Two 690G builds

somecretin · Post by **somecretin** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:51 pm

najames wrote:I can't really check my Biostar video, running Linux now on it with only basic standard drivers. I don't ahve any monitors with that sort of resolution either.

Thanks anyway <g>

yoitsmeremember · Post by **yoitsmeremember** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:51 am

My GA-MA69GM-S2H just arrived the other day, and I agree with everyone else about the "too hot to touch" NB. I'm trying to find an alternative heatsink--and am willing to sacrifice access to the PCIe x4 slot if need be. The only thing I'm worried about is fit. A quick glance at newegg shows some attractive passive coolers:

Syba CL-CNL-CHPMG2 - Looks good, but I'm not sure if its hole mounting will work.
Thermalright HR-05 - Worried that the heat pipes coming out the side of this *might* bump into the x4 slot. Also, the compatibility list doesn't include the 690G, and don't know what modding would would be involved just to attach it.
ANTAZONE AS-N2000 - Looks like it might kill both the x4 and x16 slot with its size.
Thermalright HR-05-SLI - The ideal solution? Once again, the 690G isn't listed as compatible. However, assuming the heat pipes on the bottom don't bump into the x16 slot, this might leave the x4 slot open as well, which would be nice.

I'm also looking at the popular, active cooler, the Thermaltake CL-C0034, but I'd like to avoid active cooling

. Anyway, has anyone tried any custom NB cooling on this, especially any of those mentioned above? I'm curious to know what works well on this motherboard...

somecretin · Post by **somecretin** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:57 am

There's a post on the Newegg site referring to the GA-MA69GM-S2H, suggesting that dropping the memory speed a little had lowered the CPU & NB temperatures quite noticeably ...

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:24 pm

@ yoitsmeremember: See if you can get Noctua NC-U6. It might be worth of consideration as it has two heatpipes, while Hr-05 has one. Nexus also has full copper northbirdge heatpipe cooler. By experience, I do know Hr-05sli works like dream.

yoitsmeremember · Post by **yoitsmeremember** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:20 am

somecretin wrote:There's a post on the Newegg site referring to the GA-MA69GM-S2H, suggesting that dropping the memory speed a little had lowered the CPU & NB temperatures quite noticeably ...

Yeah, I can lower the speed, but that also hurts performance... However, I do make use of Cool'n'Quiet, which lowers CPU multiplier and RAM frequency, so that helps, but it still gets hotter than I'm comfortable with, especially when I start playing video and it clocks back up.

thejamppa wrote:@ yoitsmeremember: See if you can get Noctua NC-U6. It might be worth of consideration as it has two heatpipes, while Hr-05 has one. Nexus also has full copper northbirdge heatpipe cooler. By experience, I do know Hr-05sli works like dream.

Ah thanks, I hadn't seen the NC-U6. It foes look really nice, and I don't think the heatpipes will hit the x4 slot either (they go up before leaving the side unlike the HR-05...it's more similar to the Syba, but I'd trust the NC-U6 more). I'll look for their full copper one shortly too. Also, I'm glad to hear the positive comments about the HR-05sli. My *only* worry with it (aside from attachment, but that can be worked around) is that the heat pipe "caps" sticking out the side on the bottom will bump into the x16 slot which is _directly_ below the NB heatsink, or that, at the other end of the heat pipe, the fins, will bump into the CPU heatsink.

somecretin · Post by **somecretin** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:27 am

yoitsmeremember wrote:
somecretin wrote:There's a post on the Newegg site referring to the GA-MA69GM-S2H, suggesting that dropping the memory speed a little had lowered the CPU & NB temperatures quite noticeably ...
Yeah, I can lower the speed, but that also hurts performance... However, I do make use of Cool'n'Quiet, which lowers CPU multiplier and RAM frequency, so that helps, but it still gets hotter than I'm comfortable with, especially when I start playing video and it clocks back up.

Sure ... just trying to see if we can get to the bottom of why it runs so hot on some boards, and cool on the Biostar. I'd love to know why

Please let us know how you get on with the NB cooler, yoitsmeremember?

yoitsmeremember · Post by **yoitsmeremember** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:19 pm

Well, I can't comment on the Biostar, since I don't actually own it. I'll certainly let you know how the NB cooling goes on the Gigabyte though. I imagine quite a few people would want to put custom heatsinks on it.

yoitsmeremember · Post by **yoitsmeremember** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:07 pm

As promised, I have added the new cooler (I ended up going with the syba) onto the S2H's NB, and boy does it make a difference! I'm talking 9 to 10 degrees (C)! It used to run at 41C (106F) and now it just dances at 31-32C (88-90F). Amazing

Here's a comparison of the two heatsinks, with the original resting on my CPU heatsink:

For anyone considering the Gigabyte over the Biostar, a custom heatsink is something you'll definately want IMHO. The Syba is a PITA to get on there though...after giving the bottom of it a greatly needed polish, I had to file down the mounting "arms" so they would angle in enough to pierce the holes on the motherboard.

Oh, and yes, this will kill your access to the x4 slot, but that's where I put the analog TV bracket for now

colin2 · Post by **colin2** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:46 pm

Great work Yoits on both the installation and the photography! Thanks for putting this up. Has everything else gone swimmingly with your Gigabyte mobo? I'm about a week away from having to decide between it and the Biostar TA-690G so any advice would be welcome.

Has anyone tried either of the Thermalright NB coolers on this board?

yoitsmeremember · Post by **yoitsmeremember** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 8:21 pm

colin2 wrote:Great work Yoits on both the installation and the photography! Thanks for putting this up. Has everything else gone swimmingly with your Gigabyte mobo? I'm about a week away from having to decide between it and the Biostar TA-690G so any advice would be welcome.

Has anyone tried either of the Thermalright NB coolers on this board?

Thanks! Everything else has gone pretty well, but I'm still hoping for some BIOS upgrades (there are some strange quirks with it...I posted about it in the thread specific to the S2H on this forum). As long as you don't need the x4 slot and the x16 slot, this looks like a pretty good NB cooling solution.

Also, I took a really, really long look at the Thermalright HR-05-SLI. hoping to save the x4 slot and still get better cooling, but I can't see it fitting in without bumping into the CPU heatsink (even with the stock one!). If you go with the biostar and it's as cool as they say it is, you probably won't even have to worry about it.

Overall though I'd say I'm very pleased with the S2H, even with the sacrifice of the x4 slot (I know I'll end up with at least 1 PCIe card in here at some time, and then I'm only left with PCI slots). Running XP Pro x64 Ed. and aside from getting a BSoD one time--looked like it had to do with the AHCI driver, but couldn't repeat it, it's been flawless.

I don't think you could go wrong with either board though. Cheers

somecretin · Post by **somecretin** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 1:55 pm

nice going, yoitsmeremember

Did you try the NC-U6 at all? Wondering whether that one clear the X4 slot or not ...

yoitsmeremember · Post by **yoitsmeremember** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:04 pm

somecretin wrote:nice going, yoitsmeremember

Did you try the NC-U6 at all? Wondering whether that one clear the X4 slot or not ...

No, I didn't, as it cost quite a bit more than the syba and looked about the same. However, thinking about it, I might have wanted to go with it to avoid having to do some of the modding I had to do to get the syba mounting (but where would the fun be in that?). Thinking about it, I probably won't use the x4 slot, assuming nothing on the motherboard goes wrong...

I'm thinking about adding a graphics card in, despite how good the onboard 690G is. It just can't handle most games smoothly at 1680x1050. I wanted to avoid doing so for power reasons, but now I also worry about the heat from the north bridge hitting the card. However, if it does in fact power down by quite a bit when you disable it (as I suspect it will), then I don't think it'll be an issue.

Deliriou5 · Post by **Deliriou5** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:50 am

Frank2003 and all,

This is a great thread with some really good info. I'm looking to put together a new build using the Biostar TA690G-AM2 and a BE-2350. I'm wondering what HSF you guys are using on a system with this low of a TDP. Are you using the retail HSF? Is something like a ninja over kill? Could a mini-ninja running passive work?

I know that there have been lots of comments about a heat sink for the north bridge for the gigabyte board, but no mention of what people are using on their CPU. Anyone's experience would be most helpful!

-Deliriou5

croddie · Post by **croddie** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:34 pm

I have just set up this combination. I am using the stock fan at the moment but I can't find CPU fan control settings in the bios. They are advertized in the manual as being under "PC Health Status" but they aren't there when I look in my BIOS. Is there a setting to enable them?

If I get the CPU fan control to work I can then see if the stock heatsink and fan is adequate.

frank2003 · Post by **frank2003** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:58 am

For the BE-2350 I think the stock HSF is more than sufficient for a quiet system unless you overclock.

I'm currently running a system with X2 4000+ (the 65W counterpart of the BE-2350) and Biostar TA690G. Under load (orthos), at vcore 1.056V @ 2.1ghz, the CPU fan runs at under 1850rpm while the temperature never goes above 42C.

charonme · Post by **charonme** » Mon May 19, 2008 7:35 am

anyway, how hot is the biostar northbridge heatsink?

frank2003 · Post by **frank2003** » Fri May 23, 2008 3:18 am

The NB heatsink on my Biostar 690G runs very cool.

Two 690G builds

Re: Two 690G builds

how hot is the biostar nb hs?