Quiet CPU cooling (for high-end CPUs)

[Hackworth]

I have an A8V Deluxe and recently installed an Athlon 64 X2 4800+. The stock
CPU cooler that ships with this CPU is big impressive thing with heatpipes.
The problem is that the fan on that thing sounds like a wind tunnel after
about five minutes when the system warms up to normal operating
temperatures, and it just about drives me crazy.

I once used a super-quiet/silent Nexus CPU cooler (the AOP-6400), but it's
only an option if the processor isn't anything higher than a single-core
Athlon 64 3800+, so I can't use it with my current setup.

I tried enabling Cool-n-Quiet, but it either doesn't seem to work at all or
causes other weird problems which I won't get into here. (And yes, I did
install the CnQ drivers, software, enabled in BIOS, set the "Minimal Power
Management" option in screen saver's Power options, etc.)

Finally, I tried the CPU Q-Fan Control setting in the BIOS, and that has
made a difference for the better. I set the CPU fan ratio to 11/16, and the
noise is *much* more tolerable (but still quite audible, of course). As one
would expect, however, the averge CPU temperature is about 12 percent higher
now (around 50-52 degrees C, up from about 45-46 degrees C), but at least I
can keep my sanity for a while longer. Still, I'd rather not throttle down
the CPU fan artificially if I can help it, and Q-Fan isn't the ideal
solution in any event.

I would like to know what other CPU heatsink/fan units others in this group
are using to cool their higher-end CPUs. (I don't want to mess with water
cooling right now.) I'm considering the Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU
(http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/64_cnps7000-alcu.html) because it
weighs only 445g, the price is right, and it's only ~20dB in Silent Mode,
but one can't always believe marketing hype. I would much rather hear about
the experiences of the techie users in this group.

 

[Mark A]

I have an A8V Deluxe and recently installed an Athlon 64 X2 4800+. The
stock CPU cooler that ships with this CPU is big impressive thing with
heatpipes. The problem is that the fan on that thing sounds like a wind
tunnel after about five minutes when the system warms up to normal
operating temperatures, and it just about drives me crazy.

I once used a super-quiet/silent Nexus CPU cooler (the AOP-6400), but it's
only an option if the processor isn't anything higher than a single-core
Athlon 64 3800+, so I can't use it with my current setup.

I tried enabling Cool-n-Quiet, but it either doesn't seem to work at all
or causes other weird problems which I won't get into here. (And yes, I
did install the CnQ drivers, software, enabled in BIOS, set the "Minimal
Power Management" option in screen saver's Power options, etc.)

Finally, I tried the CPU Q-Fan Control setting in the BIOS, and that has
made a difference for the better. I set the CPU fan ratio to 11/16, and
the noise is *much* more tolerable (but still quite audible, of course).
As one would expect, however, the averge CPU temperature is about 12
percent higher now (around 50-52 degrees C, up from about 45-46 degrees
C), but at least I can keep my sanity for a while longer. Still, I'd
rather not throttle down the CPU fan artificially if I can help it, and
Q-Fan isn't the ideal solution in any event.

I would like to know what other CPU heatsink/fan units others in this
group are using to cool their higher-end CPUs. (I don't want to mess with
water cooling right now.) I'm considering the Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU
(http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/64_cnps7000-alcu.html) because it
weighs only 445g, the price is right, and it's only ~20dB in Silent Mode,
but one can't always believe marketing hype. I would much rather hear
about the experiences of the techie users in this group.

I would recommend that you join the forum at this website, read/search
existing threads, and ask any remaining questions you still have in the
forum:
http://www.silentpcreview.com

 

[Bill Smith]

I use a "ThermalRight" XP120. It is compatible with AMD and Intel
platforms. It utilizes an 80mm or 120mm fan. I use a 120mm fan (with
blue led) and a speed control. My fan spins super slow, @ approximatly
1000rpm and the result is very efficiant cooling with next to no fan
noise. I do run overclocked and my temps are way below nominal and my
cpu fan will go to 2000rpm if I so desire it...
FYI

 

[Peter Finney]

I would like to know what other CPU heatsink/fan units others in this group
are using to cool their higher-end CPUs. (I don't want to mess with water
cooling right now.) I'm considering the Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU
(http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/64_cnps7000-alcu.html) because it
weighs only 445g, the price is right, and it's only ~20dB in Silent Mode,
but one can't always believe marketing hype. I would much rather hear about
the experiences of the techie users in this group.

I'm using the stock cooler that came with my retail Athlon-6 X2 4400+.
The system is in a Thermaltake Armor case. With room temperature
around 23C, the CPU is running around 32-34C (as measured by the
motherboard sensor) most of the time with the (4) case fans running
around 50% rpm.

The fan on the cooler is 'smart' and seems to control its rpm
sensibly. All motherboard and bios temperature controls are off. At
32C the fan rpm is reading 3276 (motherboard monitor - MBM), and is
quiet (to my 66 year-old ears).


Peter Finney
Liphook
Hampshire
England

 

[Gary]

I have an A8V Deluxe and recently installed an Athlon 64 X2 4800+. The
stock
CPU cooler that ships with this CPU is big impressive thing with
heatpipes.
The problem is that the fan on that thing sounds like a wind tunnel after
about five minutes when the system warms up to normal operating
temperatures, and it just about drives me crazy.

I once used a super-quiet/silent Nexus CPU cooler (the AOP-6400), but it's

only an option if the processor isn't anything higher than a single-core
Athlon 64 3800+, so I can't use it with my current setup.

I tried enabling Cool-n-Quiet, but it either doesn't seem to work at all
or
causes other weird problems which I won't get into here. (And yes, I did
install the CnQ drivers, software, enabled in BIOS, set the "Minimal Power

Management" option in screen saver's Power options, etc.)

Finally, I tried the CPU Q-Fan Control setting in the BIOS, and that has
made a difference for the better. I set the CPU fan ratio to 11/16, and
the
noise is *much* more tolerable (but still quite audible, of course). As
one
would expect, however, the averge CPU temperature is about 12 percent
higher
now (around 50-52 degrees C, up from about 45-46 degrees C), but at least
I
can keep my sanity for a while longer. Still, I'd rather not throttle down

the CPU fan artificially if I can help it, and Q-Fan isn't the ideal
solution in any event.

I would like to know what other CPU heatsink/fan units others in this
group
are using to cool their higher-end CPUs. (I don't want to mess with water
cooling right now.) I'm considering the Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU
(http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/64_cnps7000-alcu.html) because it
weighs only 445g, the price is right, and it's only ~20dB in Silent Mode,
but one can't always believe marketing hype. I would much rather hear
about
the experiences of the techie users in this group.

Thermalright XP-90 or XP120.

 

[stanmc]

I have an A8V Deluxe and recently installed an Athlon 64 X2 4800+. ---snip---
I would like to know what other CPU heatsink/fan units others in this group
are using to cool their higher-end CPUs. (I don't want to mess with water
cooling right now.) I'm considering the Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU
(http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/64_cnps7000-alcu.html) because it
weighs only 445g, the price is right, and it's only ~20dB in Silent Mode,
but one can't always believe marketing hype. I would much rather hear about
the experiences of the techie users in this group.

Thermalright SI-120 with 120x25mm Thermaltake fan running at 1700 rpm.
Very quiet. Could run slower and still do an adequate job, but AsRock
MoBo will not report fan speeds lower than 1500-1600. Very satisfied
with efficiency and quietness of this combo. There is a compatibility
chart for MoBo and Heatsink on Thermalright site.

 

[Rob Stow]

Thermalright SI-120 with 120x25mm Thermaltake fan running at 1700 rpm.
Very quiet. Could run slower and still do an adequate job, but AsRock
MoBo will not report fan speeds lower than 1500-1600. Very satisfied
with efficiency and quietness of this combo. There is a compatibility
chart for MoBo and Heatsink on Thermalright site.

While I was in Calgary for the holidays, I saw one box demoed at
a computer store using the CNPS9500 to cool an AthlonFX-57. With
that thing blowing the CPU-warmed air straight out of the case,
case air temps stay lower, which means not as much needs to be
blown over the fins of the CPU cooler, which means the fan can
spin slower. This cooler is good enough that it also lets you
throttle back the case fans, so it really makes for a quiet
system. Might be a lot different if your case doesn't have a
rear vent well positioned for you to "aim" the CPU exhaust at.

The store also demoed side-by-side an identical box except for
using a CNPS7700-ALCU. That box was /very/ quiet for an FX-57
system, but even with just a Mark I human ear you could still
tell that it was noisier than the box with the 9500 in it.

Both boxes had LED panels in one of the 5.25" drive bays to
report the fan speeds and the temps. The box with the 9500 had
the CPU fan *and* the two case fans spinning 2/3 as fast as the
fans in the other box, yet the CPU temp was only 1.5'C higher.

 

[milleron]

Thermalright SI-120 with 120x25mm Thermaltake fan running at 1700 rpm.
Very quiet. Could run slower and still do an adequate job, but AsRock
MoBo will not report fan speeds lower than 1500-1600. Very satisfied
with efficiency and quietness of this combo. There is a compatibility
chart for MoBo and Heatsink on Thermalright site.

I'm using the XP120 which I think is virtually the same as the SI120
aside from the length of the pipes (SI120 is elevated higher off the
CPU). I started with the Thermaltake fan running at about 1700 rpm. I
switched to a 120mm Panaflo, though, and at 700 rpm, it keeps the CPU
at the same temps as the Thermaltake did -- 29 - 36°. The Panaflo
"whoosh" is much more pleasant than the whine of other fans. I'd
recommend combining the SI120 with this fan. The 120mm Panaflo that
has a speed sensor is best but not widely available.

Ron

 

[John Lewis]

I'm using the XP120 which I think is virtually the same as the SI120
aside from the length of the pipes (SI120 is elevated higher off the
CPU). I started with the Thermaltake fan running at about 1700 rpm. I
switched to a 120mm Panaflo, though, and at 700 rpm, it keeps the CPU
at the same temps as the Thermaltake did -- 29 - 36°. The Panaflo
"whoosh" is much more pleasant than the whine of other fans. I'd
recommend combining the SI120 with this fan. The 120mm Panaflo that
has a speed sensor is best but not widely available.

Ron

Zalman CNPS9500, Fan speed set to 1500RPM, Very quiet.
Within the recommended maximum heat-sink weight limits.

X2 4400+ conservatively overclocked to 2.6GHz @1.5 vCore
on A8N32-SLI. (No MB fans.)

Rear case fan 120mm, set to 1500RPM.

Running dual instances of all 3 (min 8 hours each) default Prime 95
torture tests, both CPU cores 100% loaded. Zero errors.

Absolute maximum recorded CPU core temperature 47 degrees C.
Ambient 23 degrees C.

The Zalman 9500 is probably a degree or two more effective than the
CNPS7700Cu, however part of the magic here is the cool running of the
A8N32-SLI 8-phase power regulators which helps keep the ambient
temperature around and under the CPU in check.

Very pleased.

When compared to my nasty sweaty (often >60 degrees C)
3.2GHz single-core non-overclocked Prescott. Even my Zalman
7000 AlCu at full ~ 2500RPM speed cannot band-aid that turkey.

Far Cry with binoculars turned on (lots of FP operations): Prescott 63
degreesC core X2 4400+ (o/c) 45 degreesC core.

John Lewis

 

[Glen]

When compared to my nasty sweaty (often >60 degrees C)
3.2GHz single-core non-overclocked Prescott. Even my Zalman
7000 AlCu at full ~ 2500RPM speed cannot band-aid that turkey.

Far Cry with binoculars turned on (lots of FP operations): Prescott 63
degreesC core X2 4400+ (o/c) 45 degreesC core.

Running a 3GHz P4 Northwood HT at 3.75GHz, with a Zalman
CNPS9500 w/ fan at 1800RPM, idle/load temps are SYS+18/32C
(37/52C). The 9500 is a _lot_ more effective than my 7000Cu even
at full fan speed.

However the mounting procedure is a real bitch for this HSF. It's so
large that two screws just doesn't cut it -- getting it mounted without
twisting/sliding on the CPU is virtually impossible. They should have
stuck with usual retainer clips (i.e. four attachment points instead of
two), at least for Socket 478 installs.

 

[John Lewis]

Running a 3GHz P4 Northwood HT at 3.75GHz, with a Zalman
CNPS9500 w/ fan at 1800RPM, idle/load temps are SYS+18/32C
(37/52C).
at full fan speed.

Check it again with Far Cry after turning on binoculars in resolution
settings 1024x768 or above and with all graphical features on.
Have a fire extinguisher handy..... The CPU temp will jump
about 10 degrees C after the binocs are enabled; the GPU temp
barely moves. In fact, your overclock might fail. Far Cry in various
modes is an excellent stress-test for a single-core system. Also, you
definitely are not running a stable overclock if long-term
testing with Prime 95 does not result in ZERO errors. (overnight in
each of the 3 default modes, after checking that the P4 CPU temp
never exceeds 70 degrees C) Do not miss out this vital step. Erratic
crashes of various applications is the likely result.

John Lewis

 

[Glen]

Check it again with Far Cry after turning on binoculars in resolution
settings 1024x768 or above and with all graphical features on.
Have a fire extinguisher handy..... The CPU temp will jump
about 10 degrees C after the binocs are enabled; the GPU temp
barely moves. In fact, your overclock might fail. Far Cry in various
modes is an excellent stress-test for a single-core system. Also, you
definitely are not running a stable overclock if long-term
testing with Prime 95 does not result in ZERO errors. (overnight in
each of the 3 default modes, after checking that the P4 CPU temp
never exceeds 70 degrees C) Do not miss out this vital step. Erratic
crashes of various applications is the likely result.

When I say load, I mean load. I ran Far Cry in binocular mode
at 1280x1024 and all eye candy at max for 30 minutes and it
didn't bump my load temps any higher than the standard stress
test I use (3 x CPUBurn windows, 3DMark2001 and SiSandra
Burn-in all run concurrently). In fact I've never seen load temps
higher than 52.5C using anything I've thrown at the CNPS9500.

 

[John Lewis]

When I say load, I mean load. I ran Far Cry in binocular mode
at 1280x1024 and all eye candy at max for 30 minutes and it
didn't bump my load temps any higher than the standard stress
test I use (3 x CPUBurn windows, 3DMark2001 and SiSandra
Burn-in all run concurrently). In fact I've never seen load temps
higher than 52.5C using anything I've thrown at the CNPS9500.

Great. And zero errors on the 3 overnight Prime95 stress tests too ??

John Lewis