AntiTamper Screws on CPU Cooling? + Other issues

There are a couple different types of P4 3.0Hhz CPUs. The cooler is only attached by two screws?

There were quite a few Zalman CPU coolers that looked good but performed badly... or do by modern standards.

Possibly you need a different kind of screw driver...

Is it a Torx?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx
If not see the page anyway for a list of different screws.

Copper is not really a needed material except in smaller heatsinks. Just adds to weight and looks nice. All the best air coolers have copper pipes but aluminum fins.

From the sound of it you don't need too much in a PSU, but I would need to know more about your case and that GPU.

Its just a AGP Gfx card, nothing too beefy- doesnt need its own power connector. About th zalman, it does have heat pipes. but the fins appear the same colour. Im going to have a good look at the screw but its really hard to tell, its almost round. Like an Allen key though as i can make out tiny corners. Its held down by 2 screws however these are part of 4arms that lock in place.

Ive looked again, and one looks slighty worn. However im pretty certain they are both allen key sytle HEX screws but somehow they slip between sizes.

Well, the coolers did come with allen keys I think. Perhaps it's simply proprietary.
Like this one:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article267-page1.html

I found a manual, downloading...

I think this is the cooler, or at least the screws and allen wrench are the same.
http://www.zalman.co.kr/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?Id...

There is no info in the manual or instructions. You would have to contact them directly or find an L-shaped screw extractor...
http://www.amazon.com/Eazypower-82681-Damaged-Screw-Rem...

That one you posted in your first link (Sorry im late - I didnt get notification emails as I wanted).

That looks JUST like the one I got, the cross bar, the 2 black screws(thats what i can get out)

The screws are not badly badly worn, but the allen keys were slighty worn too. Im almost certain your right about it coming with Allen Key screws now. If I could just order that size and use it to unscrew (If i knew the size) it would be better off trying that before buying £20 of those screw removers (thats a last resort). Im not certain how they are used either, with a drill?

Thanks to a neoighbour who had a few spare random sizes, ONE WORKED! Im now in the process of unscrewing so that big issue is over


Im gonna reapply paste, clean all that up. And get the thing turned on, if I get temp drop, Ill report back, if not, I'll ask about that

When I get the PC back on I'll also get a propper list of the specs, So can work out what an ideal PSU replacement would be and i think im also after 2 x Case fans, and a Sata cable. But they are easy enough to buy.

Temps down to under 40. (Around 35 ish) with case off. No case fans yet. and room is a nice cool temp with winodws open. Brilliant from 80degs.

I shall now be thinking of getting a newer PSU (As its a PSU from an older machine in this one (But I will get specs and you can experts can tell me if i should replace or not I hope? )

I think the case only takes 6cm or 8cm fans. its a pretty small case. Im going to get 2 of these and a right-angled sata. I will be back in a bit to post up the propper specs

Glad it's at least partly resolved.

Well, that was most of the problem. the CPU temp, and that one end of the sata cable was demaged.

I had installed Win7 on machine, CPU sometimes spikes to 50when busy, but within seconds is back down to 35ish. I ordered some case fans, and a replacement sata, Sorry I've not been able to get the specs for the PC.

But the PC is a P4 system really. The GFX is AGP and doesnt have any extra power connectors. The PSU is out of an older machine, however it does say "FOR PENTIUM 4 Computers on the back of it).

Hopefully it has a bit more 12V power than the older ones then.

One of my favorite places to look for fans is jab-tech:
http://www.jab-tech.com/Case-Fans-c-40.html
Many people use them and so their prices are quite good.

A good PSU will add another fan to the case also. This budget Corsair unit will come down in price a bit soon, it's brand new... temp controlled fan will increase if the air in the case gets warm.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Be sure to check those CPU temps using Core Temp or HWMonitor. Different programs will vary 5-10C, and these two programs agree and are... the standard, there we go, the word escaped me for a min. Use one of them, they give the standard temp we all use to gauge with.
http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

I forgot to mention, Im from the UK (I usually use Ebuyer to get parts)

I have another question for you if you dont mind? You've been a brilliant help.

my main computer has a AMD Phenom II X3 720. I use just the stock cooler. Im getting temps about 50 after been playing a game for a good few hours.

Thats pretty decent, But I do want to get rid of the stock cooling and try to get heat vented out the side vent (which doesnt have a fan on it, also the stock cooling is quite noisey compared to the BeQuiet Case fans I have in there).

I was looking at this: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176157
Which seems like a real good bargain, and compatabile. my concern is, Can I chose which way I want it mounted (as with the zalman issue I just had, It couldnt be moved due to a rectanular mount). As to direct air either towards to back or side of the case (the case has an intake fan, and outtake fan (PSU fan, which sucks out) the other 2fans are the CPU fan and GFX card fan which just blow air around the case I presume.

Im looking for a cooler for the above processer anyway. Any that you beleive is a good choice I will look at. I dont do overclocking. Its all at stock setup. I dont know how to overclock to be hoesnt, But I do play quite a few games. and I do a lot of downloading and soon probably a lot of encoding too, which is CPU intensive. But my main reason for wanting a cooler better than stock is just to get more longer life out the PC.

Thanks again.

If you get a cube shaped cooler that can have the fan mounted on all 4 sides, yes.... I can't say I've seen any of those though. The orientation of the heatsink is going to be limited to the one axis because of the rectangular hole placement on the board.

You could get a top-down cooler, but those don't cool the CPU as well.

You could get a cooler that replaces the entire mounting bracket, but I think those don't give you the kind of flexibility you want.

You could get this:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Corsair-H50-1-Hydro-Seri...
It's a self-contained water cooler, works about as well as the air cooler you linked, and you can attach the fan/rad to your vent. You can also add a second fan for push-pull airflow.

Otherwise I think that's a good choice you have. Akasa makes something similar as I recall.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/AKASA-Nero-V2-multi-plat...
That one would cool a bit better than the AC you linked, but costs a bit more as well. You probably need thermal grease as well with this one, while the AC freezer comes with a thermal pad pre-applied... makes installation easier.

I think i may of lost you there, Im talking about my main PC now, and that cooler. Unless (Ive got confused myself?).

The case fans are all used up in my main PC that I want the CPU cooler for.

That water cooler is quite nice, I was looking at that today, although dearer. It suggests mounting it to the back of the case, I already have a be quiet fan there drawing out out, and the setup suggests pulling air INTo the case to cool the system.

Since I have an inny in the front, and a outy in the back. Im not sure how this would work without messing up my air flow (if it could be mounted to the much smaller side fan mount, or near the grill located near the gfx card also on the side.

I've been at this while tired too much lately   You can setup the airflow either way with the Corsair. In fact, I have heard it said by several that they would rather not dump the warmer air inside the case.

If you are using a high powered GPU dumping lots of hot air into the case, don't vent that out through the little rad.
If the largest heat source is your CPU and that heat is all going to the rad anyway, it seems reasonable to use that vent as an exhaust.
Maybe that's a bit confusing but I double-checked it and I made sense  

Just an idea. You could sandwich the radiator between the two fans.

Or, you could make the side hole bigger.

I think ill probbaly give that cooler a miss, since I dont want to be taking out my case fans, and its too big to sit on the side of the case near the smaller case fan mount. I dont use a madly overclocked system, Everything is at default.

CPU: AMD Phenom II 720 (x3)
4GB RAM
Radeon HD 4800 is the gfx card

Sounds fine then.