HSF way too $$$$

[jonwessel]

I don't get how some ppl can spend 40 bucks on a 1700 and 40 bucks on a SLK-900u, just crazy ppl spend big $$$ on HSF, I think I'm gonna get a Thermaltake Volcano for like 15 bucks

[Banyan]

get the sk7+ for $15. best bang for the buck hsf out there, i think.

[IR1]

well you could just spend a ton on the fastest amd cpu, use the stock hsf... and then not overclock it.

Or buy the cheap cpu and good hsf and overclock it beyond the fastest amd cpu. And it will cost you less. Plus the hsf will last you a while... a long while.

[Damian]

If you want cheaper, you can get an SK-6+ for $9.

I do think that the prices of the top-end heatsinks are a bit inflated (does the SLK-900U use that much more copper than the SK-6+ to warrant a four-fold increase in price?) but then that's how it's with almost everything. It takes exactly as much effort for ATI to produce a 9500np and 9700np, and yet one card's $130 and the other's $200.

[Banyan]

Originally posted by Damian
If you want cheaper, you can get an SK-6+ for $9.

I do think that the prices of the top-end heatsinks are a bit inflated (does the SLK-900U use that much more copper than the SK-6+ to warrant a four-fold increase in price?) but then that's how it's with almost everything. It takes exactly as much effort for ATI to produce a 9500np and 9700np, and yet one card's $130 and the other's $200.

makes sense to me...

[zabomb4163]

SK-7 is worth every penny

[Banyan]

Originally posted by zabomb4163
SK-7 is worth every penny

did you ever get the intel adapter for the sk7? curious to hear how well it works... let us know. :)

[InThrees]

Why is this in video cards? Pay attention jonwessel. I know you're stressed out over selling your rig, but be more aware. ;)

Anyway, the answer is longevity.

A good heatsink isn't something you have to buy for just one processor - it's something you can buy for the lifetime of your committment to that platform. Buying a 1700 and a $40 or even $60 HSF for ultimate cooling allows THIS crowd a better chance at a sweet overclock.

Then, when they see a Barton 2500 for $85 or some other 'better' chip at a good price, they can still use that same HSF, and still get cutting edge air cooling.

[Sterculus]

Well, with a good heatsink and fan, and a XP 1700+, you can overclock to at least 2.2 ghz or so. Off the top of my head I don't know the PR rating for that chip, but whatever it would be is a lot more expensive than a $40 CPU + ~$50 cooling.

[RoadWarrior]

Well if you just want a lump of useless silicon go pick a rock up, the time it takes for your CPU to become a useless lump of silicon is roughly proportional to the amount you spend on the hsf. Your $6 hsf may work fine at keeping the cpu just below meltdown point for several months, maybe even a year, but when that fan gives up, you've got no margin for temperature warnings, programmed shutdowns or anything, the only mode of failure there is for it to let the magic smoke out of the CPU, turning it into one of those useless lumps of silicon, that is much less effort to aquire in the back yard.

regards,

Road Warrior

[ajrettke]

I disagree about the shutdown temp, I've seen 8k7a's with stock HSF's on 1.2 Tbirds have fans die (well the power on the fan header died) and it shutdown with no damamge fine. You bring up a good point though about having say an SK-6 for a long time...the SK-6 will cool any socket A chip out there....the original HSF on a 1.2 Tbird probably wouldn't.