Random question regarding AM2+/AM3 heatsinks...

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gregnash

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Are they one in the same or do AM3 specific motherboards/cpus require a specific AM3 heatsink?

I plan to build a new system come the end of the year and will more than likely going with the ASUS Evo 785G mobo with an Athlon II X4 620 propus. I have always had the stock heatsinks that came with the systems but want to make the next computer as silent as possible. With that said I have and old Nikao Imperial Mid-Tower ATX case that I will have approximately 6" of room to work with for a heatsink. From what I have found this will probably limit me to 92mm tower style heatsinks.

What would be some other recommendations?
Purpose of the system will be midrange gaming, photo editing, dvd ripping, media center, etc.

Full system:

ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
$99.99

XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
$174.99

Antec TruePower New TP-550 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC
$119.95 -$20.00 Instant $99.95

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model ADX620WFGIBOX
$99.00

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333
$84.99

Subtotal: $558.92
 
Are they one in the same or do AM3 specific motherboards/cpus require a specific AM3 heatsink?
Click to expand...

They are the same.

BTW, I have 3 of those M4785TD-V EVO mobos here at work and I really like them. We had to pay $20 more from them from the "approved" vendor who is supposed to save us tens of thousands per year with our discount however...
 
I would suggest getting x3 720 as it better cpu for gaming and HIS or ASUS 5770. Currently the XFX version is overpriced.
 
lt_shiro said:
I would suggest getting x3 720 as it better cpu for gaming and HIS or ASUS 5770. Currently the XFX version is overpriced.
Click to expand...

The 720 being better is a bit debatable as TomsHardware did an article on how much real world difference that 6mb L3 cache really makes. It was negligable at best. I know that the XFX is overpriced but the Double Lifetime Warranty is worth the extra money to me, and really the different is about ~$20. Since the system really wont be doing a whole lot of gaming (that's what the 360 and Wii are for) I dont really see the need for getting a Triple-Core processor that can be unlocked to a quad core, but is not 100% guaranteed.

But back to the main question.... What are some good HSF with the specifications given in the first post?
 
You may not find the extra cache of the x3 720 useful in gameing, but in Photo editing, DVD ripping and Video editing, it will in fact make a noticeable difference.
 
Any AM2 or AM2+ compatible heatsink will also work with AM3 boards.

The thing to watch out for with any AMx socket is that it's rotated 90 degrees compared to Intel and AMD S939. This matters if you use an orientation-dependent rifle/barrel style heatsink that needs good airflow in the same direction as its fan blows. Some can not be oriented properly, meaning without a top exhaust fan they won't be as effective. They would also block the airflow to motherboard components behind the CPU socket, requiring the use of an auxiliary fan.
 
keep in mind most tower HSFs today will obstruct the DIMM slots closest to the CPU socket.
 
Some 92mm coolers for your consideration:

Xigmatek HDT-SD963, OCZ Vendetta (a clone of the Xigmatek), Coolermaster TX3. All 3 should be reasonably quiet and definitely better than the stock cooler. You can always adjust PWM parameters in the BIOS if you want to ramp down the fanspeed to suit your tastes but keep it within reason.
 
lt_shiro said:
Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is my current pick.
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+1

Thats what I have and its a great bang for your buck cooler!

I was going to go with the Athalon X4 620 but after doing research I ended up with the 720BE X3. I was able to unlock that 4th core and its stable, so I got lucky!
 
While the Hyper 212 is a nice heatsink it is unfortunately to large (shows ~160mm tall) when I have a max of about 140mm. Looking at the different systems, do you think a tower style would cool better than something that is a lay down, like the Gemini II?

So far leaning towards the Xigmatek HDT-SD963... Does anyone know how good, and quiet the fan is? Or would it be worth it to replace it with a good Yate Loon?
 
Replacing with a Yate-Loon will probably give you a smoother overall tone over a wider range of RPMs but you do lose the PWM function unless you buy a PWM Yate-Loon. The stock fan is fine under idle conditions. I am assuming that the sound characteristics of the 92mm fan are similar to the 120mm fan that came with my SI-1283. You will hear it under load but some moderate volume music will solve that problem :).
 
Well anything has to be better than my system now... The case sits on top of my desk and seriously sounds like a hairdryer... I have narrowed it down to a combination of drive noise, PSU fan and CPU fan....
 
Your PSU fan probably causes most of the "loud" noise while your CPU fan and drives are probably responsible for the annoying whine.
 
Zoogle said:
Your PSU fan probably causes most of the "loud" noise while your CPU fan and drives are probably responsible for the annoying whine.
Click to expand...

Yeah well I plan to start slowly upgrading towards the end of next month and will start with those items that I can swap out in my current system, ie PSU, HDD, looks like the Xigmatek HDT-SD963 will fit s939 processors so might get that... then when I get a chance do the full rebuild later..

Any ideas as to why the Antec New TP-550 is more expensive than the New TP-650??? Well right now the TP550 is $119 with a $20 rebate and the TP-650 is $109 with no rebate? Odd
 
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