Thermalright XP-120 Experiences

[mdaniel]

OK, I just installed my Epxo 8KDA3J on Thursday and had been using the retail HSF. According to the Epox monitoring software, my case was at 34C and my cpu at 39C to 40C under general usage. I installed the XP-120 about an hour ago, and my case temps and CPU both show 35C with the monitoring program. I have a Panaflo 120 L1 installed on it at 12v. My system is quieter now and the cpu runs cooler. I'm curious to see if there will be any temp drop once the AS5 has burned in. Everything is at stock, as my double sided mixed (512 3200 and 512 3500) memory DIMMs don't want to OC much at all, even though they are BH-5. My OCZ 2500EB arrives Tuesday, and then I will start to push this thing finally.

As for the XP-120...it is HUGE, but much lighter than the SLK 900a that I used on my 2500+. I'll take a picture later, but the one side is just barely not touching the blue brace of my VGA Silencer, and the memory has to be installed after the XP-120, and is a bit trick as the memory is actually under the XP-120. This is because to install the HS, the side opposite the heat pipes must be angled to allow for the hooks to grab the black plastic brace. Then the HS is pushed flat and a screw driver is used to secure the remaining two hooks on the side of the heat pipes. Guess the memory is getting active cooling now too

I'll report back later with pics and more experiences. As for installation, I was able to leave the motherboar in the case. I did find it easier to work with when I removed my 9800pro.

 

[paulmofyourhand]

post pics

and how about the load temps on both retail hsf and the xp120,

 

[mdaniel]

Well, I never took any load temps with the Retail, but after 1 hr of prime with the XP-120, it got up to 49C. But it is back down to 38C after 3 minutes. That is with the voltage raised to 1.7v...which I can probably lower and still be stable. I just decided to start high and work backwards.

As for pics, that will have to wait. Wife took the digital camera to work to take pictures of her new students.

 

[laja]

I installed the Thermalright XP-120 (the first in my country a few days ago). With a virtually inaudible 12 cm Papst fan pushing 55 CFM at 1600 rpm, it cools just like the Zalman CNPS-7000 Cu, but it's virtually soundless. With a 82 CFM 12 cm Papst fan running at 2200 rpm, it's still less noisy than the Zalman but the load CPU temp is about 6 C better (64 C instead of 70 - according to my Abit mobo - in a VERY hot room with no air conditioning).

I think the reason for the very moderate noise is partly the rubber strips that Thermalright supplies with the heatsink. They isolate the vibrations of the fan from the heatsink very well.

Overall, I'd say it's hard to find a better air cooling solution, particularly if you don't want to fret about the possibility of a 800-gramm monster ripping out the CPU socket and/or falling on your $500 video card. (This Thermalright is incredibly light for its size - about 370 g without a fan.)

 

[cisco guy]

I hadnt realized it was so lite, good info laja, guess i'll get the pabst also.

 

[Kilyin]

OK, I just installed my Epxo 8KDA3J on Thursday and had been using the retail HSF. According to the Epox monitoring software, my case was at 34C and my cpu at 39C to 40C under general usage. I installed the XP-120 about an hour ago, and my case temps and CPU both show 35C with the monitoring program. I have a Panaflo 120 L1 installed on it at 12v. My system is quieter now and the cpu runs cooler. I'm curious to see if there will be any temp drop once the AS5 has burned in. Everything is at stock, as my double sided mixed (512 3200 and 512 3500) memory DIMMs don't want to OC much at all, even though they are BH-5. My OCZ 2500EB arrives Tuesday, and then I will start to push this thing finally.

As for the XP-120...it is HUGE, but much lighter than the SLK 900a that I used on my 2500+. I'll take a picture later, but the one side is just barely not touching the blue brace of my VGA Silencer, and the memory has to be installed after the XP-120, and is a bit trick as the memory is actually under the XP-120. This is because to install the HS, the side opposite the heat pipes must be angled to allow for the hooks to grab the black plastic brace. Then the HS is pushed flat and a screw driver is used to secure the remaining two hooks on the side of the heat pipes. Guess the memory is getting active cooling now too

I'll report back later with pics and more experiences. As for installation, I was able to leave the motherboar in the case. I did find it easier to work with when I removed my 9800pro.

I have an 8KDA3J and the Athlon 64 3000 @ 2400 (240x10) with 1 gig of Crucial PC3200 Value Ram (512x2 - in bank 1 & 2).

All my voltages are stock, so I'd think you can back your vcore down to stock and still overclock higher than you currently are. I was getting horrible temperatures with the stock HSF (I left the existing goop on it because I heard it was Shin-Etsu and performed well). I was getting idle temps of 44-45 and hitting 60c on load. So, I quickly got rid of that thing.

I bought a Thermaltake (I know they suck) Venus 12 and some AS5. Ambient is 25-30c, System Temp idles at 31-32c, CPU idles at 33-35c, max load seems to be 51c (generally runs from 49-51c on heavy load).

I thought I had alot of room for improvement on my temps, but maybe not. Seems you aren't doing much better with your XP-120 than I am with my Venus 12.

How's your case airflow? I have 2 x 80mm intake, 2 x 80mm rear exhaust, 1 x 80mm side intake, and 1 x 80mm top blowhole (doesn't 'blow' much though, needs to be modded - it's a raidmax case with the Xaser style super restrictive plastic grill on top).

I don't see alot of systems with the same mobo and cpu as me, so I figured I'd do a comparison.

 

[laja]

Seems you aren't doing much better with your XP-120 than I am with my Venus 12.

It's absolutely pointless to compare the temps shown by different mobo brands, especially if the chipset and the CPU type are so different. Even if we talk about the same Intel P4 CPU and the same chipset, Asus and Abit boards measure radically different CPU temps - the difference in the load temp of the same CPU is 10 C at the very least.

 

[Kilyin]

It's absolutely pointless to compare the temps shown by different mobo brands, especially if the chipset and the CPU type are so different. Even if we talk about the same Intel P4 CPU and the same chipset, Asus and Abit boards measure radically different CPU temps - the difference in the load temp of the same CPU is 10 C at the very least.

Did you even read this thread? We have the same Epox motherboard and cpu.

 

[laja]

Did you even read this thread? We have the same Epox motherboard and cpu.

If you used the "quote" option, we'd all know which post you respond to...

 

[Kilyin]

If you used the "quote" option, we'd all know which post you respond to...

Uhm, the only person who's posted any system specs is the originator of this thread and myself, and I thought it was extremely obvious I was directing my comments towards him. I also mentioned we had the same board and cpu in my first response.

Anyway, I edited my first post to include the quote of the person I was responding to, just for you sir. Hope all is well now.

 

[laja]

Uhm, the only person who's posted any system specs is the originator of this thread and myself

Look at my sig then.

Otherwise, all is well now...

 

[ardenj]

I have the XP-120. I installed it on my Asus P4C800 Deluxe. It fit's fine. I thought I'd have to bend some capicitors, but I didn't. I did have to remove my motherboard from the case though. I have a Thermaltake Tsunami, and I bought a couple of Panaflo Medium Output 120mm fans. One went on the XP-120, and I was going to use the other one to replace the exhaust fan, but since the Panaflo is so thick, I couldn't use it. I just stuck with my stock exhaust fan, it's thin.

I used to use a Vantec HSF. It wasn't that good. I'd get around 43C idle, and around 48-50c under load. This is with the vcore at 1.6, and my 3.0c @ 3.4. Now with the XP-120, I get around 34C idle, and 45C under load.

I think the reason for the very moderate noise is partly the rubber strips that Thermalright supplies with the heatsink. They isolate the vibrations of the fan from the heatsink very well.

I lost one of the 2 strips, so I'm only using one on one side and a small strip of rubber I cut. Would anyone happen to know where, if anywhere, I can get a replacement strip of the blue rubber thing that came with the XP-120? Thanks

 

[paulmofyourhand]

ardeni, contact thermalright, they will send it to you for free

 

[Imitation]

Will this beast fit on a NF7-S? Or any Socket A for that matter? If not I'll probly end up with the ole ALX-800. I'd love to have a 120 sittin over my mobile. I've not really looked at its specs other than it handles the 120mm fan and stuff.

 

[tristam]

for the people (or just one person) who wanted temperature comparisons...i have an 8KDA3J and an A64 3000+@2350mhz (1.6 vcore...stock is 1.55, right? not 1.5...?),
SLK-948U, 92mm Sunon 45cfm fan

anyway...my idle temps in the morning (when its not 70-90F outside ... and hotter inside because my house has no airflow) are, with MBM5:

idle: case - 30C, cpu - ~35C

load: case - 31C, cpu 50C

at night when its really hot it gets up to 52C and the case temp is like 35C...also, does anyone else have a heat sensor on their southbridge? cuz mine reads my southbridge at 105F+ ALL THE TIME....it never goes below 105F and its gotten up to 120F on hot nights when gaming (according to the case's thermal diode i stuck in there)