Which p4 HSF for silence? Questions...

[Fluxer]

I need a HSF for my p4 2.53 (at stock speeds, not overclocking) that will be pretty much silent. The stock Intel p4 2.53 HSF is too loud for my liking (3k rpm fan -- no thanks).

I have a YS Tech variable speed 80mm fan already so I just need a heatsink. If the one I want comes with a fan then I guess that's fine though. Basically, I don't want great temps but I want a heatsink that will allow me to run the YS Tech fan at about 18-20 dBA (1000-1600 rpm).

I'm thinking Vantec Aeroflow, Alpha PAL 8942, AVC Sun Flower or something like that.

Also, does anyone know how Dell cools their current 2.5+ GHz Intel CPUs? I know in the past they've kept their machines super quiet with a passively cooled heatsink with a fan and duct pulling air out. I wonder if they still do that with the faster p4s.

 

[CChaos]

I have the same chip and I put a Vantec Aeroflow on it about a week ago. It's very quiet and cools better than the Intel stock HSF.

 

[Fluxer]

Is it quieter than the Intel stock HSF that came with the 2.53 chip? The Vantec Aeroflow does seem nice -- you can change the fan on it, right?

 

[CChaos]

I don't think it's as quiet as the stock but it's still pretty quiet. I have the fan on it's lowest setting and it's still about 1000rpm faster than the stock would run. It's also cooler. I'm sure you can change the fan if you want.

 

[Vertical_Zer0]

Check out Zalman brands - they're the quietest HSFs I've ever heard.

 

[Donkey_Show]

Its the fan that makes all the noise, and since you already bought a YS tech fan, you shouldnt have a noise problem no matter which heatsink you attach it to.

My 2 recommendations are either the VAntec Aeroflow, or the Swiftech MCX4000. Both are very nice coolers. Id recommend the alpha pal, but its just a blatent ripoff of the Swiftech anyways. Equipped with the same size fan, the Swiftech far outperforms the Alphapal because it doesnt have that black coating on it, and its got that helicoid cut on the prongs.

While on the subject, the Swiftech equipped with either an 80 x 38 mm Vantec Tornado or an 80 x 80 mm Delta will outperform even the top ranking coolermaster p4 cooler and run temps in competition with a water cooled system. Of course this will add considerable noise levels to the system. Thats the beauty of this heatsink, with the quiet ys tech fan, its still the #4 overall performer. Its designed for both 70mm and 80mm fans, and with a high flow 80mm fan, its performance skyrockets. Very well designed cooler. I wish they would update the cooling guide would be updated to refelct this heatsinks performance with an 80mm fan with 65+ cfms. It may change the opinions of alot of people.

 

[Fluxer]

Donkey_Show -- Thanks for the suggestion. I think I've decided on buying the Swiftech MXC4000. It's hard to go wrong with the high quality construction and polished finish on the Swiftech.

I also found this review comparing the Alpha Pal and Swiftech HSFs. Along with your opinion, this further swayed me toward the Swiftech, despite its price tag.

Personally, I think the overclockers.com heatsink ratings would be more accurate if the same exact fan was used for every heatsink -- with the exception of the heatsinks that the fan can't be changed. After all, the rankings should be based on heatsink performance, not the fan used.

 

[Donkey_Show]

I think you will be very happy with it fluxer. I took quite a while selecting a heatsink and read tons of heatsink reviews before choosing this one last week. Ill be sure to post my results with it when I get a little bit of a better burn in and some steady results. From everything Ive read, I have reasonably high expectations. Ive got 2 fans for it, the 70mm YS tech and an 80mm Vantec Tornado (paid for, but hasnt arrived yet) rated at 84cfm. Cant wait to see the performance difference when fitted with the Vantec.

 

[flixotide]

I would opt for MIST silent twin if you're going for silence... but its kinda hottish (see my sig)

But most definitely Thermalright SLK600 for cooling and silence... but its kinda steep.

The switftech is also very much worth the dough though, but I have no experience with these HSF's.. seem pretty solid though.

Cheers, Flixotide

 

[larva]

Even as a guy that has long been fanatical about noise emmision, I don't think you are going to be happy. The stock retail Intel HSF is very quiet, anything quieter will cause temperature increases. I use and recommend the Thermalright AX-478, but the Swiftech is also a very nice piece (for about twice the money). I actually ordered my AX-478 with the YS tech adjustable fan, but SVC crapshoot-cycle sent me a Vantec Stealth instead... three times... lol.

I am using a fixed speed 2900rpm 37cfm fan on the 478 now, and it is a touch louder than the retail unit. Temperatures are down 5C from the retail unit with the 37cfm unit on the AX-478. If you go with the Stealth fan (2100rpm/27cfm) it will be as quiet as the stock unit (but hardly any quieter) but temperatures can exceed what the stock unit produces. Basically the only way you can get quieter than the retail heatsink assembly is to use an even weaker fan, and at 2.53GHz this is not really a good idea.

 

[Fluxer]

larva -- Yeah, you're right the Swiftech is pretty expensive. Maybe i'll be able to get it a little quieter than the stock HSF.

flixotide -- I think you mean the Thermalright AX-478 (since I need it for a p4 nw, not an amd chip). That is a nice heatsink though -- especially since it just clips on.

I ordered the Swiftech MCX4000 from Newegg (yesterday). Newegg doesn't have the Thermalright AX-478 in stock anyway.