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Shall I replace my Stock HSF?

R

RandysWay

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Messages
1,595
During the winter my CPU Temps has never been a problem. Now since the summer heat has rolled around the corner, my cpu full load temp is on average 55 C with the highest recorded temp at 56 C. Idle it stays around 32 C. I'm running a slight overclock at 3.3GHZ and a VERY slight vcore bump. Full load temps are from using the Prime95 stress test and recorded using MBM 5.

So, I was thinking about replacing my Stock HSF with a Thermalright SP-94 heatsink and a SilenX 92mm fan which is 14 db @ 36 cfm. Since noise is a huge factor (I hate the whine which is coming from the stock HSF right now.) I'm veering torwards the SilenX fan mentioned above, not the Panaflo 92mm L1A/M1A as I originally planned.

What do you think this setup will get my temps down to at full load/idle?

Also, I have a Hardcano 9 which the temp probe doesnt fit with the stock HSF. I have it taped to the side of the heatsink right now, which of course doesnt have the correct temps at all. Will the temp probe fit with this setup?

My case fans is one in the rear, one in the front, and one on each side. Totals at 4 Fans + the CPU Fan.

Anybody have any other heatsink/fan suggestions?

Thanks in advance!



Randy
 
Anybody?


Edit: Or, should I go with a SLK948U rather than a SP-94 to save a buck? I been reading the reviews and it seems its only about 1 c higher, if that.
 
RandysWay said:
Anybody?


Edit: Or, should I go with a SLK948U rather than a SP-94 to save a buck? I been reading the reviews and it seems its only about 1 c higher, if that.
Click to expand...


Take a look at the Thermalright XP90.
 
I'll second the XP-90 as well, with a C/W of .13 you should be seeing load temps that are 13°C higher than your current case temp. Of course, the .13 C/W is with a good fan ... and the SilenX is not from what I've seen. I'd go with a 92mm Panaflo M1A or H1A b/c the noise from a 92mm fan is deeper than that of the 80mm's and the Panaflo fans aren't loud to begin with. The Panaflo's aren't the best fan that you can get, but if you want less noise rather than lower temps, they're one of the best for that.

Usually I recommend the Delta HHE, but it's out of stock. 72 cfm @ 43 dB. I have it on my slk-948 and I get load temps around 41°C at a case temp of 24°C.
 
The XP-90 is $38.99, which is actually cheaper than the SP-94... will the XP-90 cool better than the SP-94/SLK948U? If so, how much?

How would the Panaflo L1A/M1A do? 42.7 CFM @ 27 db, compared to a M1A, which is 48 CFM @ 30 db. Whats the difference between a L1A/M1A and L1B/M1B? Okay, heres a good question. What is the current CFM & DB on my current Intel 3.0C Stock HSF? Will 30 db be as loud as this one, with the annoying never ending whine to it?

Much appreciated.. Thanks!


Edit: Under the Compatibility it said it will fit an Intel 478 3.2Ghz and above. Will this fit my 3.0C? I'm also interested in the XP-120. If I can fit this sucker in there, I can get a 120mm Panaflo L1A which is 68.9CFM @ 30DBA or a M1A which is 86.5CFM @ 35.5DBA. Would you think a SP-94, XP-90 or a XP-120 would be better for me?
 
Yes, I do. I've been reading and many people says that the XP-120 aint as good.. it almost seems like the 120mm fans are louder due to pushing out more air.

Anybody know how a SP-94 vs XP-90 performs?
 
RandysWay said:
Yes, I do. I've been reading and many people says that the XP-120 aint as good.. it almost seems like the 120mm fans are louder due to pushing out more air.

Anybody know how a SP-94 vs XP-90 performs?
Click to expand...

the review on Overclockers places the XP90 ahead of the SP94 in terms of performance.
 
From what I've heard, 30 dB is pretty close to silent..... all you hear is the whoosh of air moving, not the usual high pitched whine if you have a high powered 80mm or a deep humm if you have a powerful 92mm.

Me, I've never had a fan that was below 43dB so I can't give a personal account of what it sounds like. My 43 dB Delta isn't that loud and a 13 dB drop is a large decrease in noise.... apprx. 4 times quieter ( if I remember right, you double the effective noise every 3 dB).

So I'd pick a 92mm Panaflo that has higher rpms than the others. CFM doesn't really matter that much.... pressure ratings are much more important when it comes to cooling your HS b/c you need a high pressure fan to push the air all the way to the base of the HS. Pressure is related to rpms, so finding a 92mm Panaflo that has relat. high rpms would mean that it pushes out more pressure than the slower fans.

If you're looking for a silent case, I'd stay around 30-35dB... after that you'll probably start hearing the fan more.


BTW, the rating that Thermalright gave saying that it fit processors over 3.2 gigs just means that it will cool a 3.2 gig processor with no problems. To see if it fits you have to click on the HS and then go to their mobo compatability charts.
 
mtb856 said:
From what I've heard, 30 dB is pretty close to silent..... all you hear is the whoosh of air moving, not the usual high pitched whine if you have a high powered 80mm or a deep humm if you have a powerful 92mm.

Me, I've never had a fan that was below 43dB so I can't give a personal account of what it sounds like. My 43 dB Delta isn't that loud and a 13 dB drop is a large decrease in noise.... apprx. 4 times quieter ( if I remember right, you double the effective noise every 3 dB).

So I'd pick a 92mm Panaflo that has higher rpms than the others. CFM doesn't really matter that much.... pressure ratings are much more important when it comes to cooling your HS b/c you need a high pressure fan to push the air all the way to the base of the HS. Pressure is related to rpms, so finding a 92mm Panaflo that has relat. high rpms would mean that it pushes out more pressure than the slower fans.

If you're looking for a silent case, I'd stay around 30-35dB... after that you'll probably start hearing the fan more.


BTW, the rating that Thermalright gave saying that it fit processors over 3.2 gigs just means that it will cool a 3.2 gig processor with no problems. To see if it fits you have to click on the HS and then go to their mobo compatability charts.
Click to expand...

Thank you both. I've been pretty confused but I think I pretty much got it. Delta is my CPU temp minus ambient temp, which is 55c - 25.5c = 29.5. I looked up my processor specs for the wattage. So, my current C/W is 29.5 / 82w would be 0.36 if it was this temp without an overclock. Last time I checked I think without the overclock dropped down about 5c. I can't remember exactly if this is the correct number, but doing the math would tell me my C/W is right around 0.30.

So, I understand the heatsink will cool the core by C/W x Watts + Ambient. My ambient temp is 25.5c, my cpu is 82 watts (when not overclocked), and a C/W of 0.30 would get me at a 50.1c core temp. Correct? Then, what makes a lower C/W? Is it simply; higher pressure going through the heatsink more effectively cools the core to a lower temp, the lower cpu temp lowers the delta, and then a lower delta makes a "Delta / CPU Watts" = Lower C/W?

As you can see I've been pretty confused :p So, basicly finding a higher rpm fan will cool the core more effectively, which will lower the C/W, ultimately lowering the CPU temp. So, after reading the reviews for the SP-94 and XP-90, it seems that the XP-90 cools a little better, not to mention a lower price. The XP-120 seems like it cools the exact same as the XP-90 but then I'll have the hassle of mounting that monster. What would you go with?

Again, correct me if I'm wrong on anything above. Thanks for your help.
 
RandysWay said:
Thank you both. I've been pretty confused but I think I pretty much got it. Delta is my CPU temp minus ambient temp, which is 55c - 25.5c = 29.5. I looked up my processor specs for the wattage. So, my current C/W is 29.5 / 82w would be 0.36 if it was this temp without an overclock. Last time I checked I think without the overclock dropped down about 5c. I can't remember exactly if this is the correct number, but doing the math would tell me my C/W is right around 0.30.

So, I understand the heatsink will cool the core by C/W x Watts + Ambient. My ambient temp is 25.5c, my cpu is 82 watts (when not overclocked), and a C/W of 0.30 would get me at a 50.1c core temp. Correct? Then, what makes a lower C/W? Is it simply; higher pressure going through the heatsink more effectively cools the core to a lower temp, the lower cpu temp lowers the delta, and then a lower delta makes a "Delta / CPU Watts" = Lower C/W?

As you can see I've been pretty confused :p So, basicly finding a higher rpm fan will cool the core more effectively, which will lower the C/W, ultimately lowering the CPU temp. So, after reading the reviews for the SP-94 and XP-90, it seems that the XP-90 cools a little better, not to mention a lower price. The XP-120 seems like it cools the exact same as the XP-90 but then I'll have the hassle of mounting that monster. What would you go with?

Again, correct me if I'm wrong on anything above. Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Like I stated earlier in the post, XP90. It's lighter, cools the same, if not better, than the SP94 and it costs less.
 
There are two formulas for C/W ratings.... one is

CPU Temp = (CPU Wattage Output)*C/W + Case Temp

the other is

CPU load temp - case temp

Guess which one I use :D The bottom one may be wrong, but the guy who told me was a senior member so I didn't argue. It's always worked for me when I'm using the overclockers.com rating chart though. My C/W rating is .16 according to them and at a case temp of 25°C my cpu load temp is 41-42°C.... so I generally accept the bottom formula to hold true.

To lower your C/W rating you have to do either of the following

1) Buy another freaking HS :D j/k

2) Like you said, a higher powered fan will make a difference

Do you want to know the secret to lowering your C/W though?

3) Lower your case temp

If you think about it, your load temp is set by your case temp + your C/W rating. If you make your case temp lower, your load temp will decrease. Lowering your case temp is also usually the mose inexpensive b/c you can do DIY mods to achieve lower temps.

For example

- Cleaning wiring ( route it, zip tie it)
- Cutting away metal fan grills to improve intake fan airflow
- Add a blow hole to the top of your case
- Side panel fans to move the hot air away from your NB/CPU and your graphics card.

All of these are inexpensive mods that will do wonders to your case temp... and that, my friend, will net you some seriously low temps, even if you can't afford a 60 dollar tower of copper.

Good Luck :)
 
mtb856, I sincerely appreciate your help. Something so simple as lowering the case temps didnt even strike me... duh! My wiring is pretty messy with wires hangin' all over the place. If I cleaned it up nice and tidy, how much do you think the case temp will drop? I already have a side fan and I dont have any grills. I'm really not in the mood to make a hole for a blowhole. :p

Right now, its 80 F in my room. Oh hell, its hot. I think its time to put on the AC. But, my PC is at idle and my case temp is currently at 35 c.
 
Your welcome :)

On to your questions..... your room temp is 27°C and your case temp is 35°C. That means that if you maximize your airflow and cooling you could theoretically get your case temp down to 27°C. Now, that's pretty close to impossible when you have an 80W cpu and a fast graphics card, so you can round that up to about 30°C as a possible case temp.

Now, this isn't exact... just a guess, but it does give you a temperature to shoot for. I would say that if you have quite a few fans, redoing your wiring so that it's behind the mobo tray or just out of the way would probably net you about 2-3°C off of your load temps, depending on how good of a job that you do. You've already done the mods that ned the biggest drop in temps, the side panel fans and removing the grills.... the only other mod that I can think of would to take your side panel fan if you have one that's placed over you cpu and do a direct duct from the side panel fan to your HSF. That won't lower your actual case temps, but it will in effect lower your C/W because the air going into the HS is room temperature.

This technique is used to cool the Prescotts down.... here's an article if you'd like some exact instructions about what I'm talking about. Cooling Mod

If you want an idea of what routing I've done... here's a pic of my case. Now, the wires that are sitting in the way of my fans could have been routed, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Notice the hole below my drive cage... I have three or four of those cut out to route cables through.
Case
Holes

Hope this helps a little :)
 
The ducting sounds cool, but I dont feel like doing it. :) I had a thought. I have the stock crappy thermaltake case fans all around - what if I replace these with all 80mm Panaflo M1A's? Think my temps will drop considerably?

Thanks again.
 
Anybody? :p

I'm leaving tomorrow at 5 AM to goto Sacramento but I'll be back around 7 PM.
 
mtb856 said:
From what I've heard, 30 dB is pretty close to silent..... all you hear is the whoosh of air moving, not the usual high pitched whine if you have a high powered 80mm or a deep humm if you have a powerful 92mm.

Me, I've never had a fan that was below 43dB so I can't give a personal account of what it sounds like. My 43 dB Delta isn't that loud and a 13 dB drop is a large decrease in noise.... apprx. 4 times quieter ( if I remember right, you double the effective noise every 3 dB).
Click to expand...
Actually, a faint whisper is 21 dB. You're right about the way it works tho, dB is a logarithmic scale so an increase of 21-30 is many times less than 30-40 and many many times less than 40-50, etc.

As for the HSF replacement... I'd go with a Zalman 7000A-Cu honestly, the way it's made and it's shape characteristics seem to make it cool better with lower noise fans than some other heatsinks out there... It's also relatively competitive at the mid-to-top end (noise/performance-wise), it includes a fan throtle.

Check out frostytech.com's results of it. the SLK-94, and the CoolerMaster Hyper 6. As for fans, yea, stock ones usually aren't the greatest but it'd be kinda hard to tell whether they push more or less air than some high quality Panaflos.
 
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