Which HSF Do You Recommend (LGA775)?

L

Ladyhawk

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 5, 2005
Messages
244
I finally got around to some overclocking on my Conroe system, although I wonder if I'm tempting fate. Of the parts I bought for my upgrade over a year ago, my graphics card, hard drive and monitor all failed with no overclocking involved. I'm going to start a thread about this elsewhere because I wonder if quality and customer service are both going downhill. (If you weren't here for the fireworks party with Sapphire, just google "Sapphire Customer Service.")

Anyway, getting up to 3.0 GHz was a breeze for my E6600, but I think I'd like to try for 3.6 GHz. I just bought 4 gigs of DDR2-800 RAM. With a FSB of 400, the RAM wouldn't even be overclocked, so I think it's probably doable. However, I doubt the stock HSF will suffice. Even if it will, I want my CPUs to stay as cool as possible.

I'm looking at two models:

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail

Pros:
  • I probably wouldn't have to remove the motherboard to install it.
  • It's much less expensive.

Cons:

  • I don't know how well it cools compared to the Zalman.
  • I don't know how well it holds up.

and

ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail

Pros:

  • Excellent reputation for cooling

Cons:

  • I have to remove the motherboard to install it.
  • I'm not 100% sure it's compatible with my motherboard (ASUS P5W DH Deluxe)

Is anyone using this Zalman model with the ASUS P5W DH Deluxe?

Also, if you have a URL handy, could you direct me to gaming benchmarks of overclocked and non-overclocked Conroe systems? I want to see if real-world gains are worth overclocking my CPUs.

A quick question out of nowhere: I'm quite sure I disabled Speedstep in BIOS, but as I was watching CPU-Z the multiplier kept changing from 9 to 6 back to 9. What's up with that????
 
For the kind of money you'd be spending for that Zalman, you may as well get a Tuniq Tower instead. Cheaper, and much better cooling.
 
I'd recommend a Thermalright Ultra 120. I ran one on a p5w and it worked great.
 
If you've got the cash to spend, the ThermalRight Ultra 120 Extreme aka TRUE with a good 120mm fan would do you real good, given that you purchase a fan with good airflow at low noise. Ordered myself one just recently after reading so many review.

As for comparison of it cooling better than the zalman's, I'm certain the zalman 9700 will out due the AC 7 in cooling since copper is better at heat transfer and the zalman you posted is mostly copper.

delvryboy is right though, if you're on a budget, the AC Freezer 7 will still do you good. At the least, it'll be better than the stock HSF.
 
hyper tx2. it's cheap, and does a better than decent job of cooling the cpu. but that's me.
it depends really on what you want out of that little lump of strained silicon.
which cpu?
what is your ultimate goal for the cpu?
are there other constraints? (case size, noise, money)
what sort of cooling do you want to do? water, phase change or air?
i know the first 2 aren't technically hsf, but everything uses a sink and a fan SOMEWHERE.

the biggest is, find one that others have used with satisfactory results, that most closely matches YOUR rig. then go from there.
 
xigmatech 1283 or kingwin 12025 which are the same cooler but the latter has the fan attached when shipped.
they perform only several degrees warmer than the TRUE, but are much cheaper, around $30 when not on sale.
newegg has them both.

i have the kingwin and it is awesome, performs great
 
i have the zalman and i love it. dropped my temps alot. full metal mounting systems helps keep the heavy things where it should be. overclocking is awesome with it. its huge is kinda a drawback in some cases though
 
The Thermalright Ultima90 with 120mm Antec Tricool fan does pretty good. I have it on one of my Q6600s and it's running 60C full load at 3.51Ghz.

I also have a Tuniq Tower which I haven't been able to try out yet. I should have some results from that soon. I probably would have just gone with another Ultima90 but I was able to get the Tuniq for $40 which was less than the Ultima90 before getting a fan and I figured I would try something different. I'm not a big fan of how much it weighs even though it uses a backplate on the motherboard so I'll rig some ghetto extra support for it.

 
i'll say Zalman cuz i have the 9500 and i'm idling in the low 20c after i resit the hs. but if you're in a budget another vote for the AC.
 
I run a Hyper TX2 as recommended above on my setup, and it was fine after I lapped the base plate on it to be flat. I always find the cheaper heatsinks just don't have the best base plate finish, that must be a way to skimp some cost. The thing is very quiet, and manually setting it at full speed is the only way I hear it in my case, but most of these large fan heatsinks are very good on sound.
 
i recommend the thermalright ultra 120 extreme as it has done a great job to cool my overclocked q6600
 
I use a ThermalRight SI-128 w/ Panaflo 120mm, and would recommend it to anyone. Keeps my Q6600 @ 49c (max core temp) at 3.0. Never saw a temp over 60c when pushed to 3.4. I think www.svc.com still carries them, but not sure.

Budget, get the AC. Got money to blow? Get the Zalman or a ThermalRight. TR U120E can't be beat either.
 
Nirvana NV120 premium is the best HSF I have bought since my Thermalright for my P4.
 
Do any of the recommended HSF have fan speed controlled by the motherboard?
Also, is the zalman as quiet as the arctic (when arctic is not set to high)?

From what i've found, AF7 is cheap but effective, and the others (like zalman) are excellent and let you o/c far higher than that of the AF7
 
Thanks for the input, folks.

For the record, I'm running a Core 2 Duo E6600, which I bought over a year ago. I noticed the Quad Core running at 2.4 GHz (like E6600) is only about thirty bucks more than Core 2. Of course, quad cores didn't exist when I bought the Conroe. The chip I bought hasn't dropped dramatically in price, which says a lot about its quality. I've also read it overclocks very well.

I'll check out the other HSF models you mentioned, as well. I think I'm going to try for 3.6 GHz, although that might be too much. I don't know yet. :)
 
If you are looking for something a bit different, the GeminII cools fairly well and can be had for relatively cheap considering the size of it - its a behemoth alright (got one for $7AR). It now keeps my father's new AMD 6400+ from burning up with two 120mm fans. I also recommend checking out the Ultima-90 if you don't have much space in your case for a TRUE120. It can mount both 92mm and 120mm fans and has the same amount of heatpipes as the TRUE120. So, it's basically the little brother.

As far as the two you mentioned, I would personally lean towards the AC7 as I've heard really nothing but good things about it.
 
I have an AC7 Pro on my Q6600 B3. It keeps temps decent running at 3GHz. If I ever plan to go higher I'll need something like the Tuniq Tower. I'd try the AC7 first and see how it does, then move to something beefier if you need more cooling. Can't go wrong for the price.
 
I have the Zalman, I like it, it runs pretty well. But honestly, the thing is running at about 2800 RPM right now, and my CPU idles at around 35 C. I kind of don't feel to confident about my abilities to overclock with this cooler and if I ever plan on it I'll probably get a TRUE.
 
Hmmm...why can't I find the Ultra-120 on Thermaltake's site?

Also, all the sites I've checked are sold out.
 
I had a Hyper TX2 cooling my 3ghz 6320 and it worked great but, I just got a Xigmatek s1283 (from all the reviews I've read it either beats the TRUE or is within a degree or two) for my q6600 and it only cost me $30 shipped from newegg I also got a Thermalright Bolt-Thru kit in case the pushpin install doesn't work like I want it to.
 
Thermalright Ultima-90, hands down.

Best cooling for size performance than everything out there. Small heatsink, slap on a 120mm fan, and you'll have amazing temps.
 
What's better in terms of more quiet and efficient: CoolerMaster HyperTX II or Arctic 7 Pro?

Here are the temperature performance differences:
CPUCoolerResults.jpg
 
I've got a HyperTX on my Sempron, and it's a bit noisy. I'd rather go for the Arctic 7 which you can change fans on to get your preference of CFM vs. noise.
 
Wow the Zalman 9700 weighs in at 768grams, anyone had any problems with this much weight vertically?
 
i too was on a budget and went with the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro. OC'd my Q6600 GO to 3ghz and the cooler isn't breakin a sweat. Granted, I didn't want to put a lot of weight on my mobo though. Personally, I don't like the push pins that you are forced to use with the AC, but it's 1/4 the weight of a TRUE. If you're going to go with Thermalright, get the Ultima 90.

Right now compressing a Mpeg2 video in Sony Vegas and all cores max at about 35 degrees (been running for 1.5 hours)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top