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Intel Q6600 HSF (Nexus fan)
We have always appreciated the core design of the Intel stock cooler, but
of course could not get past the terrible sounding fan that usually accompanies
it. The copper-core version is a prime candidate for a simple mod: A fan swap with a 120 mm fan. The end result is a relatively low profile heatsink with a big airflow footprint that can help keep motherboard components cool.
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A pair of pliers made short work of the stock fan. Mounting a 120mm fan securely to the heatsink body requires some creativity. As a demonstration, we used four wire ties to bind the heatsink fins to
the fan struts of a Scythe Slipstream fan.
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Installed inside a Silverstone SG06. As you can see clearance was ample.
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For our standard thermal test, we used
our reference Nexus 120 mm fan. This combination should improve overall
cooling and acoustics over the stock Intel fan. The entire package weighs 540 grams and is 67 mm
tall.
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Test Results
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Fan Voltage
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Fan Speed
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SPL@1m
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Thermal Rise
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°C/W
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12V
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1100 RPM
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16 dBA
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39°C
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0.50
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9V
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890 RPM
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13 dBA
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45°C
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0.58
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7V
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720 RPM
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12 dBA
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52°C
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0.67
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Thermal Rise: Temperature rise above ambient
at load.
°C/W: based on the amount of heat dissipated by the CPU (measured
78W); lower is better.
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Arctic
Cooling Alpine 7 Pro - $15USD
A revisit of the Alpine 7 Pro is warranted as it was tested long before
we installed our anechoic chamber, and we use it time
and time again in the lab. Its manageable size and excellent acoustics makes
it our defacto substitute for an Intel stock cooler.
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The Alpine 7 Pro stands 86 mm tall and weighs 450g.
The heatsink has a simple design with broad thick 0.93 mm fins spaced
a healthy 1.8 mm apart.
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Installed in our test platform.
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Test Results
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Fan Voltage
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Fan Speed
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SPL@1m
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Thermal Rise
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°C/W
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12V
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1930 RPM
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28 dBA
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24°C
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0.31
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9V
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1600 RPM
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23 dBA
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28°C
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0.36
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7V
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1430 RPM
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17 dBA
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33°C
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0.42
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5V
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950 RPM
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12 dBA
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42°C
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0.54
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Thermal Rise: Temperature rise above ambient
at load.
°C/W: based on the amount of heat dissipated by the CPU (measured
78W); lower is better.
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The soft-mounted fan measures 85 mm in diameter and is one of the better models
in our roundup. At 12V it is very loud with some whine, while the rest of the
noise is simply soft-sounding air turbulence. At 9V it can be considered quiet,
running very smooth with a SPL of 23 dBA@1m. At 7V it is audible but the acoustic
profile is completely benign with just a soft 'whoosh.' At 5V, it's completely
inaudible at one meter.
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