GUIDE: Air-cooling for CPUs, GPUs

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Taken from _Korruption_ 
					at: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=929824

These days, a lot of people are posting up topics looking for a good
thermal solution for their new high-performance CPU. These people all
have different needs, some are looking for something dirt-cheap, some
look for low-noise, some look for good overall performance at a good
price, some look for ease of installation, and others look for maximum
performance with no boundaries (just keep it within air cooling ). Everybody's got different needs.

I usually cater to lower-noise setups, so you may substitute the Vantec Tornado in if you'd like. I'd like to keep my ears.

Air cooling doesn't have to be as complicated as it appears. It's a
hell of a lot simpler than water cooling, and is usually a lot cheaper.
The sheer selection you can find online is what usually scares people
away. I decided to put together a quickie air-cooling guide, hopefully
it'll be turned into a sticky where people can refer to it and perhaps
add to it if I've missed anything. Constructive criticism, folks!

I'll lay it out in terms of Socket type (Socket A, Socket 478, Socket
754/939/940, LGA775). Lowest price in the respected socket type comes
first. I'll re-use some of the descriptions because they may be the
same across the different socket types. Saves me quite a bit of time
too. Honourable mentions go in their respected sections.

Starting with the CPU cooling

Socket A (Athlon, Duron, AthlonXP, Sempr0n)

MASSCOOL 5F394B1L3G 80mm Copper HSF
-- cheap at less than $14! The 80mm fan allows more airflow and less
noise (the AMD retail thermal solution for Socket A comes with a small
60x60x10 fan which can be quite noisy), the all-copper heatsink body
offers a good amount of surface area. Kinda reminds me of a cheaper
(and perhaps noisier) Thermaltake Silent Boost. Even the three-pin lead
is sleeved and shrinked! You really can't find another all-copper
solution for this price.

Thermalright SI-97A Heatsink -- Please do note, this heatsink does not
come with a fan! Moving slightly upmarket here at $34.95, but relative
to what you can get out there, this is still very affordable. This is
the new A revision, which adds compatibility to the new
Athlon64 CPUs. Yes, you read that right, you can use this Socket A
heatsink on your Athlon64 CPU when you upgrade down the road. Very cost
effective. One of the best choices you can make for Socket A. It
utilizes heatpipes to move heat from the heatsink base into the
heatsink body above. You can have a very silent solution, or a very
high-performance one, depending on the fan you choose. I'd recommend a low to medium speed 92mm Panaflo for all applications, even overclocking.

Honourable Mentions:

Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu LED

Zalman CNPS7000B-Cu LED (non-LED models also available)

Socket 478 (Pentium 4)

ARCTIC COOLING Super Silencer4 Ultra 90mm HSF
-- Dirt cheap P4 cooling for under $13. The Prescotts are known to run
hot, so Arctic Cooling ups the fan size to 90mm for more airflow. The
Intel retail thermal solutions really aren't that bad, they're just
noisy. This one should definitely be significantly quieter than the box
solution. Again, you get the patented AC
fan design, and the three-pin lead is sleeved and shrinked for
cosmetics. Do remember that this thermal solution is designed for
minimal noise, not maximum performance...

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 4 ACFZ4 HSF
-- More expensive at $29, but offers a lot more performance and still
maintains the low-noise output. SilentPCReview gives it a favourable review.
It uses heatpipes to transfer heat from the heatsink base to the
heatsink body, and the fan blows air across the aluminum fins. If
possible, mount the Freezer 4 so that the fan points towards the back
of the case, the rear exhaust fan will help out and further reduce
temperatures. Low-weight, low-price, low-noise, and high-performance.

Thermalright XP-90 -- Fantastic performance for $25 (again, this is a heatsink alone, no fan included). Paired up with a low to medium
speed Panaflo, you can enjoy low-noise performance. The XP-90 is widely
regarded as one of the best values in the enthusiast community, and
SilentPCReview agrees. Easy installation too. If you don't want to deal with buying a separate fan, the XP-90 Retail Package is for you. A few bucks more and you get a decent mid-speed 92mm fan included.

Thermalright XP-90C -- The more-expensive ($48), all-copper
brother to the XP-90. While the XP-90 features a copper base and
aluminum heatsink fins, the XP-90C is an all-copper affair. One of the
better performers on the market today, it offers much better
compability than it's bigger brother (the XP-120, which will be covered
later). Paired up with low to medium
speed 92mm Panaflo, you'll be golden. Please be advised that the XP-90C
is a very heavy heatsink -- exercise care when moving your computer!
Many will argue that the SI-120 is a better choice, and I agree with
them -- the SI-120 will allow for more airflow with less noise and less
weight, and compatibility is pretty much guaranteed!

Thermalright SI-120
-- The updated brother of the XP-120. Costs about the same too. When
that heatsink was introduced, the notion of using 120mm fans was a
great idea. The main issue that gave many people problems was that it's
size would interfere with other components on the motherboard.
Thermalright, responding to customer concerns, went back to the drawing
board and came up with the SI-120. Think of it as a larger version of
the SI-97A. The heatsink body itself is raised high enough so that it
clears just about everything on the motherboard. If you think you are
going to have problems with the XP-120's clearance, do consider the
SI-120. Pair this heatsink up with the Nexus Real Silent 120mm fan or the Yate Loon D12SL-12 (the same fan, but cheaper), you can have an almost inaudible thermal solution. 

Thermalright XP-120
-- This is about as big as it gets! Priced around the same as the
XP-90C ($48), you have to make a decision. If your motherboard fits
this behemoth, you can get away with a very low-noise solution, or a
maximum performance solution. Pair this heatsink up with the Nexus Real Silent 120mm fan or the Yate Loon D12SL-12 (the same fan, but cheaper), you can have an almost inaudible thermal solution. SilentPCReview gives it a good review. Or you can pair it up with a Delta high-speed 120mm fan. Your call. Just make sure it fits! You can check P4 motherboard compatibility here.

Scythe Ninja
-- A giant heatsink originally meant for passive operation, but can
accomodate a 120mm fan, which makes it a very potent choice for
low-noise, low-temperature cooling. It features a whopping 12 heatpipes
moving heat from the copper base up to the thin aluminum fins. Pair
this up with a low-speed 120mm fan (Jab-Tech gives you the option of a
120mm Yate Loon, a fantastic choice), and you'll have fantastic
cooling, perhaps even better than the Thermalright offerings. This
heatsink seems to work well in the P180 case, with some people using
the top vent as an intake and the rear vent as an exhaust. Only
downside is that the whole assembly is pretty big.

Thermaltake CL-P0114 BIG TYPHOON 4 IN 1 Heatpipe CPU Cooler
-- Well what do you know? I'm recommending a TT product! The main
reason for that is because TT got the performance right this time, this
thing really does offer a lot of cooling potential. Downsides are the
blatant 16dBA marketing (though it is still decently quiet), the size
(it is very tall), and the weight.

Zalman CNPS9500-LED
-- Zalman's newest entry into the high-performance cooling market. At
around $70, it definitely is pricey, even compared to the
Thermalrights. What I like about the 9500 is the fact that you can
point the CPU cooler exhaust at a rear case fan, so any heat produced
will be taken out of the case quickly. Even with an all-copper design
with more surface area than the previous Zalman flower heatsinks,
weight is kept to a relative minimum. A FanMate2 is included so you can
run the fan as slowly as you want. If you want the full 12V, disconnect
the FanMate2 and plug the 9500 directly into the motherboard. As
mentioned earlier, the orientation of the 9500 does matter, so do check
out the fantastic instructions that Zalman has up.

Honourable Mentions:

Zalman CNPS7000B-Cu LED (non-LED models also available)

Coolermaster Hyper48
Fans (80mm, 92mm, 120mm)

80mm Panaflo L1A (low-speed)
-- one of the quietest 80mm fans you can buy (without sacrificing
airflow). They are good for case fan duty or on a CPU heatsink if
you're looking for overall quiet. This particular one comes in a 3-pin
configuration, and no RPM monitoring. They're great workhorses.

80mm Nexus Real Silent
-- Favoured in the silent computing community, these fans respond very
well to undervolting (running the fan at less than the default 12V).

80mm Panaflo M1BX (medium-speed)
-- Slightly faster (and slightly noisier) than the low-speed model, a
better choice for CPU cooling where only 80mm fans will fit. This model
supports RPM monitoring.

80mm Panaflo H1A (high-speed)
-- Even more airflow but more noise than the medium speed. No RPM
monitoring. This is where it starts getting noisy for my personal
tastes.

80mm Enermax thermally-controlled fan
-- If you need something that can be controlled by ambient temperature,
consider something like this. 1700rpm at minimum speed is pretty slow,
and should be quiet. Even at 2700rpm, it shouldn't be putting out over
30dBA of noise. I wonder if there's a way to override the
temperature-control...

92mm Panaflo L1BX low-speed -- Very good fan overall for any CPU heatsink that can accomodate a 92mm fan. Supports RPM monitoring.

92mm Nexus Real Silent -- One of the quietest 92mm fans you can find, again, they respond well to undervolting. Supports RPM monitoring.

92mm Panaflo M1A medium-speed -- More airflow with slightly more noise. No RPM monitoring support.

92mm  Panaflo H1BX high-speed -- Lots of airflow at a tolerable 35dBA. Supports RPM monitoring.

92mm Enermax adjustable fan -- The bigger brother of the 80mm adjustable model. Supports RPM monitoring.

120mm Yate Loon D12SL-12
-- Perfect for case fan duty or low-noise CPU cooling on an XP-120. The
cheaper (but identical) version of the 120mm Nexus Real Silent. Famous
in the silent computing industry, this fan responds well to
undervolting. Supports RPM monitoring. (thanks Tiny)

120mm Coolermaster blue LED fan
-- Offers a nice touch while still maintaining low noise levels. Lots
of colours available! Supports RPM monitoring, as far as I know.

120mm x 38mm Panaflo L1A low-speed -- Please note, this fan is 38mm
thick! Good airflow and low-noise where it fits. I'm pretty sure you
can use this on the XP-120 to good effect. No RPM monitoring.

120mm x 38mm Panaflo M1A medium-speed -- Please note, this fan is 38mm thick! More airflow at a tolerable 35dBA. No RPM monitoring.

120mm Enermax adjustable fan -- The biggest version of the Enermax user-adjustable models, supports RPM monitoring.

Check out dtess17's thread on 120mm fans for some more insight!

A very valuable resource when shopping for fan is Sidewinder Computer's Listening Room.
They don't have any Panaflo fans listed, but if you look for a fan with
similar dimensions and RPM, you can get a rough idea as to how it will
sound in reality.

VGA Cooling

Zalman VF700-ALCU Aluminum-Copper VGA Cooler
-- This thing is capable of cooling the hottest video cards out there
(on 12V, at least). For $26, you really cannot beat the power offered
by the VF700. It isn't for true silent-PC enthusiasts, but for those
looking to reduce noise and temperatures offered by the stock VGA
thermal solution, the VF700 is something you should seriously consider.
Often has problems clearing the nF4 chipset if you've got a larger
passive thermal solution installed. Check the compatibility list!

Zalman VF700-CU Copper VGA Cooler
-- The all-copper brother of the VF700Al-Cu. Offers more performance
(as copper is able to remove more heat from the GPU), but also comes
with more weight. The AlCu is for those who want to keep the weight
hanging off their GPU to a minimum (the retention mechanism is very
secure). I personally like the copper version better... as it looks
better and I won't be moving my machine around. $4 more than the
aluminum-copper hybrid. Often has problems clearing the nF4 chipset if
you've got a larger passive thermal solution installed. Check the compatibility list!

Zalman VF900Cu
-- The successor to the VF700, it incorporates two heatpipes to better
distribute heat from the heatsink base into the copper fins. While it
looks like it has more surface area than the VF700, it's weight is
actually reduced. Again, it comes with a Fanmate2 for you to select fan
speeds based on your tastes, and continues the tradition of being able
to cool high-powered graphics cards (like the power hungry X1900XTX for
example) quietly.

Zalman ZM80D-HP Aluminum, Copper Dual Heatpipe Noiseless VGA Cooler
-- For those who have lower-powered VGA cards and wish for silent
operation. A lower-powered card means nothing from the super-high-end
range today, like the 7800 series or the X800 series cards. Those cards
run quite hot and would function better with the VF700 series thermal
solutions. Be warned, the installation process is fairly complex. Be
sure to check if your video card needs the optional Zalman ZM-OP1 80mm fan if you have a more powerful VGA card.

Thermalright V-1 Ultra Aluminum heatpipe VGA cooler -- Newer revision of the original V-1, which had one less heatpipe. It also adds compatibility to the new nVidia
7800 series graphics cards. An alternative to the Zalmans, seems to
alleviate the problem of nF4 chipset clearance. An advantage of the V-1
Ultra is that you can use just about any 80mm fan on the main heatsink
body, given that you have enough clearance from items above the video
card. Another advantage if you're looking for maximum performance (I'm
not), is that apparently you can mount another 80mm fan on the bottom
side of the heatsink, basically the side that sits on the GPU core. Be
sure to check the compatibility list and the instructions on the Thermalright site.

Arctic Cooling Silencers
-- What these guys have that the others don't is that they can take air
that is in the case, use it to remove heat from the heatsink body, and
expel it out the case. This can dramatically reduce case temperatures
depending on your setup. The other products from Zalman and
Thermalright just expel the heat into the case, and depend on the rear
exhaust fan to get rid of the heat. What you need to do here is figure
out what ATI or nVidia card you have, go to this Arctic Cooling
page and find which product you need (using the application section
which outlines which solution is for which card). Then you can go to
the retailer link above and make your selection. Arctic Cooling has
lots of different models, it can be confusing. I've got a VGA Silencer
Rev3 (the older model for the 9700). Great performing cooler, inaudible
on low, and keeps the temperature down with it's vast surface area.
Only gripe is that installation was a little tricky with my 9700's shim
problem. I've done some installations with the NV Silencer 1, and that
was very easy.

Chipset Cooling

ZALMAN ZM-NB32J NORTHBRIDGE HEATSINK
-- Basic heatsink for $4. If you've got an nForce2 chipset, for
example, with a failing chipset fan, like on the Abit NF7 boards, then
something like this will work well. It is completely passive, so it'll
never fail, and the surface area offered should provide better
performance than the actively cooled heatsinks that Abit likes to put
on their boards. If you don't have mounting holes around your chipset,
then you can use the included thermal epoxy to mount the heatsink to
whatever you want. Be warned, thermal epoxy is very permanent. I
mounted this heatsink to my 8500LE for passive operation with good
success (read more).

ZALMAN ZM-NB47J NORTHBRIDGE HEATSINK
-- More surface area than the NB32J for a few cents more. People have
mounted this heatsink to their hot-running nForce4 chipsets with good
success, but you must make sure you have airflow moving around the
heatsink, as it gets very hot. You'll need the mounting holes for this
heatsink, as it doesn't come with epoxy. I've got one of these on my
nForce2 chipset. Since it is a taller heatsink, it may get in the way
of some nForce4 setups. You may need to do some bending of the soft
aluminum fins to get everything to fit.

VANTEC CCB-A1C ICEBERQ SOLID COPPER VGA AND CHIPSET COOLER COMBO
-- If you want active cooling, or are limited to the size of the
heatsink you can install (with the nF4 boards, for example), try the
Iceberq. It comes in a small footprint, so it should be able to clear
most video cards, even in SLI mode, and will keep the chipset cooler
than with the Zalman passive heatsinks. The all-copper design allows
for a good amount of heat to be absorbed, and the fan is said to be
decently quiet. You even get some extra aluminum heatsinks to mount on
other components on your motherboard. There is an aluminum version of
this heatsink floating around the market, but that comes with a sleeve
bearing fan -- not good for hot chipsets.

Evercool EC-VC-RE Chipset Cooler -- The new specification
from DFI, meaning these coolers are pretty much guaranteed to work on
the DFI nF4 and RDX200 boards. It not only reduces noise, but brings
temperatures down compared to the aluminum cooler that originally came
on the LanParty boards. Cheap too!

SWIFTECH MCX159-CU EXTREME DUTY ALL-COPPER HEATSINK W/ 40MM FAN
-- This heatsink-fan combo is about the best you can get for the money,
but is a very tall solution and may not fit all motherboards and CPU
heatsinks. The all-copper design removes a lot of heat, but may require
a faster fan to dissipate all that heat. Luckily, Swiftech includes a
Sunon VAPO bearing fan, which are said to be quieter and last longer
than regular ball-bearing units.

Edited by skyR - 22 Oct 2007 at 7:02pm

GUIDE: Air-cooling for CPUs, GPUs

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