(Prompted by VIA C3 Article) Would *you* run a CPU without a heatsink?

[markedmundb]

I read the article linked from the front page about the VIA C3 CPU's lack of need for a heatsink.

Hmm, very strange. Sound's like Fry-up city to me, esp. as it will probly go into cheapo extremely cramped cases.

12W of heat ouput?

When was the last time you had a PC with 12W of heat output from the CPU? 286 or 386?

Would you run any CPU w/out a HSF (even if the manufacturer said it didn't need one) and if you weren't gonna OC it?

I can see where there aiming for, tho. The OEM Market. Without the need for a $10 heatsink, the system builders will have an extra $10 in their back pocket, esp. as the CPUs sound good if you're an avg joe who buys a PC from PC World or somewhere similar. 733Mhz Via for $x, compared with 733 Intel for $y (twice as much as x). what one do you think they'd go for?

(Author's Note: pls ignore the disjointed nature of this post).

 

[AnonymousDude]

if those cyrix's are as cool as they say - I can't WAIT to get one. Imagine, just a 50w peltier on one!!!

 

[Da Whip]

Put a 75 Watt on it and you could keep your beer cold and within reach!!! Now thats an idea whose time has come!!

 

[markedmundb]

You'll probly need it OC'd. Don't these cyrix's have the FPU running at 1/2 CPU speed? Or was that just the old model?

 

[Nagorak]

Overclocking the C3 would be a waste of time, their FPU is so weak that even if you had it running at over 1 GHz, it would still be slower than something like a 700 MHz Celeron.

 

[AnonymousDude]

how do you know it would be slow? we haven't seen em running yet! They good be good performers. What you have to remember is VIA have taken them over now and by the sounds of things are already starting to do good things. Give them time and I reckon VIA will be a big contender.

And 1/2 speed FPU?? No wonder why they ran so crap - I thought it was just a crap unit.

 

[Nagorak]

How do I know they will be bad???

The "Via Cyrix III" has been out for six months or a year now. They have horrible performance. Just because they renamed the CPU to C3 doesn't change the fact that it's based on a poorly performing design. That's like if Intel changed the name of the Pentium 4 to just P4 and then we all started thinking it would offer great performance due to the name change!

I may end up buying one of these CPUs though just because they can run without a heatsink. I need a CPU for a socket 370 mobo that can be used for basic word processing. It doesn't need power, it just needs to run decently.

 

[AnonymousDude]

tweak town have actually used one (I was speaking to mr tweak on ICQ last night). There have been about three version of the C3. This one is the best performing so far and is faster than the K6-2 e.t.c but still not great

Still, wouldn't mind supercooolin one just to see the huge number