Need fan help: "CPU" vs "Case" type any difference?

[voxleo]

Hi all,

Is there any difference to what makes a cpu vs case type fan besides the fact that its strapped to a cpu heatsink instead of the chassis? Seems to me a fan is a fan, though there may be some efficiency variations.

I have two heatsinks for 478 socket: one is from my old Sony Vaio that had only a 1.7ghz p4 that is solid aluminum (bi-directional) with a working foxconn fan, and one that has the copper "core" quad-directional that came with the intel stock model (busted plastic leg) fan. I am just getting ready to put a northwood 3.2 Ghz on a 478 socket p4p800e-dlx, and since there are limited options for the 478's still for sale was wondering a couple things:

A) Could I use the VAIO fan even though its for an older cpu or are there minimums in air flow/fan speed required to support a 3.2 ghz p4 that this won't meet? OR

B) Would it be possible to somehow utilize one of these old heatsink with a new fan (like maybe some nifty uv or led variety that is the right size even though it may be called a "case" fan)? AND

c) If so, which heatsink would be better to use, solid aluminum 2-way or copper core 4-way? BUT

d) If not possible to recycle/adapt something, which of the two listed here would be best to get from Fry's:

cooler master DI4-8JD3BOL CPU COOLER
# Heat Sink Dimension 80X80X45
# Heat Sink Material Aluminum Alloy
# Fan Dimension 80X80X25
# Fan Speed 2200 10% rpm
# Fan Airflow 24.93~27.7 CFM
# Fan Air Pressure 1.57~1.95 mm H2O
# Fan Life Expectance 50000 hrs
# Bearing Type Rifle Bearing
# Voltage Rating 12 V
# Noise Level 23.2~28.2 dBA
# Connector 3 pin
# Thermal Resistance Rca 0.398 C/W
# Application Intel Prescott 3.4Ghz
# Warranty 3 years

or thermal takeTT TR2-M12 Socket- 478
# Fan Speed: 2500 +/-10% RPM
# Fan Dimension: 80x80x25 mm
# Max. Air Flow: 32.4 CFM
# Heatsink Dimension: 82x65x37.5mm
# Max. Air Pressure: 2.9 mm H2O
# Rated Voltage: 12V
# Noise: 21 dBA
# Started Voltage: 6V
# Bearing Type: Sleeve Bearing
# Rated Current: 0.14 A
# Life Expectation: 30,000 Hours
# Power Input: 1.68 W
# Connector: 3Pin


Thanks for any info on this; can't seem to find specs on the original intel stuff to compare against...

 

[jsc]

Avoid fans with sleeve bearings. So if the above fans are your only two choices ...

 

[buzznut]

As you have surmised, the main differences between case fans and cpu fans are fan speed and CFM's. Many Hs fans include a 3 pin fan that can be monitored and its speed varied by bios or other software. Many case fans have 4 pin molex connectors, and may be only manually adjustable (or not at all). Not the greatest scenario if you constantly need to be adjusting for different workloads.

I have used case fans on the large air coolers like True, and they have worked well. But for smaller fans..unless you know the cfm rating it is hard to say with certainty that it will cool your processor well.

I suppose with an older proccy like that one, trial and error might work best to find the best cooling.

 

[buzznut]

the TT looks better on paper

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Some fans make great case fans but can't produce the static pressure sufficient to push the required amount of air thru a heat sink's fins. The Noctua NF-S12 falls into this category.

Everything you ever wanted to know about PC fans can be found here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article63-page1.html
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Anatomy_of_the_Silent_Fan