CPU Cooling

[ShyBoy]

I have a socket A motherboard with a 2400+ Barton processer (I beleive that means it runs slightly cooler). Now, I want to fit a silent/quiet cooler onto this, and having a quick look around on the 'net, I've spied this:
http://img38.echo.cx/img38/3115/zalmansilentcpucooler21di.th.jpg (http://img38.echo.cx/my.php?image=zalmansilentcpucooler21di.jpg)
What do you people think? The only thing that concerns me is the size, here's another few photos from google:

http://www.frostytech.com/articleimages/200303/ZMcnps7000cu_mobo3.jpg

http://img158.echo.cx/img158/8016/zalmanbird0wt.th.jpg (http://img158.echo.cx/my.php?image=zalmanbird0wt.jpg) http://img158.echo.cx/img158/8258/4zalman7ag.th.jpg (http://img158.echo.cx/my.php?image=4zalman7ag.jpg)

[Chem:Lab]

Zalman stuff is excellent (if a little pricey). Ace cooling and über quiet.

I think you can get the dimensions of the unit off the Zalman site, so it might be worth opening your case and checking it'll fit (if you've already got lots of other stuff in there, I mean).

[ShyBoy]

Zalman stuff is excellent (if a little pricey). Ace cooling and über quiet.

I think you can get the dimensions of the unit off the Zalman site, so it might be worth opening your case and checking it'll fit (if you've already got lots of other stuff in there, I mean).

Well I've got a nice big case, but I've got a micro ATX motherboard :p. My camera is charging at the moment but I'll take a photo later.

Photos from Googles of my motherboard
http://img172.echo.cx/img172/9456/msikm4mvmicroatxmb2vp.th.jpg (http://img172.echo.cx/my.php?image=msikm4mvmicroatxmb2vp.jpg) http://img232.echo.cx/img232/2761/msikm4mv9ms.th.jpg (http://img232.echo.cx/my.php?image=msikm4mv9ms.jpg) http://img43.echo.cx/img43/4263/7464ii.th.jpg (http://img43.echo.cx/my.php?image=7464ii.jpg)

edit:
Zalman specs:
Width 10.9 cm
Depth 10.9 cm
Height 6.2 cm

[Mist]

The main thing to do, assuming that the fan fits your motherboard / socket type, would be to get the dimensions of it and measure to see if it will fit on without hitting any components that might be situated around the processor.

Common things that might get in the way would be tall capacitors, or memory sticks being too close.

[ShyBoy]

The main thing to do, assuming that the fan fits your motherboard / socket type, would be to get the dimensions of it and measure to see if it will fit on without hitting any components that might be situated around the processor.

Common things that might get in the way would be tall capacitors, or memory sticks being too close.

Just did a quick measurement and it's got about 5mm clearance of the powersupply and about the same for the ram. But I'm not completely sure.

[Teh_Gerbil]

5mm? Well, do a trial pop-it-in-place without any paste and see if it will sit clear. If so, go for it. If not, well, you can always return it if its an honest site. Or flog it on Ebay...

Or just grab a convential one, although don't expect as good cooling. :/

[Mr_Wobble]

As everybody else has said, get the exact dimensions of the cooler, measure everything carefullly. Check there's nothing by the CPU socket that could foul on the heatsink. Also check Zalman's website, as they have a list of compatible motherboards (or was it incompatible motherboards?). If all's ok, then buy one! I've got a Zalmann cooler on my CPU, the flower cooler, like this...

http://www.quietpc.com/uk/images/6000.jpg

Works well, and is quieter than a standard cooler. In fact, the fan that goes with it seems to be the noisiest thing in my computer, so I'm looking to find a quieter version of the fan to provide further noise reduction. Despite that, I now have a very quiet PC. Well, I would if it weren't for the recent overheating problems, meaning I had to turn the CPU fan up to 2000 rpm to cure it, thus making it noticably noisier. But I'll just tidy up the internals of the case, add an extra slow, quiet, exhaust fan, and turn the CPU fan speed back to 1400 - 1500 again.
Anyhow, I'd reccomend it! But If building a new PC, then I'd probably go for something like you're considering Shyboy.

[Mist]

We found those flower coolers to be fairly useless. boo.

[ShyBoy]

Anyhow, I'd reccomend it! But If building a new PC, then I'd probably go for something like you're considering Shyboy.

It's the same PC I'm just silencing it. Though I need to invest in a new motherboard at some point as well, because the one I've got is rubbish. It says where the firewire header is in the manual, but on the board theres just 10 or so soldered blobs. Not impressed :p.

I will carefully measure it, I'm not sure it will fit on mine as it is though. Also, how do you hide away all the hundreds of spare molex connectors?

[Teh_Gerbil]

I am the master of Molex hiding!

Heres some advices:

Cable ties are your friends. Lovers, even. You can cable them to go behind the motherboard tray, drive bays for the ones on the drives, just tie them round the back of it, and also my favourite for ones not connected to anything, is ram them behind the PSU and the side of the case that is closed off. A good trick with IDE cables if to run them behind and under the top bar of the motherboard tray. I might post a pic of my second PC to give you an idea of tidying it all up. (My main gaming rig is, frankly, a mess inside. Then it does have all the cable slots taken up, and no round cables. :o )

And done: (Please, I know the cables are crappy. But they were free. And my digi cam skills are worse.)
http://www.freewebs.com/tehgerbil/on.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/tehgerbil/wires1.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/tehgerbil/wires2.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/tehgerbil/wiresback.JPG

Basically, you get the idea, cable tie stuff out of view where possible.

[Mr_Wobble]

We found those flower coolers to be fairly useless. boo.
Well, mine works. Nuff said!
Useless in what way?

[ShyBoy]

Because I have serious doubts a zalman would fit in my case (I have a micro atx motherboard inside an antec sonata case, which although midi case sized it's got a large psu). Anyway, rather than me getting another motherboard (which i was contemplating in a nother thread) could you scrutinise this for me: http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/axp-3200.html

[ShyBoy]

Any opinions? :chin: Reviews look good on it and at 19db it's comparable to a human whisper supposeduly. That's as long as there's no case vibrations!

[Teh_Gerbil]

Looks good apart from the 70mm fan, its a bitch to find replacements if they die. I ended up buying an Ebuyer cheap HSF combo, and ripping off the fan.

Tried quietpc.co.uk or whatever it is?