The search for lower temps...

[veryhumid]

Like many of you I am trying to get the lowest temps possible with air cooling. Right now I have a 2.8C P4 in a Wave Master case. I'm using a Zalman copper 7000 and have tried Swiftech's model with all the pins sticking out mounted with a 92mm Tornado. I have also experimented with various thermal greases. I am thinking about going with a Thermalright SP-94 with the same Tornado. But I have noticed that the heatspreader on my P4 shows some scratches from cleaning it with paper towels and from the HS sliding around a little while mounting. Should these scratches be removed before mounting a new HS w/thermal grease? I mean would they result in an increase in cpu temp of more than 1 degree? Thanks!

 

[archilochus]

Hard to say what tep diff. it would actually make..The flatter and smooter both surfaces are the better mating. Better contact,(mating) better heat transfer to the HS.

 

[PornStar]

I run an SP-94 with a 92mm Vantec Tornado and I couldnt be happier. If you dont mind the noise then its the way to go I think. If you do mind just mod it or put it on a fan controller like I did.

 

[Chocobo]

GO water!!! Unless you are a HSF guy who wants to be a crazy OC'er on air.

 

[veryhumid]

yeah water would be nice, but that requires more money than I have. Also, my question doesn't depend on watercooling or not, I'm just curious about the scratches. Thanks for the input!

I don't mind the noise at all, all my case fans are tornados

 

[SewerBeing]

are the scratches near the center of the processor?? If not, they won't hurt your temp much, if they are, find a way to get rid of them, lap the heatspreader (just an idea).

 

[MisterEd]

Like many of you I am trying to get the lowest temps possible with air cooling. Right now I have a 2.8C P4 in a Wave Master case. I'm using a Zalman copper 7000...

You did not say how the Zalman copper 7000 is working. I have the Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu cooler. My temps dropped by 10C over a stock cooler. I thought that was pretty good considering my fan speed was half that of the old cooler (4800->2400RPM).

 

[veryhumid]

okay i'll look into lapping, but i have never done it before... as i can remember there were some scratches towards the center...

the zalman is doing okay I guess. I have seen my friends 2.0C get down to 28 idle on a cold night when my swiftech with 92 tornado could only get to 30 maybe. I'm not sure about his load temps. He uses zalman paste, I have broken in artic silver.

I don't have a camera, but I have mounted a 120mm 120CFM Delta fan blowing directly onto the zalman. It has become terribly terribly hot out and I have seen maybe 1-2C drop from using the swiftech with no delta fan on the side. Everything is inconclusive, i think. There are too many variables changing. I'll try to post again when i know the AS is broken in.

Not running OC currently...

 

[syberspy9]

H2o settups are less imo i spent $$ on fans grills hs ect i should have got a h2o settup but if you wana stay with air nothing wrong with that

how big are the scratches??? how deap?? i didnt lap my hsf and if u lap it once probibly dont need to do it for a long time after
just leave it and get the thermalright hs

 

[syberspy9]

HOW COULD YOU STAND THE NOISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i had 5silent 80mm and drove me nuts

 

[veryhumid]

yeah, this is my first build, but my next computer will definitely be some water-cooled cascade of some kind. I don't know how I stand the noise. Mostly when I'm at my computer I have headphones on playing CS or having musak in the background. But when I see someone elses computer it's hard to believe it's on I have to leave the room for phone calls!

 

[Yamiyanazz]

I have to leave the room for phone calls!

the thing is, I have to do that too, and I'm running all my fans on low. I think once I get the top exhaust installed, I will be able to slow my only exhaust down a little bit (it's the 80mm right below my PSU..And no, the PSU is an intake..I swapped it and have been seeing cooler temps strangely...Maybe because the PSU exhaust wasn't strong enough to compete with my other 80mm exhaust...oh well.)

 

[veryhumid]

Hahahahahahahaha it's funny you mention swapping the PS fan around. I had a post on that earlier... My case fans were actually pulling enough air BACK through the PS that it could hold a small piece of cardboard by suction. I might just try it for fun.