Is Swiftech MCX462 worth buying???

I have a couple of questions about this HS. Is it worth the money and if yes will it fit on my MOBO ( see the SIG )???? i am from Slovenia and it is impossible to get the HS here. Where can i buy it on the net ( i dont want to pay a fortune for the shipping)? i would put an Delta 80x38 fan on it but how loud will this be??? I read that the Delta produes 52.5 dBA of noise. How loud is that????? Is it very hard to mount the HS???? Do i need any thermal compound???? How should i mount it to prevent CPU damage ( cracking the core ).

THANX

SoNgOkO said:

I have a couple of questions about this HS. Is it worth the money and if yes will it fit on my MOBO ( see the SIG )???? i am from Slovenia and it is impossible to get the HS here. Where can i buy it on the net ( i dont want to pay a fortune for the shipping)? i would put an Delta 80x38 fan on it but how loud will this be??? I read that the Delta produes 52.5 dBA of noise. How loud is that????? Is it very hard to mount the HS???? Do i need any thermal compound???? How should i mount it to prevent CPU damage ( cracking the core ).

THANX

Click to expand...

OK, In order...

1) yes it is worth the money if you plan on overclocking, have a high ambiant case temp or just want to really keep your cpu cool...

2) yes it will fit..the abit kt7a conforms to amd's standrads regarding mobos so it has the 4 holes necessary to install the HS..however I myself haven't done it, so doublecheck with someone who has...

3) lots of places to buy it, check out http://partspc.com http://svcompucycle.com http://crazypc.com or http://sidewindercomputers.com

4) ok, have you ever turned on a hair dryer and stuck it up to your ear? or turned on a vacum cleaner? that's how loud the delta is...if you'd like go check out http://sidewindercomputers.com as they have .mp3s of a bunch of different fans including the 80mm delta

5) installation is pretty easy if you follow instructions

6) yes you should get some...arctic silver III just came out recently..if applying the heatsink to a new cpu then definately get some of that

7) if you are worried about damaging the cpu then get a 'cpu shim'..its basically a copper or non-conductive anondized piece of thin metal that sits on top of your cpu (but leaves holes for the chip) to protect it from such damage...you can get one for like $5.00US

hope this helps...


~jeff~

MCX462 w/68 CFM

I am running the MCX462 w/68CFM Delta. I previously had a Dragon Orb 3. The Swiftech puts the Dragon Orb 3 to shame in my situation. As far as the sound level I was actually surprised at how much quieter it was than my old cooler. It is a deeper sound not the high pitched sound of the Dragon. My temps dropped 9C under load. The compatibility with your board question is a good one...this HS and Fan are huge. The MCX462 is promoted as fitting all boards. However, I have a Soyo board and the capacitor clearance was a little of a problem. I had to bend it slightly to clear it. As ucfswimmer said follow the directions and you will be fine. Themal compound...absolutely yes.

I heard some bad things about SHIMS. They can shorten the CPU lifetime. Any more tips on how to mount an HS without a SHIM and without cracking the core????

THANX

When I mounted my HS I had never done it before. I was worried about the same thing you are. The directions for the HS were very clear and I never felt that I was in any danger of cracking the chip. The MCX462 has a spring arrangement that helps you to not put too much pressure on the chip. It tells you to only tighten the screws like finger tight. I think that when you are mounting it you will see what they mean. I think that you would have to really crank on it and the way the mounts are secured it looks like you would strip the nylon nuts before you cracked the core. Kind of hard to explain. As was said before if you follow the directions you should be fine.

Yes it is worth the money if you want the best. If you don't plan to o/c your cpu then I wouldn't get it. The noise is very loud, I have the MC462 with the Delta 68. It not as loud as a hair dryer but it is pretty close. Don't use shim or it will kill you cpu like it did to mine. They are not needed at all with the MCX462 cause they use the 4 holes on the mobo. So when you tighten it down, do it in a cross patern. Just place the HSF on the cpu gently and you will be fine. If you want to make the thing quiter, I think you can make an adapter to fit a 120mm fan on top. One of the delta put out 84 cfm and it only 35dba. Just make sure you find something to support the fan weight.

The MCX-462 is worth the money. Go to www.outpost.com and do a search for Swiftech. It is a bit hard to find, but it will pay off when you do cause its only $59.99. Shipping on the other hand is a different story. Its the best price I've seen around. As for installing it, cracking the core installing this badboy is much less than other heatsinks. The retention method used on this heatsink is bulletproof, it wont move after you install and the chances of it falling off when you are transporting your computer is slim, unliek other heavy HSFs. The sound is not too terrible (My opinion), I can sleep with it on right next to me, but listening to music can be a bit difficult especially if its quiet. My $.02. Good luck.

Shims are a decent investment, as long as you get the right one.

1) Non-conductive adonized aluminum are the best bet, for the adonization makes the aluminum non-conductive. If the shim happens to slip or shift, you won't have to worry about the shim shorting out your chip.

2) A adonized copper shim WITH GUIDES. This is very important. The guides are basically alittle bit of copper on the edges of the shim that will hold the sucker in place. If installed properly, this shim will not slip or shift at all, therefore no risk of shorting the CPU. However, if you're not sure how to mount a HSF properly or a shim properly, you should probably avoid the copper.

Without the guides, a copper shim is a rip-off at best, and dangerous at worst. Most places online will not sell this type of shim anymore, but a few out there still do, so caviat emptor.

(I personally use the copper one w/ guides. It works perfectly with my application.)