Stock HSF For Core 2 Duo

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Viperman5000

Weaksauce
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Nov 26, 2006
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I ordered a new E6600 and I didn't have enough extra lying around to get an aftermarket HSF, so I am stuck using the stock one. I have read numerous reviews on NewEgg that the stock HSF falls off and/or just sucks.

So basically, will the stock HSF be fine to use until I can come up with some money?

Thanks in advance.
 
Everything I've read seems to indicate that the Stock HSF is actually pretty good. Obviously you can do better with an after-market model, but at stock speeds and moderate overclocking, the stock HSF should be fine. Intel employs some of the best engineers in the world, as evidenced by the performance of the C2D CPUs, do you really think they'd slouch on the HSF?
 
I have my e6600 running at 3ghz on the stock cooler. vcore of 1.3. I idle at 35c. orthos load at 50-55c. All temps being read by TAT. This is at max rpm.
Stock heatsink will be fine till you can afford a aftermark hsf.
 
I don't think I've broken 50*C with a stock cooler on my E6300.

-bZj
 
Since I went SFF I never installed the stock HSF but I've examined it and, for what it is, it seems pretty damn adequate. It is only when you start raising voltages that you should start thinking about a new cooling solution. As it is, I've gotten my E6600 to 3.0 ghz on stock voltage. You can get alot out of these C2D's before heat really starts becoming an issue. Upgrade it later if you want but you should be fine with the stock HSF for now.
 
How is the stock cooler on noise level? Is it quiet or would one be better off going for a Zalman etc. if noise would be an issue?
 
Yes, you could definitely find less noisy solutions. I have Freezer 7 Pro, and it's reasonably quiet, especially at lower speeds. On max. speed it's louder though, nothing much, but you can hear it.
 
One thing with that stock cooler, it takes quite a bit of force to install the push pins properly. do it outside of the case before you install the motherboard. Press the hell out of them till you hear a click and then CAREFULLY inspect the backside to make sure the all the pins have pushed thru and expanded the "wings". It really takes some effort to pop them all down properly. I set the board on the piece of foam (or thick cardboard, the kind with hollow baffles inside) on a flat table and push the hell out of them.
 
speculative said:
How is the stock cooler on noise level? Is it quiet or would one be better off going for a Zalman etc. if noise would be an issue?
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I never notice it. But thats because the 1900 xtx fan drowns out the cpu fan.
 
speculative said:
How is the stock cooler on noise level? Is it quiet or would one be better off going for a Zalman etc. if noise would be an issue?
Click to expand...

Pretty loud ;)

Tuniq tower > any zalman.
 
Minor Hijack/Off-Topic remark: I don't understand this newfound obsession with noise. Does everyone but me work in a sound studio with their PC's in the booth with them? Why are people being so pendantic all of a sudden about 25 vs 19dB? it makes no sense to me. So what if the thing makes whirring and buzzing noises? Do you get spooked by the sound of your PC running while playing dark and scary games or something? Granted I can understand not wanting a something that sounds like a hairdryer running all the time...but sheesh. This silent PC fad just seems to be marketing hype to me.
 
The stock fan is insanely loud, so much so I cant use it in any of my systems because it drives me insane. There are those who can put up with noise alot better than others though and would consider it ok, but when it gets above 3k rpm's it really annoys me. Its cooling capability for stock is superb, but thats all its designed for. It isnt too good when you start OC'ing compared to other solutions.
 
liveload said:
Minor Hijack/Off-Topic remark: I don't understand this newfound obsession with noise. Does everyone but me work in a sound studio with their PC's in the booth with them? Why are people being so pendantic all of a sudden about 25 vs 19dB? it makes no sense to me. So what if the thing makes whirring and buzzing noises? Do you get spooked by the sound of your PC running while playing dark and scary games or something? Granted I can understand not wanting a something that sounds like a hairdryer running all the time...but sheesh. This silent PC fad just seems to be marketing hype to me.
Click to expand...

I've been overclocking PCs for ten years now, and as CPUs (and GPUs) have gotten more powerful, the need to cool them has increased dramatically. Water cooling is becoming more mainstream, and there are other more exotic options such as phase change, but for the vast majority of people the cooling method of choice (primarily due to low cost and ease of use) is simply adding more, bigger, faster fans. That means, in general, louder PCs. I'm not trying to achieve a silent PC, I'm just trying to reduce the noise level back down to a reasonable roar. My P4E (Prescott) 3.4GHz was so loud that I could hear it running in my office from 30 feet away in my kitchen.

I now have what I feel is a very quiet PC, mostly because I went with larger fans that can spin slower and therefore quieter. It makes for a much nicer environment, and I'm sure it will help prevent me from going deaf too ;)
 
:D :D

Unfortunately for me, there's a heater/air conditioner unit that runs most of the time in my studio; so anything I do to reduce PC noise is generally drowned out by the white noise anyway. When it's off, the 8800GTS is the only thing I can hear currently. (using an antec superlanboy case)

Anyway, back on topic: Since I'm going to be upgrading to a C2D soon, I was also interested in the stock HSF, good to hear that it's decent. Good thread!
 
There are actually (at least) two versions of the Intel stock HSF for the LGA775 processors. The first one I used was an all aluminum design, and came with a celeron processor I bought for 30 something bux to hold me over until the C2D procs came out.

When I looked at the C2D HSF, I noticed that they use a copper core, but aluminum fins. This is probably an optimized design based on Price/weight/performance.

My E6400 running one instance of F@H "idles" at 36°C with the stock cooler, and is OC'd to 2.4ghz (mobo limitiation).

I'd say the stock HSF is excellent. The previous poster that mentioned installing it onto the mobo outside the case knows what he's talking about, but I'd take it one step further. Set up something to rigidly react with the force of pushing the pins in- if the backup is too flexible, the whole board will end up flexing under the load. I have an (admittedly unsubstantiated) suspicion that this flexing kills quite a few motherboards.
 
I think some of the confusion is from motherboard manufacturers. The manual for my 965 Neo says to turn the pins to lock them. However, my stock cooler comes with the pins in the lock position. It only tells you to turn them in order to remove the cooler. Thus, some people are probably installing their coolers, then unknowingly unlocking the pins due to these false instructions, hence the reviews of them 'falling off'
 
The clipping mechanism takes a little observation and trail in order to install it correctly. Lots of people rush it, and install it with the MB inside the case, in this case usually the HSF is installed incorrectly and will fall off.

When installed correctly you cannot move the unit much AT ALL, and it is VERY secure, the pins CANNOT be loosened by hand.
 
Viperman5000 said:
I ordered a new E6600 and I didn't have enough extra lying around to get an aftermarket HSF, so I am stuck using the stock one. I have read numerous reviews on NewEgg that the stock HSF falls off and/or just sucks.

So basically, will the stock HSF be fine to use until I can come up with some money?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

The Stock HSF gets a overly bad rap, and my honest opinion is fine up to about 3gig and is quiet as it only spins at a max of about 2200RPM.

At 3.3 gig the temps are a tad hot (often 70-75C core temp in TAT and maybe 65 in the heaviest games) although still not dangerously to C2D which has a Tjucntion of 85C when you start to do damage..

The clipping mechanism does suck donkey balls a bit, but if you have a good look at how each clip works before you install it and do it carefully it is fine. If it falls off you screwed up.

I
 
Sorry to bring up an old subject but I too had issues (scared) pushing the pins in for the stock HSF. I was doing this *outside* of the case. How on earth can you push the pins down if the board isn't slightly levitated? - this makes no sense to me :) If you had the mobo placed on something soft like polystyrene which would disfigure as it was pressured then maybe.. I decided to screw my mobo in propertly into my case and then do it, was a struggle but it worked..
 
I got 2 of the copper cores ones with my E4300s. They work fine. One E4300 is at 3.1GHz and the other is at 2.7GHz in my HTPC (slim SFF case, i wouldn't push it further anyways).
 
With my E6750, I installed the HSF with not quite understanding the direction of the pins and how they should be set when installing it. Then I installed my E2160 HSF, and did it correctly, so I had to go back and redo the other one. Since my mobo was already installed, I just loosened the pins turned them the right way and pushed them down. I was lucky the thing didn't fall off.
 
I just finish building my first PC last night using E6750 & Abit IP35-E mobo and had a difficult time installing the stock heatsink.
Two of the pins did lock in correctly but the other two kept popping out.
But they finaly got in (or at least I hope so)
 
I can't stand using the standard HSF in a SFF case. It hits 60'C real fast on priming when I bump the clocks up to 2.4-2.7. Idle is easy though.

Never had a proper full tower case to test it in.
 
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