New Heatsink/fan Combo

[Wolfie]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a new heatsink/fan combination for my rig.

My main problem is the factory one doesn't clip properly onto my motherboard (feels very loose) After a lot of fiddling around and swearing i just cant get a nice tight, snug fit (story of my life!) so I'm worried its not doing the job properly... so i was considering getting a better non-standard one.

What do people use? Wheres a good place to get one? How much can i expect to pay?

CPU is a Core2 Duo 2.4ghz, MB is the Asus P5B-E

Thanks in Advance!

[A_Traveller]

If your able to leave the shadows [in Bangkok} suggest you try Jedi Cool Website who have a good range of products, including the Thermaltake & Zalman brands. On my own system, which is similar, used an Asus silent square which was very effective but haven't seen them for a while so maybe difficult to get. By the by, have you checked the fan in the CPU tunnel? I and others found it was set to blow air on to the CPU whilst the CPU cooler was trying to pump air out, end result CPU hotter. Initially I removed the fan and the temperature of the CPU dropped.

If the light is too bright {sorry couldn't resist} Jedi do offer a pay by ATM service. They have been around for a long time and though I've not used their internet service, since I'm in Bangkok, I anticipate it would work.

Regards

[Tywais]

If the light is too bright {sorry couldn't resist} Jedi do offer a pay by ATM service. They have been around for a long time and though I've not used their internet service, since I'm in Bangkok, I anticipate it would work.

I've ordered from them 3 times with no problem (on-line). They have a very good assortment. Odd about your factory heatsink. I have the P5B-E Plus and it was one of the easiest heat sinks I've installed. Very solid connection between the two. Just 4 spring loaded push down posts. Do all 4 posts snap in when you push them down? Sometimes requires a bit of pressure to get them to click.

[Guest Reimar]

As of my experiences the Zalman has the best cooling effect and the lowest noice! Even better as the "normal" water cooling system because the most of them use low pressure pump's but you'll need high pressure!

Tested on Asus MB the Zalman cooling down to 41 c, the original down to 49 c and the "normal" Thermaltake Water Cooling System down to 44 c. Changed the Pum,p to an german Eheim pump the temp goes down to 37 c just 1 c above the MB's temp! The CPU in this test was P4 3.2 GHZ overclocked to 4.4 GHZ while the Memory was DDR 553 CL 3 extra cooled with Heatsink and fan same as the 2 MB processor chips.

That Test was done 2 yhears ago and the comp still works without any problem with same CPU.

But one thing is also importand: the use of Artic Silver!

[Wolfie]

I have the P5B-E Plus and it was one of the easiest heat sinks I've installed. Very solid connection between the two. Just 4 spring loaded push down posts. Do all 4 posts snap in when you push them down? Sometimes requires a bit of pressure to get them to click.

I had a right game getting the 4 posts to connect to the motherboard properly, i think the system is designed for an octopus!

I thought i'd got it connected properly and then a quick (but gentle) test wiggle and one of them popped out again... i must have spent an hour trying to get it in place and i thought finally (i was too scared to mess with it) got it in place.

To my horror i came home to my apartment the other day and the desk had been moved slighty (Air con people had been to service the air con) - when i turned the PC on i got "CPU over temperature error" (or something similar) when i opened the case the heatsink was only connected by two of the posts... i have since messed around with it some more, and again i think ive got it connected.. but as a safety measure the case is lying on its side, with the side panel off and pretty much directly under the aircon.

Hence my desire to find a better cooling solution, i've looked at Jedi website and spotted a couple of cooler systems that look interesting...

http://www.jedicool.com/list.php?cate=3&productid=573

http://www.jedicool.com/list.php?cate=3&productid=480

Its never easy is it? <sigh> i must have assembled 50+ PC's over the years and this one is the only one that has given me any problems!

[A_Traveller]

The second link above is to the product I'm presently using. Have been pleased with it's performance, even with a 9cm fan, though it looks like I could switch to a 12 if wanted. As an aside, if you are upgrading the cooling, it's worth getting replacement fans for the standard kit, such as the Thermaltake Silent Cat, which reduces the overall noise level dramatically. {You may have already done this given your track record.}

Regards

[Firefoxx]

The two air coolers that actually perform the best (you can check out various cooling site reviews) are the Tuniq Tower 120 and the THERMALRIGHT ULTRA 120 EXTREME. Both have the same mounting interface, which requires removal of the mainboard, but is extremely sturdy. The Ultra 120 doesn't come with a fan (and can be used without one, but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you have good airflow), so you'll need to buy one. They're big, but that's the reason they cool so well.