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Intel Reveals Updated Stock Cooler Design for Gulftown CPU

Jason Barry — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:04:09 -0500

More cool things coming out of the Intel Developers Forum. Intel showed off an upgraded stock cooler for its upcoming six-core Nehalem processor, codenamed Gulftown. Generally speaking, stock coolers are barely more than adequate when it comes to noise, cooling power, and overclockability.

However, Intel’s latest cooler takes steps to change some of that. It features an updated tower design, additional fins on the heatsink and four copper heatpipes. Obviously, overclocking enthusiasts will seek out after-market solutions, but this should be a nice change for those looking to save a buck.

Intel’s i9 six-core processor was expected to be released in the fourth quarter of this year, but has since been delayed until early of next year.

Zalman Shows Off Gargantuan Cooler With Remote Control

Andy Salisbury — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:29:14 -0500

Unveiled just this week, Zalman’s new CNPS10X cooler is the first CPU cooler with a removable remote.

The CNPS10X rocks a total of five heatpipes in order to conduct heat away from the processor, all of which feeds into a huge group of fins. These fins are kept cool by a sizable, high-CFM fan.

And, of course, there’s the remote, which will let you adjust the speed of the fan, or lock it into auto mode. The remote can be plugged into the heatsink itself, or work via extension cable. The remote features two LEDs, a surface button and a wheel for all of your speed adjusting needs.

The CNPS10X will be available in several different colors, but no word on when it’ll arrive or how much it’ll cost.

Image Credit: Tom's Hardware

Thermalright IFX-14

David Murphy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:05:00 -0600

Installing Thermalright’s beefy IFX-14 CPU cooler is incredibly complex. Assembling the troublesome amalgam of parts, pieces, screws, and brackets made us long for the snap-lock mechanism of standard Intel coolers. That said, the IFX-14 delivers massive cooling when it’s up and running. But there’s a caveat: It doesn’t include any fans. Thus, its performance depends on the type of fan you attach to one or two sides of the device. Our benchmarks are based on the use of two generic 12cm fans we pulled from a box in the Lab.

You’ll want to plan out the cooler’s (and your motherboard’s) installation before you actually attach the IFX-14, as it can block a good chunk of your motherboard’s cabling routes and standoff holes.

Even getting two fans to work with the IFX-14 can be troublesome. This cooler’s immense size—two towers of heatsink fins connected to four 0.8cm heat pipes—caused the device to push right against our RAM, making it difficult to attach the fan-mounting clips. The IFX-14 also nudged up against the north bridge on our EVGA 680i motherboard. This forced us to rest a southern cooling fan in the split between the cooler’s heat pipes. It’s hardly an ideal location, as we were unable to secure the fan to either of the cooler’s fins.

The IFX-14’s cooling performance is better than our champion’s, Thermaltake’s DuOrb, by a few degrees in both our idle and burn tests. But the cooler’s usability issues make us long to trade in these degrees for a more painless installation process—or one that doesn’t constrain our case options. For example, if you incorporate the IFX-14’s optional back-side heat-pipe cooler into your installation, you won’t be able to use a top-mounted power supply. There’s simply not enough room. Likewise, we made the mistake of screwing the cooler into place before testing how its size would affect our motherboard installation. The cooler blocked two standoff screws and taxed our ability to connect power supply cables.

Bigger is often better in the world of CPU cooling, but the IFX-14 pushes the limit too far.

Keep Your PC/Xbox/PS3/AppleTV From Overheating in a Closed Cabinet

Will Smith — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0500

We love to have tons of cool electronics hooked up to the big living room TV -- who doesn’t? But, if you’re like us, your significant other is less keen on seeing all that awesome black plastic and shiny metal, and you probably did the same thing we did: Went out and bought an overpriced, crappy piece of mass-produced furniture that has doors. Doors! And what do those doors do? They create hot pockets of electronics-killing heat that will shorten the life of our precious gear. All to keep the wife happy.

Fear not, heat haters. We put the Maximum PC brain trust to work in assembling a quick, quiet, and easy cooling solution for, well, just about any cabinet you’re willing to cut a hole in. We tested our solution with two of the hottest pieces of hardware we could find: an Xbox 360 and an AppleTV. With both boxed turned on, and with the door closed, the internal temperature of the cabinet quickly hit 130F. But after we mounted our heat-triggered fan, we saw the internal temperatures hovering a scant degree or two above room temperature. Want to find out how we did it? Read on!

What You'll Need

4.5-inch (114mm) hole saw
A power drill
12-cm thermally controlled, low-speed fan
110V to 12V DC Inverter
Assorted Hardware
(fan screws, #10 nuts, neoprene washers, etc)

Collecting the right gear for your cabinet cooler is crucial to the success of this project. After all, you want to add a near-silent fan – it must move enough air to keep your precious electronic components cool, all without making noise that will annoy anyone sitting in your living room. For these reasons, we chose a low RPM fan that is thermally controlled. When the fan reaches about 75F, it flips on, and maxes out at about 800rpm as the temperature rises.

We were able to find a suitable fan in a kit with an AC-to-DC adapter for about $20, but, really, any low-speed, 12cm fan will do. We recommend choosing a fan that spins at less than 1000rpm to minimize noise. In addition to the fan and the AC/DC inverter, you’ll need appropriate depth #10 self starting screws, which you can get at your favorite neighborhood hardware store, as well as the screws that come with the fan to mount the grille.

Step 1: Clean Up the Mess

Phase one of our operation consisted of cleaning out our entire cabinet and exploring a few different options for the blowhole’s placement. After consulting the Internet and refreshing ourselves on basic rules of physics -- heat rises, who knew! -- we decided to place the blowhole on the back wall of the cabinet at the top of the enclosure.

After a little experimentation, we realized that separating the actual components from their respective power bricks and supporting gear let us move the hotter components to the top shelf of our cabinet. Keeping the hot gear on top reduces the temperature for other gear and keeps the whole cabinet looking neater. Before we did anything else, we went ahead and ran our cables to make sure that everything would reach before we started cutting, and so we could test the “before” temperature accurately. We didn’t yet dust inside our (admittedly filthy) cabinet, as it was going to get a whole lot messier when we busted out the hole saw.

Step 2: Cutting the Hole

If you’ve never used a hole saw before, it’s a little tricky. Generally, the wood that most entertainment centers are made from is pretty thin, so you don’t need to do anything complex, like drill sawdust channels. That said, we do recommend holding a large wooden block at the exit point for the hole; this will help prevent unsightly splintering; however, since we were drilling through to the back of our cabinet, which goes against the wall, we weren't particularly concerend if we marred the finish a bit. Alternately, you can start the hole from one side, then switch to the other side. When using the hole saw, use a relatively low speed, and pull it back regularly to remove sawdust buildup. This will prevent the blade from binding.

Next, you’ll need to drill four holes which you’ll use to mount the fan to your cabinet. We used the fan’s grille as a template, but you can also make a template with a piece of paper, some tape, and a pencil. Tape the template to the back of your cabinet and mark the four holes. We used a 1/4-inch bit to drill the four holes. Try to align the drill perfectly perpendicularly with the wood, otherwise your holes will be crooked and you’ll have a hard time getting the screws aligned with the fan.

Step 3: Mount the fan

Before you can mount the fan to your cabinet, you’ll probably want to determine which direction the fan blows. Typically, there’s a diagram on the side of the fan which shows the direction of airflow, but if your fan doesn’t have that, you can always plug it into the power brick and see which side air comes out of. You’ll want to mount the fan itself inside the cabinet, but orient it so that it blows warm air out of the enclosed area. It will be an exhaust fan. Once you’ve figured out the fan’s orientation, you should also screw the grille that comes with the fan to the side of the fan that will be inside your cabinet. The grille will prevent any stray wires inside your case from blocking the fan; this is important to do, and it will be much easier to attach when the fan’s outside your cabinet than inside it.

Next, it’s time to actually attach the fan to your cabinet. You’ll probably need a helper for this part, unless you’ve got incredibly long arms. Line up the fan on the inside of your cabinet with the four holes on the outside. Slide the #10 screw through the rubber washers you bought—the rubber washers will protect the wood on your cabinet should you overtighten the screws. Now screw in the screws. We used a drill to speed the process, but it’s important not to overtighten the screws. Leave them loose to start, so there’s a little wiggle space in case one of your holes doesn’t line up. Once all four screws have been started, tighten them down in a diagonal pattern.

Once the fan is mounted, you can connect it to power and give it a test spin. Hook it up to your power brick, close the cabinet door, and enjoy your new, longer-lasting, properly cooled components!

Zalman CNPS9300 AT

David Murphy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0500

We did not expect this. When we first got our hands on Zalman’s CNPS9300 AT, we assumed the company had pulled a “Honey, I Shrunk the CPU Cooler” on its flagship product, the bulky CNPS9700. That’s certainly true if you consider the tale of the tape: The CNPS9300 is 80 percent smaller than its big brother, and its total thermal dissipation area has been nearly halved, from 5,490cm² to 2,583cm².

Zalman is keeping the current black-fan version of the CNPS9300 for now but hasn’t ruled out making an
LED-fan version that matches the CNPS9700’s look.

Logic only dictates that this cooler should perform far worse than the Zalman CNPS9700. But the built-for-silence CNPS9300 AT nearly matches its big brother’s performance—as well as that of our top cooler, Thermaltake’s DuOrb (reviewed July 2008).

Since it eschews the CNPS9700’s fan controller in favor of a four-pin motherboard connection, the CNPS9300 AT’s fan can be controlled through the BIOS or by using a utility such as SpeedFan. We welcome the change, as it’s much easier to adjust the cooler via a software application than by opening your case and turning a knob.

Cranking the CNPS9300 to full throttle elicits a loud whirr, but it allows the device to match the quieter DuOrb degree for degree. Letting the BIOS automatically decide the fan’s speed drops the device’s cooling power by about five degrees; however, it is much quieter when set on auto mode.

The CNPS9300 still relies on a tiresome and frustrating installation mechanism. The backplane requires motherboard removal, perhaps the least irritating part of the process. The cooler’s mounting bracket barely fits atop the voltage regulators of our EVGA 680i motherboard. And the amount of force we applied to the screws on the CNPS9300’s retention bar to affix it to the mounting bracket had us seriously concerned about the welfare of our processor.

Because of the CNPS9300’s installation shortcomings, the DuOrb remains our reigning cooler of choice, despite its gargantuan size. We love the performance Zalman has achieved with its mini-cooler. Attaching it to our CPU is where we start to sweat.

Multi-function Modding

Chris Adcock — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:24:06 -0600

Since Santa felt the need to hold back on my flux capacitor last month (Dear Santa – Planetary Security is not an excuse!), I decided to order a multi-function panel. These little gems have both form and function. They rarely get the coverage they deserve. Not too pricey either. You can pick one up for less than the Murph keeps in his pizza fund (where do you think I got the money?).

Am I promoting bolt-a-bling? Sure I am – nothing wrong with an accessory here and there. I picked up an Aero Cool unit myself. It takes up two bays and will monitor temperature and fan speed. It also works as a fan controller and has a few other goodies. Of course, there are a number brands and many different looks, options and functions. Some monitor temperatures, some monitor fan speed, some even monitor ambient audio signals. Panel styles range from “automotive” to “Def-Con 9 missile launcher” (sorry, no Hello Kitty motifs). Most of these are easy to install and typically offer more accurate monitoring than software solutions (and they look cooler). These are perfect for a “first mod” to get in to the sport, or even to top off a pro-level mod.

Normally they have to be installed to function, but a bit of fiddling in the lab and we managed to light this one up hooked directly to a PSU.

I can’t wait to install it fully! Then I will Rule The World!!1!

Wait – No, Santa, that was just a joke – really!

Happy Moddin’!

In today’s bling, Bill Owen let’s you stand next to his fire (and his airbrush).

New Fan? Which Way Should It Blow?

Chris Adcock — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:29:48 -0500

So you’re just about to bolt on a new fan to cool your UberMach 3000 rig. All you need to know now is if the fan should be an intake or exhaust. You hit your favorite forum and ask to find out. What ensues is a surreal exchange turning into a flame war with math and theory only Einstein could figure out. Terms like air cavitation, laminar flow, dead zone, chaos constant, negative and positive pressure, stabilizing collimator, flux capacitor, and Heisenberg capitulator are thrown around like “Expelliarmus” at a Potter festival!

Were you Nutz?! Did you not know that such questions should only be left to level 21 and higher geeks with at least 200 hit points? One misplaced calculation and a reversed fan can cause a rip in the Universe! What were you thinking about?

In all seriousness, these things get out of hand, or in depth, for a number of reasons. One reason is that getting good flow from scratch in a case is deceptively difficult. Another reason is that geeks like to argue and use big words. But, if all you are doing is installing one fan into a case that already has cooling, consider the following a guide:

If you are trying to cool a specific part – like a window fan right over the CPU – the air should blow in (intake fan). If you are generally trying to cool off the interior of the case, the fan should blow out (exhaust fan) if it is on the top half of the case and inward if on the lower half of the case.

Don’t believe me though.

I’m serious by the way – you shouldn’t believe me - it’s imperative! Potter and Middle Earth depend on you doing the exact opposite of what I say! Otherwise the Dark Lord will find The Ring II (now available on DVD) and all is lost!

Do not believe me because, while I am probably right, there are too many variables to be sure. So, install your fan(s) the opposite way from what I recommend and boot up. Use a program like Everest Home Edition or SpeedFan and check the temperatures as you ramp up to load on the CPU, GPU(s), case, and so forth (whatever sensors are available to you from the software). Then, shut down, flip the fan, and repeat. See which temperatures are cooler. If I was right, you are finished at this point. If I was wrong – well, just flip the fan once more and call me funny names. If you are installing more than one fan, you may have to try a few more combinations.

That's about all there is to it. True, it's a simple tip, but it often gets lost in all the "theory" out there. And yes, I did gloss over all those important concepts like “balanced flow”. Sometimes “what works” is more important than “what should work” though.

So, is it an innie or an outie? Well, it’s your patient – you decide doctor!

This week’s bling was spotted a bit back by MPC forum member Gamerfreak. Not strictly a computer mod, but a modded singing Tesla coil. BTW – that’s not just a special lighting effect. The arc generates the sound.

Happy Moddin’

OCZ Tempest

Josh Norem — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 17:12:14 -0500

This month, memory-maker OCZ wades into the hotly contested CPU cooling arena with its blingy Tempest cooler. Though the Tempest has the signature OCZ flair, we were let down by its midrange performance and loud operation.

At first glance, it looks like a standard CPU cooler, if somewhat milquetoast: In a world where every high-end heatsink/fan is the size of a small mammal—a necessary evil when surface area largely dictates cooling performance—the Tempest is more like a vole.

Pick it up, though, and you’ll do a double-take. It sports a huge copper base plate (titanium-coated to prevent oxidation), and it's very heavy. A heavy cooler is usually a good cooler, and the Tempest strikes an uncommon balance of heft without being as tall or wide as much of its competition.

Installation is fairly simple, though a bit time intensive. On our AMD platform, we had to attach two little arms to the cooler’s base plate, and then attach those arms to the stock retention mechanism with two included screws. Intel systems require mobo removal along with installation of an included backplate.

During testing, the Tempest delivered slightly better performance than the stock FX-60 cooler from AMD, but it’s not in the same league as top-notch coolers like the Zalman CNPS9500, Tuniq 120, or the Thermaltake Blue Orb II. Think respectable but not mind-blowing. The 9.2cm fan, however, with its bright blue LEDs, is too loud for our tastes. It’s rated at 33dBA, spins at 2,500rpm, and is always audible. If we bought this cooler, our first step would be to use Speedfan or a similar utility to slow it the heck down.

All in all, we have to say it’s a disappointing freshman attempt from OCZ. Sure, the cooler is adequate, and it certainly looks nice, but we had high expectations of the company and this cooler fell far short of them.

Month Reviewed: November 2006

Verdict: 7

URL: www.ocztechnology.com