Best CPU choice to avoid overheating in a small case.

[Kevin Lawton]

| Kevin Lawton wrote:
|| Looking for opinions on the best alternative.
|| I'm putting together a small 'workstation' for e-mail, internet and
|| word-processing use - nothing strenuous so I don't need tons of
|| power. The case I'm using is one of those 'mini' jobbies:- takes a
|| micro-ATX mobo, one floppy, one hard drive and a CD or DVD mounted
|| on its side. Airflow is by 60mm fans, one front and one rear.
|| PSU is rated at 200w.
|| I have two CPU/mobo combinations available - one's an Intel P-III
|| 733 MHz and the other an AMD Duron 1GHz.
|| I'm looking for reliability rather than out-and-out speed and was
|| wondering which CPU was least likely to encounter overheating
|| problems in the small case I'll be using. The other CPU/mobo will be
|| used in a bigger case at a different location., so nothing will go
|| to waste.
|| TIA,
|| Kevin.
|| P.S.: Sorry for the cross-posting - not too sure which NG would be
|| best to ask. ;-)
||
||
||
| Neither is worth buying.
|
| Both will run kind of slow.

Thanks, but maybe you slightly misunderstood.
I am buying nothing extra. I already have both the Pentium-III and the Duron
with their motherboards ready to mount in the system. The question was to
determine which would be the better option to build into the rather small PC
case I have available - which is a bit limited on cooling and PSU output (it
is too small to take a larger PSU or bigger fans). I would expect that
whichever option uses less power from the PSU will also produce less heat ?
Am a little bit worried by the 'run kinda slow' warning. The system will be
running Windows 2000 with all unnecessary services stopped and just used for
web browsing, email, word processing and photo editing / archiving. I would
have hoped that, provided I'm not playing the latest games or doing video
editing, almost a gigahertz of processing power would be ample - is this not
so ?
Cheers,
Kevin.

 

[David Maynard]

| Kevin Lawton wrote:
|| Looking for opinions on the best alternative.
|| I'm putting together a small 'workstation' for e-mail, internet and
|| word-processing use - nothing strenuous so I don't need tons of
|| power. The case I'm using is one of those 'mini' jobbies:- takes a
|| micro-ATX mobo, one floppy, one hard drive and a CD or DVD mounted
|| on its side. Airflow is by 60mm fans, one front and one rear.
|| PSU is rated at 200w.
|| I have two CPU/mobo combinations available - one's an Intel P-III
|| 733 MHz and the other an AMD Duron 1GHz.
|| I'm looking for reliability rather than out-and-out speed and was
|| wondering which CPU was least likely to encounter overheating
|| problems in the small case I'll be using. The other CPU/mobo will be
|| used in a bigger case at a different location., so nothing will go
|| to waste.
|| TIA,
|| Kevin.
|| P.S.: Sorry for the cross-posting - not too sure which NG would be
|| best to ask. ;-)
||
||
||
| Neither is worth buying.
|
| Both will run kind of slow.

Thanks, but maybe you slightly misunderstood.
I am buying nothing extra. I already have both the Pentium-III and the Duron
with their motherboards ready to mount in the system. The question was to
determine which would be the better option to build into the rather small PC
case I have available - which is a bit limited on cooling and PSU output (it
is too small to take a larger PSU or bigger fans). I would expect that
whichever option uses less power from the PSU will also produce less heat ?
Am a little bit worried by the 'run kinda slow' warning. The system will be
running Windows 2000 with all unnecessary services stopped and just used for
web browsing, email, word processing and photo editing / archiving. I would
have hoped that, provided I'm not playing the latest games or doing video
editing, almost a gigahertz of processing power would be ample - is this not
so ?
Cheers,
Kevin.

Yes, both are fine for the uses you described.

 

[Noozer]

Neither is worth buying.

Both will run kind of slow.

You can type faster than a 733Mhz P3? The machine is for WORD PROCESSING.

I'd go with the P3 if heat was the biggest issue.

 

[Last Boy Scout]

Yes, both are fine for the uses you described.

Via C3 Processors. Mini-ITX. I dont thing a PIII is much cooler than a
Athlon 64 Processor. It would be nice if Intel would make a Centrino
motherboard for M-ATX motherboards. I heard they are selling some
motherboards with a chipset they call Shelton in 2 countries in Asia
that is basically a PIII/Centrino system.

 

[kony]

Via C3 Processors. Mini-ITX. I dont thing a PIII is much cooler than a
Athlon 64 Processor.

Via C3 has horribly low performance. While many uses don't
require much CPU muscle, a C3 is just cutting it too close,
they're not much faster for typical uses than a Celeron 500.

A P3 is MUCH cooler than an A64. To give you an idea, I've
built P3 systems with only passive heatsinks, they can run
at less than 30W full load and less than 12W during typical
use in a system with ACPI/HALT-idle cooling working, which
it typically did on any contemporary motherboards.

If you wanted to really push a P3, say overvolting a
Tualatin to run it at 1.5GHz, then things change quite a
bit, it may not then be much if any cooler especially
considering that the A64 could be underclocked to provide
comparable performance, but generally speaking, a P3 was/is
one of the best compromises possible for typical, light-duty
usage.

It would be nice if Intel would make a Centrino
motherboard for M-ATX motherboards. I heard they are selling some
motherboards with a chipset they call Shelton in 2 countries in Asia
that is basically a PIII/Centrino system.

Yes, it would've been nice if they'd scrapped the P4 after
the Northwood too, but since they didn't it'd be a
premium-priced solution... remember that we're talking
about Intel.

 

[David Maynard]

Via C3 Processors. Mini-ITX.

Besides being slower than a dead dog in mud, he doesn't have one and
doesn't plan on buying anything.

I dont thing a PIII is much cooler than a
Athlon 64 Processor.

Anything consuming power can get 'hot' if you don't cool it but the issue
is how much power does it dissipate and his P-III 733 has a max thermal
design spec, under full load, of a whopping 19 watts vs 89 for an Athlon 64.

Needless to say, it's easier to get 19 watts out of a small case than it is
to get 89 watts out and I seriously doubt a pair of 60mm fans, one front
and one rear, could effectively handle much more.

Btw, a Model 7, 1.75 Vcore, 1 gig Duron is around 46 watts.

 

[Kevin Lawton]

| Last Boy Scout wrote:
|
|| David Maynard wrote:
||
||| Kevin Lawton wrote:
|||
||||| Kevin Lawton wrote:
|||||| Looking for opinions on the best alternative.
|||||| I'm putting together a small 'workstation' for e-mail, internet
|||||| and word-processing use - nothing strenuous so I don't need tons
|||||| of power. The case I'm using is one of those 'mini' jobbies:-
|||||| takes a micro-ATX mobo, one floppy, one hard drive and a CD or
|||||| DVD mounted on its side. Airflow is by 60mm fans, one front and
|||||| one rear.
|||||| PSU is rated at 200w.
|||||| I have two CPU/mobo combinations available - one's an Intel P-III
|||||| 733 MHz and the other an AMD Duron 1GHz.
|||||| I'm looking for reliability rather than out-and-out speed and was
|||||| wondering which CPU was least likely to encounter overheating
|||||| problems in the small case I'll be using. The other CPU/mobo
|||||| will be used in a bigger case at a different location., so
|||||| nothing will go to waste.
|||||| TIA,
|||||| Kevin.
|||||| P.S.: Sorry for the cross-posting - not too sure which NG would
|||||| be best to ask. ;-)
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||| Neither is worth buying.
|||||
||||| Both will run kind of slow.
||||
|||| Thanks, but maybe you slightly misunderstood.
|||| I am buying nothing extra. I already have both the Pentium-III and
|||| the Duron
|||| with their motherboards ready to mount in the system. The question
|||| was to
|||| determine which would be the better option to build into the rather
|||| small PC
|||| case I have available - which is a bit limited on cooling and PSU
|||| output (it
|||| is too small to take a larger PSU or bigger fans). I would expect
|||| that whichever option uses less power from the PSU will also
|||| produce less heat ?
|||| Am a little bit worried by the 'run kinda slow' warning. The system
|||| will be
|||| running Windows 2000 with all unnecessary services stopped and just
|||| used for
|||| web browsing, email, word processing and photo editing /
|||| archiving. I would
|||| have hoped that, provided I'm not playing the latest games or doing
|||| video
|||| editing, almost a gigahertz of processing power would be ample - is
|||| this not
|||| so ?
|||| Cheers,
|||| Kevin.
||||
||||
||||
|||
||| Yes, both are fine for the uses you described.
|||
|| Via C3 Processors. Mini-ITX.
|
| Besides being slower than a dead dog in mud, he doesn't have one and
| doesn't plan on buying anything.
|
|| I dont thing a PIII is much cooler than a
|| Athlon 64 Processor.
|
| Anything consuming power can get 'hot' if you don't cool it but the
| issue is how much power does it dissipate and his P-III 733 has a max
| thermal design spec, under full load, of a whopping 19 watts vs 89
| for an Athlon 64.
|
| Needless to say, it's easier to get 19 watts out of a small case than
| it is to get 89 watts out and I seriously doubt a pair of 60mm fans,
| one front and one rear, could effectively handle much more.
|
| Btw, a Model 7, 1.75 Vcore, 1 gig Duron is around 46 watts.

Thanks, David, your answer quantifies the situation nicely.
I'll use the 733 MHz P-III in this small case.
19 watts shouldn't be so difficult to handle and won't stress the PSU as
much either (it is a small one, only 200w). I understand that the Intel
chips are able to handle cooling problems more 'elegantly' than the AMD ones
as well (Toms hardware did a video clip illustrating this) - so it should be
quite safe in the small case.
I'll leave the 1 GHz Duron on one side untill a case turns up big enough to
take 80mm fans - and handle the 46 watts of heat.
Thanks again,
Kevin.

|| It would be nice if Intel would make a Centrino
|| motherboard for M-ATX motherboards. I heard they are selling some
|| motherboards with a chipset they call Shelton in 2 countries in Asia
|| that is basically a PIII/Centrino system.

 

[David Maynard]

| Last Boy Scout wrote:
|
|| David Maynard wrote:
||
||| Kevin Lawton wrote:
|||
||||| Kevin Lawton wrote:
|||||| Looking for opinions on the best alternative.
|||||| I'm putting together a small 'workstation' for e-mail, internet
|||||| and word-processing use - nothing strenuous so I don't need tons
|||||| of power. The case I'm using is one of those 'mini' jobbies:-
|||||| takes a micro-ATX mobo, one floppy, one hard drive and a CD or
|||||| DVD mounted on its side. Airflow is by 60mm fans, one front and
|||||| one rear.
|||||| PSU is rated at 200w.
|||||| I have two CPU/mobo combinations available - one's an Intel P-III
|||||| 733 MHz and the other an AMD Duron 1GHz.
|||||| I'm looking for reliability rather than out-and-out speed and was
|||||| wondering which CPU was least likely to encounter overheating
|||||| problems in the small case I'll be using. The other CPU/mobo
|||||| will be used in a bigger case at a different location., so
|||||| nothing will go to waste.
|||||| TIA,
|||||| Kevin.
|||||| P.S.: Sorry for the cross-posting - not too sure which NG would
|||||| be best to ask. ;-)
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||| Neither is worth buying.
|||||
||||| Both will run kind of slow.
||||
|||| Thanks, but maybe you slightly misunderstood.
|||| I am buying nothing extra. I already have both the Pentium-III and
|||| the Duron
|||| with their motherboards ready to mount in the system. The question
|||| was to
|||| determine which would be the better option to build into the rather
|||| small PC
|||| case I have available - which is a bit limited on cooling and PSU
|||| output (it
|||| is too small to take a larger PSU or bigger fans). I would expect
|||| that whichever option uses less power from the PSU will also
|||| produce less heat ?
|||| Am a little bit worried by the 'run kinda slow' warning. The system
|||| will be
|||| running Windows 2000 with all unnecessary services stopped and just
|||| used for
|||| web browsing, email, word processing and photo editing /
|||| archiving. I would
|||| have hoped that, provided I'm not playing the latest games or doing
|||| video
|||| editing, almost a gigahertz of processing power would be ample - is
|||| this not
|||| so ?
|||| Cheers,
|||| Kevin.
||||
||||
||||
|||
||| Yes, both are fine for the uses you described.
|||
|| Via C3 Processors. Mini-ITX.
|
| Besides being slower than a dead dog in mud, he doesn't have one and
| doesn't plan on buying anything.
|
|| I dont thing a PIII is much cooler than a
|| Athlon 64 Processor.
|
| Anything consuming power can get 'hot' if you don't cool it but the
| issue is how much power does it dissipate and his P-III 733 has a max
| thermal design spec, under full load, of a whopping 19 watts vs 89
| for an Athlon 64.
|
| Needless to say, it's easier to get 19 watts out of a small case than
| it is to get 89 watts out and I seriously doubt a pair of 60mm fans,
| one front and one rear, could effectively handle much more.
|
| Btw, a Model 7, 1.75 Vcore, 1 gig Duron is around 46 watts.

Thanks, David, your answer quantifies the situation nicely.
I'll use the 733 MHz P-III in this small case.
19 watts shouldn't be so difficult to handle and won't stress the PSU as

Amazing how we used to worry about getting a good enough heatsink for the
things. hehe Seems down right trivial compared to 89 watts, don't it?

much either (it is a small one, only 200w). I understand that the Intel
chips are able to handle cooling problems more 'elegantly' than the AMD ones
as well (Toms hardware did a video clip illustrating this) - so it should be
quite safe in the small case.

Yes. P-IIIs will 'lock up'. They do an internal shutdown (stops clock) if
internal temp goes over a preset threshold, not that I recommend 'testing'
that feature

I'll leave the 1 GHz Duron on one side untill a case turns up big enough to
take 80mm fans - and handle the 46 watts of heat.

Btw, the model 7 was the only Duron I had spec sheets for, off hand, and
I'm not sure what the consumption is on the later models (or even if it
changed). But it would still be more than the P-III.

Thanks again,
Kevin.

You're quite welcome.