Quiet CPU Fan/Heatsink

[daniel1113]

Hey guys,

My computer has been working really well; however, I am sick of the noise that my CPU fan is making. Without it, my system is just about dead silent. I have been looking at a few large heatsinks and heatsink/fan combinations to use on my 3Ghz P4 800Mhz FSB, but the number of choices is daunting. Could anyone point me in a good direction? From what I have seen so far, the Zalman flower-type heatsinks seem to be quite efficient. Would you recommend one of these? If so, is it best to get one made entirely out of copper, or are the aluminum and copper ones just as good?

Also, while I am on the subject, what is a good temperature to run my CPU at? Right now, with the stock- Intel CPU fan, the average temperature is around 50 degrees celcius. How much higher can I go without risking the integrity of the processor? BTW, I will not be doing any overclocking. I just want a CPU heatsink that is relatively quiet and keeps my computer near the optimal temperature, which I assume is around 50-65 degree celcius. Thanks for the help!

- Daniel (daniel1113@attbi.com)

 

[daniel1113]

Also, the reason I am worried about the noise is not because it annoys me as much as I am afraid it may bug my roommate next year when I head off to college. And as I said, the rest of my system is extremely quiet. It is just that dang stock-Intel CPU fan that sounds like a jet (also known as a GeForce FX 5800... hahaha). Thanks again!

- Daniel (daniel1113@attbi.com)

 

[wailly]

If you are not overclocking, the Zalman flower-type heatsinks should work just fine. Just make sure your computer case has enough room for it. Another thing you need to keep in mind though, is the room temperature should be relatively cool and dry (i.e., an air condition room).

 

[c0d1f1ed]

My brother has the Zalman CNPS5700D-Cu on his P4 2.4 GHz. It is very quiet and even when he overclocks to 3.4 GHz it can keep the CPU cool at an acceptable noise level. He also has quite a big case and a 9 cm fan in the top which also has a big influence on the cooling performance.

 

[daniel1113]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the information. I was checking out my case just to make sure that I had plenty of room for this thing, and I discovered a possible problem. Since I am using the Gigabyte 8KNXP motherboard, the Dual Power System card might get in the way. You can see it in these pictures:

http://www.extremetech.com/image_popup/0,3969,s=1005&iid=23447,00.asp

Has anyone, by chance, used a Zalman heatsink with this motherboard? Thanks!

- Daniel (daniel1113@attbi.com)