Hi,
I'm looking to get a cpu heatsink/fan that does a really good job of
cooling and is reasonably quiet (or able to be turned down using a fan
speed adjuster).
I was looking at the Zalman CNPS7000 series, but the A7V8X-X is not
listed as compatible.
I still have the 4 screw posts in there from a previous 60mm zalman
heatsink/fan setup. So maybe I could just use these posts and get it
to work?
There's also the Volcano12 I've read up on at newegg.com Seems like
it cools well, but I would have to take my computer completely apart
and take those screw posts off since this one is more of a clip-on
type of thing.
I don't have a recommendation for you, as it is a lot of work to
go around comparing all the options
HSF vary in performance from about 0.25C/W to 0.50C/W. A hot
processor kicks out 60W, so the delta above case air temp will
be 15C for the best devices, and 30C for the lesser ones. The
Zalman 7000 is the best one I know of right now, but as
you point out, it is listed as incompatible on the Zalman
web site. In a 30C room, with 37C case air, the processor would
be at 52C for the good HSF and 67C for the others.
So, what I'm suggesting, is don't compare them on whether
they have a blue LED on them, or fancy heat pipes, look at
the numbers. You want low dBs and a low thetaR. There will
be a tradeoff between the two.
Some basic rules of thumb. If the heatsink fits within the outline
of the processor socket, it pretty well will be a 0.50C/W
type device, no matter what speed the fan runs at. The better
HSF are oversized, and each one will require you to judge
whether there is clearance from the HSF to adjacent components
like power caps, the DIMMs, the Northbridge heatsink etc.
It is not going to be a lot of fun shopping for a good
one.
Secondly, the devices need some mechanism to do their job. If
the fin area is large, then a simple quiet laminar flow over
the fins does the job. As the heatsink gets smaller, the designer
relies on turbulence to get more cooling. Turbulence can add to
the noise made by the fan, by resisting the flow of air, and
providing a backpressure to air flow.
In this example, you can have a 20dBA 0.333C/W solution with
a Vantec fan, and a 34dBA 0.226C/W (damn good) solution with
a Delta fan. The 34dBA will be audible. The profile of the
HSF is pretty good, and doesn't extend too far from the socket.
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcx462-V.asp
For other suggestions, look for review articles comparing the
Zalman 7000 HSF or the MCX462, to some other HSF. You might
find some leads on good candidates that way.
You can find some inspiration here:
http://silentpcreview.com/section12.html
Good luck in your search,
Paul
