AM2 Socket Heatsink

[mrvanhes]

So I've about finished this recent PC build and I've got a 4600+ AM2 64 X2 chip in it. Now, I don't "need" anything extreme persay for overclocking and so-forth, but I need to make this build quiet and cool (my room gets to about 80 degrees during the summer). I've got AMD's Cool n' Quiet driver enabled (will this end up making games run slower and sometimes crach? I've heard it's a really unreliable application), and right now the CPU cooler is likely one of the most quiet components of this build, but I need to get all of my parts down to twenty decibels or lower if I can, preferrably with some sweet blue LEDs. I've also got a somewhat limited amount of space.

Anywho, I've been debating getting this crazy little thing: Thermaltake CL-P0257
Anybody know if this cooler is any good?

 

[capnbfg]

I wouldn't exactly call that cooler little. I saw one on display at Radio Shack, and I could tell just by looking at the thing that it won't fit in my AM2 system. It's so large in diameter that motherboards with the CPU socket close to the memory slots will have spacing issues. This is something I would look into before purchasing.

As for quality, it seems like it would do the job just fine. Here are some reviews to look at:
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=15383
http://cooling-fans-heat-sinks.components.computers.merchanthound.com/reviews/13159645/Thermaltake-CLP0257-Blue-orb-II-CPU-Cooler-for-LGA775-K8
http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php/masterid=13159645/form_keyword=

 

[apt403]

All Cool n' Quiet does is turn down the clock speed of the cpu when its not being used. So, if your computer is just sitting there, not doing anything, Cool n' Quiet kicks in, decreases the clock speed and lowers the voltage on your cpu, so its running cooler and doesnt use as much power. When you do something intensive (encoding a dvd, gaming, ect.), everything is turned back up and running at full power.

This is the hsf I would get, you dont need to use a fan with it, so its completely silent.

 

[Il_palazzo]

The Blue Orb is 100% complete meh. (They are loud and cant cool all that well..)
Meet the Scythe Ninja. (Also Jab-Tech has it for $35)
They are very popular low noise coolers.

I wouldn't exactly call that cooler little. I saw one on display at Radio Shack, and I could tell just by looking at the thing that it won't fit in my AM2 system. It's so large in diameter that motherboards with the CPU socket close to the memory slots will have spacing issues. This is something I would look into before purchasing.

That heatsink design is based on the Zalman 7000 design, and there is enough clearance under the heatsink for memory and most chipset coolers.

 

[proof]

1) Noctua Case Fans
2) Noctua NH-U12F Heatsink
3) Sound Dampening Mat
4) Hard Drive Silencer

This stuff will make your computer uber quiet. The Noctua case fans are some of the best performing fans and also some of the quietest. The Noctua heatsink has out performed the TT. (In my own tests).

 

[mrvanhes]

So I went through and looked at all those reviews you all posted (thanks a ton for all the help by the way), aaaand sadly I don't believe I have room for about any of them. I went in and tried to measure how much space I have (without taking the motherboard out of the case itself) as best as I could. Just about all of those are blocked by my admittedly vestigial 80mm case-window fan. However, since I went through a lot of effort finding a pre-sleeved silent LED case fan (performance-pcs.com is a pretty great place for pre-sleeved junk), that fan won't be removed unless I could fit a vent hood in its place (it's a possibility).
Soooo I'm stuck with these very approximate dimensions:
90mm "width" (case front to case back).
125mm "depth" (case left to motherboard/retention bracket)
And a "height" (case ceiling to case floor) of a distance of about a centimeter on either side of the retention bracket.
Now this case is what newegg referred to as an ATX mid-tower, so the case itself isn't "small", but the distance between motherboard capacitors and the like are somewhat cramped.

Anywho if there is some manner of largeish HSF that's less than my forcedly shallow depth of 125 (preferably smaller) restriction that's more silent and a better cooler than my stock AMD HSF, that would quite frankly rock the house.

Is this a realistic goal?

 

[proof]

CoolerMaster Gemini?

 

[mrvanhes]

So I've browsed some more (thanks for all the feedback, <3 @ this forum), and am still having trouble finding a HSF for my PC. Specifically, it seems impossible to find a cooler for AM2 (I have an Asus M2N-SLI mobo by the way) that is under 125mm in depth/height and has some reliability / any popularity. Yes, silly parameter on my part, but frankly I need one that I can trust / people have used before with success.

Now, I'm debating getting some from Gigabyte (small depth and Performance Pcs does free sleeving on HSFs)

Any comments on Gigabyte's HSFs in the past? Anyone have non-stock HSFs for Asus's M2N-SLi Deluxe mobo for a "mid-sized" case?

Thanks again!

 

[capnbfg]

I'm not familiar with any of Gigabyte's heatsinks, so I can't make recommendations in that regard. If you are looking for good low-profile heatsinks though, then I would consider a couple of Zalman's offerings. The CNPS7700 is their most popular non-heatpipe design, and the CNPS8000 is a newer model that features heatpipes in a more compact design (not a tower). I'm pretty sure Zalman has never made a bad cooler, so you can be confident that you're getting a good product when you purchase either one of these coolers.

For personal experience, I'm currently running a Zalman CNPS9500 on my X2 3800+ AM2, and I know a friend who had the 7000 model on his P4. Both coolers work great. The only thing you need to watch out for on the 7000/7700 model is that wires can find their way into the space between the two banks of fins. If that does happen, they can stop the fan from spinning, which not only turns it into a passive cooler, but also causes the stalled motor to draw a higher than acceptable amount of current from the motherboard fan port. This can burn out the fan motor, the fan port, or in a worst case scenario, cause permanent motherboard/CPU damage. This isn't just speculation either, because the above-mentioned friend had this happen, and both his motherboard and CPU shit the bed because of it. So, if you do get the 7700, watch out for untidy wiring...

Good luck, and feel free to ask more questions.