Best heatsinks for Athlon XP

[yaugin]

I've tried a couple of lower-cost heatsinks including an AMD-
recommended model, and neither was able to keep the CPU cool -- it
idles at 50 on a cool day. The CPU is the 3200+, and I will chock this
up to AMD under-engineering to get their last hurrah out of that
series. But judging from what I've read about other 3200+ experiences,
it looks like I am going to need an overclocker-quality heatsink just
to run this thing at stock speed. Trouble is that they don't sell
Socket A heatsinks at Fry's anymore, except for utter garbage that
won't help me anyway. So I need to be really sure about the next one
that I buy (online) as returning it is going to be a headache. Anyone
have some solid bets here?

 

[Paul]

I've tried a couple of lower-cost heatsinks including an AMD-
recommended model, and neither was able to keep the CPU cool -- it
idles at 50 on a cool day. The CPU is the 3200+, and I will chock this
up to AMD under-engineering to get their last hurrah out of that
series. But judging from what I've read about other 3200+ experiences,
it looks like I am going to need an overclocker-quality heatsink just
to run this thing at stock speed. Trouble is that they don't sell
Socket A heatsinks at Fry's anymore, except for utter garbage that
won't help me anyway. So I need to be really sure about the next one
that I buy (online) as returning it is going to be a headache. Anyone
have some solid bets here?

I used one of these, and never saw 50C. Theta_R is 0.22C/W at full
fan speed (I run at full speed all the time with mine).
A 3200+ is 60.4W TDP. 0.22C/W * 60.4W is 13C. If the room is 25C,
and the computer case is 32C, then 32C + 13C = 45C.

CNPS7000A-AlCu
http://web.archive.org/web/20060309...an.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=54&code=005

Power numbers
http://web.archive.org/web/20031018050306/http://www.qdi.nl/support/CPUQDISocketA.htm

Check the compatibility tables, to see if your board is listed.

http://www.zalman.co.kr/product/cooler/7000(AB)_462MBlist_eng.htm

Note that, on S478 P4 boards, they worry about clearance between the
fins of the heatsink, and the power supply casing. You may want to check
how close your motherboard processor socket is, to the edge of the board,
to see if that might be an issue.

http://www.zalman.co.kr/product/cooler/7000(AB)_478MBlist_eng.htm

Price is $25, and there are some reviews you can read here.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16835118112

Things I liked:

1) Uses screws to fasten the cooler. You don't have to crank the
screw all the way down, if you don't want to. That gives a
bit of control over the pressure exerted by the heatsink.

Things I don't like:

1) You run into the fins a lot, while working inside the case.
I installed the heatsink while the motherboard was outside
the case, and then lowered it into place. You'll find that
any loose wires in the case, will have a tendency to snag
on the fins while you're working.

2) Collects dust.

The all copper version costs quite a few dollars more.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Jan Alter]

I used one of these, and never saw 50C. Theta_R is 0.22C/W at full
fan speed (I run at full speed all the time with mine).
A 3200+ is 60.4W TDP. 0.22C/W * 60.4W is 13C. If the room is 25C,
and the computer case is 32C, then 32C + 13C = 45C.

CNPS7000A-AlCu
http://web.archive.org/web/20060309...an.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=54&code=005

Power numbers
http://web.archive.org/web/20031018050306/http://www.qdi.nl/support/CPUQDISocketA.htm

Check the compatibility tables, to see if your board is listed.

http://www.zalman.co.kr/product/cooler/7000(AB)_462MBlist_eng.htm

Note that, on S478 P4 boards, they worry about clearance between the
fins of the heatsink, and the power supply casing. You may want to check
how close your motherboard processor socket is, to the edge of the board,
to see if that might be an issue.

http://www.zalman.co.kr/product/cooler/7000(AB)_478MBlist_eng.htm

Price is $25, and there are some reviews you can read here.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16835118112

Things I liked:

1) Uses screws to fasten the cooler. You don't have to crank the
screw all the way down, if you don't want to. That gives a
bit of control over the pressure exerted by the heatsink.

Things I don't like:

1) You run into the fins a lot, while working inside the case.
I installed the heatsink while the motherboard was outside
the case, and then lowered it into place. You'll find that
any loose wires in the case, will have a tendency to snag
on the fins while you're working.

2) Collects dust.

The all copper version costs quite a few dollars more.

HTH,
Paul

How do you know that the sensor on the mb is reporting the temp accurately?

I had the same attitude as yourself when I put together an Athlon 2700 on an
MSI mb a couple of years ago. The temp with the stock HSF was 62 degree C,
with no overclocking. I opened the side case and it dropped a couple of
degrees. I bought a Thermaltake HSF for another $30 and it dropped to 52
degrees. That was not what I had hoped, as it was still too high for my
confort level. At that point I rationalized that the thing was under
warranty for at least a couple of years and quite possibly the MSI mb was
reporting the temp wrong. After googling about MSI temp inconsistentcies
that potential was now very possibly true.
Well I've had the machine running for three years and it doesn't shut
down sporadically and runs great for eight hours a day. I'm aware that AMD
says one can run these things as high up as about 70 degrees C without
problems. So, if that's the case then the only reason to be fussing with it
( from my perspective) is if it presents a problem when trying to use it for
what it was intended.
If your intention is to overclock, as you suggested, and you're not
devoted to this particular cpu, as you mentioned, I would simply try
overclocking it and see how it goes. If it's stable then either the cpu can
handle it, the temp on the mb was wrong all along, or it's running hot and
still goes great, or it crashes and may or may not recover. If it does crash
and recover you know just how far you can push it and can decide if you
really want to spend more money on another HSF, which may help but not
possibly enough, and cause you further headache (or enjoyment for your
quest). And if it does burn up then you have gained the additional education
and experience and move onto the next frontier of cpu's.

 

[yaugin]

Check the compatibility tables, to see if your board is listed.

http://www.zalman.co.kr/product/cooler/7000(AB)_462MBlist_eng.htm

Unfortunately my mobo is listed as incompatible. Doh...

 

[Paul]

How do you know that the sensor on the mb is reporting the temp accurately?

You don't. I won't argue with that. Plenty of boards have trouble measuring
temperature.

I bought a heatsink, because my processor didn't come with one. I bought a
Mobile and ran it as a 3200+. The Mobiles come as OEM, in the little plastic
package with no cooler. So I picked up the 7000 as my cooler.

I had the same attitude as yourself when I put together an Athlon 2700 on an
MSI mb a couple of years ago. The temp with the stock HSF was 62 degree C,
with no overclocking. I opened the side case and it dropped a couple of
degrees. I bought a Thermaltake HSF for another $30 and it dropped to 52
degrees. That was not what I had hoped, as it was still too high for my
confort level. At that point I rationalized that the thing was under
warranty for at least a couple of years and quite possibly the MSI mb was
reporting the temp wrong. After googling about MSI temp inconsistentcies
that potential was now very possibly true.
Well I've had the machine running for three years and it doesn't shut
down sporadically and runs great for eight hours a day. I'm aware that AMD
says one can run these things as high up as about 70 degrees C without
problems. So, if that's the case then the only reason to be fussing with it
( from my perspective) is if it presents a problem when trying to use it for
what it was intended.
If your intention is to overclock, as you suggested, and you're not
devoted to this particular cpu, as you mentioned, I would simply try
overclocking it and see how it goes. If it's stable then either the cpu can
handle it, the temp on the mb was wrong all along, or it's running hot and
still goes great, or it crashes and may or may not recover. If it does crash
and recover you know just how far you can push it and can decide if you
really want to spend more money on another HSF, which may help but not
possibly enough, and cause you further headache (or enjoyment for your
quest). And if it does burn up then you have gained the additional education
and experience and move onto the next frontier of cpu's.

I think the overtemp on mine, might be set at 85C. But, stability wise,
you could have problems at a lower temperature. Try running Prime95 or
S&M, and see if it is still stable and error free. For long term temp,
people bat around 65C as a good upper limit.

A second reason for liking aftermarket coolers, is stress on the motherboard.
I hate the sound and sight of a stock cooler bending the board. I like
a cooler that fastens with screws, so you can strike a balance between
crushing pressure on the socket, and adequate pressure to keep the
heatsink sitting in the grease. I've had at least one Intel P4 heatsink,
where I couldn't close the cams, due to some kind of tolerance issue.

I also like to overengineer stuff. I've got a 110CFM fan on the back
of my case I had to turn it down, because it was too loud.

Paul

 

[yaugin]

How do you know that the sensor on the mb is reporting the temp accurately?

Honestly I don't, but absolute temp is not the concern anyway since...

Well I've had the machine running for three years and it doesn't shut
down sporadically and runs great for eight hours a day.

....mine does shut down, particularly when the FPU is being stressed.

 

[Jan Alter]

Honestly I don't, but absolute temp is not the concern anyway since...


...mine does shut down, particularly when the FPU is being stressed.

Learning that it does shut down sometimes, especially when stressed, adds
validity to a high temp. Just how much a different HSF is going to make,
especially if the cpu is not currently being overclocked, and there is
reasonable air flow through the case, is an unknown. As I mentioned before
with the Athlon 2700 I was using, the $30 Thermaltake brought the temp down
about 7 degrees C from the stock HSF, and not using Arctic Silver.