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A FAN SWAP
The LC-12 is tight, and doesn't really lend itself to modification, but we
felt we had to give it at least a chance to redeem itself. To this end, we decided
to replace the stock fan with a much bigger, quieter fan (a 92mm Nexus) that
would hopefully be powerful enough to put the air vents to good use. With no
way of mounting the fan to the heatsink, the mod was a bit rough and ready,
relying on gravity and friction to keep it in place above the heatsink, but
it did give us some idea of how the system would perform with upgraded cooling.
A Nexus "Real Silent" 92mm fan was wedged on top of the heatsink.
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AOpen i945GTt-VFA & Silverstone LC-12 with Fan
Swap Test Results
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Load Condition
|
CPU Temperature
(via SpeedFan)
|
CPU Core
Temperature
(via Intel TAT)
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System
Temperature
|
Fan Speed
|
System
Power Draw
|
Noise Level
|
|
Idle
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41°C
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28°C
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48°C
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<1000 RPM
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22W
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21 dBA@1m
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Load (Intel TAT)
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95~100°C
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89~94°C
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60°C
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1500 RPM
(Max)
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59W
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26 dBA@1m
(Max)
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At idle, the new fan was a huge improvement. The CPU temperature dropped significantly,
the system temperature was 10°C lower, and the power consumption dropped
to a spectacularly low 22W. Best of all, the noise signature changed from a
drone to a soft whoosh that was almost at the ambient noise level.
Things were less successful under load. The CPU did not throttle, but it did
cycle between 95~100°C — just barely below the throttle point. It cycled
because the fan controller cycled between maximum and minimum speed about once
every two minutes. For whatever reason, the fan controller did not behave so
well with the different fan, and the thermal threshold at which the fan speed
increased was much higher during this test.
The changes in noise were also more noticeable with the Nexus fan, although
they were not terrible. At full speed, most of the noise seemed to be the whoosh
of air turbulence, and, although it was slightly louder than the stock fan,
it was probably less noticeable because of its less tonal character.
All in all, the thermal performance was still pretty poor, and the slapdash
nature of the mod makes it difficult to recommend as a viable solution to the
thermal issues that we encountered. [Editor's Note: A quiet 60mm fan
mounted atop the heatsink might have provided better cooling with its more focused
airflow. Still, the heatsink itself is really not acceptable except for very
light use.]
MP3 RECORDINGS
Sound Recordings of Comparative Systems
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HOW TO LISTEN & COMPARE
These recordings were made
with a high resolution, studio quality, digital recording system and are
intended to represent a quick snapshot of what we heard during the review.
Two recordings of each noise level were made, one from a distance of one
meter, and another from one foot away.
The one meter recording is
intended to give you an idea of how the subject of this review sound in
actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a
computer or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches
of ambient noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the
subject. For best results, set your volume control so that the ambient
noise is just barely audible. Be aware that very quiet subjects may not
be audible — if we couldn't hear it from one meter, chances are we
couldn't record it either!
The one foot recording is
designed to bring out the fine details of the noise. Use this recording
with caution! Although more detailed, it may not represent how the subject
sounds in actual use. It is best to listen to this recording after you
have listened to the one meter recording.
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CONCLUSIONS
Individually, the i945GTt-VFA nor the LC-12 aren't bad if you understand their
limitations. Together, their problems compounded, as both have the same weakness:
Poor thermal design.
In a well ventilated case, the stock heatsink-fan of the i945GTt-VFA is probably
good enough, especially if it is not used for intensive work, or with a slower
processor than our midrange Core Duo. Its DC power circuitry is a mobile feature
that we'd love to see on more desktop boards, and it did not appear to have
any functional problems. It's only limitation is the number of peripherals it
can support, and given the mini-ITX form factor, they will not be missed.
In spite of its small size, this board is not lacking for features, and the
Intel 945GT chipset (Intel's MoDT-specific chipset) ensures that all of the
usual integrated devices are included. We had no gripes with Intel's integrated
graphics, especially given that the outputs were DVI and three different TV
connections. However, some users will probably complain that there is no provision
for upgrading it.
As seems to be the case with almost all of AOpen's MoDT boards, its Achilles
heel is the small, proprietary CPU heatsink. This is less of a problem for a
mini-ITX board where a proprietary heatsink is to be expected, and it really
wasn't all that loud, but silence enthusiasts will be disappointed to learn
that it cannot easily be made inaudible.
We are less enthusiastic about the LC-12. While it may be good enough for a
20W EPIA system, its airflow design seems inadequate. Good thermal design has
taken the back seat to small dimensions and styling, and it shows. Cooling almost
any system without a system fan demands a design that can take good advantage
of convection or conduction, and the LC-12 doesn't cut it in this department.
Another disappointments was the lack of an expansion slot, despite the fact
that the mini-ITX form factor provides space for one. Toss in the missing cover
for the optical drive bay and the dismal performance of the DC power supply,
and you'll understand why we weren't impressed with this case. We can only hope
that Silverstone's updated power brick has improved things a little.
Both of these products are specialty items, and both can probably cater to
their respective niches. However, as our thermal tests showed, they do not perform
well together. If you happen to be looking for a mini-ITX board that supports
Core (2) Duo, the i945GTt-VFA will probably suit your needs, and is one of the
few boards that can do so. Just be aware that compromises may need to be made.
Many thanks to AOpen
for supplying the i945GTt-VFA sample,
and to Silverstone
for supplying the Lascala LC-12 sample.
* * *
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* * *
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