Athlon 64 X2 3800+ EE SFF

[quantumsheep]

you allso might want to consider a via solution (if perfomans is not and issue) or i think there are some mini itx c2d bourds on the market if size is and issue to

That is quite true. While VIA CPUs are no where near as powerful as AMD's and Intel's offerings, they do fill a niche market for people who want to build a quiet HTPC without the frills.

I recall reading an article where the VIA was torture tested while playing a game without the heatsink attached. That's pretty impressive, but I don't recall from which site the article was from.

Time to go Googling.....

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Try as I have, I can't find the article I was referring to. Anywaste VIA's current generation of CPU as known as C7, C7-D (desktop), C7-M (mobile), and Eden. Eden does not require a HSF, but that was not the CPU I was referring to above.

Wow...I never even knew that VIA were still in business! You know where i can find a review/buy one of those chips?

 

[crow_smiling]

In addition to the handful of socket 479 mobo, there aren't any aftermarket HSF for purchase so a completely passive cooling solution may not be possible.

Some of the S479 boards have a standard S478 heatsink retention mechanism, so you can use a passive cooler with them. A Scythe Ninja supports S478 as does the Scythe Katana. I like the Katana as it allows you to install it without putting undue pressure on the die, which is important with these chips. The Gigabyte supports S478 as does the Aopen i975x-YDGa, but the Asus board doesn’t.