Recommended P4 heatsink and fan

Well I think I am finally gonna break down and buy a new heatsink to see if I can get my P4 2.4 up to 3 ghz. I am currently running it at 2.8ghz and it is in the high 40's full load with my stock heatsink and stock fan. I was really impressed with this going from AMD's before.

However when I got to look for recommended heatsink and fan combos all I ever hear is the Thermalright SLK series. So I recommended that heatsink to my friend and he got it we put it on and he is getting temps in the high 40's with his barton 2500+. This was not what I was expecting seeing that his old stock heatsink with a thermal pad was doing that temp on full load but overclocked to 2ghz. I dont know if the fan on it is a problem (it is one of those really slow 80mm ones from chieftec cases) or if something else could be the problem. OK so there was question 1.


Now back to P4 heatsink, what do you guys recommend. I dont want anything louder than my current stock heatsink, but what do you say for a good heatsink and fan combo. I am looking to go air on this, I definately want to try water, but not until the next system that I build.

did he put it on right? what about the thermal grease/compound? yuo can get various results by not installing your hsf just right...as for the P4 cooler...i got a spark 7 on my 1.7 and using the temp probe, it stays at 39C idle when oc'd to 2125...46-47C running P95....right now it's sitting at 36C idle on stock settings, runnning 2800 rpm.....i'm sure if i had the fan running on maual, it'd be 2-3C's lower at 3500 rpm.....the spark 7 is one of the better thermaltake offerings...if not this, then get a vantec.....

Well I am absolutely thrilled with my Swiftech MCX4000 with a Panaflo Medium speed fan. Have used the low med and high speed fans and finally settled on the medium.

Similar thread on the Zalman, SLK series and Swiftech MCX4000 with links on where to buy

I am sure it was put on right, I put it on myself, and it hasnt been my first time putting on a heatsink. However I am going to try to reseat it.

What fans are you guys using with your SLK 800's anyway?



Back to my question, thanks redstone, I think I am gonna look around some tonight.

1)Thermalright SLK900U.

2)Alpha 8942.

3)Swiftech MCX4000.

Any of the above will do a great job. You can put your choice of 80mm fan on all of them or a 92mm fan on the SLK900U.

Another good choice would be the Zalman 7000. It's certainly one of the top 2-3 best P4 heatsinks and comes with an integral 92mm fan. It's probably the cheapest choice.

Ralf Hutter said:

You can put your choice of 80mm fan on all of them or a 92mm fan on the SLK900U.

Click to expand...

actually, the newer MCX4000's also now have the option of a 92mm fan; they use brackets to put them on.

i'm considering getting the mcx4000, i've heard nothing but good about it. currently using the alpha pal8942, and let me tell you, its just a pain in the a**. they didn't do a particularly good job of finishing the bottom (had to lap it), and the paint sometimes chips off the heatsink.

Man I wish I would have posted this earlier then I could have found out that the zalman was good for OCing. Then I could have bought it for 20 bucks on the xoxide x hour this weekend.


And phoenix, thanks for that comment that was what I am looking for, I would rather hear the bad about these so called "wonderful" heatsinks than more good.

I'm using the MCX4000 and i think it works really well. It also looks cool. isn't that what really matters?