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Need low-clearance CPU cooler help.

F

fleggett

Gawd
Joined
Nov 30, 2004
Messages
546
Hi, all. I just purchased a Thermaltake Lanbox VF1000BWS to go along with a Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H and noticed a slight problem. Namely, that there's going to be very little clearance between the power supply and the CPU. Certainly not enough for something like a Tuniq Tower.

Can anyone recommend a good low-clearance AM2-based cooler for this setup? Should I just use the default retail cooler, since I won't be OC'ing this system? Thanks in advance!
 
Starholdest said:
You could use the stock cooler if you're not going to OC, temps shouldn't get too high.
Click to expand...
You should use the stock cooler, if you're not going to OC. No sense in spending money on something you don't need. With the stock cooler at stock speeds, there shouldn't be any need for fan speeds to ramp up.
 
Well, the problem with stock coolers is that, at least from my old socket-A experience days, they're damn-near impossible to get off once installed, whereas with an after-market cooler it's usually just a matter of unscrewing some bolts. Not that I plan on exchanging the CPU any time soon, but still.

I'm thinking of the Zalman CNPS8700, which looks like a decent low-clearance cooler. Although it looks like it uses a clip connector, too....
 
Really? The AMD ones always seemed easy to me. Since you'd be taking apart to take out the processor, you can stress test it in an open air bench. Warms up the paste (you're using paste, right?)/wax, flip the latch, twist and pull. Hope your processor doesn't come out.

Putting it on... that's a bit trickier.

Zalman's 7 series and the 8700, on the other hand, while mediocrely pricy:
A) Use a simple bolt through kit, and can easily be taken off (twisted too)
B) Are expensive
C) Use downfacing fans. (You're in a Lanbox)

*The XP120's all good and everything, but I'd be lying if I didn't say putting it on wasn't entirely painless. And it hurts. The heatsink. And no matter what socket you have, you'll be buying a retention bracket for it. Which uses PGA478 style loops for the XP120's hooks*
*Maybe the XP90 isn't as bad as the XP120, since its taller.*
 
Well, admittedly, I'm not familiar with the new batch of stock coolers. Newegg had a special on a black edition 5000+, which I picked up (overkill for an HTPC, but what the heck). They also had a combo deal on the 8700, which I went ahead and grabbed, too. If the stock cooler looks like it'll be relatively painless to install and remove, then I'll use it and sell the 8700 on ebay. I can't say I'm crazy about the 8700's bolt-through mounting solution, as, on paper, it seems a little flimsy (I much prefer the screwdowns).
 
Two armed bolt-through, isn't it? Spring loaded I believe.

I'd also like to smash your hopes of eBay'ing the 8700 into billions of pieces:
Black Box processors don't come with OEM heatsinks.

(That means I'm assuming you haven't received it yet)

(But you bought the Zalman anyways. It'll work)

(If you're interested in metal working, somebody modified their Lanbox to have the PSU over the PCI slots...)
 
I figured since there was a thread talking about heatsinks going on already, I might as well ask this here.

Since I'm going to be getting a TT LanBox myself and was wondering about HSF's as well. Does the Zalman 8700 actually fit in a LanBox? And I know someone mentioned the TR products, do either of those fit as well?
 
i too am worried about needing an aftermarket cpu cooler for my new build. since this is a thread about the lanbox, which i ordered i think its relevant. difference is im using a Q6600(not OC'd), not a dual core. im worried about the heat from it + the heat from a 8800gt in this small case.
 
Yeah, I haven't gotten the CPU or cooler yet. I'm also waiting for the hard drive and PSU.

Are you sure black edition CPUs don't come with a cooler? The box pictured on Newegg looks big enough to hold one. If it doesn't, that will be sorely disappointing.

I'm no good at metalworking, so I'm at the mercy of Thermaltake's PSU placement. I'm not too concerned about the heat. The 5000+ is a 65W part and the inside is surprisingly roomy. Plus, there're the supplemental fans that TT included with the Lanbox.

I'm actually more concerned about the software end of things. I'll be hooking this up to a TV that only has component inputs (which is why I bought the GA-MA69GM-S2H, since it comes with its own component adapter). I'm not quite sure K-Lite is gonna cut it. I'll also be using XP. I thought about Vista, but it seemed overkill.
 
Black Box: Very sure. Google it yourself.

i too am worried about needing an aftermarket cpu cooler for my new build. since this is a thread about the lanbox, which i ordered i think its relevant. difference is im using a Q6600(not OC'd), not a dual core. im worried about the heat from it + the heat from a 8800gt in this small case.
Click to expand...

Not that I have any experience with quad cores, but you should be fine with the stock cooler. You can flip the 60mms at the back if you want (they're exhaust by default).

Since I'm going to be getting a TT LanBox myself and was wondering about HSF's as well. Does the Zalman 8700 actually fit in a LanBox? And I know someone mentioned the TR products, do either of those fit as well?
Click to expand...

8700: It should. Can't be bigger than the XP120... could it? With its profile (taller, thinner, unlike the CNPS7700), it shouldn't have any problems with both the motherboard or the case. How tall is it?

TR: XP90/120's fit.

*Yeah, I have nothing better to do than watch every single Lanbox thread.*
 
is there any clearance issues using the XP120 and longer video cards? also do you have any pictures of the heat sink installed.
 
Clearance issues between the XP120 and long video cards?

Not even sure how that works. My X1950Pro is about 9.4" long (mATX boards being 9.6" wide), and the 8800GTS/GT should be the same length.

Clearance issues with the Lanbox between the XP120 and video cards?
9" cards fit fine (hard drive cage or not) in the Lanbox.
The fan clips on the XP120 will hit the back uh... flange? when pulling out the motherboard tray. Otherwise, it fits. The LGA775 retention module only fits on one way.

PSU/HSF clearance. Note: 38mm fans don't work. If you're having trouble seeing it, use the ... electronic components on the back of the video card to help you differentiate between objects.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/DeathseekerWR/E4300/DSC00538.jpg

DS2R+XP120. Heatpipes must face the back. The base is long, and hits the caps. I find it easier to install this way anyways, since the clips facing the RAM slots are fairly covered by the fins.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/DeathseekerWR/E4300/XP120/DSC00574.jpg
 
Well, I must say that, as nice as the Lanbox is, it doesn't make any allowances for boards whose SATA connectors are at a right angle (parallel to the motherboard). Fortunately I found a SATA cable supplier that sells 270 degree oriented cables, but that is still going to leave two connectors unusable.

The only alternative is to completely remove the bottom hard drive cage or dremel it in such a way that the cables and connectors can fit.

Why Gigabyte didn't use standard perpendicular SATA connectors is beyond me.
 
Well, the Lanbox is built. It did not go without some heartache. I will attempt to detail my problems here in case it helps others considering this SFF solution. These will not be in any particular order.

As Leman observed, the CPU did not come with a stock cooler, so it's fortunate I ordered the 8700. The 8700 did fit just fine underneath the PSU. As a plus, it did not require removing the stock CPU backplate and bracket, since it employs a bolt-through, clip-on mounting solution. Which was easier to get on that I anticipated. However, I dread the thought of having to remove it (which I have no intention of doing any time soon).

As I mentioned earlier, for some ungodly reason, Gigabyte chose to install parallel SATA connectors, which is VERY problematic for the Lanbox, as the hard drive cage bumps up against straight-edge cables. So much so that I found it impossible to fully insert the motherboard tray. Right now, my Lanbox is partially open because of this. I did receive the 270 degree cables, but haven't installed them yet.

The PSU I ordered was an admittedly monstrous Silverstone ST75F. I did this because I wanted ATX v2.2 compatibility and wanted to employ Silverstone's PP03 short-cable solution. The PSU fit...just barely. The cables themselves rammed-up against the top drive bay, making it virtually unusable. I would strongly advise a "short" modular PSU.

Memory in the first DIMM socket with the 8700 will also prove difficult if you have fancy sticks, like Dominators, as they will impact the 8700's fins. And you can rule memory fans out completely. You can install these in anything but the first DIMM socket, but Gigabyte recommends sockets 1 and 2 for a two-stick, dual-channel solution.

What else...oh, make sure the wires for the back two fans don't impact the CPU cooler. I turned on the box one time and found it making an odd noise and discovered one of the power leads had gotten intertwined with a fan fin, causing it to not spin. Fortunately, I noticed this immediately, so no harm was done to the CPU.

I initially had this hooked-up to a Sony 36XS955 TV via component and the POST screen was viewable. However, when I moved it to an older RCA TV, the POST screen wouldn't sync properly. XP looks fine, but if I ever have to change something in the BIOS, I'll have to move it back to the Sony. I don't really consider this a fault of the motherboard, but it is something to watch out for.

I initially tried to install the 1250 drivers from ATi's website, but it complained about not finding Net Framework 2.0. When I installed it NF 3.5 (which comes with 2.0), it still complained about not finding some module, so I gave up and installed the display driver on Gigabyte's homepage. I'm seeing a lot of redraw issues, though, so I might try installing the ATi driver again. I might even try Vista.

Now that everything is up and running, I'm extremely happy with both the video and audio output. This is the first motherboard I've owned where all 5.1 channels came through fine via SPDIF, probably due to the DTS Connect feature. I've experienced no stuttering from SD content nor any discernable audio lag.

Hope this helps some folks.
 
fleggett said:
As Leman observed, the CPU did not come with a stock cooler, so it's fortunate I ordered the 8700. The 8700 did fit just fine underneath the PSU. As a plus, it did not require removing the stock CPU backplate and bracket, since it employs a bolt-through, clip-on mounting solution. Which was easier to get on that I anticipated. However, I dread the thought of having to remove it (which I have no intention of doing any time soon).
Click to expand...
How's the temperature with the limited headroom?

As I mentioned earlier, for some ungodly reason, Gigabyte chose to install parallel SATA connectors, which is VERY problematic for the Lanbox, as the hard drive cage bumps up against straight-edge cables. So much so that I found it impossible to fully insert the motherboard tray. Right now, my Lanbox is partially open because of this. I did receive the 270 degree cables, but haven't installed them yet.
Click to expand...
Unless you have more than 1 hard drive, why don't you just remove the HDD cage? (Take out the screw, slide it out. The 'clips' serve as good zip tie anchors).

The PSU I ordered was an admittedly monstrous Silverstone ST75F. I did this because I wanted ATX v2.2 compatibility and wanted to employ Silverstone's PP03 short-cable solution.
Click to expand...
o.o
ST60F.
 
Leman said:
How's the temperature with the limited headroom?
Click to expand...
Well, I don't really know. I didn't install anything to check it under Windows. From the BIOS screen, though, it looked fine (around 45 for the CPU, from what I recall). I know that's only idle, but...

Unless you have more than 1 hard drive, why don't you just remove the HDD cage? (Take out the screw, slide it out. The 'clips' serve as good zip tie anchors).
Click to expand...
I SERIOUSLY considered it, but I hate "gutting" cases like that, so I tried to make it work. Of course, it didn't and I've kinda wound-up in a pinch. One of these days I'm going to install the 270 degree cables, but the machine is working and it was a pain to put together, so I'm not in a hurry to dismantle it.

o.o
ST60F.
Click to expand...
Yeah, yeah, I know - way overkill. I actually have a ST60F in my main rig and thought about swapping it, but I didn't want to rock the boat between two systems, since the main is running fine with the ST60F.
 
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