Hi Guys,

Can anyone recommend a decent 478 socket silent/near silent heatsink? I've got an HTPC based on an old P4 3.2 Prescott that although is pretty quiet thanks to a 25cm fan in the side of my case and a couple of near silent fans, I can still hear my TT 7+ whining away. Its a bit annoying so I would like to replace it.

The problem is that the 25cm fan is housed in a thick plastic....housing so it limits the height the cooler can be. This is the case i use aopen

Thanks

I have had good luck with the Zalman 7000AL-CU. It comes with a fan speed adjuster which allows you to dial down the fan to 1400-1500 where it is practically noiseless. Cooling performance is good, though not on par with more modern heat pipe systems. Installation is very easy on a socket 478. You use the OEM mounting ring, slip 2 aluminum bars through the tangs and screw the cooler to the bars. No motherboard removal is required. The pure copper version may cool slightly better, but weighs a lot more. I put it in a 2.4 GHz Northwood for noise reduction purposes only. It has worked out well.

Ditto to what Newf said. Additionally, this fan falls within Intel's recommended specification for weight, so you can move the computer around without worrying about the HSF damaging the motherboard. It is a rather large HSF however, despite its relatively light weight. Also, the cpu contact area has a mirror polish to maximize heat transfer - no lapping needed! It will provide better cooling than a stock HSF and is fairly quiet without the, what I consider worthless, "fan mate", although I have to admit, with it you can quieten down the noise to inaudible levels, provided you don't have too severe a heat envelope in your case. Aluminum transfers heat better solid to air, copper excels solid to solid. So, you have the best of both here.