Quake3World

I'm now considering a good cpu cooler for possible overclocking, or maybe just to have really nice low temps at stock. I've done a fair amount of research in the £25 to £40 range and almost decided on one. I'm considering the Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer (CCF). Other choices are the Titan TTC-NK85TZ Fenrir, Xigmatek Red Scorpion S1283, and the Scythe Mugen 2. I think they probably all cool roughly the same from what I can gather. They've all been recommended to me.

The scythe is the largest and heaviest and is bolt through, I think it'll fit but not sure I want something that big or heavy.
The titan is bolt through too. The others are pushpin.

Some, in fact, many, say that pushpin heatsinks don't make as good contact when installed and it's difficult to push the pins through, even at the risk of damaging the motherboard. Bolt throughs seem preferable for safer and easier installation, better contact, possibly lower temperatures. However, the sunbeam CCF has got extremely good reviews, will definitely fit my case with decent clearance, and has the clip that allows me to remove the heatsink without taking screws out which is quite handy I suppose. And it has a fan control. It looks like I'll have to remove the motherboard for all of these. The sunbeam can be installed without removing the mobo but most people have said they had to remove it because it was too difficult otherwise. Any opinions or experience with any of these?

A review on the CCF, it's in the frostytech top 10 AMD coolers. 97% rating.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.c ... cleID=2271

that CCF is a ripoff of the old Sckythe Katana, those things where great coolers, and worked wonderfully in both passive and active mode.
http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/cpu/0 ... etail.html


anyway, I'm always a fan of a cooler that will brace its self via a bracket or alternative mounting method, the force that is applied on a CPU and mother board with large HSF's are something to consider when looking at one of those things.

I have a mugen 2. I accidentally 'deformed' it when i dropped it before I installed it into my box but it still seems to hold the cpu under >35C solid (full load, overclocked)

Was going to get the thermalright 120 ultra extreme and was quite looking forward to taking the mobo out, affixing all the screws and backplate and not worrying about the fiddly amd clip. But someone said don't bother, it won't make a huge difference to temps and kept saying the CCF would be fine. So I received it yesterday. Haven't fitted it yet. I heard it's quite awkward and needs a lot of pressure to affix the clips, so I better be careful not to break the board or cpu. What do you reckon is the best way to apply thermal paste? It comes with TX-2. I know I have to fill the gaps on the base between the heat pipes as HDT is different from standard heatsinks, but what about on the cpu? Blob, or line or spread?

If it's a thin thermal paste, just a small blob will do (be careful about too much or too little), if it's a thicker solution, you'll have to spread it.

obsidian wrote:If it's a thin thermal paste, just a small blob will do (be careful about too much or too little), if it's a thicker solution, you'll have to spread it.

Ah ok thanks, I'll use that a rule of thumb.

Don't forget to lick it, it activates the compound.

obsidian wrote:Don't forget to lick it, it activates the compound.

Well, if you're sure?

Hehe

Actually, not to be dismissive of obsidian's advice as I'm sure it would work, but some folks just told me (they replied after I posted here) that the best way would be to apply it like the second but last pic here:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?o ... mitstart=5

To carefully fill the gaps without it touching the edges, and then to put 2 lines of TIM on the base, and then nothing needed on the cpu and no spreading since apparently it can cause air pockets. So I'm gonna try it that way first and see how it goes, test the temperature.

It's thermal compound, designed to move around where ever it's needed to fill in the cracks. It's not like you have to calculate the perfect telemetry for absolute planar surfacing or anything. I'd hate to think what you would do when you need to caulk the window and door frames, call fucking NASA?

I did call nasa last time, yes

In the end, I returned the CCF and got the ultra 120 extreme and a separate fan and arctic cooling MX-2. I just spent a fun day doing proper cable management with the mobo out, and then installing the heatsink. Here's my handywork, smudged TIM included!
Amazing heatsink, dropped me from about 30c core idle to 19/20c. I'm well happy, that's what I was hoping for.

Noice

Fank you