# Heatsinks?



## novacheck (Mar 6, 2008)

I am looking at getting an MSI Neo2-FR, and pair it with my E2140 for now.  I want to oc to around 3.0 ghz.  I was wondering what would be a good heatsink/cooler for it?  The ambient temp in my apt. does kinda get high in the summer time, so take that into account.  I am not looking for CHEAP, per se.  But I am on a tight budget, so looking for 20-45 bucks for now.  Just to get me going.  Fans shouldn't be an issue, I have about 30 of them laying around, all different sizes.


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## trog100 (Mar 6, 2008)

artic pro..

trog


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## Snake05 (Mar 6, 2008)

trog100 said:


> artic pro..
> 
> trog



+1.  ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro is hard to beat for the money/performance.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134


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## bruins004 (Mar 6, 2008)

Yea I also say the Freezer 7 pro.

However, if you want top of the line look at the Tuniq Tower or Scythe Ninja.


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## ktr (Mar 6, 2008)

Also, i have read that XIGMATEK heatsinks are really good...both there 120mm (HDT-S1283) and their 92mm (HDT-S963 ).


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## novacheck (Mar 6, 2008)

Ok, well, I was originally looking at the Thermalright Ultra-120, so I guess it may be a toss-up between that and the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro.  I don't know if the Thermalright is too much for what I need, or will ever use.  And I didn't realize most cooling options fall into the price range I was looking at.  Any opinions on the two?


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## Creatre (Mar 6, 2008)

ktr said:


> Also, i have read that XIGMATEK heatsinks are really good...both there 120mm (HDT-S1283) and their 92mm (HDT-S963 ).



I have also heard really good things about the XIGMATEK products for CPU cooling. I just bought the Freezer 7 pro because of the "bang for the buck" factor. We'll see if it can keep my overclocked Q6600 cool, but I'm betting it will.


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## ktr (Mar 6, 2008)

Well the 92mm one is 15bucks after MIR.


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## Creatre (Mar 6, 2008)

ktr said:


> Well the 92mm one is 15bucks after MIR.



Dangit, I missed that somehow, just bought that arctic cooler today.  Pick that up ASAP, thats a steal.


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## MKmods (Mar 6, 2008)

novacheck said:


> Ok, well, I was originally looking at the Thermalright Ultra-120, so I guess it may be a toss-up between that and the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro.  I don't know if the Thermalright is too much for what I need, or will ever use.  And I didn't realize most cooling options fall into the price range I was looking at.  Any opinions on the two?



The Thermalright is excellent but not worth over double the price for your comp. More geared towards EXTREME OCers.
its also very tall(I think about 6 1/3") add that to your CPU,mobo and standoffs and it may stick out through the side of ur case.


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## trog100 (Mar 6, 2008)

the artic pro has been around for so long its almost become a de facto standard all in its own right.. in all but the most extreme cases it does the job and does the job very quietly..

but there are dozens of coolers out there that are bigger.. noisier and might even cool a little better..  but the pro does for me..

trog


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## novacheck (Mar 6, 2008)

I knew the thermalright was BIG.  But where I live, we aren't allowed to have ac in any room but our bedroom, so in the summertime it gets pretty warm.  With being on second floor, foot thick concrete walls, and a metal roof, gets pretty toasty.  So I didn't really know if it would still be overkill, or if it would help.  However the ambient temps in summer are around 80° F.  I really don't care too much about noise.  If it would be quiter than my 360, I would be happy.  But I have a 150 gallon fish tank in the same room, and it can get kinda loud, also.


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## MKmods (Mar 6, 2008)

I think the AC Freezer will be plenty for your CPU. Keep the low price thing going..

I think erocker has one for sale for $10


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## novacheck (Mar 6, 2008)

That is a better price.  Just need to check though.  Thanks again.


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## cdawall (Mar 6, 2008)

this will embarrass a freezer 7

but make sure you have the room for it its kinda big 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103026


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## trog100 (Mar 6, 2008)

he could go water and connect it up to his fish tank.. that would embarrass everything including the fish.. he he..

trog


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## novacheck (Mar 6, 2008)

trog100 said:


> he could go water and connect it up to his fish tank.. that would embarrass everything including the fish.. he he..
> 
> trog


That's a good one, I need to remember that.  lol.


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## SirKeldon (Mar 7, 2008)

I think i'll go for the new Xigmatek HDT-S1283, that direct heatpipes in contact with the cpu seems to help a lot the heat transference, it's almost on the same level as the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme and doesn't costs that much http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003. Also is the #1 at Top 5 Heatsinks at frostytech, check it here. And it fits on your budget 

Using a good Thermal compound also is basic, get some Arctic Silver #5 or my recommendation maybe, the new Arctic Cooling MX-2, it doesn't requires that "load" of time to acquire the maximal thermal transference as AS5 and it's not conductive, you won't mess any cpu pin if accidentally compound stays on them, also it won't degrade with the time so i think it's the best option.


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## novacheck (Mar 10, 2008)

That is a nice looking cooler, SirKeldon.  The only concern I have with that, is clearance.  I am not sure if the case I am looking at will work with the cooler.  It may, I have to ask the guy I plan on getting the case from first.  Thanks for the opinions.


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## tkpenalty (Mar 10, 2008)

novacheck said:


> That is a nice looking cooler, SirKeldon.  The only concern I have with that, is clearance.  I am not sure if the case I am looking at will work with the cooler.  It may, I have to ask the guy I plan on getting the case from first.  Thanks for the opinions.



Seconded the idea of the Xigmatek HDT S1283. It outdoes my ultra 120 eXtreme. I've tested it several times already, honestly it makes other coolers look like a joke.

However if size is an issue, get the Xigmatek HDT S963, costs the same as a freezer, and the same size, however its performance blows the freezer away.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 10, 2008)

SirKeldon said:


> I think i'll go for the new Xigmatek HDT-S1283, that direct heatpipes in contact with the cpu seems to help a lot the heat transference, it's almost on the same level as the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme and doesn't costs that much http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003. Also is the #1 at Top 5 Heatsinks at frostytech, check it here. And it fits on your budget
> 
> Using a good Thermal compound also is basic, get some Arctic Silver #5 or my recommendation maybe, the new Arctic Cooling MX-2, it doesn't requires that "load" of time to acquire the maximal thermal transference as AS5 and it's not conductive, you won't mess any cpu pin if accidentally compound stays on them, also it won't degrade with the time so i think it's the best option.




The thing I don'y like about the Xigmatek is the fact that it costs more and more importantly, its base is aluminum alloy........ it should be solid copper but it isn't. 

I will tell you why: Copper is much more expensive than aluminum by a large margin. But aluminum is alright for fins. The base should be solid copper. Copper is more thermally conductive. Aluminum is a lesser material, therefore its better to be used as the fin material. There are other reasons aluminum should be used as the fin material but I don't have time for that. 

PS. The British say aluminium.


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## novacheck (Mar 10, 2008)

Yeah, I have a friend who is a Brit.  They say some off the wall things.  God love him.  Anyway, what do you think I should use Daedalus?


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## King Wookie (Mar 10, 2008)

I'm currently running a Thermalright Ultra 120 on the same mobo, but with a Noctua NF-P12 fan. Very quiet, but also very good cooling. You do need a fairly big case though, as this thing is Huge. The only reason I went with it though is that other options such as the AC7, Scythe, XIGMATEK, etc. are not readily available in S.A.

In truth though, I do agree with Trog that the Ultra 120 may be overkill on that chip; but overkill can be fun.


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## Darknova (Mar 10, 2008)

novacheck said:


> Yeah, I have a friend who is a Brit.  They say some off the wall things.



Our language was here first 

Anyway, having the Neo2-FR myself (and FINALLY fixing the damn BIOS issues...don't upgrade your BIOS if you can help it...it's more trouble than it's worth), I'd like to add something to this.

Firstly, if you use the stock motherboard cooling then you need to be REALLY careful about this HSF you get. I have a Scythe Infinity, and I used to take skin off my fingers when fitting it. So anything of the Infinity's size is going to be a problem fitting it (unless you like pain and losing skin).

Second, I find the memory slots are too close to the CPU for my linking, my Infinity's 120mm fan sits over the top of the first memory slot, so RAM coolers are all but useless.


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## King Wookie (Mar 10, 2008)

Darknova said:


> Our language was here first
> 
> Anyway, having the Neo2-FR myself (and FINALLY fixing the damn BIOS issues...don't upgrade your BIOS if you can help it...it's more trouble than it's worth), I'd like to add something to this.
> 
> ...



That's one of the nice things about the Ultra 120 - even with the fan on, there's still plenty of clearance, especially with the ram slots. The mounting system is also fairly good, other than the wire fan clips, which can be quite fiddly. 

Oh, and thx for the headsup about the bios.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 10, 2008)

Darknova said:


> Our language was here first
> 
> Anyway, having the Neo2-FR myself (and FINALLY fixing the damn BIOS issues...don't upgrade your BIOS if you can help it...it's more trouble than it's worth), I'd like to add something to this.
> 
> ...




LOL.
When you update the bios on this Neo2-FR, or Neo2-FIR board you have to clear your bios and then reset everything. The reason why is with the latest bios updates you have multiple preset configurations "sets". Like you could label one Benchmarking and give it heavy OC settings. Another set of settings for gaming or HD video watching etc. It saves up to 4 different presets. Its actually covenient after you realize how its done. lol  It took me five minutes of troubleshooting so I don't feel at a loss. 

The AC Freezer 7 pro has to fit because its on my Neo2-FR. There is room for many other heatsinks too, but AC Freezer 7 is all you need at a great price. The money left over could balance your computer better in departments that need the extra money like case and Graphics card. The Heatpipes on the Motherboard are top notch and virtually the same as my other P35 board (Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R).


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## Darknova (Mar 10, 2008)

King Wookie said:


> Oh, and thx for the headsup about the bios.



If you absolutely MUST update the BIOS, for god sake do NOT use Live Update...heck, just don't use Live Update period.

Live Update has been known to brick boards in 50% of cases, and in the other can render them unstable. So BIOS updating is no longer something you should be doing with MSI, it's only if absolutely necessary, and if you do need help with it, PM me and I'll help you the best I can.


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## Mussels (Mar 10, 2008)

Creatre said:


> I have also heard really good things about the XIGMATEK products for CPU cooling. I just bought the Freezer 7 pro because of the "bang for the buck" factor. We'll see if it can keep my overclocked Q6600 cool, but I'm betting it will.



you'll get around 3.2-3.4GHz depending on the volts you need.


Freeze 7 is great for anyone looking to OC to comfortable 24/7 levels - thats around 3.2GHz on the 65nm chips and 4.6 on the 45nm. Some people get really good results with the freezer 7, but it really comes down to how much voltage you pump in.


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## tkpenalty (Mar 10, 2008)

Mussels said:


> you'll get around 3.2-3.4GHz depending on the volts you need.
> 
> 
> Freeze 7 is great for anyone looking to OC to comfortable 24/7 levels - thats around 3.2GHz on the 65nm chips and 4.6 on the 45nm. Some people get really good results with the freezer 7, but it really comes down to how much voltage you pump in.



Actually... freezer isnt THAT good. I'd think a Xigmatech HDT S1283 which only costs slightly more would fit that better. Or even the HDT963, which blows the freezer away. Hell, the 963 costs the same as the Freezer so i wouldnt see why you would go for that instead.


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## Mussels (Mar 10, 2008)

tkpenalty said:


> Actually... freezer isnt THAT good. I'd think a Xigmatech HDT S1283 which only costs slightly more would fit that better. Or even the HDT963, which blows the freezer away. Hell, the 963 costs the same as the Freezer so i wouldnt see why you would go for that instead.



price depends where you live. I was mentioning hte freezer because i've used them personally to get those clocks off my quad and E6600 that i used to have.


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## Wile E (Mar 10, 2008)

DaedalusHelios said:


> The thing I don'y like about the Xigmatek is the fact that it costs more and more importantly, its base is aluminum alloy........ it should be solid copper but it isn't.


No, the part that contacts the IHS of the cpu is the heatpipes themselves. Thus the part contacting the cpu is, indeed, copper. The aluminum is basically just there to hold the heatpipes in place.


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## tkpenalty (Mar 10, 2008)

Performance certainly is top notch however...


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## novacheck (Mar 10, 2008)

Darknova said:


> Our language was here first


No harm meant.  He is a good friend of mine.  We play online quite a bit together.   

Anyway, my comp. is on 24/7.  And, if I was to overclock from 1.6 to 3.0( I know I can go higher, but that is all I need)  I need something that will really help with the extra heat generated.  That, and coupled with the fact that pc is in an non-AC'd room.  Temperatures in this building can reach 85-95 degrees.  If you guys can find any, please post some review, or shootouts of the cooling options you recommend.  I have a bunch of things to get done this week, so I don't have that much time to research all the ones you guys have listed.  I really appreciate all the help, though.


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## asb2106 (Mar 10, 2008)

novacheck said:


> No harm meant.  He is a good friend of mine.  We play online quite a bit together.
> 
> Anyway, my comp. is on 24/7.  And, if I was to overclock from 1.6 to 3.0( I know I can go higher, but that is all I need)  I need something that will really help with the extra heat generated.  That, and coupled with the fact that pc is in an non-AC'd room.  Temperatures in this building can reach 85-95 degrees.  If you guys can find any, please post some review, or shootouts of the cooling options you recommend.  I have a bunch of things to get done this week, so I don't have that much time to research all the ones you guys have listed.  I really appreciate all the help, though.



water always works well.

My place during the summer can get 85+ degrees.  So i went with water 2 years ago, it was worth it!  During the summer I hook up a radiator in a mini fridge that I have, it drops the temps about 12C during the summer.  I know that is way overboard, but if your looking to keep it cool, its not a terrible idea.


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## novacheck (Mar 10, 2008)

What would be a good cheap water setup?  That really isn't unfamiliar territory.  Just on PC's. lol.  Might look a little cleaner. But, isn't water cooling usually expensive?


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## cdawall (Mar 10, 2008)

novacheck said:


> What would be a good cheap water setup?  That really isn't unfamiliar territory.  Just on PC's. lol.  Might look a little cleaner. But, isn't water cooling usually expensive?



look here, [H] and XS in the fs/ft and you can probably assemble one for under $100


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## hat (Mar 10, 2008)

novacheck said:


> Ok, well, I was originally looking at the Thermalright Ultra-120, so I guess it may be a toss-up between that and the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro.  I don't know if the Thermalright is too much for what I need, or will ever use.  And I didn't realize most cooling options fall into the price range I was looking at.  Any opinions on the two?



Look at a XIGMATEK cooler first.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001


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## asb2106 (Mar 10, 2008)

novacheck said:


> What would be a good cheap water setup?  That really isn't unfamiliar territory.  Just on PC's. lol.  Might look a little cleaner. But, isn't water cooling usually expensive?



i recommend a low end swiftech for that purpose, you can get a CPU kit for about 150 bucks, and it will work pretty good.  Thats were I started and i added two large radiators, upgraded the pump and went with a tline, but that system is a great start


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## ntdouglas (Mar 10, 2008)

I got this a month ago and it works great. And a good deal going still.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835887011&Tpk=zerotherm+nirvana


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## asb2106 (Mar 10, 2008)

for the price, this kit rocks!


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## asb2106 (Mar 10, 2008)

and here is the cheaper version, both are easy easy easy easy to install and will give you a guarenteed drop in temps!


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 10, 2008)

Wile E said:


> No, the part that contacts the IHS of the cpu is the heatpipes themselves. Thus the part contacting the cpu is, indeed, copper. The aluminum is basically just there to hold the heatpipes in place.




LOL I was going by the Newegg pictures! It was taken at just the right angle to make it look like the aluminum was the thing that was making contact. I am glad they chose to use copper for the base afterall.


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## asb2106 (Mar 10, 2008)

Wile E said:


> No, the part that contacts the IHS of the cpu is the heatpipes themselves. Thus the part contacting the cpu is, indeed, copper. The aluminum is basically just there to hold the heatpipes in place.



i like how they work the copper piping right into the base, thats gotta be some great heat transfer, still though, any air kit is still gonna heat up when the ambient temp is so high!  The water can disapaite that heat alittle better, during the summer of 06 I had a zalman 9500 cooler, lapped, and a pentium d 955, and i was happy with 65c at load(ambient of 80+ F).  I went to the cheap swiftech kit and my temps dropped to 52c at load.  That was huge to me!  and it was much quiter, I was able to get rid of a few fans I had around the computer.  Then I added a NB, SB, and VGA block and things got real quiet.  But then I wanted lower temps so I get more radz and more fans and its still loud.  

check out my build.....http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/1277.html


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## MKmods (Mar 10, 2008)

ever since KTR mentioned it I have been looking at the XIGMATEK.

the rubber mounts for the fans are genius, as well as the tubes making direct contact with the CPU.


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## novacheck (Mar 10, 2008)

I do plan on going to water cooling eventually.  But it is not in my budget right now.  I knew they were expensive, but damn.  How hard would it be to make your own?  Would it be cheaper to piece it together, or buy a kit.  But, so far, for the price range I am looking for, the Xigmatek looks good.  Man, choices, choices, choices.  Whew, getting a headache just trying to figure this out.  Thank you guys for the links.  It will be truly helpful.  Maybe I will make a writeup of my new build, when I get all the parts.  What kind of case is that, ASB2106?  I have never seen the power supply at the bottom before.


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## MKmods (Mar 10, 2008)

for the money novacheck the AC Freezer is IMPOSSIBLE to beat. The others are about 2X the price (but dont cool 2X better)

I have a bunch of water cooling and really its geared more to the extreme bunch rather than the rest of us. Cheap water cooling is not as good as good air cooling. Good water cooling starts in the $150 range (give or take)

the kit asb2106 linked to is a very good starter kit


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## novacheck (Mar 10, 2008)

That's cool...  I don't plan to live in this apt. forever.  As such, I guess I only have one more miserable summer to get through.  Next place is going to have A/C.  Period.


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## asb2106 (Mar 11, 2008)

novacheck said:


> I do plan on going to water cooling eventually.  But it is not in my budget right now.  I knew they were expensive, but damn.  How hard would it be to make your own?  Would it be cheaper to piece it together, or buy a kit.  But, so far, for the price range I am looking for, the Xigmatek looks good.  Man, choices, choices, choices.  Whew, getting a headache just trying to figure this out.  Thank you guys for the links.  It will be truly helpful.  Maybe I will make a writeup of my new build, when I get all the parts.  What kind of case is that, ASB2106?  I have never seen the power supply at the bottom before.



its a antec p180, And its cheaper to buy a kit, but you will get much better performance from a custom built kit.  I know the prices are up there, but man its worth it.  Maybe not for a office system, or backup computer, but for your main rig its totally worth it!! no matter what the cost


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## Cold Storm (Mar 11, 2008)

I got a 18c drop in temps with my xigmatek, while Random Murderer got 20. RM owns a old server case, and it all most fits in it. Where as since I have a blood Iron, it doesn't like my Northbridge. But I love my Xigmatek!


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## novacheck (Mar 11, 2008)

Sweet.  If you guys want to know how to make a ° symbol, press and hold alt, while holding in type "0176".  No quotes. Thanks for the info.  I have it narrowed to the Xigmatek, and the Freezer Pro.  I like the water cooling idea, but WAY out of my price range right now.


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## Kursah (Mar 11, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> I got a 18c drop in temps with my xigmatek, while Random Murderer got 20. RM owns a old server case, and it all most fits in it. Where as since I have a blood Iron, it doesn't like my Northbridge. But I love my Xigmatek!



I got about a 3-5C drop from my AC Freezer 7 Pro w/AS5 to my new Xigmatek 1298S...both were the same price on Newegg. While the AC was a trusty cooler, it's now cooling my G/F's P4 630 Prescot 3.0 1.38v @ 3.75 1.44v,...I am idling around 20C and hitting upper 40's load now with my Xigmatec and AC MX-2 paste. 

I'm really impressed with the cooler, I ran an Orthos load just to see how fast the 8mm heatpipes reacted, I was very suprised in comparison to the AC Freezer 7 Pro. I noticed heat increase immediately, and then when I cancelled Orthos an hour later, they went cool to the touch, if not cold within seconds. I highly recommend this cooler, as it's a great budget cooler that if the price stayed around $26 + $6 S/H, would challeng and take the AC cooler off it's best-bang-for-the-buck throne along with being one of the more efficient air coolers out there from my findings.

I paid the same price for both coolers, the AC I got over a year ago when I build my current rig, it has been great and still is...I won't get rid of it...but I'm very content with the Xigmatec cooler. Read some reviews, both pro and consumer and see for yourself!


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## Cold Storm (Mar 11, 2008)

Here is the link to the thread that was started on Xigmatek. I have on page 2 my screen shots of how well it did. I'm waiting on my Q6700 so I can oc! plus I'm ocing this a little more because of the cooling itself.

I love the Artic, and saw its a staple for ocing. But, I just have to pimp what gives me the best results!


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## Wile E (Mar 11, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> Here is the link to the thread that was started on Xigmatek. I have on page 2 my screen shots of how well it did. I'm waiting on my Q6700 so I can oc! plus I'm ocing this a little more because of the cooling itself.
> 
> I love the Artic, and saw its a staple for ocing. But, I just have to pimp what gives me the best results!


If that's the case, you'd be on water already. lol.


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## tkpenalty (Mar 11, 2008)

Kursah said:


> I got about a 3-5C drop from my AC Freezer 7 Pro w/AS5 to my new Xigmatek 1298S...both were the same price on Newegg. While the AC was a trusty cooler, it's now cooling my G/F's P4 630 Prescot 3.0 1.38v @ 3.75 1.44v,...I am idling around 20C and hitting upper 40's load now with my Xigmatec and AC MX-2 paste.
> 
> I'm really impressed with the cooler, I ran an Orthos load just to see how fast the 8mm heatpipes reacted, I was very suprised in comparison to the AC Freezer 7 Pro. I noticed heat increase immediately, and then when I cancelled Orthos an hour later, they went cool to the touch, if not cold within seconds. I highly recommend this cooler, as it's a great budget cooler that if the price stayed around $26 + $6 S/H, would challeng and take the AC cooler off it's best-bang-for-the-buck throne along with being one of the more efficient air coolers out there from my findings.
> 
> I paid the same price for both coolers, the AC I got over a year ago when I build my current rig, it has been great and still is...I won't get rid of it...but I'm very content with the Xigmatec cooler. Read some reviews, both pro and consumer and see for yourself!



Intel eh. Try remounting it, or checking if the push pins are FULLY in. First time i mounted it two of the push pins werent in; yet its performance was still impressive.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 11, 2008)

Nice results guys. Just when I thought I was done buying computer parts I find myself looking at buying more. I might get one now. Would a 92mm work on it without time consuming modding.

I have a bunch of 84CFM 92mm fans laying around I would wanna use on it. 

A reviewer wrote something about the spoiler being flimsy and broke during install. Spoiler.... I guess he meant the panel at the base because everywhere else looks super sturdy.


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## Cold Storm (Mar 11, 2008)

Wile E said:


> If that's the case, you'd be on water already. lol.



In a few months this Cosmos will be chillin'! lol


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 12, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> In a few months this Cosmos will be chillin'! lol




Great choice with the Cosmos 1000. I believe its the best case on the market personally.


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## Kursah (Mar 12, 2008)

tkpenalty said:


> Intel eh. Try remounting it, or checking if the push pins are FULLY in. First time i mounted it two of the push pins werent in; yet its performance was still impressive.



Yeah I was contemplating re-seating the cooler just to make sure, and it's not my first time installing a push-pin 775 cooler.  But I do see where you're coming from with this cooler the fit does get kinda tight which makes for an excellent seat if the pins are properly seated.

I still think 20 idle and 48 load is respectable at my OC level tho. I'm still impressed how well the AC Freezer 7 Pro is doing with my G/F's P4...it's OC'd to 3.75 from 3.0, 1.44vcore from 1.38 and it idles 33C and loads at 52C...which is also why I'm contemplating re-seating the Xig. I also didn't do the best application of the MX-2..was kinda in a hurry and intended on re-seating after initial results, but it's done so well I can't complain!

I will definately check the push pins when I go to reseat (will be mere minutes after this Post...you got me motivated to do it!), and I will report back to letcha know if there was any changes.

One gripe I have is the fan mounts..it's cool that they slide in the fins and lock into the notches, but I see them ripping after a few uses and since there are no replacements, Zipties may be in the future for this CPU Cooler if one is not careful...which can be a pain in the case. I have my cooler aimed vertically to exhaust out the 200mm, which helped drop my ACF7P temps a couple more degrees...but when installing my fan I hit the NB (similar to BloodIron) and have to sneak the fan by it to get it installed, once it's in I have ~2mm of clearance...no big deal tho. Still worth every penny I paid for it.

I'll be back in a few...after re-seat. I'm also considering trying AS5 with this cooler since I still have some left...but for now the MX-2 is out and that is what I will continue to seat this HSF with.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 12, 2008)

Kursah said:


> Yeah I was contemplating re-seating the cooler just to make sure, and it's not my first time installing a push-pin 775 cooler.  But I do see where you're coming from with this cooler the fit does get kinda tight which makes for an excellent seat if the pins are properly seated.
> 
> I still think 20 idle and 48 load is respectable at my OC level tho. I'm still impressed how well the AC Freezer 7 Pro is doing with my G/F's P4...it's OC'd to 3.75 from 3.0, 1.44vcore from 1.38 and it idles 33C and loads at 52C...which is also why I'm contemplating re-seating the Xig. I also didn't do the best application of the MX-2..was kinda in a hurry and intended on re-seating after initial results, but it's done so well I can't complain!
> 
> ...



Reviews say MX-2 is better but I only have AS5 so I wouldn't know from experience yet.


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## Spacegoast (Mar 12, 2008)

i would go with the Tuniq Tower or Thermaltake Big Typhoon:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010110574&bop=And&Order=REVIEWS&CompareItemList=N82E16835106061%2CN82E16835154001

i wouldnt go with anything else forthis price. i have had the big typhoon and i know it cools much better than the AC 7 and 64. and i know the Tuniq Tower 120 cools even better than the BT. so either one, it is a win-win situation here.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 12, 2008)

Spacegoast said:


> i would go with the Tuniq Tower or Thermaltake Big Typhoon:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010110574&bop=And&Order=REVIEWS&CompareItemList=N82E16835106061%2CN82E16835154001
> 
> i wouldnt go with anything else forthis price. i have had the big typhoon and i know it cools much better than the AC 7 and 64. and i know the Tuniq Tower 120 cools even better than the BT. so either one, it is a win-win situation here.




Good suggestions. Nice Linkage. 

Whats better, big typhoon or Xigmatec?


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

DaedalusHelios said:


> Reviews say MX-2 is better but I only have AS5 so I wouldn't know from experience yet.



I go with mx-2 over as5 because of the fact it doesn't have silver flakes in the paste. That way with mx-2 you have a clean paste. IMO


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## Kursah (Mar 12, 2008)

Spacegoast said:


> i would go with the Tuniq Tower or Thermaltake Big Typhoon:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010110574&bop=And&Order=REVIEWS&CompareItemList=N82E16835106061%2CN82E16835154001
> 
> i wouldnt go with anything else forthis price. i have had the big typhoon and i know it cools much better than the AC 7 and 64. and i know the Tuniq Tower 120 cools even better than the BT. so either one, it is a win-win situation here.



They may be better, but they're almost twice as expensive, and I'm sure they don't cool twice as well...that's what I see from that, but that's my opinion also. To each their own...I'm not big on spending top dollar on coolers, but then I don't really need a top end cooler either, I'm very satisfied with my budget cooler(s).

I just reseated my cooler and am getting the exact same results, plus I had good contact with my last install, all pins seated properly...so hey oh well, it's still a couple degrees better than the AC cooler which is still a great cooler. It's kept my OC'd 6300 well within safe-range temps, and now the Xig will keep that insurance going...no complaints from my end.

I would still highly recommend the ACF7P, but if the Xig can be purchased for the same price...by all means get it unless the size is a limiting factor. Both are great, and really I'm still impressed how well the AC can keep up with my Xig. Maybe there's some sort of difference between the 64 and the 7 Pro aside from mounting bracketry as I read earlier that the Xig stomps the 64. Well it is better than my Xig, but by no means stomps it.


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## MKmods (Mar 12, 2008)

I just ordered the XIG 92mm version (needed to fit in my SFF case)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233005

LOL $22, what a deal.


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## novacheck (Mar 12, 2008)

Well, what would be the threshold for a 2140?  Even with the stock cooler, and slightly oc'd to 1.8 ghz, I run 34°c idle, and 48-52°c full load.  So, oc'ing to, say, 3.0 ghz on stock voltage, how much extra heat would build up?

Also, how important is the thermal compound?  How big of a difference is there between one brand and the other?


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## Kursah (Mar 12, 2008)

TIM (thermal compound) can make quite a difference when going from OE (intel) goop to performance TIM like AS5, MX-1 or MX-2...a few degrees C drop from thermal goop is not unheard of. I have used AS5 for years as it has been a very good solution for cooling, but you gotta be careful with it as it does conduct electricity. For the same price I got way more MX-2 which is at least neck-and-neck (either wins by a little or loses by a little) in most comparo's, and does not conduct electricity.

If you're OC'd to 1.8 GHz and running 50C load...that's getting toasty. You'll have to see where the stock voltage gets you as-far-as overclocking goes...I was able to take my 1.86 6300 to 3.36 on stock voltage (480fsbx7), but results can vary, along with power supply, vdroop, MB, etc. A lot of variables play a part when overclocking.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 12, 2008)

If you don't already have thermal compound, then get one of three:

Arctic Silver 5
Arctic Cooling MX-2
Tuniq TX-2

I used to be an AS5 guy, but I figured I'd try MX-2.  I'll be putting it on my chips this weekend.

They're pretty much ordered by performance, worst to best, but these are arguably the top three out there now.  No, they don't make a huge difference.  The biggest difference is that AS5 is electrically conductive, so be careful with it.


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## Mussels (Mar 12, 2008)

temps dont change much if you dont change volts - 1.8GHz at 50C is a bit warm, but i'd be surprised if he hit 60 going to 3GHz, so long as he doesnt change the volts


AS5 is NOT conductive! its Capacitive! a very different thing, but still worth noting.

MX-2 has one advantage over AS5 - its thinner. Its easier to get a nice thin layer which is great because too many people put too MUCH, and make their temps worse.


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

MX-2 is, IMO, the better of the two compounds. I say it because artic silver 5 has silver flakes in their compound. With the silver flakes, there isn't a "full contact" with the heatsink to cpu. So with MX-2 you have a clean contact. I've never used Artic Silver, so I don't know the difference, but some say its a 2-3 degree difference. With MX-2 being on the good side... But that is my opinion. Some like Artic silver, while some don't.


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## Kursah (Mar 12, 2008)

Mussels said:


> temps dont change much if you dont change volts - 1.8GHz at 50C is a bit warm, but i'd be surprised if he hit 60 going to 3GHz, so long as he doesnt change the volts



That is pretty true...though it depends on how far you get with stock voltage...when I hit 3.36 my temps went up around 5C idle and 7C load from stock...but to get to 3.5 I had to increase the stock voltage from 1.32 to 1.34, which increased temps another 2-3C idle and load. As long as you watch your temps and don't allow your chip to get too hot (which can limit OC), you'll be fine!


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## Mussels (Mar 12, 2008)

if he slapped on a xig92 or freezer7, he'd do 3GHz easy. It all depends how well his stock cooler works - they ARE temp controlled, so it should crank up as the wattage goes up, leaving the temps very similar.


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## novacheck (Mar 12, 2008)

I ran Intels Thermal Analysis Tool for 45 minutes.  My temps never went above 52.  But they only stayed there for about 1 1/2 minutes.  I always check temps right after playing games, or running processor intensive programs.  I would say that I usually stay around 44-47°c under hard loads.


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## novacheck (Mar 12, 2008)

Just wasn't sure what the max temp this processor could go before it fries.  I don't ever want to get there.  I have used AC5 for everything in my PC.  Just didn't know there was much of a difference between it, and the other brands.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 12, 2008)

novacheck said:


> Well, what would be the threshold for a 2140?  Even with the stock cooler, and slightly oc'd to 1.8 ghz, I run 34°c idle, and 48-52°c full load.  So, oc'ing to, say, 3.0 ghz on stock voltage, how much extra heat would build up?
> 
> Also, how important is the thermal compound?  How big of a difference is there between one brand and the other?



You won't reach 3.0Ghz stable on stock volts. It shouldn't even boot. 

You would have to up the voltage. 

Thats from experience with mine. Use Coretemp, cpu-z, and Prime95 Torture test to check your OC'ing.


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## Kursah (Mar 12, 2008)

Mussels said:


> if he slapped on a xig92 or freezer7, he'd do 3GHz easy. It all depends how well his stock cooler works - they ARE temp controlled, so it should crank up as the wattage goes up, leaving the temps very similar.



True, I slapped my freezer7 on when I put this build together originally...never even tried the OEM HSF. Personally I ran my freezer7 at 100% just to ensure consistant cooling. I liked the PWM feature, which my Xig also has...but in the end I can deal with the little bit of extra noise the freezer7 makes, and I've ran the Xig 12 at 100% since I got it, which is quieter than the freezer7 by a little bit.

But the PWM feature is nice, but you will most likely notice the fan speed changing here and there which annoyed me more than 100% because of pitch change and such.


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

Its what the person prefers. There really isn't much to go on. One person like, what someone else may not. My thoughts on it...


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## Kursah (Mar 12, 2008)

novacheck said:


> Just wasn't sure what the max temp this processor could go before it fries.  I don't ever want to get there.  I have used AC5 for everything in my PC.  Just didn't know there was much of a difference between it, and the other brands.



Well it should be posted somewhere on Intel's site or detected by RealTemp, CoreTemp, Everest, etc. My cores will throttle at 85C, but my goal is to keep both cores below 55C as a personal preference.


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## Mussels (Mar 12, 2008)

Kursah said:


> True, I slapped my freezer7 on when I put this build together originally...never even tried the OEM HSF. Personally I ran my freezer7 at 100% just to ensure consistant cooling. I liked the PWM feature, which my Xig also has...but in the end I can deal with the little bit of extra noise the freezer7 makes, and I've ran the Xig 12 at 100% since I got it, which is quieter than the freezer7 by a little bit.
> 
> But the PWM feature is nice, but you will most likely notice the fan speed changing here and there which annoyed me more than 100% because of pitch change and such.



i never heard the freezer7 on PWM change speed - its only audible at 90%+, and it was always below that on my boards (i use the silent profile)


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 12, 2008)

Kursah said:


> Well it should be posted somewhere on Intel's site or detected by RealTemp, CoreTemp, Everest, etc. My cores will throttle at 85C, but my goal is to keep both cores below 55C as a personal preference.




85C is hot! I had a Pentium D reach 97C before and it shut off. LOL. It was by accident.

But it still didn't fry!


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

85c is the cut off for intel chips. One hot puppy there! Its a good thing they have the cut off temp, so maybe no one will fry their cpu and maybe whole computer!


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## novacheck (Mar 12, 2008)

What is that, like 140-150°f?


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

85c is 185f

Gotta love converters!


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## novacheck (Mar 12, 2008)

Ouch.  Now that is HOT.  I don't ever see that being a problem for me.  I don't think these processor would survive at that high of a temp, would they?


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## asb2106 (Mar 12, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> 85c is 185f
> 
> Gotta love converters!



thats about how hot much OCed 8600m GT in my laptop gets after an hour of gaming.  Im pretty sure GPUs can handle that but I just hate it!


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

If your going for a 24/7 oc, then I don't say hitting load above 70c. I believe anything after that may have some sort of potential down fall after a few months. But, that is me, and others may feel its all right. 
Its just how your case is cooled, and amber of everything. I live in a tropical life, so I don't see it hitting over that anytime...


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

asb2106 said:


> thats about how hot much OCed 8600m GT in my laptop gets after an hour of gaming.  Im pretty sure GPUs can handle that but I just hate it!



Your GPU is a lot different set up as your CPU. The CPU Powers everything while the GPU just graphics.. If you have a laptop cooler, its the best thing to use. Made my laptop live for 6 years!


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## asb2106 (Mar 12, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> Your GPU is a lot different set up as your CPU. The CPU Powers everything while the GPU just graphics.. If you have a laptop cooler, its the best thing to use. Made my laptop live for 6 years!



yah i have seen people not freak about GPU temps like that.  The sad thing is, those temps are on my zalman laptop cooler with dual 80 fans!  Im not to concerned about total life, its a work PC, it will last me another 1.5 years, then I move on.


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

asb2106 said:


> yah i have seen people not freak about GPU temps like that.  The sad thing is, those temps are on my zalman laptop cooler with dual 80 fans!  Im not to concerned about total life, its a work PC, it will last me another 1.5 years, then I move on.



lol. Have to love the Work Products! Sweet stuff!


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## asb2106 (Mar 12, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> lol. Have to love the Work Products! Sweet stuff!



thats right!!!


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## Mussels (Mar 12, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> If your going for a 24/7 oc, then I don't say hitting load above 70c. I believe anything after that may have some sort of potential down fall after a few months. But, that is me, and others may feel its all right.
> Its just how your case is cooled, and amber of everything. I live in a tropical life, so I don't see it hitting over that anytime...



thats the result i came to as well.

Keep it under 70C load for 24/7 use, perhaps 80C if you're doing benching runs.

The reasoning here is that quad load i get 60-62C temps but 99% of the time (idling, gaming) all FOUR cores are never maxed out - so i never reach those temps.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 12, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> 85c is the cut off for intel chips. One hot puppy there! Its a good thing they have the cut off temp, so maybe no one will fry their cpu and maybe whole computer!



Then how did my Pentium D from ages ago get up to 94C?
I believe what you are saying but do you figure the temp sensor was off by 10C?
I have heard of it before.


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## Cold Storm (Mar 12, 2008)

well it depends on the sensor you are using. The 85c cut off is on Core 2's. I was an AMD boy before the Core 2, so I don't know the cut off, or how any of the temp programs worked for them. Its most likely what you say. 10c off. The only thing I know is with my Core 2, and what I've seen from others, 85 is 85 on Core Temp.


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## Wile E (Mar 12, 2008)

DaedalusHelios said:


> Then how did my Pentium D from ages ago get up to 94C?
> I believe what you are saying but do you figure the temp sensor was off by 10C?
> I have heard of it before.


Because they're talking about the Core 2 microarchitecture. Pentium D is unrelated to this conversation.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 12, 2008)

Wile E said:


> Because they're talking about the Core 2 microarchitecture. Pentium D is unrelated to this conversation.



Yeah, I have never had a Core 2 duo past 66C in a stress test.


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## novacheck (Mar 12, 2008)

What is the best contact surface for a heatsink?  Mirror smooth, or kind of a rough surface?  I hear some of you talking about "lapping".  What exactly is that?


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## asb2106 (Mar 12, 2008)

novacheck said:


> What is the best contact surface for a heatsink?  Mirror smooth, or kind of a rough surface?  I hear some of you talking about "lapping".  What exactly is that?



lapping is a series of sanding, taking the surface down to the smoothest possible surface, that should answer both your questions


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## Silverel (Mar 12, 2008)

DaedalusHelios said:


> Then how did my Pentium D from ages ago get up to 94C?
> I believe what you are saying but do you figure the temp sensor was off by 10C?
> I have heard of it before.



Cutoff on my sempy is 95c at default. Probably just your boards default setting in bios. I've since notched it down to 80c..


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## Mussels (Mar 13, 2008)

smooth is best, on heatsink AND CPU. The big trick is that the smoother it is, the less paste you need so go easy on it.


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## novacheck (Mar 13, 2008)

I really appreciate the help.  I will be picking up the new hardware in the next couple of weeks.  The cooler will have to with for a couple of months.  But once I have it, we will see how far this processor will go, and how cool I can keep it.


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## candle_86 (Mar 13, 2008)

for your room temp, ever looked at options besides a box fan?

I used a room vaporizer i think is what it was called it chilled the mositer in my room, and say on the floor, costed me about 100 bucks though


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## Mussels (Mar 13, 2008)

candle_86 said:


> for your room temp, ever looked at options besides a box fan?
> 
> I used a room vaporizer i think is what it was called it chilled the mositer in my room, and say on the floor, costed me about 100 bucks though



if i'm thinking the same thing as you, dont those increase the humidity? If not, link me to this magical device.


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## novacheck (Mar 13, 2008)

They do have dehumidifiers, which can also help cool a room down.  An A/C is in essence a dehumidifier.


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## novacheck (Mar 13, 2008)

Well, I will take that back, but an air conditioner does help pull moisture out of a room, so it does help dehumidify, but that is not it's sole purpose.  That is the biggest deal with summertime in this apartment.  With 15" thick concrete walls, and a metal roof, it does start to become a sauna in here.  The humidity does get pretty high, but last year we ran a cheap dehumidifier, and the temps dropped about 5°.  Not too much to be happy about, but it did work.  I do plan on getting a/c in this room though.  We just have to replace the window, which our landlord has agreed to do.  The window now would NOT support the weight.  Hell, it barely supports itself.  LOL.  So, I guess that high heat shouldn't be a concern this year.


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