Any suggestions on low-weight, quiet HSF's?

I may skip a CPU HSF all together, just to keep from voiding the warranty on the CPU, but just in case, I thought I'd ask for advice. Note: I'm considering this for my first computer build, and although I do have a few techie friends who could probably convince me not to go out of my way to keep the computer running quiet, reason escapes to some degree here, so I'm researching this anyway.

First off, I'm considering this for an E8400 Wolfdale CPU on an Asus P5ND motherboard. A few requirements for the HSF:

1) It better not FALL OFF under any circumstance. I'm looking mainly at fans under 600 g in weight, but if that's not good enough, please let me know.

2) I don't have to saw off huge chunks of the northbridge heatsink to get the CPU fan to fit.

Currently, my top choice is a Zalman 9500A 92 mm. The weight is 530 grams, but that may not be good enough if the upright construction puts more torque on the motherboard anyway. It might not matter, depending on how the mass is distributed. I'm assuming that it won't be a problem.

After reading many customer complaints about issues with the mounts I'm having trouble seeing a good reason to by an aftermarket HSF, at least from Zalman. But the fans from Arctic Cooling look gigantic, and other companies don't seem as reputable, at least not in my mind.

The main reason I'm posting this is to see what options are out there for a person who isn't necessarily in to overclocking but is just looking for ways to get the computer running as quiet as possible, without compromising portability. Maybe I should just focus on case fans, but the loudest thing on the computer I'm using now, as far as I can tell, is the cpu fan, and that does concern me.

I saw on the other thread that people are recommending the Ultima 90.

Hard to pick that out on Newegg.

While that thread is regarding HSF options, it doesn't focus on my main issue, which is durability. I do intend to move the computer. I'll even have it packed up on a few long drives from home to college every year, and I have NO INTENTION to remove the heatsink fan during those trips. I'm not moving it 'til it's dead, probably. I'm serious. That thing better grow cobwebs before I'm done with it. It needs to perform better than the stock fan, too, and NOT create issues with mounting or keeping the motherboard in all ways unchanged and undamaged. So what would the members of the great Hard Forums community suggest?

I have the cnps9500, and it's definitely not going to fall off anytime soon.
It has a low center of gravity which helps.
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/refurbdoc
I got mines from him - It's basically brand new, with the original packaging, - sealed. I think these are the ones that just had a faulty fan replaced. Much cheaper than retail =)

I had an Ultima 90 for awhile before I water cooled. They are extremely light and a good option for any C2D. The 9500 should be sufficient to cool a C2D as well.

eagle_orion said:

I may skip a CPU HSF all together, just to keep from voiding the warranty on the CPU

Click to expand...

What do you mean? Just keep the cpu plain without any sort of cooling?! or do you mean stock hsf. Besides, installing any aftermarket cooler will not void the warranty on your cpu in any way possible. It's the OC'ing that'll get your warranty.

I didn't even see his first sentence..
If your processor fries, intel's not going to find out that you've overclocked it.
If you try running your pc without a hsf, chances are, it won't get to the bios without crashing.
a majority of the pcs' out there run out stock heatsinks - If you're not overclocking, the stock heatsink will suite you fine, though realize that an aftermarket will keep your cpu cooler, with less noise.

Good! But I really need to research warranties anyway more then just make temporary decisions based on passing comments I've read.

I meant using the stock HSF, not... nothing. Unlike some people, I don't like to live... dangerously... or turn my cpu into a new light source.

The Ultima 90 and Ultra 90 look nice. The exact weights aren't given though. Can someone give me something more specific than, "it's really light"?

They seem to just be heatsinks. What fans does anyone suggest?

Any low noise 90mm fan will be sufficient for a dual core on an Ultima 90.

You really don't have to worry about voiding your warranty... Removing the IHS or lapping the IHS are about the only things that will you cause you to lose your warranty.

Well like I've already indicated, I'm not that deep into this. So I guess I should have no problem not voiding the warranty. It would be nice if I could find that information in the actual warranty description, but with most of those, they don't seem to be as helpful as I'd like them to be. Most displays have coverage against all defects. But do they tell you that sixteen or less dead pixels isn't considered a defect? Not anywhere that I can find.

I can't seem to find the Ultima line of products on Newegg. Just the Ultra. There's a little more question as to the ease of setting the Thermalright products up too. I think I know more about what I'm getting into with a Zalman, so I'll probably stick with that.

Now I'm looking at VGA coolers, and again, the main purpose here is to provide silence. I'll be using them on one or two 9600gt's (like those even need extra cooling.) What would you suggest? I'm a little concerned about having to remove any casing or other material on the card. What is mainly required currently with these single-slot graphics cards? What currently do they provide in stock fans? I'm having a little more trouble getting a good grasp on gpu cooling than cpu, given the information I can find. Remember, this will be my first computer build, so my first-hand experience comes in somewhere at none.

Ultima 90, get it from SVC.com

The Zalman's aren't up to the job anymore.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. They seem to be more up to the job than they were in the past! Based on what I've read.

Alrighty then. I'll look at the Ultima 90 again, but I need to know if 12 cm fans will fit in my case (those may be too heavy, but if I exclude them based on a size factor, then I won't need to find out.) EDIT: Check that. Based on this review, it doesn't look like I'll be needing a 12 cm.

I'm considering the TJ03 case here. Yes I know. The ventilation is horrible. The front intake is so inadequate. Those crappy eight centimeter fans, who would dare, etc. etc. I've thought about this for a while and based on all the evidence I've come across up to this point, I think I can work with it. I don't like those cases with numerous intake points and no dust filtration, with huge opening along the top that are just begging for you to spill that coke can and ruin $1500 worth of hardware, and extensive grid metal that I just can't wait to figure out how on earth I'm gonna clean the dust out of. So far, this is the best case aesthetically that I've come across. The inside is simple and open, which is something I like. Plus, Falcon Northwest uses it, and I'm pretty sure those guys aren't idiots.

But back on point. The case depth, according to newegg, is 7.9". Do you think a 12 cm fan on the CPU heatsink could fit? That's less than a 5 inch diameter. I would hope so. EDIT: Again, nevermind. Mainly what I need to know is the weight on these 9.2 cm fans, as well as the noise levels in comparison to a cnps9500. I have more trust in the latter for keeping quieter than any 9.2 cm case fans, even Scythe, unless someone here knows differently. So Zalman is still my leading choice.


Still need to know about the vga cooling.

FYI, Basing your knowledge off of newegg reviews isn't the most accurate idea of what product you're going to be getting, which is why you come here to [H].


Anyways, why don't you check out some better cases with better cooling and airflow? There are many cases that fit what you're looking for with higher quality. The P180/182 seems to be good and also Lian-Li makes excellent cases, many of which seem to be exactly what you want.

Also, why is the weight of the HSF so important? It would be difficult for a properly mounted one to actually fall off or cause considerable warping of your mobo. Just a few things to consider. And based off of many other reviews, it can be said the Ultima 90 is what you're looking for.

If you just want some basic air-cooling, and not want to break the bank, I'd suggest with the AC Freezer 7 Pro ($24) or the Xigmatek HDT-S983 $25 ($15 after rebate).

Both are 92mm coolers, very lightweight, and perform better than stock cooling.

They are also very easy to install/remove incorporating the Intel Push-pin design.

Well, after further study, I'm not so confident about the Zalman 9.2 cm options as I was before. Keep in my mind, I'm NOT just basing my opinions off of Newegg, or this forum. I've looked around aplenty for information.

I don't quite understand how weight COULDN'T be an issue, even with proper mounting, since certain factory instructions specifically warn you to remove the fan before transportation to keep it from getting disconnected due to hard bumps and vibrations.

As far as money goes, I'm a little more lenient on what will ultimately be one of the least expensive components in the computer system no matter what you buy. But a $20 difference is still somewhat significant.

I don't like Antec's case quality, but if there was another case I was considering, it would almost certainly be a Lian-Li. Problem is, I don't like most of their looks. Then again, in comparison to most Silverstone cases, the Lian-Li's are definitely better looking, EXCEPT in the one instance of the TJ03, which is about the best-looking case I could find. A few of the Lian-Li's still match up, but they're either too big, or too small. Others that I was considering were Cooler Master cases. Of course, those are in complete contrast to the design I've already indicated that I prefer. You see, I'm kind of split between two widely different philosophies. I don't mind picking one or the other, just as long as I'm not stuck with something that tries to split the difference and doesn't do a good job of either. Cooler Master cases are good at the more modern philosophy, but they're not as top quality as either Lian-Li or Silverstone.

As far as I can tell, the TJ03 has JUST the right looks, JUST the right quality, JUST the right size, and uses the older philosophy of ventilation well. So that's where I stand now. (By the way, if I was basing this decision on Newegg customer reviews, I might not even consider this case.)

EDIT: Hmmm, those plastic screws on the Freezer 7 Pro don't exactly look durable. Anybody got any thoughts on this?\

EDIT... again: I noticed the Ultima 90 had these tiny metal clips to fasten the fans. Clips that also seemed kind of flimsy. Any comments on that?

Also, I'm mainly considering the VF900 for the VGA cooling. Any last words before the hammer falls? How do these things block PCI slots? Do they block PCI slots?

The "plastic screws" are the exact same spec that are are found on a stock intel HSF so I am not sure how those are suggested to be not durable.

I have never seen anyone have any problems with the fan clips. They are holding up a fan that weight very little.

Given by your choice of VGA cooling why are you buying such an outdated card yet spending money on all this aftermarket cooling?

As infect0 said, the pins are no worse or no better than intel's own pins on the OEM cooler. Truth be told, the Freezer & and the Xigmatek both weigh as much or LESS than the OEM cooler.

As for removing the fan before transporting, any bump that would have enough force to remove the fan would truly be the least of your worries.

Maybe you're thinking of another card. I'm referring to the GeForce 9 series. I'm pretty sure 2 or 3 weeks old isn't what you would call outdated. I originally didn't think I would need extra cooling on a single slot, $180 card anyway, but stock fans don't have a very good reputation with ANYTHING, video cards do seem to be known for noise. Considering the amount of noise that comes from the computer I'm using now, I do consider this top priority.

So maybe the plastic looking pins may not be a big deal. But if the Ultima 90's using metal, I'd say that's a definite plus. Although I'm not sure. Is it?

I actually had the VF900 for a time. If you're looking for quiet, that ain't it. Once it ramps up to into the higher RPMs, it's quite noisy.

I recommend the AC Accerlo S1. If you have decent case airflow, you can run it passive, but without knowing how your case airflow is, it's hard to say how it would perform passively. It's really a silent solution though. Using the S1 does take up an aditional slot though.

My mistake, I was under the impression the VF900 could only handle up to 7 series cards just by going with its age. As was stated before if you really care about noise and cooling get the AC Accerlo S1.

I think you are worrying too much about nothing mate. Plus IMO the hardest thing in this entire setup will be replacing the cooling solution for the video card.

For the record, if my replies in anyway seem aggravating, it's my normal protocol to contradict everything anyone suggests. That way, if my objections are refuted, and I ultimately have to relent, I know I'm making the right decision. So bear with me here. I am listening.

The main thing that concerns me right now is why all the opinions on these products are so inconsistent. One group of people believes that even under loads, while chugging out low temps, Zalman products are the most silently silent objects in the universe, and yet another group couldn't disagree more. But why??!! What am I missing here? This is an issue I'm trying to resolve not just for HSF's, but for other products as well. I thought I could get some closure with a little more advice here, but as it stands, my mind is closer to a meltdown now than it was yesterday. At this point. The thing I'm most compelled to do is win the lottery, BUY EVERYTHING, and decide for myself what works and what doesn't. Of course there might be a few technical difficulties with that stradegy, especially the lottery part, which is probably the only reason it appealed to me in the first place, but anyway...

I really can't see why I would spend, for instance, $2320 on all computer supplies necessary, when I could have gotten a quieter, more solid computer for $2380. Honestly.

Also, while we're busy shooting down all opinions I've put forth so far, I might as well bring another controversy to the deathmatch. Case fans: Scythe vs Silenx vs Enermax Enlobal.

Its all good to be honest. Here is my own opinion on my own experiences plus reviews/information I have read.

CPU HSF: Ultima-90 for the size/quality/performance/price (Look up Anandtech review for good review on it and performance chart of other HSF)

VGA: AC Accerlo S1 Going to have to wait a few days for the Rev 2 to get in stock at newegg and other retailers. IMO this will be your best cooling solution for an 8/9 series nvidia card. Depending on your case airflow you can run this fanless and have great preformance. Make sure you can fit it in your case though. For your worries on weight it is supposed to be very light and secure. I do not own one though so read up and make your own judgment. But for normal use do not worry about something like this falling off/breaking.

Case Fans: Nothing but your own personal experience. Everyone has their own opinion. The two highest performers I can think of are Scythe(Expensive) and YateLoon(Cheap). IMO buy a couple of each and see what you like the most. It never hurts to have extra fans anyway..the way I see it is they will be used eventually. If you go with YateLoons I would suggest buying them at Petras because other retailers have been known to carry fake YateLoons.

eagle_orion said:

.....

The main thing that concerns me right now is why all the opinions on these products are so inconsistent. One group of people believes that even under loads, while chugging out low temps, Zalman products are the most silently silent objects in the universe, and yet another group couldn't disagree more. But why??!! What am I missing here? ...

.

Click to expand...

Because it is ALL very subjective. I don't think any user/poster has ever used EVERY single product out there and compared them all. Once person's "quiet" is another "racket".

Plus, everyone has their favorites and Biases. I'll swear by Accelero S1, and the Kingwin RVT-12025. They work for me, fairly quiet, and lightweight.

Best thing to do, is look at the stats and causes.

Noises = moving parts & air movement.

Less noise = Less moving parts and less movement of air.

Quiet Fans = look at the dBA rating compared to RPM compared to Air-flow. A super-high rpm fan doesn't necesaily mean it's loud in and of itself. It's loud because what you are actually hearing the noise of air moving. A low rpm fan can be noisier than a high rpm fan if the lower rpm fan is moving more air somehow (blade design). Typically though, a larger fan can move as much air as a smaller fan and be quiter.

Usually you spend more money on low rpm/high cfm fans.

Silent = no fans. Trade off = warmer parts.

You have to balance noise vs air movement, and again, it's subjective. What you may consider quiet, we may think noisy, and vice versa.

Well, if matter turn for the worse, I can always just stick the mobo in the freezer. Problem solved.

By the way, how do I determine if the accels1 is compatible with the np5d motherboard? I'm sure it's easy to figure out if it will fit in the case before I buy it, but if a pci slot or something happens to get in the way on my particular mobo, then I'm stuck.

I bought the Zalman 9700 and noticed it to be a little big in my case. I will be ordering the 9500 beings its almost 2 cm less in height and tossing the 9700 in the wifes computer. From what I could tell The HSF seem to be well built and surprisingly enough seem fairly safe when I move my computer around. I wouldn't recommend shaking your computer vigorously or in a dropping motion. But my money would bet that it would be safe.

Ultima 90 is nice. I have one with a Scythe Kama 92mm PWM fan on it. Almost silent.

I have an Ultima-90 paired with a 120mm Yate Loon highspeed fan. Definitely quite and moves lots of air. My sig has my system specs.

Also note that a fan will fall off of any heatsink if it is not attached to the HS like most Zalman CP series are. If the fan is integrated into the heatsink, you're good. Also, most good HSF have backplates for support of the extra weight. Because it is applying pressure to the actual socket and using the backplate to distribute the force over a larger surface, most HSF should not have any problem traveling in a consumer vehicle. Anything with a noticeable smooth ride will also benefit.