Question Whats the best cooler for the Q9550

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

LuKaWin10

Upstanding
May 6, 2024
295
40
220
E5450 SLBBM version.
the same silicon, the 80W just binned better.
1% better (if you want to overclock, get this one, it has better silicones)
I found it, I put it in my cart, I will buy it before Christmas, and I will buy the adapters and the cooler too (the cooler has mounting gear for all the sockets that it supports ;))
 

Misgar

Respectable
Mar 2, 2023
1,833
484
2,090
and this for O.C
Interesting. I hadn't seen this particular cooler before. Certainly cheaper than the NH-D15, D14, etc.

I checked a review of the Thermaltake HR02 Macho (who dreams up these names) but the performance is only "middling".
https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/9626/thermalright-macho-rev-cpu-cooler/index.html

I'd be happier with a dual-tower, dual-fan design, like the Thermalright Peerless Assassin and Phantom Spirit both of which I've used, but these models don't seem to support LGA 775.

The Macho has a particularly deep stack of fins and only one fan to force air through the gaps. I know adding a second fan doesn't necessarily improve cooling by a huge amount, but 'every little helps'.

The macho isn't overly cheap and is roughly half the price of an NH-D15 Mk.1 where I live. In comparison, the dual-tower Assassin and Phantom are one third the price of a NH-D15 Mk.1, which is why I use them in non-premium builds.
 

Misgar

Respectable
Mar 2, 2023
1,833
484
2,090
I found one on ebay lol. It is the slbbm version, I will get that one!
The E5450 SLBBM is LGA 771. The Q9550 is LGA 775. What motherboard do you have? Will it take both CPUs?

https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SLBBM.html

https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_2/Intel-Core 2 Quad Q9550 EU80569PJ073N (BX80569Q9550).html

Tips for modifying LGA 771 to LGA 775.
https://linustechtips.com/topic/365998-mod-lga771-to-lga775-cpu-modification-tutorial/

iu



I've started up my Q9550 but the CR2032 was completely flat and the BIOS date had reverted to 2002. Windows 2008 Server R2 won't boot from the SSD (corrupted?) so I'm reinstalling the OS before running an overclock. N.B. This PC houses a SAS controller card and an LTO-4 tape drive, hence the OS.
 

LuKaWin10

Upstanding
May 6, 2024
295
40
220
The E5450 SLBBM is LGA 771. The Q9550 is LGA 775. What motherboard do you have? Will it take both CPUs?

https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SLBBM.html

https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_2/Intel-Core 2 Quad Q9550 EU80569PJ073N (BX80569Q9550).html

Tips for modifying LGA 771 to LGA 775.
https://linustechtips.com/topic/365998-mod-lga771-to-lga775-cpu-modification-tutorial/

iu



I've started up my Q9550 but the CR2032 was completely flat and the BIOS date had reverted to 2002. Windows 2008 Server R2 won't boot from the SSD (corrupted?) so I'm reinstalling the OS before running an overclock. N.B. This PC houses a SAS controller card and an LTO-4 tape drive, hence the OS.
Well, my motheboard is the P35-DS3 rev 2.1 , and I already have the modded BIOS for Xeon support. I know it can fit my board since I modded it a bit so it can fit the E5450!
 

triplex1

Prominent
Jun 2, 2024
664
92
470
Interesting. I hadn't seen this particular cooler before. Certainly cheaper than the NH-D15, D14, etc.

I checked a review of the Thermaltake HR02 Macho (who dreams up these names) but the performance is only "middling".
https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/9626/thermalright-macho-rev-cpu-cooler/index.html

I'd be happier with a dual-tower, dual-fan design, like the Thermalright Peerless Assassin and Phantom Spirit both of which I've used, but these models don't seem to support LGA 775.

The Macho has a particularly deep stack of fins and only one fan to force air through the gaps. I know adding a second fan doesn't necessarily improve cooling by a huge amount, but 'every little helps'.

The macho isn't overly cheap and is roughly half the price of an NH-D15 Mk.1 where I live. In comparison, the dual-tower Assassin and Phantom are one third the price of a NH-D15 Mk.1, which is why I use them in non-premium builds.
I work all years with Thermaright heat sinks, at the moment I have one FC140 and one Phantom Spirit 120 EVO.

The particular one (rev.b) worked with E5450 xeon , 3100 Ryzen and 3600xt and continues to work for a friend with 5600g who does not rise above 55 degrees in full load.
The main thing is that it is not heard at all
In my opinion, what Noctua needs to do is to lower its prices.
Because I make computers and they have passed through my hands Noctua, there is nothing special about this money, the fc140 I have is much better and more compatible
 

LuKaWin10

Upstanding
May 6, 2024
295
40
220
I work all years with Thermaright heat sinks, at the moment I have one FC140 and one Phantom Spirit 120 EVO.

The particular one (rev.b) worked with E5450 xeon , 3100 Ryzen and 3600xt and continues to work for a friend with 5600g who does not rise above 55 degrees in full load.
The main thing is that it is not heard at all
In my opinion, what Noctua needs to do is to lower its prices.
Because I make computers and they have passed through my hands Noctua, there is nothing special about this money, the fc140 I have is much better and more compatible
Issue is Noctua is expensive, they should lower the price. Their products are amazing (I love their stuff) but honestly prices are tough, even for me (a 16 year old with no job and whose only source of money is parents or working with them and helping with chores and more)
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Issue is Noctua is expensive, they should lower the price. Their products are amazing (I love their stuff) but honestly prices are tough, even for me (a 16 year old with no job and whose only source of money is parents or working with them and helping with chores and more)
Thats like saying Ferrari should lower their prices so everyone can have one.

Noctuas current pricing works for them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JohnBonhamsGhost

LuKaWin10

what case you have?
OP answered this back in post #42. I will say that the Macho is 162mm tall, which may be a bit much.

I will also say that E5450 may have an 80w TDP compared with the 95w TDP of Q9650, 120w TDP of X5450 and even 130w TDP of QX9650 but I've had all of them and they all used exactly 72w under load at 3.0GHz and 125w at 3.6GHz (all have a multiplier of 9x so this is at 400MHz FSB for all of them) so if you think you'd save on power or cooling requirements with a E5450 you are barking up the wrong tree. TDP only means Thermal Design Power which is the suggested cooling capacity of any cooler to be used with it. Since servers tend to have a lot more airflow, the cooler mounted directly to the CPU can have less capacity because the air entering the cooler isn't as hot.
 

LuKaWin10

Upstanding
May 6, 2024
295
40
220
OP answered this back in post #42. I will say that the Macho is 162mm tall, which may be a bit much.

I will also say that E5450 may have an 80w TDP compared with the 95w TDP of Q9650, 120w TDP of X5450 and even 130w TDP of QX9650 but I've had all of them and they all used exactly 72w under load at 3.0GHz and 125w at 3.6GHz (all have a multiplier of 9x so this is at 400MHz FSB for all of them) so if you think you'd save on power or cooling requirements with a E5450 you are barking up the wrong tree. TDP only means Thermal Design Power which is the suggested cooling capacity of any cooler to be used with it. Since servers tend to have a lot more airflow, the cooler mounted directly to the CPU can have less capacity because the air entering the cooler isn't as hot.
Okay, thanks for the heads-up! I will see if I have enough space, and if I do then I will tell you all (I think I do but I am gonna take a ruler and see)
 

LuKaWin10

Upstanding
May 6, 2024
295
40
220
OP answered this back in post #42. I will say that the Macho is 162mm tall, which may be a bit much.

I will also say that E5450 may have an 80w TDP compared with the 95w TDP of Q9650, 120w TDP of X5450 and even 130w TDP of QX9650 but I've had all of them and they all used exactly 72w under load at 3.0GHz and 125w at 3.6GHz (all have a multiplier of 9x so this is at 400MHz FSB for all of them) so if you think you'd save on power or cooling requirements with a E5450 you are barking up the wrong tree. TDP only means Thermal Design Power which is the suggested cooling capacity of any cooler to be used with it. Since servers tend to have a lot more airflow, the cooler mounted directly to the CPU can have less capacity because the air entering the cooler isn't as hot.
I have just checked it out, it is around 165mm. It isnt exactly but it is around 160+mm
 

triplex1

Prominent
Jun 2, 2024
664
92
470
Just found on a site the width is 192 mm, from the start to finish. Mine is the same too, so I think it can fit but I will still see if it can
 
I prefer the pre-modded Xeon CPUs (which usually list "welded" in the listing) over the stickers for converting from S771 to S775 but those are a lot harder to find nowadays, now that these systems are 17 years old. But even with a sticker I strongly suggest filing new locating notches into the CPU rather than modifying the socket, which is both dangerous (too easy to slip and bend socket pins) and would allow you to install the CPU in three wrong orientations.

I do not recommend the cheapest quad with a 10x multiplier which is of course the 65nm Q6700, because even by 3.8GHz it's already using 230w--which is pushing the maximum 10A each pair of wires can deliver over a 4-pin power connector. Besides being nearly impossible to reasonably cool when overclocked, they also have less cache and no SSE4.

The P35 Northbridge is made on 90nm process and uses a whopping 16w so really should have some active cooling for the tiny chipset heatsink--nothing special, just point a case fan at it if the CPU cooler doesn't direct enough air toward it to keep it and the VRMs from getting too hot to touch. P45 made on 65nm is even hotter at 26w both from the PCIe 2.0 and from all of them having integrated graphics (even though that was disabled except on G and Q 41, 43 and 45 models), but then P45 usually came with a much larger chipset heatsink..
 

triplex1

Prominent
Jun 2, 2024
664
92
470
For Louka, the E5450 is fine
OP answered this back in post #42. I will say that the Macho is 162mm tall, which may be a bit much.

I will also say that E5450 may have an 80w TDP compared with the 95w TDP of Q9650, 120w TDP of X5450 and even 130w TDP of QX9650 but I've had all of them and they all used exactly 72w under load at 3.0GHz and 125w at 3.6GHz (all have a multiplier of 9x so this is at 400MHz FSB for all of them) so if you think you'd save on power or cooling requirements with a E5450 you are barking up the wrong tree. TDP only means Thermal Design Power which is the suggested cooling capacity of any cooler to be used with it. Since servers tend to have a lot more airflow, the cooler mounted directly to the CPU can have less capacity because the air entering the cooler isn't as hot.
For Luka, the E5450 is fine and the mb he has