Swiftech MCX462+ or Alpha PAL8045T

[andlcs]

Subject.

Also: Which fans would u choose? Pick one 8X8cm Smart FAN and other 8X8cm not smart for silent and power cooling.
For example: I would buy the Tt Smart FAN II and the Panasonic 2000rpm.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

eh? Depends what you want.

I run a MCX-462 with a Panaflo 2000rpm 80mm fan and it offers great cooling with minimal noise.
Noise is important to me, so i dont use a variable or high speed fan.

Is noise important to you?


<b>My Idea of a DOS attack is to stop posting helpful information at Toms Hardware.</b>

 

[bum_jcrules]

PooBaa has a good point about why you choose a fan.

I like the Alpha over the Swiftech. The design just cools better with a lower CFM fan. Overall they are both fantastic. I am just biased towards the PAL8045T with a good fan.

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[macodi]

Neither.

Coolermaster HHC-001 cools better than the Alpha or Swiftech. The fan is about 62db which is same as Swiftech. The Alpha is about 50db, but I'd rather be cool than quiet. Turn the speakers up and don't take my word for it, read it yourself. <A HREF="http://www17.tomshardware.com/cpu/20020916/cooler-59.html " target="_new">http://www17.tomshardware.com/cpu/20020916/cooler-59.html </A>

 

[Guest]

hi.

 

[4Ryan6]

I'm running the Swiftech MCX462, but she is loud, its an excellent cooling solution, but the Alpha is much quieter. Make sure your M/B has the mounting holes to mount the heatsink to, not all M/Bs do.




Details, Details, Its all in the Details, If you need help, Don't leave out the Details.

 

[macodi]

sup

 

[bum_jcrules]

You probably have never refitted either the Swiftech or the Alpha with a 92mm fan. They are much quieter and preform just as well if not slightly better.

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[bum_jcrules]

Here is a good link on how to <A HREF="http://www.2cooltek.com/retro.html" target="_new">refit a fan without using one of those dumb funnel contraptions</A>.

It is for a 60mm to 80mm but it works the same for a 80mm to a 92mm. Both the Swiftech and the Alpha are great to use this method on. The vertical pins make it easy for the machine screws to take a good hold.

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[livedistortion]

The Swiftech, Coolermaster, and Alpha really seem to be the top three. Everyone says that the Swiftech and Coolermaster are loud, can't they be used with different fans like the Alpha can? I mean without doing the 92mm mod? Any other opinions welcome as these 3 are so close in quality.

Thanks

 

[morganwill]

I have been led to believe that the swifttech 462+ is the most advanced.
This one should be more technologically advanced than the others. Comments???
I have just ordered this to be used with an adjustable 80mm high flower?
I hope I have chosen the best air cooler for over clocking an XP2400 or 2600.
Please share experiences.

 

[bum_jcrules]

The Alpha was designed to cool well even with a lower airflow. The Swiftech can also do fine with less airflow but from everything I have seen with the heatpipe designs they NEED airflow to function well. The best overall design is the Alpha for plain cooling. The Swiftech is a good design also, however I have not seen many articles, reviews, or by word of mouth testimonies where someone tested it with lower CFM fans. Heatpipes need the heat disipated or they can't function. (They are basically just convection cells... If there isnt a cold side the cell stops working.)

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[livedistortion]

Thanks, I think I'm going to go with the Alpha, as I'll have my choice of fans and therfore loudness. Now I need to pick a fan, the choices are endless. I hear about panaflo, enermax, vantec, and papst as being some of the best. Which will give me the best balance between noise and cooling? I'm not even sure I'm going to overclock, but want to be prepared for the future if I decide to. And the one article I read, I think it was one on this site mentioned that your motherboard may not boot up if you don't have a HSF with variable RPM's, what's the story on that?

Thanks!

Anthony

 

[bum_jcrules]

Get the <A HREF="http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/appliance/pdf/fba08a.pdf" target="_new">Panasonic (AKA Panaflo) FBA08A12U1A</A>. It is a 46.9CFM fan at 38.2 dBA. Now if this noise level is too much. Get a rheostat to hook up to the fan so you can control the speed. This will work out well. So if you want more cooling you can use full power and can slow it down for better noise levels if that is more important.

<A HREF="http://www.pricewatch.com/2/199/91-1.htm" target="_new">Fan</A>

<A HREF="http://2cooltek.safeshopper.com/62/cat62.htm?782" target="_new">Rheostat</A>

There are lots of vendors for both... Just pick one in your area of the world or order online. I just used these two links to give you an idea when shopping.

As for the "site mentioned that your motherboard may not boot up if you don't have a HSF with variable RPM's, what's the story on that?" Contact your motherboard manufacturer if think there could be an issue.

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[4Ryan6]

Your information is seriously flawed, I don't care what THGs review says, I purchased the great B/S Coolermaster HHC-001, it ran 10c higher than the Swiftech MCX-462, its just as loud but has a higher pitch tone, due to the smaller fanblades, which is quite irritating. The HHC-001 doesn't perform any better than the AMD stock fan that comes with the boxed processor. And yes I applied the thermal compound and gave it an equal test on the same machine, needless to say my confidence in Toms reviews just went down the toilet.




Details, Details, Its all in the Details, If you need help, Don't leave out the Details.

 

[kdo2milger]

I too tried the HHC-001, with all it's rave reviews and what not, man was I ever so dissappointed in the temps I was getting. I thought I did something wrong, so I removed it cleaned everything up, reapplied ASIII, and what did I get? Even higher temps...needless to say I replaced it with an Alpha Pal 8045T, probably the smartest thing I ever did...hehe...well my temps went from like 55c to around 37c under load nough said

Look at this way, I got a real expensive paper weight, and a education in cooling!!!

<font color=red><b>We all love disassembling things to see how it works,
but who wants to put it back together again?

 

[4Ryan6]

Since I'm basically stuck with the thing, I did a little modifying, the contact surface needed sanding, it was nowhere near the smoothness of the Swiftechs mirror finish, I put 1/16 inch rubber washers, between the fan and the heatsink body and it actually cut the noise considerably, that worked surprisingly well to cut down the resonatating between the high speed fan and heatsink, don't know why they don't ship it from the factory a little more refined, than they do, getting a little better temps, but still 10c higher than the Swiftech.




Details, Details, Its all in the Details, If you need help, Don't leave out the Details.

 

[4Ryan6]

My Swiftech runs idle 32c under load around 36c




Details, Details, Its all in the Details, If you need help, Don't leave out the Details.

 

[error_911]

As for your motherboard not booting-up, I had the *same* problem with my Vantec Aeroflow... for some reason, though there is a third wire for rpm support, my motherboard wouldn't read it, and when booting up it told me that the fan wasn't working and that it would shutdown. In my panic I popped open the case and checked - it was working, so I simply disabled "fan speed monitoring" on my BIOS. Now as for a fan, the PAPST fans are definitely the best, but are sosososo expensive. I was going to get myself one wholesale (till I found out the price), a nice 120mm ~150cfm for $75!! Their 80mm go for about $20, which is o.k., but I ended up making the decision upon Vantec Tornados and a big (120mm) Delta with a Vantec fan controller. When I'm just using word, turn of the knobs allows me to actually work, playing mechwarrior mercenaries (my old favorite-brought back!) I turn it up and it doesn't bother, because the speakers mask out the sound. Vantec fan controller = $27, Vantec Tornado (80mm) = $14

 

[Civilized]

Thermaltake SMART CASE FAN II. Variable Fan Speed Control, by temperature sensor. Fan Dimension: 80x80x25 mm. Two Ball Bearing. 3-Pin. FAN Speed Control Setting: 1300 rpm at 20°C~ . 4800 rpm at 55°C. Air Flow: 20.55 CFM at 1300rpm. 75.7 CFM at 4800rpm.
with this fan you maximum air flow and quiteness when it is not under full load...this fan in my opinion is much better than the deltas and quiter than the vantec

 

[bum_jcrules]

Good fan. Only consideration are the noise levels. If it thinks it is too hot it will go at full speed. That is one loud fans when it is at full speed. That is why I suggested the Panaflo with a rheostat. 100% control.

<b><font color=red>Fredi</font color=red> <font color=red>Fredi</font color=red> He's our man! If he can't do it no one can!</b><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Bum_JCRules on 01/14/03 11:19 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[4Ryan6]

I did some further modifications on the CoolerMaster HHC-001 I lapped the contact face to a mirror finish it dropped the temps a full 2c. I personally believe with a few factory mods CoolerMaster would really have something here, first of all the base of copper that the cooler tubes run through needs to be about 1/8" thicker, and relocating the hold down clip so it catches the outer socket fingers and leaves full fins over the CPU core, would make an excellent cooler, the hold down clip goes right over the CPU and interferes with heat transfer. What do you think?




Details, Details, Its all in the Details, If you need help, Don't leave out the Details.