CNPS 9500 vs. SI-128

Cooling Processors quietly

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ciz28
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CNPS 9500 vs. SI-128

Post by ciz28 » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:31 pm

I recently built an NSK2400-based system using a CNPS 9500 AM2 to cool my A64 3800+. I modded it by flattening the top to make it fit in the case and removed the fan, using just the two 120mm intakes to keep it cool. Not being terribly satisfied with the setup, or the 62c load temps, I decided to buy an SI-128 + Yate Loon D12SL-12.

Well, wouldn't you know it, I didn't really measure the setup before I ordered it, and things don't exactly fit inside the case with the fan sitting on top of the heatsink. So I kept it a semi-passive setup with just the two intakes blowing on the SI-128. Now my load temps are, drumroll.... 59c!! A whopping 3c temperature drop :roll:

I guess there's only so much I can expect from two heatsinks that aren't really meant to be run passively in the first place. Regardless, I feel like the SI-128 is a more solid heatsink than the CNPS 9500, so I'm still satisified with the purchase.

However, I did drop the core voltage to 1.35V from 1.40V and the load temps dropped to 52c. I am going to keep playing with the voltages and see what I can do to further drop the temps.

In addition to changing the heatsink, I did swap out the two 120mm fans I took from original Sonatas in favor of two more D12SL-12s. I ran both sets at 5V each, but couldn't really tell much of a difference between the two. Maybe inside my TV stand just isn't the best acoustic environment to be distinguishing differences between the two?

ciz28
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Post by ciz28 » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:13 pm

I settled on much lower voltages for CnQ as follows:

1000MHz: 0.75V
1200MHz: 0.80V
1400MHz: 0.85V
1600MHz: 0.90V
1800MHz: 0.95V
2000MHz: 1.00V
2200MHz: 1.05V
2400MHz: 1.10V

The CPU now seems to max out around 35c at full load. I really doubt that my idle temps are going to improve much over my previous settings because of CnQ, so I'd assume that I'm looking at a rough operating temperature range of 20c - 35c. I guess I can finally say I'm completely satisfied with my quiet cooling setup.

jjr
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Post by jjr » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:15 pm

XP 120 would have probably been a better choice with this case ...

Otherwise you could try and duct the SI 120 to one of the exhaust fans.
It should significantly improve your temps.

jaganath
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Post by jaganath » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:36 am

1000MHz: 0.75V
Wow, I didn't know motherboards could go below 0.8V; is this also showing up as Vcore in monitoring apps?

ciz28
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Location: Redmond, WA

Post by ciz28 » Wed Nov 29, 2006 12:01 pm

jaganath wrote:
1000MHz: 0.75V
Wow, I didn't know motherboards could go below 0.8V; is this also showing up as Vcore in monitoring apps?
The minimum voltage in the BIOS is only 1.35V. I'm actually using RM Clock to set all of the voltages for CnQ.

sanse
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Post by sanse » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:36 am

could you post a picture of the SI-128 setup in your rig?

i'm very curious how it looks.

ciz28
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Post by ciz28 » Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:49 pm

sanse wrote:could you post a picture of the SI-128 setup in your rig?

i'm very curious how it looks.
Here's a close up picture of the SI-128. Check out my sig if you want to see more pictures.

Image

tempoct
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Post by tempoct » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:20 pm

From the case airflow path, would you be better off with side-blowing HSF like Ninja or something shorter? Look like the area of the fin that air will flow through is less. Maybe Ultra 120/90?

jaganath
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Post by jaganath » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:55 pm

Ninja/Ultra 120/90 won't fit in the NSK2400.

bendit
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Post by bendit » Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:14 pm

people people. A/C ALPINE for nsk2400. 8)

MC FLMJIG
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Contact:

Post by MC FLMJIG » Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:04 pm

Thermalright is the best. I love them.

You're more than satisfied and that is what is important.

Congrats... I will be setting mine up very soon!!!

Just need the HDCP ready vid card am I'm set.

TMM
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by TMM » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:18 pm

59C isn't too bad i guess - the SI-128 and XP-120 really aren't the best heat sinks for passive cooling since they don't really have a lot of surface area for lateral airflow like a Ninja would. I'm surprised that its doing better then the Zalman for this reason!

Spare Tire
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Post by Spare Tire » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:16 am

My athlon x2 3800+ undervolts very well, it's stable at 0.850V at 1000MHz idling at 23C with the stock fans so there aren't many reasons to upgrade unless it's for silence or overclocking.
I have an nsk2400 also and i'm thinking of getting a new heatsink for because the stock heatsink is pretty noisy and keeps spooling up and down. I saw ciz28's post and said wow i might get that one but then i see this, i thread i have second thoughts. My cpu doesn't undervolt quite as low, 0.85V is a significant 0.1V higher. Not to mention mine is an x2 windsor core, it think it's rated 89W. I wonder how it'll run.
So what do you think would be better, the passively cooled SI-128 or the XP-120 with a good silent fan? Are there any "tower" heatsinks that would fit the nsk2400?

Allow me to rant about my core2duo system i just recently bought, because of all the hype about have better performance/watt ratio, i was thinking maybe it'd be cooler. WRONG. It idles at 40 and this is with this huge-ass silenx ixtrema scx-120 (flower type). You think i might undervolt it some more but it only has TWO speedsteps. Minimum multiplier being 6 and bus speed being 266, you end up with a baseline at 1.6GHz. Might as well sell this one. Boo to intel.

Chris Chan
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Post by Chris Chan » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:37 pm

re tower HSF's in the NSK2400: Where's that damn Ninja Mini that Scythe showed at Computex?! It's like a Ninja except with 10cm overall height. Fewer fins in order to maintain the wide spacing that makes low pressure fans work so well with it.

ciz28
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Post by ciz28 » Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:06 pm

Spare Tire wrote:So what do you think would be better, the passively cooled SI-128 or the XP-120 with a good silent fan? Are there any "tower" heatsinks that would fit the nsk2400?
I would bet any decent heatsink with a fan would cool better than a semi-passive heatsink. Adding a fan isn't exactly an apples-to-apples comparison :wink: In that regard, I'd say an XP-120 with fan would definitely outperform a passive SI-128. And if you find any decent tower-style heatsinks that will fit in the NSK-2400, let me know :D

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