Heatsink for a modest AMD system in a warm (hot) climate

Shamgar · Post by **Shamgar** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 12:18 am

I need some advice as to which CPU heatsink would best suit my requirements in the environment my computer will be working in. It will be my main PC at home where temperatures in summer will average 30-35 C and reach maximums of 40+ C. Even when 25-30 C, heat is still trapped in the house due to the way it was constructed. We do not have whole house airconditioning; only a wall unit which is turned on when unbearably hot. My system will comprise of:

AMD Athlon X2 4850e
Gigabyte GA-MA78G-DS3H rev.1.0
Kingston 2x1GB DDR2 800MHz CL5
Samsung Spinpoint M5 HM160HI - System drive
Western Digital WD6400AAKS - Storage drive
Pioneer DVR-216BK
Antec Solo
Corsair VX450

I know the AMD 4850e is a cooler running processor but I want to be on the safe side. My old Duron 1300 idles at 50-60 C even in cooler months and 65-70 in summer. There's not much I can do except to reconfig that old computer, but the economics is not worthwhile. Hopefully, with the newer components, I can have a more cooler and stable system this time around and finally retire the old system.

Most of SPCR's Recommended CPU heatsinks are available from online vendors who can ship nationwide. No problem there. I have shortlisted my options to two: Thermalright HR-01 Plus and Xigmatek HDT-S1283. Scythe Ninja seems too heavy and problematic for me, Ninja Mini is $20 more than HR-01 Plus, Noctua along with its other quirks is much too expensive (who spends more for a heatsink than they do for a processor? I'm sure some do

) and I want to avoid Asus. Thermalright appeals to me more and I can actually get it for less than the Xigmatek depending on where I order from.

I have never had to deal with these modern, heavy, tower heatsinks before. I always regard the heatsink, fans and cooling the most complicated and frustrating part of a build. At least for myself. For SPCR veterans, it's probably a cinch. So bear with me here.

I would ideally like to run passive (still an option in winter, cooler months), but, as you might tell from my situation, it's better to have some airflow on the heatsink.

I value silence (extreme quietness?) above all but I want a functioning computer, not a crashing one. What do I have to be aware of when installing the heavy tower heatsinks? Do I need an aftermarket AM2 bolt through kit and mounting frame or will the stock motherboard ones do? I'm aware that these heatsinks will not allow you to rotate the fan orientation on AM2. Will this have a negative affect on my setup? An S-clip is available for the HR-01 Plus, but it is difficult to source. This can all get quite confusing

. If anyone has some hands on experience with a similar setup as me (I'm sure there's many! 4850e/780G/Solo/VX450 etc), I would appreciate your feedback. Further advice is always welcome.

P.S. I will not ask for specific fan advice as this is the CPU Cooling discussion. Yet they are so closely related. I have read this article also. Many thanks.

m0002a · Post by **m0002a** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:58 am

I am using a Xigmatek S1283 on a 4050e with excellent results. The CPU idles at 2C over room temp according to my Asus MB. The MB temp is about 9C over room temp.

I run my S1283 without a fan, although I have a top mount 200mm Tri-Cool fan (on low speed) on a Antec Mini P180 not too far away from the HS.

The three separate heatpipes that make direct contact with the CPU are a bit different than other HS's. I would recommend using Artic Ceramique paste on this HS since it spread a bit easier. Make sure you put a little (not too much) paste on all 3 heatpipe surfaces of the HS, not just on the CPU.

I decided to run CPU burn on my machine for several hours after installation because I was concerned about the temp being so low that I might not get a good seating and cure of the thermal paste.

CyberDog · Post by **CyberDog** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:05 am

I installed HR-01 plus in my friend computer with AM2 socket. If I remember correct I removed the stock bracket from the board and used the coolers own "bolt-thru" bracket. I is really secure and easy installation. Thermalright had also included good installation guide. I can recommend HR-01 way over Ninja, because I have experience with both. And I can recommend HR-01 for your system and needs.

pony-tail · Post by **pony-tail** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:35 pm

I have found that in 40c heat or more a Thermalright SI-128 or a TRUE will handle a 125 or 140 watt CPU with a 1000rpm fan speed ( I am using Arctic cooling 120 PWM fans on mine ) The HR-01 does too but not quite as well The original Ninja just copes with an Athlon X2 4800+ socket 939 with a Nexus 120 fan at full speed but it is in a Sonata case which does not ventilate exceptionally well .
Any of these will cool your CPU - even in 40c heat in a well ventilated case . The TRUE and SI-128 SE will cool your CPU in a thermally inferior case - the TRUE is the easier of the two to fit but may face the wrong way on some boards mine is on an M2N32-SLI deluxe board which has the socket at right angles to most AM2 boards .

CyberDog · Post by **CyberDog** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 2:49 am

Well TRUE is most powerful cooler tested in SPCR. IFX-14 might be a bit more powerful. But HR-01 Plus shines on low air situations. And has enough capability to cool.

Shamgar · Post by **Shamgar** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:44 am

Thanks for the suggestions so far... Feedback all around SPCR confirms Thermalright and Xigmatek are the current champs for CPU heatsinks... for now.

CyberDog wrote:I can recommend HR-01 way over Ninja, because I have experience with both. And I can recommend HR-01 for your system and needs.

Thanks CD. Good to hear from someone who's used both. From what I read, HR-01/Plus is a good all-rounder in all situations.

pony-tail wrote:Any of these will cool your CPU - even in 40c heat in a well ventilated case . The TRUE and SI-128 SE will cool your CPU in a thermally inferior case - the TRUE is the easier of the two to fit...

I have considered the SI-128 SE but it seems outclassed by newer heatsinks that cost just a few dollars more. It appealed to me due to its lesser weight and height. I have heard also that installation is quite fiddly. The SE variant doesn't appear to be any real improvement over the SI-128 SPCR reviewed and is probably a rehash intended to sell more stock.

m0002a wrote:I am using a Xigmatek S1283 on a 4050e with excellent results. The CPU idles at 2C over room temp according to my Asus MB. The MB temp is about 9C over room temp.

Those are great numbers.

m0002a wrote:The three separate heatpipes that make direct contact with the CPU are a bit different than other HS's. I would recommend using Artic Ceramique paste on this HS since it spread a bit easier. Make sure you put a little (not too much) paste on all 3 heatpipe surfaces of the HS, not just on the CPU.

I'll take a note of that if I end up with the S1283.

I'm still stuck between the HR-01 Plus and Xigmatek S1283. Price and performance is almost the same. Both have the AM2 orientation issue but most people seem to live with this in spite of it. Minor point of difference is Xigmatek comes with a fan, but it's not so good unless at 9V.

Along with the heatsink, I want to pick up two quality 120mm fans, one for exhaust and other for CPU HS. Will two Scythe Slipstream 800-1200 or two Yate Loon or one of each (undervolted) be enough? And is it safe to interchange two different fans for exhaust/heatsink/etc if necessary?

Lots of questions, I know. Thanks for your excellent feedback. It's appreciated.

CyberDog · Post by **CyberDog** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:06 am

Slipstreams work great on low restriction systems. I would take two faster slipstreams and use fan speed control with them. And because you live on hot climate I would probably take also intake fan or make second exhaust. But it depends on that how hot your case will get with just one fan. Generally you get better results with two slow fans that one fast. The useful of intake fans depends on your case... but often the cases has some restrictiveness and the intake fan drops temps in the case.

Shamgar · Post by **Shamgar** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:27 am

I don't know whether my system will be considered low or high restriction. The Solo is a very good airflow case... and my components are not very power demanding. I will put a 92mm intake at some stage to see if it helps. As for cutting out grills and so forth, I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon.

That a fan will face 'the wrong way' on my Gigabyte 780G board still bothers me, as I would want the heat to escape out through the exhaust promptly in my situation, but I don't see much choice at the moment. I'll let you know how it turns out when I get it all fixed up in due time.

pony-tail · Post by **pony-tail** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:03 am

Well TRUE is most powerful cooler tested in SPCR. IFX-14 might be a bit more powerful. But HR-01 Plus shines on low air situations. And has enough capability to cool

Not that well at all in 40 degree ( celsius ) + heat !
Albeit that I am trying to use it on a very hot CPU and in a very hot climate but it is not up to the task and a faster fan just makes more noise without any major extra cooling with a lower power CPU or a cooler climate it is definitely a good cooler but in a hot climate it has not got the overhead that a True has . Admittedly the OP has not got a 140 watt CPU but I hesitate to recommend a Cooler that has ( and is ) giving me grief on very hot days . And before you jump in and state that it is not seated properly - Yes it is and it has been lapped and works fine until the room temp hit high 30s and the case temp gets into the high 40s and low 50s at which point the CPU Temps start to climb and when it hits mid to high 60s I shut it down - After which I swapped coolers between two machines - I put the Hro1 on a dual core and the true on the quad , problem pretty much solved - but I do not trust it - The issue is only for two or three hours on some summer days the rest of the year it is fine - but the OP wants a cooler that can work in 40c heat , I do not personally believe the HR01 to be better than the TRUE in those conditions .
.

I have considered the SI-128 SE but it seems outclassed by newer heatsinks that cost just a few dollars more. It appealed to me due to its lesser weight and height. I have heard also that installation is quite fiddly. The SE variant doesn't appear to be any real improvement over the SI-128 SPCR reviewed and is probably a rehash intended to sell more stock

The SE is a largely different cooler and a much better performer !

Shamgar · Post by **Shamgar** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:05 am

pony-tail wrote:The SE is a largely different cooler and a much better performer !

Since I last posted in this thread I did some more research into the SE and consulted some owners of it. It does appear to be an improved version. Its somewhat limited coverage on SPCR made me a touch cynical of this "Silent Edition". Maybe they ought to test it to settle the question. From what I read on the forums, MikeC doesn't seem convinced that it's any better than the SI-128 tested already. I guess the towers are taking all the limelight.

There is certainly a greater degree (pun intended) of concern when living in a hotter climate. When folks in Northern Europe talk about components running hot, imagine the nervous feeling we get in this part of the world. A computer, even on a "mild" 30 degree day, may as well pass for a heater.

40+ degree Celsius ambient is a worst case scenario; for a few days a year, as pony-tail stated, during an "Aussie summer" heatwave, do we get such temperatures. There are many older double brick houses in Australia, and though strong, they are not very efficient in cooling and are like ovens in summer.

There are unfortunately cases each year of elderly folk dying in their own homes during the heatwaves because many do not have airconditioning or cooling systems due to social and financial reasons.

pony-tail · Post by **pony-tail** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:51 pm

Even though it is greatly improved it still requires at least an 800 rpm fan and not until 1000 rpm does it outperform a Hr01 so maybe MikeC thinks it is not suitable for most readers but with a hot system in a hot climate it excels ( within a couple of deg C of a true ).
In the hottest days I am less aware of the noise ( due to the noise of the Ceiling fans at full tilt ) so am willing to put up with the CPU fan spinning up to 1200 or 1500 RPM just so as the machine does not fry - ( I have changed most of our machines to Arctic Cooling PWM fans so they do spin up when the temps start to rise ) For me a HR01 with a 500 rpm fan ( or a 1000 rpm fan ) is a cooler months only solution It will be March before I can leave a computer configured that way running unattended 24 / 7 . If I lived in one of the cooler parts of the world I would not consider the True as opposed to the HR01 but if I required a top down cooler I would consider the SI128-se . Do not get me wrong I like the HR01 and if it would do what I require I would look no further , but it does not scale with fan speed .