Re: AMD CPU cooler for SLIM line case?
- From: nospam@xxxxxxxxxx (Paul)
- Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:41:22 GMT
In article <44518707$0$4539$afc38c87@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Bazza"
<Bazza@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
THANKYOU Paul for your very helpful & comprehensive reply.
I share your concerns re: case ventilation ... relying just on the PSU
fans isn't a good thing. However, I did find a Intel webpage (can't
remember it right now) that showed the case passed Intel's cooling
test ... CAG or something like that.
I really like the small size, etc. of the AOpen case but it needs
additional case fans. Plus it only uses low profile PCI cards and
comes with a small/low power PSU (which is probably enough given the
limited expansion options). Although I want a small desktop case, I
would prefer, at least, a taller case that allows full height PCI
cards to be installed and a ATX PSU.
Therefore, I've decided to look at another case.
The ANTEC New Solution case ... NSK2400 looks better.
http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=3D92400
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/NSK2400_spe.html
Pics: http://www.antec.com/productImage.php?ProdID=3D92400&SetZone=3Den
It has 2x120mm side fans to expel the hot air from the motherboard
chamber, a ATX PSU, full height PCI cards, etc. The downside is it's
size .. I wouldn't want a desktop case any bigger, it's price .. more
expensive & it maybe harder to get one in Australia than the AOpen
case. One advantage, is that once the kids have finish with it, I
could reuse it as a HTPC (it's real intended purpure given the silver
front cover).
Paul, what CPU cooler would you use? I was thinking of still using
the NT03 or maybe the bigger NT02. My concern, is that the PC is
likely to be moved occasionally.
Finally, the ASUS mb comes with a PCIe-x16 & PCIe-x1 slots. PCIe
graphic cards need their own power connection, don't they? Do I need
to use a PSU that has a PCIe connector or is the v2.0 ATX PSU that
comes with the case OK?
Cheers
Barry...
There is a review of the NSK2400 here. It appears to be a
zoned design. I'm having trouble imagining which airflow
path is dominant, but with two 120mm fans, maybe you don't
care, as air will be flowing everywhere.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article591-page1.html
For heatsinks, I like to see:
1) Fan blowing down onto motherboard. This helps cool adjacent
components.
2) Large volume heatsink, large fan, that allows low RPM operation
for noise reduction.
3) Low profile, to reduce force arm for upright tower cases. I
don't particularly like "tower" style heatsinks, especially
the heavy ones. But if you had a super-hot processor, and
did not want to water cool it, some of the towers are
pretty impressive. Just be careful when moving a computer
case, that has a tower cooler fitted. One good bump may
cause problems due to the weight of the heatsink.
4) Screws rather than clips, for fasteners. This makes it easier
to install the product. Some clips are the devil to fit,
as you cannot get your fingers underneath the heatsink to
get at the clip. If you use a tool to install the clip,
if the tool slips off, it can damage the small components
on the motherboard.
Now, those requirements mean that the fit must be checked for
each motherboard you plan to use it with. That is a disadvantage,
if the heatsink manufacturer doesn't provide compatibility info.
If there are mechanical drawings, you can use Photoshop to
overlay the heatsink on a picture of the motherboard, to get
some idea of what bits will get in the way.
This XP-120, for example, meets the first three requirements,
but the clips are not a lot of fun to use:
http://media.hardwareanalysis.com/articles/large/11390.jpg
This Zalman product is pretty good. I use two of the 7000
series in two machines here, and no problems so far. They
use screws for fasteners. The fins are a bit of a nuisance,
as wires can get snagged in the fins. And the size of the
7000 and 7700, means they can bump into the power supply, or
prevent DIMMs from being added or removed when they are in
place.
If I needed a "tower", there is the Typhoon.
But, let's return to reality for a moment :-)
You are installing an Athlon64 3200+ with Cool N' Quiet
capability. You are running the thing at stock and not
overclocking. The product will run cool to start with. If
you buy the retail version of the processor, many people
find the retail cooler does the job with no problems, so
there isn't any reason to waste money on another cooler.
I still think, you should test the provided cooler
first, check temps in Asus probe, and it likely won't
be warmer than body temperature anyway. And the
NSK2400 case should only help with this.
If you test the box, by running Prime95 or CPUBurn, and
are unimpressed with the temperatures, you can always
retrofit an aftermarket cooler. But I wouldn't
waste your time and money, until that shows to be a
problem.
For home builders, cooling design is an adaptive
process. If your first idea runs too hot, you can
always fix it. All of this planning is just intended
to get as close to the right answer as possible, without
wasting too much money.
Don't forget to check the Southbridge once you've assembled
the system. If you cannot keep your finger on it, I'd
pick up a Northbridge cooler and fit it to the chip.
Use a bit of thermal paste between the cooler and chip
when you fit it.
Note that Biostar, put a cooler on their Southbridge...
http://www.biostar.com.tw/micro_t-series/tforce6100-939.htm
On my last two builds, I actually assembled everything first,
and booted into Windows, while all the components were sitting
on my table. That gives you easy access to everything. If
you wanted to check the Southbridge temps before final
assembly, it would save you the bother of having to pull
the motherboard, to fit the push-pins for the heatsink.
I rest the motherboard on top of a thick phonebook with
cardboard cover, and that provides support and insulation
while testing. (I run memtest86+ before booting to Windows,
to make sure the memory is working properly first.)
Paul
.
- References:
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- From: Bazza
- Re: AMD CPU cooler for SLIM line case?
- From: Paul
- Re: AMD CPU cooler for SLIM line case?
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