Why not use the processor fan that comes with the processor?

[tmn313]

I've decided to try building a PC for the first time. I received my Pentium
4 2.6GHz processor today and it comes with its own fan. However, when I was
researching the various components to buy, a lot of the do-it-yourself sites
listed third party fans by the likes of Zalmann as a "recommended" item. Is
there any advantage to using a third-party fan vs the one with the
processor? I saw one of the Zalmann fans in a store and it seemed very
heavy - I'd be concerned with it sitting a vertically-mounted board in a
tower case and straining the board.

 

[zalzon]

i think its only if you are overclocking that you need more heat
protection and better fans. ... or if you live in a very hot climate..
or your room/office is an inferno

 

[Strontium]

The main difference you will notice is the NOISE of the stock fan on the
stock heatsink. If NOISE is not an issue, for you, then use the STOCK
hs/fan.


-
tmn313 stood up at show-n-tell, in
[email protected], and said:

 

[JAD]

Use the OEM cooler that came with it, don't fall for the hype....

 

[Sooky Grumper]

I've decided to try building a PC for the first time. I received my Pentium
4 2.6GHz processor today and it comes with its own fan. However, when I was
researching the various components to buy, a lot of the do-it-yourself sites
listed third party fans by the likes of Zalmann as a "recommended" item. Is
there any advantage to using a third-party fan vs the one with the
processor? I saw one of the Zalmann fans in a store and it seemed very
heavy - I'd be concerned with it sitting a vertically-mounted board in a
tower case and straining the board.

Some coolers that come with CPUs make a lot of noise from their fans.
Some are just as quiet than third party heat sink and fan (HSF) units.
This might be one reason to replace them, or usually just the fan with a
larger or quieter one. Another reason would be if you're overclocking
the system and require a better heat sink and fan to remove that extra
heat. If neither of these apply to you, use the one that came with the
chip. You also may have warranty issues if you use a third party unit
with a retail boxed CPU+HSF.

 

[jeffc]

I've decided to try building a PC for the first time. I received my Pentium
4 2.6GHz processor today and it comes with its own fan. However, when I was
researching the various components to buy, a lot of the do-it-yourself sites
listed third party fans by the likes of Zalmann as a "recommended" item. Is
there any advantage to using a third-party fan vs the one with the
processor? I saw one of the Zalmann fans in a store and it seemed very
heavy - I'd be concerned with it sitting a vertically-mounted board in a
tower case and straining the board.

Big copper heat sinks are heavy - the fans themselves I wouldn't worry
about. Anyway, you're probably fine with the stock fan. Generally, heat is
the enemy of electronic components, and they last longer if cooler. This
might or might not be a factor in the life of your CPU (probably not -
you're not going to be using it for 10 years, right?). But if you overclock
it, it will run hotter and probably do better with better cooling (not
overheat, be more stable.) And then there is just the "cool factor" of
high-tech heat sinks and fans, especially if you use a clear-sided case.

 

[DaveW]

The hobbyist fans like the Zalman are primarily for users who will be
overclocking their systems. They conduct heat away from the CPU more
efficiently.

 

[Sooky Grumper]

The hobbyist fans like the Zalman are primarily for users who will be
overclocking their systems. They conduct heat away from the CPU more
efficiently.

They look somewhat interesting through case windows, too.

 

[Robert]

I've decided to try building a PC for the first time. I received my Pentium
4 2.6GHz processor today and it comes with its own fan. However, when I was
researching the various components to buy, a lot of the do-it-yourself sites
listed third party fans by the likes of Zalmann as a "recommended" item. Is
there any advantage to using a third-party fan vs the one with the
processor? I saw one of the Zalmann fans in a store and it seemed very
heavy - I'd be concerned with it sitting a vertically-mounted board in a
tower case and straining the board.

You only need to be concerned about replacing cpu heatsink and fan if
you are considering reducing the noise your kit produces or possibly if
overclocking. Stock Intel hsf are perfectly adequate for cooling at
standard speeds and slight to moderate overclocking. They are, however,
somewhat noisy compared to a few of the aftermarket models from
manufacturers like Zalman. Those heatsinks that are made entirely from
copper can be very heavy - not really suitable for kit that is going to
be moved with the hsf in situ, but the aluminium/copper units such as
the Zalman 7000 Al/cu are considerably lighter and within or very near
to Intel's specifications for hsf weight. Whilst these units are
virtually silent at low speed and still produce cooling as effective as
a stock Intel hsf there is not much point in spending money on them
unless the rest of your kit is quiet or you are planning to join those
weird people - like me - who get bitten by the 'silent running' bug.