Cooling for PC

[NumenorLord]

I've just recently been browsing ways to cool a new PC, and I'd like your input on this selection of stuff:

CPU Cooler: CoolIT TEC Cooling Kit

GPU Cooler: Fatal1ty VGA Cooler
*Question* Would getting a VGA cooler be worth it over the stock heatsink/fan (from eVGA)? Also, wouldn't it take up another slot on your motherboard?

HDD Cooler: CoolerMaster CoolDrive Lite

If memory comes with a heatsink, should I worry about upgrading the cooling on that?

 

[chuckshissle]

I agree with you with the cpu cooler but if your planning just to cool the cpu then you can buy one for around $110 and it's cools down your cpu down to 35c*. The vga cooler is cool but don't pay extra money for the name, you can get just the regular all-copper zalman cooler for lower price and the same cooling performance. The hard drive cooler is not that practical since I don't think your running a server on your system, a good 120mm fan in front of it should cool it down. Mine has it and it's 33c* but unless your hd is running constantly like servers does then you need to hd cooling device. Sure there's nothing wrong with these stuff but you could definitely get an alternate coolers for cheaper and with the same results.

 

[WOWchamp]

More often then not the stock cooler is fine... apply some new AS5 or IMHO some MX-1 thermal compound to the cpu IHS.

Clean out your system by using an aim compressor (be carefull not to use to high of a pressure and damage something). Like if it can wisk paper away from 5 feet then its probably too much.

GPU coolers are worthless IMHO unless yours is defective, or you bought a GPU that came with a crap cooler to being with. Dont spend over 30$ on a VGA cooler.

HDD coolers are worthless unless you have 15K RPM drives that stay on constantly.

What CPU/VGA do you have? How many 120MM or 80MM case fans you got... whats the ambient case temp like???

 

[NumenorLord]

I've heard that the Raptor line of hard drives runs very hot. I want to grab two of the 150 GB versions and stick them in the CoolDrive Lites (I'd also have two 300 GB 7,200 rpm hard drives, but they wouldn't be in the CoolDrive Lites). I'm not even sure if the VGA coolers are worth it. I don't care about getting the extra 100 MHz from my GPU's. Besides, I oc'ed my 6800 from 325/600 to 400/750 using nothing more than what it came with, so I'm sure I'd still get a nice bit of overclocking with dual eVGA GeForce 7900 GTs. Onto the subject of the CPU cooler, that thing is by far the coolest (no pun intended) I've seen. It may cost $400, but it says it's maintenance free and all I have to do is bolt it down to the case/hard drive and voila! it's ready to go. It also comes with a USB "beverage" cooler. What more could somebody want?

 

[WOWchamp]

Enough cash to do somthing that stupid with money and not care/worry about it.

 

[NumenorLord]

Well it looks like the most effective CPU cooler. Besides, I want this computer to last a while (around two years, at least) without any upgrades. I still want it to be in the higher end of things a year after I buy it, and good to play games for a few years. Just think, in a few months an FX-57 and GeForce 7800 GTX will still be considered pretty highly, and that's what I wish to do with my computer.

 

[shawnlizzle =]]

that cpu cooler is about the dumbest thing i've seen since those tiny 5 1/2" drive bay watercoolers. its incrediblely inefficient if it is implemented correctly... and its not even that. they are basically running the water through two TECs, to chill the water. Swiftech tried to make a legitament version of this, but required 2 extra water coolign loops to cool off the two TECs in the product

i don't see any active cooling for that chilling resevoir, so expect really relaly weak TECs and also expect really relaly high CPU temps, i would say much higher than stock cooling.


the fatality thing is overpriced for just the logo.. get a regular v700

the hard drive cooler is also un-neccesary, a good 120mm fan to give it some air flow is plenty. hard drives run hot, they are suppose to

 

[NumenorLord]

CoolIT Freezone Cooling Review

 

[shawnlizzle =]]

if you havn't noticed... it was a completely biased review, they provide no scientific reason to their best bed.


i usually don't trust any review sites that test coolers on CPUs, you need a stable heat source both imitating the IHS and teh naked core. that site basically provided you reason how they took a 3700 to 3ghz... which is rare even with high end water coolign and phase change.

the best proof, buy one yourself and watch the dissapointment

i take my big tyhpoon over that POS anyday

 

[NumenorLord]

Yes, I guess installing the unit in a PC with all of the components and then running tests doesn't constitute science, or maybe English isn't your first language.

how they took a 3700 to 3ghz... which is rare even with high end water coolign and phase change.

Ok, unless logic works in a very twisted sense here, you just made the point that the cpu cooler is efficient to be able to overclock a 2.2 GHz AMD the whole way past 3.0 GHz.

Ok, if you look at the photos on the review, it shows the guy installing the cpu cooler. I think an actual processor successfully (correct me if I'm wrong) "imitates both the IHS and the naked core." Or maybe since it's what I'd actually be overclocking the tests are invalid. I mean, we have to have something that actually imitates a PC (we can't have real PCs to run tests). I will buy one and then laugh whenever I get a nice stable 600+ MHz overclock.

 

[clue69less]

I've just recently been browsing ways to cool a new PC, and I'd like your input on this selection of stuff:

CPU Cooler: CoolIT TEC Cooling Kit

One thing about Peltiers is that they are inefficient. I know some run as low as 10%. So if you pull 100 watts off of your CPU, you dump 1KW out the back of your box. In the winter that's not such a bad thing but in summer... One thing I like about this unit is that it has some heat capacity between the TEC and the CPU. Some folks put the cool surface of the TEC on the CPU itself. In some cases, this dumps the 500 to 1500 watts into the case AND if the TEC loses power or dies, the CPU follows suit soon after. By putting some distance (and heat capacity) between the cool surface of the TEC, I'd think that you might be able to minimize condensation and also buy some time if the TEC dies.

 

[shawnlizzle =]]

sorry that previous post didn't make sense... i was kinda out of it


what i was trying to say is that their testing methods arn't scientific.

without a stable heatsource, you can't possiblely test the delta between teh cooler and the cpu. they also didnt' provide crucial information like ambient temperature.

the thing with the OC is that, overclocking is much dependent on the chip itself. a 3700+ can do 3ghz with air, water, TEC, or phase depending on which chip you get. and just OCing a 3700 to 3ghz doesn't really prove the cooler's performance.


go to www.procooling.com , they have one of the most legit test beds i've seen

 

[chuckshissle]

I have the raptors and mine is running at 35c right now at idle. I have a 120mm in front of it, some cases don't even have a fan to cool the hd. I've have never seen my hd go up to over 40c, so pretty much it's safe.

 

[chuckshissle]

If you want to water cool your cpu then check out the Kingwin Aquastar. My buddy has it in his budget gaming rig, so he overclocked it really high to get more performance. This watercooling kit fits on two slot 5" drives or can be an externaly placed. It cost him around $130 including tax and shipping and it cooled down his cpu to 35c* at idle and never go over 45c* during heavy load like stress test and gaming. It's a pretty good cooling kit. It has a cpu and vga block but it is only good enough to cool down the cpu, but for the price it was a good deal. Don't spend on something very expensive coolers. Those internal coolers are not that good since it's gulping warm air from the case. Get one that is external or front mounted for better cooling.

 

[NumenorLord]

http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-327-1.htm

Does that one suit your fancy more?

Here is another VGA cooler. This one looks promising (because it's only 12 mm thick).

 

[chuckshissle]

Okay I see you really want a water cooling as well as a vga cooling. For about the same price you can get the Swiftech Ultra water cooling kit. It cools both cpu, north bridge and vga card.

http://www.swiftnets.com/products/H20-220-APEX-plus.asp

 

[hongkongphuey]

Two words for you. Arctic Cooler. It exhausts the heat OUTSIDE your box for cooler overall temps. I had a stock cooler with COPPER base (most come in aluminum) and two fans and I get 10-15 degree drop on average, even under load. Yes it's heavier than the Zalman, but at least you don't get the warm air recycled at all. Make sure you have at least one 80/120mm intake fan to supply it with cool air to keep the sucker nice and chilly.

 

[chuckshissle]

Yes it is. I tried them with my sli rig but unfortunately it didn't fit due to the spacing of the pci-e slots. Apparently the Nv Silencer Rev. 3 take more than two slots. I got only one slot space in between the cards so I have to return and endure with the not so silent stock fan.

 

[hongkongphuey]

Bummer dude. THose things are f*N loud! SLI doesn't work with Arctic or Zalman, for what ever reason, but if you use ONE card they are great.

CHeers.