Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

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Zorander
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Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Zorander » Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:56 am

HI all,

I'm looking to upgrade to a socket 1150 (Haswell refresh) system. I am currently using the Megahalem with my current socket 1156 (Lynnfield) system and am wondering if I can re-use the cooler with the socket 1150 platform (i.e. are the mounting brackets compatible between the two platforms?).

Thanks in advance.

Abula
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Abula » Thu Aug 14, 2014 6:07 am

Intel 1155 (sandy bridge and ivy bridge) and 1150 (haswell) all have the same mounting holes, not sure on 1156 Lynnfield though, but most coolers i seen on specs have the three as compatible, but would be best to check with prolimatech, specially since there have been a lot of revisions, i have wrote to them on the past and responded.

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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by CA_Steve » Thu Aug 14, 2014 9:46 am

They are all the same mounting holes. Just different pin counts/pinout.

Zorander
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Zorander » Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:22 pm

Thanks for your confirmation!

Out of curiosity, would you say the Megahalem still performs well enough against modern air coolers (like the Noctua NH-U12S or Scythe Mugen 4)?

Thanks.

quest_for_silence
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by quest_for_silence » Thu Aug 14, 2014 11:23 pm

Zorander wrote:Out of curiosity, would you say the Megahalem still performs well enough against modern air coolers (like the Noctua NH-U12S or Scythe Mugen 4)?

I can't speak for the Mugen 4, but as the NH-U12S isn't such a great contender (cooling wise), I guess the Megahalem may outperform this latter with relative ease.

Broadly speaking, I'm fairly confident that the Megahalems is perfectly able to stand up against contemporary competition, depending of the specific fans you're using, obviously.

lodestar
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by lodestar » Fri Aug 15, 2014 1:37 am

quest_for_silence wrote:...depending of the specific fans you're using, obviously.
The main point about Haswell systems is that they run very cool under idle/low system load conditions. Partly this is because in these circumstances Haswell CPUs typically undervolt to around 0.7V and underclock to 800 Mhz. On the other hand under gaming stress Haswell processors can get very toasty very quickly. So in addition to a CPU PWM fan it might be worth considering fitting a PWM fan in the exhaust position, such as the Noctua NF-S12B Redux PWM to create a combined CPU/exhaust PWM fan chain. It is easier to do this with the Haswell boards that have a PWM CPU_OPT header. Using a CPU PWM fan such as the Noctua NF-F12 can allow CPU/exhaust fan speeds under idle in the 350 to 450 rpm range, dependent on ambient temperatures. Under load the Prolimatech should be a very capable cooler but in any case it can be left to the motherboard thermal control to take care of it. This can be easier in practice with PWM fans given their wider speed range. Doing this this might involve spending up to maybe another $50 Australian on the upgrade, depending on what fans you have at the moment but it would be worth considering.

Zorander
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Zorander » Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:01 am

Thanks for the info. I am using Noctua fans throughout my system (a 120mm mounted on the Megahalem and a 140mm mounted as exhaust on my case). I can't recall the model numbers other than the CPU fan is from circa. 2008 and unlikely to be PWM. The 140mm was bought about 2 years ago and is likely PWM. I'm ordering a new CPU fan to take advantage of PWM control.

My current mobo has no PWM headers though so I'm controlling them manually via Speedfan. How common are PWM headers are with today's mobo? If a fan header is marked as 4-pin, can I assume that's PWM-enabled?

Thanks.

lodestar
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by lodestar » Fri Aug 15, 2014 8:26 am

Zorander wrote:...How common are PWM headers are with today's mobo?
Universal as far as CPU fan headers are concerned. Some boards also have a second CPU_OPT PWM header which can run either a second CPU cooler fan or an exhaust PWM fan. A few boards have a second 3-pin CPU fan header. Chassis fan headers are a different matter, some motherboards have PWM only, some PWM and/or voltage, some voltage only. Downloading and checking the manual for the motherboard concerned should help clarify exactly what the situation is.
Zorander wrote:If a fan header is marked as 4-pin, can I assume that's PWM-enabled?
There was/is an issue with some Asus Z87 boards that had 4-pin chassis headers that would only run PWM fans under voltage control. Some of the Asus H97/Z97 boards have similar 4-pin chassis fan headers but apparently these will work correctly with PWM fans since there is a BIOS fan tuning option that can take account of either type.

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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Abula » Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:03 am

What motherboard are you considering for your upgrade toward 1150?

Zorander
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Zorander » Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:26 pm

Abula wrote:What motherboard are you considering for your upgrade toward 1150?
I am actually torn between these two options:
1. i5-4690K + Asus Z97-A
2. i7-4790K + Gigabyte H97-HD3/Asus Z97-Plus (stock speed, yes)

I'm aiming to overclock the CPU to around 4.3-4.5GHz mark. Option 1 will cause some hassle but at a slightly lower cost (around AUD$65) than option 2 (which in turn will work out of the box at my desired speed). I am actually quite confused how much power phases on each motherboards matter. For option 2 especially, I'm not sure whether or not it matters that I'm using a 4-phase motherboard versus one with 6 phases.

I appreciate some input on the choice of motherboards as this is one thing that I have been going over and over in my head without any resolution.

Cheers!

Abula
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Abula » Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:36 pm

I would go asus over gigabyte, it will be very simple to control the whatever fans you have as long as you understand how Asus designs their headers. Now between the choices you have, unless you do benefit from hyperthreding avoid the 4790K, on heavy load its hard to keep it under control. What i have seen is the none hyperthreaded CPUs usually load like 10C below, so at the end unless you really need the hyperthreading, its not worth it. That said if you do benefit go for it, its a very nice cpu, just runs hot.

quest_for_silence
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by quest_for_silence » Sat Aug 16, 2014 12:49 am

Abula wrote:Now between the choices you have, unless you do benefit from hyperthreding avoid the 4790K, on heavy load its hard to keep it under control.
Probably the OP already knows, anyway: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8227/devi ... i5-4690k/2

lodestar
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by lodestar » Sat Aug 16, 2014 2:24 pm

Zorander wrote:...I appreciate some input on the choice of motherboards as this is one thing that I have been going over and over in my head without any resolution.
The Asus H97/Z97 motherboards have the advantage that you can use Fan Xpert 2 or higher to manage case fans in a way that it not available currently with other manufacturers' boards. This only applies if Windows is being used of course. It might be worth considering the Asus Z97-PRO on the basis that it has the second CPU_OPT PWM fan header. This would give two CPU headers plus four chassis fan headers. With the Z97-PRO a combination of the BIOS fan tuning and Fan Xpert can be used to deploy either PWM or 3-pin fans. Looking at the Corsair 550D case, assuming that the side fan positions are not used, there are six possible fan positions - two front inlet 120mm, one bottom inlet 120/140mm, two top exhaust 120/140 mm and one rear exhaust 120/140mm. To give the maximum airflow for overclocking it might be a good idea to plan to fill all positions. The Z97-PRO would at least allow one motherboard fan header per fan position for almost all the chassis fans, as one would be taken by the CPU PWM fan. The CPU_OPT PWM header for example could be used with a PWM Y splitter cable to run two 120mm or 140mm fans, the prime position for this would probably be the top exhausts. The CPU_OPT on Asus boards simply runs with the same settings as the CPU header, it is not controllable separately. But each of the chassis fans could be individually configured.

If you decide to purchase additional fans the Noctua Redux NF-P14s and NF-P14R PWM fan for 140mm and the NF-S12B 1200 PWM 120mm are worth considering. PC Case Gear are now selling the Be Quiet 120mm and 140mm PWM Silent Wings 2 fans. These fans have the advantage of being black. The 120mm has a fairly wide range, about 350 to 1500 rpm with an Asus board. The 140mm has a top speed of 1000 rpm which might be a limiting factor, the Noctua Redux fans can run to 1200 or 1500 rpm depending on the model selected. The advantage of any of these fans is that you could expect idle speeds using the BIOS controls of around the 350 to 450 rpm range, and lower than that if Fan Xpert is used. Fan Xpert could also drop the speed of the 120mm 3-pin fans that came with the case and the 140mm fan from your previous setup, but maybe not as low.

Zorander
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Zorander » Sat Aug 16, 2014 5:59 pm

lodestar wrote:
Zorander wrote:...I appreciate some input on the choice of motherboards as this is one thing that I have been going over and over in my head without any resolution.
The Asus H97/Z97 motherboards have the advantage that you can use Fan Xpert 2 or higher to manage case fans in a way that it not available currently with other manufacturers' boards. This only applies if Windows is being used of course. It might be worth considering the Asus Z97-PRO on the basis that it has the second CPU_OPT PWM fan header. This would give two CPU headers plus four chassis fan headers. With the Z97-PRO a combination of the BIOS fan tuning and Fan Xpert can be used to deploy either PWM or 3-pin fans. Looking at the Corsair 550D case, assuming that the side fan positions are not used, there are six possible fan positions - two front inlet 120mm, one bottom inlet 120/140mm, two top exhaust 120/140 mm and one rear exhaust 120/140mm. To give the maximum airflow for overclocking it might be a good idea to plan to fill all positions. The Z97-PRO would at least allow one motherboard fan header per fan position for almost all the chassis fans, as one would be taken by the CPU PWM fan. The CPU_OPT PWM header for example could be used with a PWM Y splitter cable to run two 120mm or 140mm fans, the prime position for this would probably be the top exhausts. The CPU_OPT on Asus boards simply runs with the same settings as the CPU header, it is not controllable separately. But each of the chassis fans could be individually configured.
The Asus Z97-A is the most I'm willing to spend unfortunately. It costs a whopping AUD$195 here and Amazon just would not ship any motherboards to Australia so I'm stuck to buying locally. I am actually also considering the Z97-C (AUD$167) but I'm unsure if it's up to scratch for overclocking and the price difference is not that great.
lodestar wrote: If you decide to purchase additional fans the Noctua Redux NF-P14s and NF-P14R PWM fan for 140mm and the NF-S12B 1200 PWM 120mm are worth considering. PC Case Gear are now selling the Be Quiet 120mm and 140mm PWM Silent Wings 2 fans. These fans have the advantage of being black. The 120mm has a fairly wide range, about 350 to 1500 rpm with an Asus board. The 140mm has a top speed of 1000 rpm which might be a limiting factor, the Noctua Redux fans can run to 1200 or 1500 rpm depending on the model selected. The advantage of any of these fans is that you could expect idle speeds using the BIOS controls of around the 350 to 450 rpm range, and lower than that if Fan Xpert is used. Fan Xpert could also drop the speed of the 120mm 3-pin fans that came with the case and the 140mm fan from your previous setup, but maybe not as low.
Thanks for the recommendation. I am actually planning to get the NF-F12 PWM for CPU cooler. I think I'm currently using the NF-P14 FLX as a case exhaust fan and am honestly unsure if it should be replaced. Appreciate your thoughts on this.

By the way, thanks everyone for your input. I have decided to go with 4690K/Z97-A combo for reasons already outlined above.

Thanks.

lodestar
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by lodestar » Sat Aug 16, 2014 6:25 pm

Zorander wrote:I am actually planning to get the NF-F12 PWM for CPU cooler.
Good choice.
Zorander wrote:I think I'm currently using the NF-P14 FLX as a case exhaust fan and am honestly unsure if it should be replaced.
This is one of the fans that works very well with the Fan Xpert software, it should drop down to just over 200 rpm minimum with actual idle speeds probably somewhere around 250 to 350 rpm. At the same time it has a 1200 rpm top speed, so yes there is absolutely no need to replace it.

Zorander
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Re: Prolimatech Megahalem (moving from socket 1156 to 1150)

Post by Zorander » Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:20 am

lodestar wrote:
Zorander wrote:I am actually planning to get the NF-F12 PWM for CPU cooler.
Good choice.
Zorander wrote:I think I'm currently using the NF-P14 FLX as a case exhaust fan and am honestly unsure if it should be replaced.
This is one of the fans that works very well with the Fan Xpert software, it should drop down to just over 200 rpm minimum with actual idle speeds probably somewhere around 250 to 350 rpm. At the same time it has a 1200 rpm top speed, so yes there is absolutely no need to replace it.
Thanks. I have gone ahead and ordered the parts. This is quite a minimalistic upgrade, being the CPU and motherboard only. It's pretty exciting to be able to re-use so many of my current parts. :)

Cheers!

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