whatÂ´s the best passive heatsink right now?

judith · Post by **judith** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:34 am

Hello,

IÂ´m looking for the best passive cu heatsink, I read some time ago about ninja plus, but now some people say that the best now is thermaltake ultra 120 extreme, and also the scythe infinity could be better than the ninja plus

is that right or is there any reviews testing several passive heatsinks, as the ones above, or even more? just know these ones to be passive

Thanks for the answers

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:40 am

It may worth to give a look to another recent and already open thread.

Luca

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:12 am

Hello Judith & welcome to SPCR,

The Ninja is still the best passive heatsink. The space between the fins is the key thing that give it the edge.

There is a caveat however: you should use the Thermalright backplate when using it on a Socket 775 motherboard. This gives superior contact with the CPU which is also key for the best performance.

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:25 am

NeilBlanchard wrote:The Ninja is still the best passive heatsink

Could you kindly point me out to some evidences?

Luca

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:00 am

Hello Luca,

I have yet to see anybody say (in a review or in a post) that any other heatsink does better in a passive installation. Look around SPCR, and see if you can find a better heatsink in a passive set up.

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:44 am

NeilBlanchard wrote:I have yet to see anybody say (in a review or in a post) that any other heatsink does better in a passive installation. Look around SPCR, and see if you can find a better heatsink in a passive set up.

Not with polemic intentions, I'm just very interested in, but I've to take note that there may be some hype around the Ninja.
I would add moreover I have yet to see any serious or comprehensive comparison roundup of passive heatsinks, here or elsewhere on the web: with such a lack of (a bit more) objective data (or lack of knowledge by me), I easily agree that the Ninja is a good performer, but I'd not be so confident stating it's likely the best one around.
One possible exception (with a brief tabular comparison of Scythe Mugen/Infinity, Ninja B, Thermalright High Riser and some other else) might be a german review on silenthardware.de, of which you can find the Google automatic translation here.

From its early days and up to now, SPCR has spent more than a review dealing with fanless PSUs, and I mean it has been fruitful for all: maybe it could be worthwhile doing something similar on fanless cpu heatsinks (maybe adding a "fanless session" to SPCR's HS tests).

Luca

Wibla · Post by **Wibla** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:01 pm

The Thermalright U120E is a better heatsink -with- a fan, but as the Ninja has wider fin spacing which makes it better for LOW airflow it is a better passive heatsink.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:16 pm

comprehensive comparison roundup of passive heatsinks

fanless cpu heatsinks (maybe adding a "fanless session" to SPCR's HS tests).

when you say "fanless" and "passive", you mean where the CPU HS doesn't have a fan but relies on case airflow, right? it just gets confusing, because there is a big difference between true fanless (no fans at all) and passive-assisted, which uses case airflow.

I think the reason why such a thing has not been done and maybe is not very useful, is every case and every installation will have a different distance between the back case fan and the "fanless" heatsink, so maybe SPCR will do a comparison and say "X" heatsink is best passive using fan "Y" and case "Z", but then we get complaints because it does not work so well using a different case and a different fan.

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:36 pm

Wibla wrote:as the Ninja has wider fin spacing which makes it better for LOW airflow

It's not such precise:

on TRU120E SPCR's review, Devon Cooke wrote:The Ultra-120 beat the Ninja at every voltage level except the lowest, where the two were equal

Wibla wrote:it is a better passive heatsink.

Very likely, or so I mean.

Luca

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:42 pm

jaganath wrote:I think the reason why such a thing has not been done and maybe is not very useful, is every case and every installation will have a different distance between the back case fan and the "fanless" heatsink, so maybe SPCR will do a comparison and say "X" heatsink is best passive using fan "Y" and case "Z", but then we get complaints because it does not work so well using a different case and a different fan.

I mean it should be about the same thing while reviewing any fanned heatsink: there's no "one size fits all" setup here.

Luca

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:36 pm

Have you ever tried the early Scythe NCU-1000? For a completely fanless setup, this might work better than a Ninja......particularly with a lower power CPU. The passive convection airflow through this heatsink is better than a Ninja.......IMHO.

There was an SPCR Review on this early Scythe, and a later review on it's revision the NCU-2000. Apparently as CPUs got hotter, this setup didn't fare too well as it had no provision for a fan. I still have my NCU-1000. It also requires MB removal to install the thing......probably the major strike against it.

tsmvengy · Post by **tsmvengy** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 11:59 am

quest_for_silence wrote:
Wibla wrote:as the Ninja has wider fin spacing which makes it better for LOW airflow
It's not such precise:
on TRU120E SPCR's review, Devon Cooke wrote:The Ultra-120 beat the Ninja at every voltage level except the lowest, where the two were equal

Wibla wrote:it is a better passive heatsink.
Very likely, or so I mean.

Luca

But we're talking about passive here - no fan actually blowing air over the fins. This is where the Ninja wins out - because of the wider fin spacing, it allows for the air to move more easily over the fins in a real-world situation in the case, where the air is being forced indirectly over the fins. Look at the end of the article you linked:

Unless you're planning to cool the CPU passively, you can't do better than the Ultra-120.

(Emphasis mine)

I couldn't possibly think of a situation in which you want to run the CPU heatsink passively where the Ninja gets beat.

alleycat · Post by **alleycat** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:19 pm

An often overlooked aspect regarding the superiority of the Ninja for passive use is its omnidirectional design. This, combined with the wide fin spacing means that it is able to benefit from air movement from any direction. As a result, the Ninja also allows greater flexibility in the design of overall system airflow, and the possible omission of fans or ducting which might have been necessary in other setups.

WR304 · Post by **WR304** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:14 pm

The Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme isn't very good with low/no airflow.

The fins are too close together for air to pass through unless the fan is virtually touching the heatsink. When I got one a month or so ago to replace a Scythe Ninja rev A (used in an Antec Solo case with Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 @3.2ghz, 10*320) I was quite surprised just how hot the actual heatsink was getting with only low airflow from a nearby case fan.

The metal fins of the Thermalright heatsink were uncomfortable to touch even when the CPU was idling. The heat was transferring from the CPU to the heatsink but not being dissipated that well.

With a Scythe S-Flex SFF21D fan at 650rpm right next to it it works fine though.

It's worth mentioning that the base finish on the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme wasn't very good either. It needed lapping to get a smooth contact area.

judith · Post by **judith** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:04 pm

a heatsink that works fine with low airflow is what I need, so probably IÂ´ll choose ninja plus, the NCU seems good too, but as you said, having to take off the MB is not so confortable for me, so if ninja isnÂ´t what I have in mind, IÂ´ll try that one.......

IÂ´m thinking also on lapping ninja plus, I donÂ´t know what it is and how to do it, but IÂ´ve heard it frequently, and shouldnÂ´t be a very difficult thing to do

cheers

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:07 pm

How to lap a heatsink.

FrozenInCND · Post by **FrozenInCND** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:21 pm

Hi All

Iâ€™m real new here, I am in need of a passive (no Fan) CPU heat sink for a HTPC that I am building. I have found it very frustrating that I canâ€™t seem to find any new reviews on this item. Every review seems to be at least a couple of years old. I am looking to build a computer that is totally sealed and uses as few fans as possible. I am hoping to mount two Peltier diodes via to massive copper heat sinks to keep the inside of the case below room temperature. I noticed that in the reviews I have read on fanless heat sinks they never take in to consideration the directions of the fins on the heat sink. Being as heat rises then I would conclude that the same heat sink would perform different in a tower compared to a desktop case. Seeing as computer will be in a desk top I would like a CPU heatsink that has the fins vertical on the heat sink. Copper is the best conductor of heat and I think looks better so I would prefure copper over aluminum. The closest heat sink that I have found is the XP-90C made by Thermalright but I cant find any for sale. What do you guys recommend?

Thanks

andyb · Post by **andyb** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 1:51 am

Iâ€™m real new here, I am in need of a passive (no Fan) CPU heat sink for a HTPC that I am building. I have found it very frustrating that I canâ€™t seem to find any new reviews on this item. Every review seems to be at least a couple of years old. I am looking to build a computer that is totally sealed and uses as few fans as possible. I am hoping to mount two Peltier diodes via to massive copper heat sinks to keep the inside of the case below room temperature. I noticed that in the reviews I have read on fanless heat sinks they never take in to consideration the directions of the fins on the heat sink. Being as heat rises then I would conclude that the same heat sink would perform different in a tower compared to a desktop case. Seeing as computer will be in a desk top I would like a CPU heatsink that has the fins vertical on the heat sink. Copper is the best conductor of heat and I think looks better so I would prefure copper over aluminum. The closest heat sink that I have found is the XP-90C made by Thermalright but I cant find any for sale. What do you guys recommend?

Thats a shitl*ad of work to do, and if far from practical. Its really easy (now) to make a PC thats inaudiable from 8ft, using easily available and cost effective components.

Andy

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:53 am

Agreed....even the smallest bit of airflow through a good heatsink, can lower temperatures drastically compared to running fanless. My latest series of airflow testing using a Ninja, finds a temperature reduction of 13C using a low-speed 80mm Yate Loon@5V on the heatsink, as compared to the same heatsink relying on convection cooling only. At 5V this fan blows almost no air at all......and is completely silent from a foot away.

Unless your proposed project is for bragging rights, or just for experimentation.......the use of some airflow will return much better temps than a sealed system, at a much lower cost to the builder in time...and money. And at the same time it is practically silent if designed properly.

jojo4u · Post by **jojo4u** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:29 pm

Have a look, third figure. This is fanless with very slow PSU and case fans. The IFX-14 wins

http://www.silenthardware.de/reviews/cp ... index.html

puddnhead · Post by **puddnhead** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:01 am

quest_for_silence wrote:
Wibla wrote:as the Ninja has wider fin spacing which makes it better for LOW airflow
It's not such precise:
on TRU120E SPCR's review, Devon Cooke wrote:The Ultra-120 beat the Ninja at every voltage level except the lowest, where the two were equal

Wibla wrote:it is a better passive heatsink.
Very likely, or so I mean.

Luca

That thread you link has this very clear statement on page 1:

The difference between the Ultra-120 and the Ninja was greatest when the fan was at full speed, which suggests that the gap between the two would be wider with a higher airflow hand. On the other hand, the Ninja is specifically designed for fanless operation, and is almost certainly a better choice for a passively cooled processor.

I think the "one size does not fit all" answer is the one to stick with.

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:22 am

puddnhead wrote:I think the "one size does not fit all" answer is the one to stick with.

I don't understand what you've written (and why).

Luca

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:09 pm

jojo4u wrote:Have a look, third figure. This is fanless

I mean you've to say "passive", or some user may blame a little you, as jaganath did on me...

jojo4u wrote:with very slow PSU and case fans. The IFX-14 wins

http://www.silenthardware.de/reviews/cp ... index.html

I've already (in this thread) pointed out those heatsinks reviews on silenthardware.de, which have seemed to enjoy no general interest, or so about (sorry for my terrible english).

Luca

quest_for_silence · Post by **quest_for_silence** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:23 pm

tsmvengy wrote:
quest_for_silence wrote:
Wibla wrote:as the Ninja has wider fin spacing which makes it better for LOW airflow
It's not such precise:
on TRU120E SPCR's review, Devon Cooke wrote:The Ultra-120 beat the Ninja at every voltage level except the lowest, where the two were equal
But we're talking about passive here - no fan actually blowing air over the fins.

As clearly stated, I was answering to Wibla, who talked about "LOW" airflow: at low airflow (as low as the flow coming from a 5v 12cm Nexus fan) SPCR noted that both the Ninja and the TRU120 performed equally: with the possible noteworthy exception of silenthardware.de, I'm not aware of any review of passive cpu heatsinks.

Luca