Looking for a low profile CPU heat sink.

[SMM]

Looking for a low profile CPU heat sink.

I am looking for a quiet, low profile (<80mm high), heat sink/fan for an I3-530 CPU. The Big Shuriken is low enough, but it is about 5mm too large on two adjacent sides. The Nexus Low is also too large on one side.

What would be the best heat sink, given the restrictions in size?

[ilovejedd]

Scythe Shuriken Rev B? 64mm tall and I think 10mm smaller on the sides compared to the Big Shuriken (uses 100mm fan instead of 120mm).

[SMM]

Thanks, I think that the Scythe Shuriken Rev B would fit.

Have you, or anyone else used it? Can you tell me how quiet is it, and how good it is at cooling?

[ilovejedd]

Don't really have any hard measurements but from subjective observation, noise characteristics seem similar to the Big Shuriken. Can't really comment on cooling performance since I'm using it to cool a different processor. For what it's worth, it's keeping the Pentium E6300 cool at 50C full load (IBT) - 20C less than the stock Intel HSF it replaced while still remaining fairly quiet.

[quest_for_silence]

Have you, or anyone else used it? Can you tell me how quiet is it, and how good it is at cooling?

I've replaced it with a Big Shuriken several months ago, just to find out that in my setups (both 45W AMDs, 4850E & 605E) they have roughly the same cooling power, with about the same noise level: *maybe* I've heard less cavitation (resonance noise) with the original Shuriken.

Also FrostyTech states it's a bit quieter at full speed (as expected: at similar speeds, the smaller is the fan, the quieter it should be), but I never run them at full speed (even under stress tests).

[SMM]

Thanks everyone. I shall use a Scythe Shuriken Rev B.

[Parappaman]

Arctic Cooling is coming with the new Freezer 11 LP, which will be more effective than the lackluster Shuriken.

[quest_for_silence]

Arctic Cooling is coming with the new Freezer 11 LP, which will be more effective than the lackluster Shuriken.

AFAIK it's a bit larger, more probably that not noisier, and definitely not utterly effective: Overclockers Online gives a maximum edge of just 9°C over the Silverstone NT07, and 6°C over the Intel stock cooler.

[Parappaman]

Actually, it's much thinner and exactly the same girth (105x116x64mm, vs 115x106x53mm), it also comes equipped with a better fan and better mounting system. Also, that review uses automatic fan speed, which is never a good thing when comparing multiple heatsinks, favoring high noise/high speed stock fans, and still they note that the AC is quieter than all of the competitors.
If it is any better than the Freezer 7 LP (which is/was a fantastic cooler given its size), that thing is going to destroy its direct competition.

[quest_for_silence]

Actually, it's much thinner and exactly the same girth (105x116x64mm, vs 115x106x53mm)

I stand corrected.

it also comes equipped with a better fanand better mounting system. Also, that review uses automatic fan speed, which is never a good thing when comparing multiple heatsinks, favoring high noise/high speed stock fans, and still they note that the AC is quieter than all of the competitors.

Please, don't kidding: have you ever hear the AC Freezer 11 LP? Or are you talking just on some "whitepaper"?

The AC fan cannot match the Scythe fan and by far: since now, no AC fan has ever be able, they are economical fans.
The 11LP has nothing revolutionary to contraddict the trend.

Your defence is pretty imaginative, even for a cooler which almost does not exist, even on AC website.

O2 says it is a decent but not an excellent performer at any speed, and I've quoted temperature readings: so any consideration on automatic modes, competitors (NT07, stock Intel alu cooler and the big AC Freezer 13) and noise isn't so shrewd.

Scythe's mountings on AMD have nothing wrong, period.
Even that horrible pushpins for Intels definitely work well, as despite them Scythe's cooler are always among the best for silencers (sometimes the best tout court): so that the plastic mounting of AC it is better, it is yet to be proven, at best.

And even if, more probably that not, it will be pointless: these are just examples, but on SPCR at low noise running the Scythe edges the size-comparable AC Alpine 7 Pro by 20°C, while it edges the size-comparable Freezer 64LP by 14°C and the already mentioned Freezer 7LP by 22°C/33°C on FrostyTech.

The AC Freezer 11LP on O2 edges NT07 and Intel stock respectively by 9°C and by 6°C: here on SPCR the Scythes edge them respectively by 22°C and 12°C (with 3dB less) at low noise levels, and by 20°C and 9°C at full speed.

As obvious we can't do any math playing with apples and pears: but it's a more educated guess to infer on those data than on your simple states.

If it is any better than the Freezer 7 LP (which is/was a fantastic cooler given its size), that thing is going to destroy its direct competition.

As already said, you're pretty imaginative: but that could not be enough, I guess.

[Parappaman]

Wow, I didn't mean to start such a fight!
That fan is the same used on the L2 Pro, TwinTurbo Pro and the various Freezer Xtreme revisions. It's a consistently quiet unit at the right speed, I tried it on the first two coolers I mentioned. It also uses a FD bearing which is better at handling high temperatures for long periods and at any orientation. They might be cheap, but they work well. If price would be a factor to judge a fan, then Noctuas should be considered the best ones available PERIOD, while the general consensus is they're "only" good fans.
AMD mountings are good on any cooler (after all, brackets and backplates are standard on any AMD motherboard, all they need to do is place a metal bar in the middle...), it's the dreaded Intel pushpin that can be a problem. The AC is better in this field.
The Scythe tested on SPCR is the Big Shuriken, which is a totally different beast: its advantage comes from its size and additional airflow. The Alpine 7 is a block of metal with no heatpipes that costs a third than that cooler, no wonder it underperforms. Finally, fan speed and noise do matter, and those reviews don't even consider them (or don't try to balance them among similar coolers) so they're pretty much pointless. I might be pretty imaginative, but the points and comparations you made are just wrong.
I don't work for AC nor I get anything if they sell an extra cooler, so let's just wait for a SPCR-level review, shall we?

[quest_for_silence]

Wow, I didn't mean to start such a fight!

No fight at all, don't worry: english is not our mother tongue, so it's difficult to render any hue.

That fan is the same used on the L2 Pro, TwinTurbo Pro and the various Freezer Xtreme revisions. It's a consistently quiet unit at the right speed, I tried it on the first two coolers I mentioned.

So at last we might say that while you can infer some predictions by personal past experiences on very different products, cross-comparisons between (for example) O2 and SPCR findings are not going to be trustworthy at all? It does not seem too much coherent to me.

it's the dreaded Intel pushpin that can be a problem. The AC is better in this field.

It has to be proven. While it is already a fact that, despite of their horrible pushpins (to say, I've modded a Kabuto to use it with a TR Bolt-thru kit), Scythe's heatsinks perform well above average on Intel platforms.

The Scythe tested on SPCR is the Big Shuriken, which is a totally different beast

Frostytech (and I) tested both Shuriken and Big Shuriken and (we can say) they are quite comparable, with pretty consistent performance and noise level. Apart of my subjective experience, FrostyTech give these quantitative results with Intel LGA:

Code: Select all

Scythe Shuriken at max fan speed:     31.4°C (150W load) 18.8°C (85W load) relevant noise level 38.2dBA
Scythe Big Shuriken at max fan speed: 34.6°C (150W load) 22.1°C (85W load) relevant noise level 39.6dBA
Scythe Shuriken at min fan speed:     46.8°C (150W load) 28.6°C (85W load) relevant noise level 31.9dBA
Scythe Big Shuriken at min fan speed: 48.6°C (150W load) 25.1°C (85W load) relevant noise level 34.6dBA

You've said:

If it is any better than the Freezer 7 LP (which is/was a fantastic cooler given its size), that thing is going to destroy its direct competition.

so let's give a look at FrostyTech's findings for that cooler:

Code: Select all

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 LP at max fan speed: 53.1°C (150W load) 31.2°C (85W load) relevant noise level 46.1dBA
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 LP at min fan speed: 79.5°C (150W load) 44.0°C (85W load) relevant noise level 34.4dBA

It doesn't seem such a fantastic cooler, at any fan speed or load level. I mean that the upcoming 11 LP (with reference to the above quoted "fantastic" performances) will have to be definitely a lot more than "any better" than its elder bro, if it has to destoy any competition, hasn't it?

But, apart the elder 7 LP you quoted, being the above mentioned Scythes quite comparable coolers (for FrostyTech and in my experience), I've quoted O2 and SPCR findings: with reference to the Silverstone NT-07, O2 found out the AC 11 LP edges it by 6-7°C at 12V, while SPCR found out the Big Shuriken edges the very same Silverstone NT-07 at 12V by ~20°C.
Now, it could be not quite exact comparing such different setups, but nevertheless by those data it's highly unlikely that the Freezer 11 LP could "destroy" the Big Shuriken competition (which is nearly identical to the Shuriken competition, for the above mentioned reasons). If "to destroy" has any precise meaning, of course.

The Alpine 7 is a block of metal with no heatpipes that costs a third than that cooler, no wonder it underperforms.

First of all, I guess it's not quite fair to restrict objections to the sole A7, as I've quoted also the 64LP and Freezer 7 LP, and as long as I quoted O2/SPCR results: thereafter, I've just wanted to try to outline a more whole picture, as today any head-to-head comparison lacks.

AC products may have great performance/price ratio, but more seldomly they are fantastic products.
Maybe the 11 LP will be such a fantastic cooler? Maybe (after all, we have yet to see how these coolers perform at modern low thermals, such as those of i3 and Athlon-e), but it has nothing revolutionary nor advanced in order to guess so.

the points and comparations you made are just wrong.

For what it's worth, up to now it's just your very arguable opinion and not a matter of fact.

Eventually, I agree we have not to hijack this thread: have a nice day, Anto'!

[Parappaman]

Yeah, I give up and beg for mercy.