As passive as possible?

My desktop is only used as a PVR now, as well as for downloading (legally of course) movies and watching them. I play no games, and the only other thing I do is burn movies that i've downloaded.

I'm running an ASUS A78NX (I believe, kind of an old board), an AMD Barton 2400+ (can run it stable at ~2.2ghz without too much effort), an ATI X1300, 2 HDD's, and then a Hauppauge PVR-150.

What I want to do is use as much passive cooling as possible. First off, can I just stick a larger passive heatsink on the video card without much problem?

If I underclock the Barton and lower the voltage as much as possible, with a passive heatsink will it work?

My thought is I could put a 120mm fan in the front, back, or on the side door (which would work best?) and have it be basically the only fan other than the power supple (is there anything I can do about that?). Possible?

Tips for passive cooling?

well for the video card here is a option i'm looking at for my ati x1300 AIW. as for the cpu maybe a larger heatsink with an undervolted fan?

Spawn-Inc said:

well for the video card here is a option i'm looking at for my ati x1300 AIW. as for the cpu maybe a larger heatsink with an undervolted fan?

Click to expand...

I guess I need to do some reading on cooling because I wouldn't know how to undervolt a fan (unless I'm being an idiot and its not something you do at home and you just buy it moded as such).


Is it a pipe dream to have the CPU passively cooled with just a 120 in back sucking air out or pushing it in (or even on the side of the case blowing onto the mobo over the CPU area?

I'm sure large heatsinks like the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme shouldn't have too many problems running passively.

no its possible just need big heatsinks like said above with a ultra extreme.

to undervolt a fan you would just need to do a little bit of rewiring. this is the molex connector,


you would just need to move the YELLOW 12v pin to the RED 5v spot. the picture above is set to run at 5v only. you can take a pen and take out the ink part and use that to push the pins out.

A toothpick works too, though they do break easily.

here is better walkthrough

IIRC the A7N8X didn't have much in the way of undervolting. But that shouldn't set you back too much, and what little it can do should help.

You basically need a bigger heatsink. It doesn't have to be passive, it could just use a bigger fan that'll just run slower and quieter. I highly doubt you can make the current heatsink you have passive (unless it's a big one already).

Of course once you shut the cpu up you'll start hearing the HDs...

Whenever I am watching movies, there is only the rear 120mm working at 7v (yate) and the fans on my scythe ninja and acellero S1 are off along with my intake. On cold days I can even game with just one exhaust.

I know the Acellero S2 should fit your x1300, but getting a passive cooler for your SocketA might take some work. Thankfully tower setups are almost the norm, so it would just depend on fabricating your own 462 mounts. I would suggest something like this:

http://www.svc.com/ultra-90-775.html

With a purchase of a universal bracket (like the one pictured) and some screws and bolts, you could use the mounting holes of the 462 for the Ultra 90 :

Good luck,

bryan d

A thermalright HR-01+ is the best passive cooler so far AFAIK.

I would have a low-noise 120 intake blowing over your HDs. Then a low-noise fan on the HSF with a dedicated out-only vent straight out one side of the case. This way the CPU heat gets exhausted and stays separated from the rest of the system, the HDs are kept cool and the crossflow with the PSU exhaust will keep the rest of the system components supplied with fresh air. That only leaves the video card and the second post looks like it has a good option for that, if it gets too hot just put one more low-noise fan on that thing.