I'm running a near silent system (Athlon64 X2 4800+, Lanparty-SLI-DR, 2GB, P180 case, 7800GT, full details http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=24898 ).
I'm using a Zalman ZM-NB47J for the northbridge. It's working well, but my NB temps are still high, ambient+26 C under full load. I can definately reduce them with more airflow, but that pushes my fan noise up to detectable levels.
My temps used to be ambient+31 (way too high!), but I stuck some spare Zalman GPU RAM sinks all over the faces of the NB47J and that dropped the NB temps by 5 full degrees (!). This shows that a larger passive heatsink will help my temps.
Zalman link: http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/vie ... 1&code=014
I have LOTS of room around my northbridge since I'm using the lower video slot, leaving the upper one empty. This worked well.
Are there any other larger/better passive NB coolers?
Better passive northbridge heatsink than Zalman ZM-NB47J?
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
If you have the space for it, can I suggest using an old CPU cooler as a northbridge sink.
I recently took an old evercool 6cm copper heatsink. Prised off the bracket for the fan, leaving the core of copper fins. Trimmed down the sides where there would be interference with other components. and using two self tapping screws mounted it to the mobo. As I am using a tt typhoon "shelf type" CPU cooler, the 6cm sink sits with about 20% of its fins underneath the typhoon.
The mobo is showing temps at the northbridge of just under 40c under load. And that is with the typhoon's fan switched off. Speedfan turns it on about 20% of the time under load. Otherwise the system is passive. No case fan, no PSU fan, no other fan in fact. My case is open.
When I have the typhoons fan on at 1100 rpm. (The yate loon fan doesn't like PWM on my system, it only slows to this or switches off) the northbridge sits at about 10c over ambient.
I'm getting better cooling than I had with the stock NB cooler (Its an Abit NF7 board FYI) with the typhoon fan running. Slightly hotter when the sys is running passive
The mod took me a couple of hours to achieve, including the walk to the hardware shop for the self tappers. It does add a bit of weight to the mobo.
The copper fins look pretty horny as well. I will have some photos soon, but It inspired me to open the top of the case up even more to show it off behind mesh. Paint job next weekend then I will post.
I recently took an old evercool 6cm copper heatsink. Prised off the bracket for the fan, leaving the core of copper fins. Trimmed down the sides where there would be interference with other components. and using two self tapping screws mounted it to the mobo. As I am using a tt typhoon "shelf type" CPU cooler, the 6cm sink sits with about 20% of its fins underneath the typhoon.
The mobo is showing temps at the northbridge of just under 40c under load. And that is with the typhoon's fan switched off. Speedfan turns it on about 20% of the time under load. Otherwise the system is passive. No case fan, no PSU fan, no other fan in fact. My case is open.
When I have the typhoons fan on at 1100 rpm. (The yate loon fan doesn't like PWM on my system, it only slows to this or switches off) the northbridge sits at about 10c over ambient.
I'm getting better cooling than I had with the stock NB cooler (Its an Abit NF7 board FYI) with the typhoon fan running. Slightly hotter when the sys is running passive
The mod took me a couple of hours to achieve, including the walk to the hardware shop for the self tappers. It does add a bit of weight to the mobo.
The copper fins look pretty horny as well. I will have some photos soon, but It inspired me to open the top of the case up even more to show it off behind mesh. Paint job next weekend then I will post.
If you have the space for it, can I suggest using an old CPU cooler as a northbridge sink.
I recently took an old evercool 6cm copper heatsink. Prised off the bracket for the fan, leaving the core of copper fins. Trimmed down the sides where there would be interference with other components. and using two self tapping screws mounted it to the mobo. As I am using a tt typhoon "shelf type" CPU cooler, the 6cm sink sits with about 20% of its fins underneath the typhoon.
The mobo is showing temps at the northbridge of just under 40c under load. And that is with the typhoon's fan switched off. Speedfan turns it on about 20% of the time under load. Otherwise the system is passive. No case fan, no PSU fan, no other fan in fact. My case is open.
When I have the typhoons fan on at 1100 rpm. (The yate loon fan doesn't like PWM on my system, it only slows to this or switches off) the northbridge sits at about 10c over ambient.
I'm getting better cooling than I had with the stock NB cooler (Its an Abit NF7 board FYI) with the typhoon fan running. Slightly hotter when the sys is running passive
The mod took me a couple of hours to achieve, including the walk to the hardware shop for the self tappers. It does add a bit of weight to the mobo.
The copper fins look pretty horny as well. I will have some photos soon, but It inspired me to open the top of the case up even more to show it off behind mesh. Paint job next weekend then I will post.
ps I had the heatsink already (thankfully I am a hoarder) so the mobo mod cost me approx 20p
I recently took an old evercool 6cm copper heatsink. Prised off the bracket for the fan, leaving the core of copper fins. Trimmed down the sides where there would be interference with other components. and using two self tapping screws mounted it to the mobo. As I am using a tt typhoon "shelf type" CPU cooler, the 6cm sink sits with about 20% of its fins underneath the typhoon.
The mobo is showing temps at the northbridge of just under 40c under load. And that is with the typhoon's fan switched off. Speedfan turns it on about 20% of the time under load. Otherwise the system is passive. No case fan, no PSU fan, no other fan in fact. My case is open.
When I have the typhoons fan on at 1100 rpm. (The yate loon fan doesn't like PWM on my system, it only slows to this or switches off) the northbridge sits at about 10c over ambient.
I'm getting better cooling than I had with the stock NB cooler (Its an Abit NF7 board FYI) with the typhoon fan running. Slightly hotter when the sys is running passive
The mod took me a couple of hours to achieve, including the walk to the hardware shop for the self tappers. It does add a bit of weight to the mobo.
The copper fins look pretty horny as well. I will have some photos soon, but It inspired me to open the top of the case up even more to show it off behind mesh. Paint job next weekend then I will post.
ps I had the heatsink already (thankfully I am a hoarder) so the mobo mod cost me approx 20p
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Bluefront
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Most people around here will tell you your NB temps are fine. Well.....temps like that make me uncomfortable also.
I'm using the aluminum earlier version of this Swiftech heatsink. I removed the fan from mine, and modded the pin-fins for better passive operation. (Link) I hate the thought of an extra fan for the NB...something else to fail.
Modern NB chips on P4s do run hot....hotter than the CPU at times.
I'm using the aluminum earlier version of this Swiftech heatsink. I removed the fan from mine, and modded the pin-fins for better passive operation. (Link) I hate the thought of an extra fan for the NB...something else to fail.
Modern NB chips on P4s do run hot....hotter than the CPU at times.
Bluefront... I hate you!!!! 
I was so pleased with the looks on my own mod, till I saw yours.
I'm green with envy now and there is only one way you can redeem yourself!!!
I am not convinced that my passive solution is running as efficiently as it could.... The copper fins are pretty closely spaced. Once i get a photo up (give me a week) I may forgive you if you can give me some suggestions on improvements, I have some ideas anyway, but as I only have one heatsink to play with, I dont want to start cutting till someone more experienced has verified my plans will work.
Or you could go on being the target of my bitterness?
I was so pleased with the looks on my own mod, till I saw yours.
I'm green with envy now and there is only one way you can redeem yourself!!!
I am not convinced that my passive solution is running as efficiently as it could.... The copper fins are pretty closely spaced. Once i get a photo up (give me a week) I may forgive you if you can give me some suggestions on improvements, I have some ideas anyway, but as I only have one heatsink to play with, I dont want to start cutting till someone more experienced has verified my plans will work.
Or you could go on being the target of my bitterness?
Coolermaster's Blue Ice is a small heatpipe tower with a removable fan. I think the advantages of heatpipes are enough that fanless is should outcool a conventional sink,but still have seen no tests with specific results.
Plan B could be to just bracket a very slow 120 to blow on a Zalman or even the stock sink with the 40mm removed. the low speed Coolermaster fan with 720 rpm could be good stock,or an undervolted Yate Loon or Nexus? The Coolermaster is $10,and if you run it stock-using the original heatsink-thats a low $ low hassle route.
Plan B could be to just bracket a very slow 120 to blow on a Zalman or even the stock sink with the 40mm removed. the low speed Coolermaster fan with 720 rpm could be good stock,or an undervolted Yate Loon or Nexus? The Coolermaster is $10,and if you run it stock-using the original heatsink-thats a low $ low hassle route.
Coolermaster's Blue Ice is a small heatpipe tower with a removable fan. I think the advantages of heatpipes are enough that fanless is should outcool a conventional sink,but still have seen no tests with specific results.
Plan B could be to just bracket a very slow 120 to blow on a Zalman or even the stock sink with the 40mm removed. the low speed Coolermaster fan with 720 rpm could be good stock,or an undervolted Yate Loon or Nexus? The Coolermaster is $10,and if you run it stock-using the original heatsink-thats a low $ low hassle route.
Plan B could be to just bracket a very slow 120 to blow on a Zalman or even the stock sink with the 40mm removed. the low speed Coolermaster fan with 720 rpm could be good stock,or an undervolted Yate Loon or Nexus? The Coolermaster is $10,and if you run it stock-using the original heatsink-thats a low $ low hassle route.
Alpha has a new pretty impressive looking northbridge heatsink out.
http://www.alphanovatech.com/nw050607e.html
Unfortunely I haven't seen it for sale anywhere as of yet.
http://www.alphanovatech.com/nw050607e.html
Unfortunely I haven't seen it for sale anywhere as of yet.
Last edited by Operandi on Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
How large is the CM Blue Ice? And how does it mount?
I have the NB-1 on Asus A8N-SLI Dlx (at ~4,700 rpm, so it's reasonably quiet), and it mounts rotated at 45 degrees, so it takes more space.
If I had a longer card than my current 6600GT, I'd be in trouble.
BTW, it's not 10$, at Newegg it's 30$, and couldn't locate it in the UK.
I have the NB-1 on Asus A8N-SLI Dlx (at ~4,700 rpm, so it's reasonably quiet), and it mounts rotated at 45 degrees, so it takes more space.
If I had a longer card than my current 6600GT, I'd be in trouble.
BTW, it's not 10$, at Newegg it's 30$, and couldn't locate it in the UK.
The 120mm fan is $10,not the NB heatsink.Tzupy wrote:How large is the CM Blue Ice? And how does it mount?
I have the NB-1 on Asus A8N-SLI Dlx (at ~4,700 rpm, so it's reasonably quiet), and it mounts rotated at 45 degrees, so it takes more space.
If I had a longer card than my current 6600GT, I'd be in trouble.
BTW, it's not 10$, at Newegg it's 30$, and couldn't locate it in the UK.
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Mastakilla
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happycoyote
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This is the solution I used:mCubed
Borg nF4 along with the extra heatpipes and clamshell junction from a Borg HBC.
Bending the heatpipe so that they matched the correct angles was tricky but since this was my first encounter with heatpipes I think it worked out remarkably well. Next time though I'll wait before until all else is finished before applying thermal grease to components
The thermal grease used was golden as were my hands while the NB cooler base, Clamshell junction and radiator started of black
Borg nF4 along with the extra heatpipes and clamshell junction from a Borg HBC.
Bending the heatpipe so that they matched the correct angles was tricky but since this was my first encounter with heatpipes I think it worked out remarkably well. Next time though I'll wait before until all else is finished before applying thermal grease to components
The thermal grease used was golden as were my hands while the NB cooler base, Clamshell junction and radiator started of black