Specifics, Continued
- Heat Sink and Fan (HSF)
I have read many HSF reviews and have not found one that puts the decision for selection in my kind of English. I believe the choice of HSF depends on requirements for power dissipation, noise, overclocking and size. My view on the noise aspect of CPU fans is simple - the smaller it is and the faster it spins, the more likely it is to be noisy. I generally go for a HSF with >80mm low RPM fans as a starting point, and because 80mm is a standard size, it allows me to try different 80mm fans. I can personally recommend the "Zalman Flower," as it has a 90mm fan mounted on the chassis with external speed adjustment, and is an excellent quiet solution (I only name this one as I am not aware of a similar product).
Overclocking a processor will usually increase the power dissipation beyond the rating of an equivalent standard part, usually because I have increased the core voltage. Finally, heat sink application seems to be often misunderstood, and I have lost count of the number of heat sinks I have reseated. My mounting method is simple: first, clean both processor and mating face of HSF (to the bare metal) with alcohol and use a clean, "lint-free" cloth. (I have found that paper towels work fine!) Apply the heatsink compound to the mating surface of HSF, and wipe in order to fill microscopic cavities, gently removing any excess. Using a razor blade, apply a uniform coating of compound to the processor, just thick enough so you can't see through it. When fixing the HSF to the processor, try to stop the HSF from moving once it has been mated with the processor, and apply the fixing clip carefully. I do believe the polymer resin compounds (e.g., Artic Silver) will perform better due to the nature of physics, but how significant the performance difference is remains unclear to me. Generally, I take my time and maybe try several attempts to get used to how heat sink behaves, as heat sink compound is very cheap!
TOPICS