Better Zalman Northbridge Heatsink Alternative ?

marc999 · Post by **marc999** » Tue Apr 29, 2003 2:07 pm

Here's the Zalman's specs:
Weight 36g
Material Aluminium 6063T5
Conclusion: This ain't no SLK-900U !!

Is there a better fanless alternative out there?

rpc180 · Post by **rpc180** » Tue Apr 29, 2003 2:25 pm

There's probably nothing beyond the zalman for that is fanless. Though you can try some of these methods.

You can try getting a hold of an older CPU heatsink, say a Pentium I or III (flip chip model) or a smaller AMD HSF. If you were going to use thermal adhesive, any of these or the following will do fine.

You can usually check out local hardware stores, they stock heatsinks in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Make sure you can find one that will clear capacitors or anything close to the northbridge though.

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Tue Apr 29, 2003 2:35 pm

marc999 wrote: This ain't no SLK-900U !!

It would be interesting to see a SLK-900U on a northbridge though

Boomerang Rapido · Post by **Boomerang Rapido** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 12:55 am

marc999 wrote: Conclusion: This ain't no SLK-900U !!

Ehhh I don't get it! What's your point?

That it's too small? That it won't give proper cooling? You tried it but it sucked? You wanted to try it but expect you'll need a 400+ grams chunk of copper to cool your nortbridge?....

I agree with rpc180 on this. I doubt you'll find a better fanless option than the zalman right now. I'm using it on my sinxp northbridge, and I had no problems whatsoever. It cools my NB just fine.

mahkum2 · Post by **mahkum2** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 6:07 am

Hi marc999

There are alternatives. Check these out

http://www.micforg.co.jp/en/almult.html

http://www.theoverclockingstore.co.uk/b ... e1c56c8778

http://www.theoverclockingstore.co.uk/p ... eid=812802

http://www.theoverclockingstore.co.uk/p ... eid=812801

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 9:10 am

old cpu heatsink i guess
its a surface area thing really
or u could get the old zalman gfx cooler and bend the fins up
ud need to epoxy it to the nb tho, or make a clever mount for it

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 9:20 am

http://www.zalman.co.kr/english/product/cnpsvga2.htm

its around 20 pounds in the uk i think if u can find it

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 3:25 pm

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/c ... type=store

This is about the same size as the Zalman. Would have to be glued on though. It looks like it might have once passively cooled a processor before because of the clip.

The good is that its only $1.25, and bad well you have to pay shipping.($6.00 for all orders)

mahkum2 · Post by **mahkum2** » Fri May 02, 2003 8:20 am

I've just found another one.....it looks awesome. But I dout it is quiet. It is here http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfis ... 04_s1.html[/url]

jamoore9 · Post by **jamoore9** » Fri May 02, 2003 8:49 am

The zalman NB32 (not the NB32J, which is what you were looking at) is pure aluminum that weighs in at 42g. A little heavier.

http://2cooltek.safeshopper.com/67/cat67.htm?468

Its only $9US at 2cooltek.

Riffer · Post by **Riffer** » Fri May 02, 2003 4:33 pm

jamoore9 wrote:The zalman NB32 (not the NB32J, which is what you were looking at) is pure aluminum that weighs in at 42g. A little heavier.

http://2cooltek.safeshopper.com/67/cat67.htm?468

Its only $9US at 2cooltek.

I currently have that heatsink on my video card. It is excellent.

At $9, I'll see if I can get a few more.

edit - looks like 2cooltek is TU! Website looks like it isn't being maintained.

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Sat May 03, 2003 7:41 am

the base on the black one is bigger
im gonna use a waterblock on my new nf2 mobo

and a old cpu heatsink for the sb

starsky · Post by **starsky** » Mon May 05, 2003 5:37 pm

Stop me here for a second, but I am YET to see a northbridge that needs anything more than a really basic heatsink. Under full load for hours mine never got too hot to touch so a simple light heatsink should be all that is required.

Badashmods · Post by **Badashmods** » Mon May 05, 2003 6:00 pm

Check out this stock intel one.

http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/bz ... redd875pbz&

rpc180 · Post by **rpc180** » Mon May 05, 2003 8:32 pm

Stop me here for a second, but I am YET to see a northbridge that needs anything more than a really basic heatsink.

The newest chipsets like the nForce2 with graphic cores, or Intel sets with graphics cores included probably need active cooling solutions for all the processes that they do. I think southbridges should start getting sinks too since they handle increasingly higher HD transfer rates and speeds as well as PCI buses.

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Tue May 06, 2003 10:40 am

i want sumin big for my nf2 mobo

marc999 · Post by **marc999** » Tue May 06, 2003 12:05 pm

Wow, thanks for all the great ideas everyone !!

Boomerang Rapido,

Ehhh I don't get it! What's your point?

Just that it looks quite wimpy. I just feel that if I'm going to all the trouble and spending the money to get a passive heatsink, I may as well get one that looks like it will do something. Now I haven't used it, and it may be fine, but I would only buy the Zalman one if there was no better alternative. I will be overclocking so that's part of the reason I want a higher quality (passive) heatsink.

rpc180,
The old Pentium HS isn't a bad idea but it may be hard to track one down.

mahkum2,
Those look like more what I was looking for. I'm trying to see if they will ship to Canada. Also, I sent an email to Bigfoot Computers to see if they had them as they were listed as a Canadian distributor.

EDIT: Please note that I found out that Bigfoot Computers
http://www.bigfootcomputers.com does sell the Alpha W40-25W
chipset heatsinks. I ordered some !!

jamoore9,
Thanks for pointing out the better Zalman model. If I get a Zalman one I'll make sure I get that one.

marc999 · Post by **marc999** » Thu May 15, 2003 10:35 am

Oops !!
I just noticed that the Alpha W40-25W only weighs 30.5 grams !!
http://www.micforg.co.jp/en/c_w40e.html

Guess I should have gone with the beefier Zalman one that jamoore9 pointed out !!

Lards · Post by **Lards** » Sat May 17, 2003 2:11 am

starsky wrote:Stop me here for a second, but I am YET to see a northbridge that needs anything more than a really basic heatsink. Under full load for hours mine never got too hot to touch so a simple light heatsink should be all that is required.

My Epox 8k9a2+ northbridge comes with a heatsink + fan, and I've just changed it over to a Zalman NB32J. The northbridge produces a fair bit of heat, and can be a factor in determining how high you can get your fsb.

ps. After I attached the Zalman (with thermal adhesive) my PC wouldn't boot.. no matter what I did. Thought I'd killed something. Left the power cord out over night and it booted in the morning. Stupid PC's!

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Sat May 17, 2003 7:28 am

epox's canbe tempremental :\

jamoore9 · Post by **jamoore9** » Tue May 20, 2003 7:42 am

I've just read, I think it was on Tom's Hardware, that Intel has designed each of their new northbridge chipsets, the 875 and 865 families, to dissipate no more than 10W, so that no Intel specs call for active cooling of the northbridge. For some reason a lot of MB manufacturers are putting fans on those NB's anyway, but they are totally unnecessary. Any heatsink should do just fine on one of those boards. Just FYI.

Athlon Powers · Post by **Athlon Powers** » Tue May 20, 2003 8:46 am

Boomerang Rapido wrote:
marc999 wrote: Conclusion: This ain't no SLK-900U !!
Ehhh I don't get it! What's your point?

That it's too small? That it won't give proper cooling? You tried it but it sucked? You wanted to try it but expect you'll need a 400+ grams chunk of copper to cool your nortbridge?....

I agree with rpc180 on this. I doubt you'll find a better fanless option than the zalman right now. I'm using it on my sinxp northbridge, and I had no problems whatsoever. It cools my NB just fine.

I agree with this post (sorry I forgot your name already

), you want to get a SLK900U to cool your processor AND another for your Northbridhhe?

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Tue May 20, 2003 2:11 pm

I think that comment was supposed to be a joke or that's how I took it.

Post by **MikeC** » Tue May 20, 2003 3:23 pm

If you really feel the need for something macho on the NB like the new Intel 875 boards, you could just pick up an elcheapo generic aluminum socket A/370 HSF and thermal epoxy it on. If there is enough room.

Here's a likely one from SVC for $2!

MGP · Post by **MGP** » Tue May 20, 2003 3:56 pm

mike,

what would be the best thermal epoxy to use for placing a heatsink over a northbridge?

Post by **MikeC** » Tue May 20, 2003 4:11 pm

Am no expert on thermal epoxy; I'd go with AS epoxy -- or whatever is available and cheap, I s'pose. If you're going to order a HS online, just get the epoxy at the same time from the same shop to save on shipping. Looks like that will cost you a lot more than a HS... In fact, just checking, at SVC, a Zalman NB HS kit complete with adhesives costs you $5 compared to $6.50 for the cheapest AS thermal adhesive alone. Mebbe the Z kit would do fine? Or get that + the $2 HS for $7?

I have to admit I am not one to spend gobs on this kind of stuff. For me if it works... On one of my P4 boards, I did replace a silly NB HS + tiny fan with a much chunkier 2-2.5" cube black anodized al HS. I think it must have been a Pentium Pro HS or something similar. I paid $3 for this and another kg or 2 of other HS in a junk box at a computer swap meet at a community center in Vancouver.

Better Zalman Northbridge Heatsink Alternative ?

Better Zalman Northbridge Heatsink Alternative ?

Re: Better Zalman Northbridge Heatsink Alternative ?

Re: Better Zalman Northbridge Heatsink Alternative ?

Re: Better Zalman Northbridge Heatsink Alternative ?