CPU cooler weight limit???

dc · Post by dc » Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:17 pm

Help, how do I find the weigth limit for biostar p4m80-m4 w/ celeron cpu. I want to install a better cooler on a budget so I can over-clock a little.

bonestonne · Post by **bonestonne** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:40 pm

theres no such thing as a weight limit, however there are tension and pressure limits, which are controlled by how you install the heatsink.

which celeron do you have, and what did you plan on doing with it?

dc · Post by dc » Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:48 pm

sorry, I mean I want to install a better cpu cooling heatsink. I'm looking at the Zalman CNPS7000-AlCu from Endpcnoise.com. I've read I need to be careful of how heavy the cooler is. I move my pc around alot. thanx for the reply.

mcoleg · Post by **mcoleg** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:33 pm

that is correct, no weight limit comes in consideration - the sink manufacturers don't produce anything your board can't reasonably handle.

better check for clearances, make sure the sink you want fits in the space your case and board allowed.

if you are still concerned though, get a sink that has a mounting plate that goes behind the motherboard. with that, you should be pretty much set.

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:37 pm

Greetings & welcome to SPCR!

What speed and "generation" of Celeron are we talking about? There are general weight limits based on the socket, but they are kinda' CYA limits. There are a lot of very good HSF's that are a little over the limit, and some that are a lot heavier.

The best heatsinks (that I can think of, anyway) that are below the weight limit are the Thermalright XP-120 and SI-120, and probably the Arctic Cooler? If you go for the Zalman 7000, get the aluminum and copper one -- the all-copper is pretty heavy.

efcoins2 · Post by **efcoins2** » Tue May 01, 2007 2:19 am

AMD sockets are rated at 300g (I think), but most after market HSF are heavier than this.

If you move your PC a lot then you should choose a light HSF, of a HS which screws onto your motherbord, instead of cliping on.

dc · Post by dc » Tue May 01, 2007 2:29 am

Thanx guys, I'm relatively new to this stuff & appreciate the advice.

dc

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Tue May 01, 2007 5:09 am

For a HSF of it's cooling power, the 7000B's are pretty lightweight. The don't even use a full backplate on AMD boards and I've never seen any sign of deformation or torquing of my mobos.

You should be completely fine with that HSF. The socket 370 and up have a large backplate that should spread out the pressure even more than the AMD setups.

Just be careful when installing it on a bare core. Only screw down one side a little bit, then the other side a little bit, and repeat until done.

crispyfish · Post by **crispyfish** » Tue May 01, 2007 8:20 am

For all the talk about how heavy some heatsinks are, I've never heard of a heatsink damaging a CPU or motherboard. Have any of you?

Saribro · Post by **Saribro** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:31 am

efcoins2 wrote:AMD sockets are rated at 300g (I think), but most after market HSF are heavier than this.

754/940/939/AM2 and S775 are all specced at 450g. Socket A was indeed less, and I think 300g may be right on the mark.
In any case, since AMD/Intel moved to the (backplate+)frame system, heatsinks can actually exceed these limits quite easily. In the socket A days, there were some reports about heatsinks breaking off the clips, but even the monster Swiftech MCX462 mounted through the 4 screwholes on the motherboard was unmovable when thrown out of a 2 story building (I think Tomshardware tested that).