Which Cooler out of these 2 would you choose as the best cooler:

HR-01 Plus v Xigmatek HDT-S1283

It would be used with a low RPM fan on an AM2 3200 X2 CPU in an Antec case. 9800 GT Graphics card and 4g of DDR2 Ram. One rear case fan.

I am looking to see which would be the best at cooling, using the same fan.

What are your opinions guys?

I don't want to be mean, but did you bother to read the review for the HR-01? There's a chart that offers a direct comparison between the two on the bottom of page 4. It's quite obvious that the Hr-01 will be the better performer.

Not to mention that the HR-01+ can be rotated to vent out the back exhaust using the S-type clip accessory, whereas the HDT-S1283 can't as far as I know.

I would use the HR-01 with a duct to the rear case fan. This is likely the quietest option. A low-end X2 CPU is quite easy to cool so should work great. I think it comes with a duct, if not Thermalright make a duct for the HR-01 with is available seperately.
Seb

Of course i have read the review!! Gee, why do people keep saying that to every thread that people make!! If everyone only ever read the Spcr review and went along with the review we wouldn't have a forum as nobody would need to ask any questions!!

User opinions i want, not reviews!!

Also, it is the HR-01 PLUS that i am interested in, not the older HR-01.

Yeah, I get annoyed too when people just give short replies like "read this" or "use the search button". But really, your exact question is answered by the review. With a chart. I'm not sure what else could be added. Sure, I guess someone could chine in with their experiences on which one has the better mounting system, but that's not what you asked for. You asked which of the two heatsinks was a better performer. A proper assessment would require someone to have tested both heatsinks using a similar system. This is exactly what the SPCR review gives you.

And that review IS for the plus version.

Maybe because these questions get asked repeatedly, and people get tired of writing the same response to the same questions over and over again. Seriously, most of these questions have been asked or the answers can be found with a little bit of work with the search engine. I know I could find the answers to every heatsink/fan question that you've asked by using the search function and never have to look at the answers given in your posts. It reeks of someone trying desperately to raise their post count or just being lazy. Just browsing your posting history shows, you've had 4 different threads related to the S1283, 6 on 120mm fan recommendations (only one was specific), 2 on 92mm fan recommendations, 4 on PSUs recommendations. In many of them, someone provides you with a review that answers your exact question, and you reply "I wasn't looking for a review!" 1st (unwritten) rule of SPCR, is that the users always defer to the review unless conflicting information was obtained...and a quick search will show that post.

Also, if the review for some reason is not enough, there is a forum thread for each review where you can ask/read followup questions/answers regarding the specific product. In your case, I think the numerous interrelated post are the problem. Instead of making several posts asking for input on heatsinkA, then another on heatsinkB, and then another on heatsinkB vs heatsinkC, and then another on what fan to put on heatsinkB...one thread asking for help picking out a CPU HSF for SocketXXX is all that's necessary. Then you can continue to follow-up in that thread with any additional questions. This is the best way to streamline the forum, and makes using the search function more efficient.

Otherwise, what happens is someone searches for a topic and gets 100 or more posts with the keywords in it, and none of them address the specific topic. However, if you have one large thread regarding a general topic, you can search by post and get more specific info and you don't have to browse and 100-page deep thread.

Like it or not, this is proper Message Board etiquette. And if you want help here, if would only be polite to use proper etiquette/manners. You may not like having to say "please" and "thank you", but if you're going to be sitting at my dinner table, you damn well better do it...

Finally, posting a question about a reviewed product is certainly ok, provided the question you're asking isn't answered specifically in the review itself.

Yea, i am trying to up my post count!! Gee what rubbish!

SPCR reviews are out of date too. You can't always go on a review anyway. User opinions are good.

The search function on here is not the best either that is why i ask. Anyway, if you don't want to relpy, then don't.

No specific answers or dull replies like' Check out the reviews' when i have done, many times since i have been a member since 2004!!

Specific user replies are what i am after.

Neither. The Scythe Ninja is better than both of them at low RPM--as long as you don't use the LGA775 push pin mounting, which you won't be using.

I just recieved a S1283 but I haven't tried it out yet. I plan to use it on a LGA775 system, but I could test it out on my X2 5800+ system (which is currently has a Ninja mounted).

Be great if you could test it.

I don't understand where you are reaching this conclusion. That review compares the TRUE to the original rev A ninja. The chart on the hr-01 plus review shows it performs 1 degree better at all fan speeds. And while this hasn't been explicitly confirmed, but I get the sense that the rev B ninja does not perform as well as the rev A ninja. There was a change to the base design in addition to the push-pin mounting, and this is resulting in the drop in performance, even if you are using a bolt-thru mounting system. There was an update about this issue in the ninja copper review.



Actually I was more complaining about those people who literally type "use the search button", "repost", and/or "read the review" as their only reply. With no additional words. Technically, they're correct that the thread starter should do those things, but it would help if they'd use a few extra words to explain why the thread starter should do these things first. Simple one sentence replies like that aren't much better than forum trolling to me.

Just get the HR-01 Plus with a duct. You don't even need to bother with a fan.

I've been running my overclocked i7 920 without a fan on the HR-01 Plus for months now (just a duct to the 800rpm rear case exhaust).

Try that with the S1283 or Scythe Ninja and see what happens.

What temps are you getting?

Yeah, I read those reviews. It does look from SPCR data that tho Rev B. is not quite as good, but they are using the Socket 462 mounting not an AMD clip. So it is apples to oranges for this discussion anyway.

I also don't plan on buying a HR01+ anytime soon, but Thermalright has always made good heatsinks. I am sure any of the heatsinks mentioned would work well. I definitely think the HR01+ will beat the S1283 at low airflow. I am also certain a Thermalright IFX-14 will outperform any of these passively.

I do plan to compare the HDT-S1283 and the Ninja on AM2, and those two and my Coolink BAT1VS on LGA775. I will add that the Ninja is the shortest of the three, the other two are too tall for some of the cases I have.

With 4 cores being stressed by Prime 95, we're looking at 69-71c like this: http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t128/echn111/i920-1.jpg

I admit it's undervolted, but if you look closely the CPU is running at 3.6Ghz overclocked.

With 8 cores being stressed over several days we're looking at around 75-78 or so which is perfectly fine for me as it's completely stable. Sure I could reduce temps a lot, but there is "no" benefit at all here. I will always choose low noise.

How can a review of a product be out of date when neither the product itself nor it's requirements have changed?

Also, how are user opinions (ie. "I have X and it's pretty quiet") better then actual noise/heat measurements done on both coolers using the same system in similar conditions?

1. Because newer products come out all the time and may not be reviewed for a long time!

2. User opinions are always good as they happen in 'Real Word' environments. Plus the more 'User' reviews the better as a better / bigger overall picture will make for making up someones mind.

This point, while true, is irrelevant. Why? Because you didn't ask about a new product. You asked about two old ones that have been out for a while and have been thoroughly reviewed.



I think you've probably phrased your original question in the most horrible way possible. It sounds like what you really want is to have people confirm/deny SPCR's findings in their review. Kind of like a second opinion. Maybe next time try asking that exactly. Instead of saying "HEY GUYS! Tell me which heatsink is better!", try first acknowledging that you've read the review and ask if the SPCR review is in line with other people's personal experience.

But I still think this thread is a bit redundant. I mean, if everyone held your opinion that people should try to get more "user opinions" for every heatsink comparison, then why should SPCR bother to review anything at all? People are just going to ignore the review in favor of forum discussion. Might as well have just the forum.

Thoroughly reviewed yes, but 'User' comments are always a good source to get 'real' info from.

I always read reviews first. That is common sense!! Especially from somoeone like me who has been around here for a long time! I am not likely to ask without checking out reviews first.

Sometimes, it is better to get a general users comments than just relying on SPCR only. A few times i have read some of thier reviews, bought a product that they highly recommend only to find it was not quite as good as they said!! I would much prefer to read the reviews of SPCR and get forum users comments too. Otherwise, whats the point in having a forum to ask questions?

There are tons of questions all over the forums with people asking for advice etc. SPCR reviews are not the be all and end all. They are there as a guide.

This forum is where the 'real' comments matter. Peopls actual account of how they have gotten on with different components.

I generally find SPCR reviews to be very reliable. The staff knows what they are doing. I don't think I've seen many cases where the SPCR review was not similar to what the users here have experienced. The only one I can think of would be the Ninja. And that was not because the review itself was unreliable in anyway. Rather, there was a revision change that reduce performance. May I ask which product you bought that you were disappointed? Just curious.



Well, I think the purpose of a forum is to discuss things not directly addressed by the articles. I also find that "user comments" tend to be quite subjective. For example, I've seen the WD blue 640gb drive recommended many times as an "inaudible" drive. If I had taken that advice literally I would have bought one and been sorely disappointed. It may be inaudible to some, but certainly not to me.

Anyway, this thread has gotten off-topic long enough. I doubt I'm going to be able to change your opinion anyway.

Hmm, I just got a reply from Thermalright to my question:
"I wish to use the HR-01 Plus on an AM2+/AM3 motherboard, with the airflow directed towards the back of the case. Will I be able to achieve this by purchasing the HR-01-X and the S-type heatsink clip?"

"Sorry you will not be able to do that, but in the future we will have a device that will allow for that."

I don't know if that means the HR-01 Plus can't be orientated for front-back airflow using the S-type clip either, or just that the HR-01-X is missing parts that the HR-01 Plus comes with and which are needed to do this.

Thermalright support guys told me I wasn't able to us S-clip on SI-128 SE "since attachment method is fundamentally different from the Original SI-128". So I must have been hallucinated when I attached SI-128 SE cooler with S-clips on AM2 board... In HR-01+ there might be some truth behind since there are more heat pipes and using S-clip with Original non + version was already quite tight fit...

I was rather confused by their reply as I'd read reports that it could be done, but I'm not about to buy a cooler unless I'm sure it can be orientated to use front-back airflow.

It seems rather tricky finding a decent AM2 cooler than can be orientated this way. I've seen some good reports on the Sunbeamtech Core Contact Freezer and I believe the Xigmatek S1284 fits the bill but I haven't read any reviews of that yet.

The Sunbeam is the same thing as the S1283 which is in itself the same thing as the 1284, minus 1 heat pipe.

I know... apples and oranges, but in reality the 1284 was found to be slightly less effective at cooling because the cpu only captured 2.5 heatpies (out of 4), versus capturing all three heatpies on the 1283. This has been verified on this very forum...

From what I read, the S1284's 4 heatpipes aren't efficient with Intel's smaller integrated heatspreaders but work well with AMDs. I don't think that it can be oriented front-back though, based on the mounting system.
Apack Zerotherm FZ120. Bought one for a 4850e system after researching for a cooler that fits the same criteria. Had to take Sunbeam CCF off my short list because of complains due to bad mounting clip (may interfere with some northbridge heatsinks). The FZ120 is relatively better looking, can be mounted freely (top-down / front-back), has easily replacable fan, supports 2 fans, comes with a LGA775 backplate AND a large syringe of Zerotherm ZT-100 (pretty good here: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cooler ... undup.html). Now, that's what I call value.
Only things I don't like about it are motherboard clearance (forcing me to either use shorter memory modules or sacrifice the closest 2 slots) and loud fan at full speed.
Thermolab Baram is supposedly among the better ones in cooling efficiency and may be oriented horizontally. Fan not included.
The pricey Thermalright IFX-14 is even better if not the best right now and supports up to 3 push-pull fans.

Yeah, from what I understand the S1284 can't be orientated front-back but the Core Contact Freezer can.

The FZ120 might be worth considering although I can't say I'm keen on sacrificing two memory slots and it doesn't come with an AM2 mounting clip, which has to be purchased separately.

If you mean the clip that is latched on the stock AM2+ plastic mounting bracket, then FZ120 does come with one. Bottom line, I didn't have to buy anything else for mounting the cooler.

my vote is for the S1283. very light, very cheap, very quiet, very effective.

I'm just going by what it says on the sites of the only two suppliers I've found in the UK so far, Scan (http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ZEROther ... ional-brac) and QuietPC (http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/produc ... ing/zt-zen)

They both say "The ZEN is compatible with virtually all current desktop CPUs. AMD sockets 754, 939, 940 and AM2, along with Intel's LGA775 are all suitable for this cooler. The only drawback is that if you intend to use this cooler on an AMD system then you will have to purchase the ZC-AM2 bracket separately to provide compatibility. This is because the cooler is only shipped with a bracket compatible with Intel's LGA775 socket."

What's an "AM2 3200 X2"? Never heard of that combination of part number and socket...