95 and ATITool and whipped our our handy IR thermometer to check the results.

After about 20 minutes of load, the MOSFETs and chokes around the CPU socket were in the 55Â°C to 65Â°C range. While this may sound high, we've seen VRM temperatures of 90Â°C and higher â€” these results are mild in comparison. The hottest point on the chipset heatsink meanwhile was only 58Â°C, also relatively cool. Also keep in mind this is on an open testbed with very little airflow. In a case with proper cooling, these temperatures should be lower."

(Note that Lawrence used the Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 Pro cooler, which is a low end cooler, set at 6v.)

The above is a quote from his review here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article892-page7.html

The northbridge/IGP chipset is going to feel very hot to the touch.
58 degree Celsius = 136.4 degree Fahrenheit. This is going to actually burn you if you decide to hold your finger on it for very long.

Here's what Lawrence Lee and MikeC had to say about the Ninja Mini in a Fusion (fancy NSK2480) case:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article754-page5.html

One quote from the last page:

"The Mini is a very good cooler, even without any consideration of size or fan type used. But there are several situations where a Scythe Ninja Mini is an excellent choice:

You're uncomfortable with the prospect of having a heavy/tall tower heatsink inside your system
Your case cannot fit the huge high performance CPU heatsinks
You just want a solid budget CPU cooler
You want a perfect passive CPU cooler in an Antec Fusion/NSK2400 or similar media PC case"

(Note that there was no fan on the Mini during testing inside the Fusion. It relied on the 120mm case fan situated next to it.)

I am going to guess that you are using a CPU like the E-7200, which has excellent efficiency. With this CPU, your set-up should run cooler than the Intel Pentium D 950 Presler core that Lawrence and MikeC used for their review.

However, I can understand being worried about the temp of your chipset. I have the MSI K8N Neo4 MOBO in the computer I am using. The first thing I did was remove the heatsink/fan that was on the northbridge and install one of those blue Zalman chipset heatsinks on it. I learned very quickly to not touch it while it has been running for more than about 30 seconds. I don't like having to run to the sink to run cold water over my finger. But I am still running it that hot, with the same blue Zalman cooler on it and still no problems at all.

elendil850 · Post by **elendil850** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:19 pm

DaveD wrote:I am going to guess that you are using a CPU like the E-7200, which has excellent efficiency. With this CPU, your set-up should run cooler than the Intel Pentium D 950 Presler core that Lawrence and MikeC used for their review.

Thanks for the advice (not just what's quoted, but all of it). I've built many a PC in traditional tower cases, but a desktop HTPC setup is new for me so I wanted to be cautious before preceding.

I'll probably invest in a mini-ninja. I have a Ninja Rev. B in my main computer and LOVE it.

Once I do that, I have to muster up some courage to crack open the Earthwatts 380watt and perform a fan swap!

DaveD · Post by **DaveD** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:05 pm

elendil850, I'm glad you liked my input, as I like to be of help. You have an excellent MOBO, one that I hope to put inside this SOLO case before too long. And I will try to passively cool the CPU I will use, also. That will more than likely be the E-7200 which will make it real easy to do.
Please keep in mind that the review that Lawrence Lee and MikeC did of the Mini was on September 6, 2007. There just might be something a little bit better for your NSK2480 that has come out since, I don't know. I kind of doubt that anyting newer will perform that much better to turn you away from the Mini. When you look at the pics of it installed in the NSK2480, it looks like they were designed for each other. It is such a perfect fit.
On the MSI K8N Neo4 I am currently using, I have an AMD 4400+ CPU on it with an original Ninja mounted to it, passively cooled. Right now my CPU temp is reporting 43 deg. C, which is pretty nice. I do like the Ninja series.
However, you can go here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article30-page1.html

and look over all of the coolers listed and see if there is anything you like better. If you find something that will fit inside of of the 2480 and it interests you, then you can post a question about it. Maybe ask about comparisons of it with the Mini for your particular application. I myself am a big fan of passive cooling. If a passive cooler does the job, then there is no worry about the cooler fan failing on you.

As far as your case goes, you have an excellent one. If I were building a HTPC right now, I would be doing just as you are, but I personally wouldn't bat an eye, I would purchase a Mini without even thinking about it. You are going to have a great system when you are done.

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:49 am

Another vote for the Minja here! My NB runs hot to the touch, but no issues in the last year. The cooling in this case is very good. I don't think the NB will be a problem. My E4500 runs bout 29C - 31C during normal operation. Stress test shows up at about 40C

ist.martin · Post by **ist.martin** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:14 pm

jason:

I that an Enermax PS in your NSK2480? If so, with the passive ninja and 2 case fans (Noctua?), any idea what sound leve your system is at? Would it be audible on top of a desk beside you from 3 feet away?

Thanks.

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:34 pm

The PSU is an Enermax Liberty 450w(?). The system would be almost silent if I hadn't used the Noctua fans. I am swapping them out for Slipstreams very soon. No idea on actual measured sound dB's, but it's very quiet. The Noctua's have a very distictive hum to them. If you don't need a high power setup, keep the stock PSU and swap in the fan from the Minja. I have done this in my 3480 and it is more quiet than the Liberty.

With better case fans, I'd say it would be VERY quiet.

elendil850 · Post by **elendil850** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:57 pm

yamahaSHO wrote:The PSU is an Enermax Liberty 450w(?). The system would be almost silent if I hadn't used the Noctua fans. I am swapping them out for Slipstreams very soon. No idea on actual measured sound dB's, but it's very quiet. The Noctua's have a very distictive hum to them. If you don't need a high power setup, keep the stock PSU and swap in the fan from the Minja. I have done this in my 3480 and it is more quiet than the Liberty.

With better case fans, I'd say it would be VERY quiet.

Nice setup (via your pic) btw.

Would it be terribly hard to swap the fan? Would it be better if I purchased a 3pin to 2pin adapter, or just electrical tape the fan to the old header?

DaveD · Post by **DaveD** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:15 pm

yamahaSHO, I noticed in the pic of your NSK2480/Fusion that there is a clear PSU baffle in there. Is that a stock feature, or is that a mod of yours? I don't recall ever seeing that before, but then again I have a very bad memory. I like how that works, basically dedicating one fan as a CPU cooler fan, creating more concentrated air flow through the Ninja Mini.

elendil850, does yours have that baffle?

yamahaSHO, you are swapping out your Noctua fans for Slipstreams. Are these quieter than the Nexus fans?

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:31 am

elendil850 wrote:
yamahaSHO wrote:The PSU is an Enermax Liberty 450w(?). The system would be almost silent if I hadn't used the Noctua fans. I am swapping them out for Slipstreams very soon. No idea on actual measured sound dB's, but it's very quiet. The Noctua's have a very distictive hum to them. If you don't need a high power setup, keep the stock PSU and swap in the fan from the Minja. I have done this in my 3480 and it is more quiet than the Liberty.

With better case fans, I'd say it would be VERY quiet.
Nice setup (via your pic) btw.

Would it be terribly hard to swap the fan? Would it be better if I purchased a 3pin to 2pin adapter, or just electrical tape the fan to the old header?

Thanks.

It's a very easy swap. I bought the 2 - 3 pin adapter just to make everything easier/quicker to swap out. I would not use tape, IMHO.

DaveD wrote:yamahaSHO, I noticed in the pic of your NSK2480/Fusion that there is a clear PSU baffle in there. Is that a stock feature, or is that a mod of yours? I don't recall ever seeing that before, but then again I have a very bad memory. I like how that works, basically dedicating one fan as a CPU cooler fan, creating more concentrated air flow through the Ninja Mini.

elendil850, does yours have that baffle?

yamahaSHO, you are swapping out your Noctua fans for Slipstreams. Are these quieter than the Nexus fans?

The clear duct was something I made. I thought it might help with CPU cooling and leaving the other fan to cool the rest of the case.

It's been awhile since I've had a nexus fan, but I have had some Yate Loon's in the last year that I undervolted. I personally like the SlipStreams and run them in my other two computers as well.

DaveD · Post by **DaveD** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:46 am

elendil850, Have you purchased a new HSF Yet? If you are still understandably worried about northbridge temps, then you might look at the Noctua NH-C12P reviewed here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article846-page1.html

According to Lawrence Lee, this is the best top-down cooler there currently is. It is only 91mm tall with the fan istalled, so the height is no problem for you. And the HSF can be oriented any way that fits your MOBO/case the best.

C-NuT · Post by **C-NuT** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 11:35 am

elendil850, what's the clearance between the top of the heatsink (top of the heatpipes) and the top of the case? Do u reckon I could fit a slightly taller heatsink like the Noctua NH-U9B (height 125mm) in there?

(The Scythe Ninja Mini is 115mm tall)

elendil850 · Post by **elendil850** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:07 pm

I'll check clearance tonight when I get home.

How much extra space do you think there should be between the fan and the top of the case?

I imagine if there is a limited amount of space, that could affect the amount of noise the fan creates.

elendil850 · Post by **elendil850** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:12 pm

There is around 110mm of space from the top of the chip to the roof of the case. Approximately.

Allowance for any more space and things would begin to get tight.

As a disclaimer, this was a very hackish measuring system involving a bent measuring tape.

Edit: As some say the mini-ninja is around 115mm tall, then the actual clearance may be around 120mm of space. Anyone know how much space is above the mini-ninja?

DaveD · Post by **DaveD** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:13 am

Edit: As some say the mini-ninja is around 115mm tall, then the actual clearance may be around 120mm of space. Anyone know how much space is above the mini-ninja?

elendil850, yamahaSHO should be able to answer that question fairly easily, as he has one in his case. Just by looking at the picture that he posted, there is no way to tell.

HTPC Nsk2480 CPU Fan help

HTPC Nsk2480 CPU Fan help

dB?

Clear PSU baffle in the NSK2480/Fusion

Re: Clear PSU baffle in the NSK2480/Fusion

Noctua NH-C12P

Ninja Mini clearance