Advice on a small but well performing AM3/AM2 cooler

[bozar]

I recently upgraded my main PC to a Phenom II X4 940 with a 790X motherboard. This leaves me with some old components consisting of a Phenom X4 9550 and a 780G based ATX motherboard by gigabyte, the DS3H: http://gigabyte.com/products/product-pa ... id=2800#ov.

The 3+1 phase power phase design pose a real problem for me in regards of upgrading. The early 780G motherboards are known to have problems with CPUs of high power-consumption so I won't risk it by buying a new CPU but I'll keep my old Phenom X4 to replace my very old Athlon 64 939.

The problem comes when cooling is concerned, I cooled the CPU just fine in my P182 with a Ninja 2 and a Slipstream fan, it maxed out at 40 degrees after an hour of prime95 but the northbridge got really toasty at 90 degrees and it got even worse in load during gaming. I've never experienced any stability issues but temps so high should be avoided if possible. I've looked around for a replacement cooler for the northbridge such as a Thermalright HR-05-IFX but the massive size of the Ninja 2 would not allow it.
Now I've donated the Ninja 2 for cooling my Phenom II so I'm after a brand new cooler but are there any tower/non-tower shaped coolers that do perform well with a quiet fan but also are small enough for me to use a high performance northbridge cooler?

[quest_for_silence]

I've got a very similar problem with an infamous MSI P7NGM (GeForce 9300 IGP).

I've used a Thermalright HR-05-IFX SLI to overcome some clearance issues with the CPU HS (a rather large Scythe Kabuto).

Cannot that HS (I mean the Thermalright HR-05-IFX SLI) work for you? With the bolt through kit, you can also safely rotate it to spot on the best combination with the CPU HS.

Take note that even a drop of a good thermal paste (like AS Ceramique, or the AS 5 I've used), instead of mobo's standard thermal pastes or pads, might help to spare some further °Cs.

However, you should measure how much space your HR-05 leaves free for CPU HS, as Ninja 2 doesn't seem that large ("only" 112mm), so we have at least to know how much millimeters you need.

Regards,
Luca

[bozar]

The HR05 SLI would be an option if it was available. In sweden it cost more than a Mugen 2 because of it's rareness, a regular HR-05 or a similar cooler from Noctua or Xigmatek is less than 20 $ so I'm aiming for that.

A HR-05-IFX is 20 mm across the fins, that leaves me about 20-25 mm space to the socket. Optimal would a tower-shaped cooler that do not exceed 10 mm in each direction of the socket. Is couldn't reach the northbridge cooler under my Ninja 2 before so i figure it's a matter of width.

Any ideas? Cooling capacity of a good 92 mm -fan tower-shaped cooler should be enough to keep it under 50 degrees I figure.

regards

[quest_for_silence]

Any ideas? Cooling capacity of a good 92 mm -fan tower-shaped cooler should be enough to keep it under 50 degrees I figure

Any 92mm fan tower would be at least about 95mm wide, 17mm less than the Ninja: if you've said that you need 25mm less or so about...

...for the HR-05 IFX SLI, give also a look at some USA shops like SidewinderPC.

Regards,
Luca

P.S.: there are also some HS which can be rotated, like the Noctua 9 (which could be too much costly).

[bozar]

Any ideas? Cooling capacity of a good 92 mm -fan tower-shaped cooler should be enough to keep it under 50 degrees I figure

Any 92mm fan tower would be at least about 95mm wide, 17mm less than the Ninja: if you've said that you need 25mm less or so about...

...for the HR-05 IFX SLI, give also a look at some USA shops like SidewinderPC.

Regards,
Luca

P.S.: there are also some HS which can be rotated, like the Noctua 9 (which could be too much costly).

The plastic mounting area around the socket is just over 100 mm so shouldn't I be alright with a cooler smaller than the mounting area? The Ninja 2 is 116 mm wide but that is to big for a standard HR-05 although I love it.

Rotating the cooler is definitively an option if I have to but Noctua is a bit expensive, than a HR-05-SLI is probably a better choice so that I can chose from a larger group of coolers.

I've also looked into this chipset cooler:
http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=20
It's much cheaper in Sweden compared to a HR05-SLI and the heatpipe is slightly bent so it should leave a little more clearance for the CPU cooler.

Thanks for the advice so far, have any ideas on this cooler:
http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=4 ?
it's only 92 mm wide so it should fit in.

[BlackWhizz]

A Xigmatek HDT-S1283 pointing towards the top of the motherboard. Hr05 on the Northbridge and a Scythe GT on the xigmatek.

GT's have a good backpressure so it will move some air through the HR-05 (and even more if you make a duct).

[bozar]

A Xigmatek HDT-S1283 pointing towards the top of the motherboard. Hr05 on the Northbridge and a Scythe GT on the xigmatek.

GT's have a good backpressure so it will move some air through the HR-05 (and even more if you make a duct).

As of now it will blow straight into the PSU of my chieftec case, I plan to inverse it and place PSU at bottom but until then I should avoid having a cooler mounted in that direction.

I realize now that a CPU-cooler from Xigmatek is probably not an option because all of these are mounted in wrong direction, although their chipset cooler might still be ok.

[bozar]

The two current coolers I've looked more into is Katana 3 and Samurai ZZ. Both are a smaller than my old Ninja 2, and the Samurai ZZ should fit without problems but it doesn't perform as well as tower shaped coolers.

[quest_for_silence]

Thanks for the advice so far, have any ideas on this cooler:
http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=4 ?
it's only 92 mm wide so it should fit in.

The 983 and 964 are better performers, and the latter has been tested on SPCR with good results.

Regards,
Luca

[quest_for_silence]

The two current coolers I've looked more into is Katana 3 and Samurai ZZ. Both are a smaller than my old Ninja 2, and the Samurai ZZ should fit without problems but it doesn't perform as well as tower shaped coolers.

IMO the Samurai isn't that bad, roughly about on par on 92mm fan tower: the slanted Katana on the contrary seems a touch louder than it.

Look also for a Mini Ninja (EOL).

Regards,
Luca

[bozar]

Thanks for the advice so far, have any ideas on this cooler:
http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=4 ?
it's only 92 mm wide so it should fit in.

The 983 and 964 are better performers, and the latter has been tested on SPCR with good results.

Regards,
Luca

They seem very nice but since I haven't had time to mod the case yet, I will avoid all coolers from Xigmatek because of the mounting.

Had totally forgotten about the mini ninja, comes with a awful fan but I have a couple of fans to spare so that shouldn't be a problem. The problem with a Ninja mini is the width, exactly the same as a normal ninja, which is the problem for me.

The Samurai ZZ seems to be the best option by now followed bu the Katana 3 and a fan swap.