Conclusion
We used a modern MSI X58 Pro-E motherboard and a Core i7-920 processor (2.66 GHz overclocked to 3.7 GHz) with current components to look at the impact and benefit of spending roughly $75 on an efficient aftermarket cooler. Will the retail boxed cooler suffice, or does it make sense to purchase a more powerful heat sink?
Enthusiasts with aspirations to overclock should look for a better cooling solution, even if overclocking is not on the top of the list. And here’s why:
Little Noise Advantage
A high-end aftermarket air cooler doesn't provide too much of a benefit running at default clock speeds, especially if you're only really looking at noise output. Intel’s reference cooler and the Zalman solution are similar, and the Zalman solution will even be slightly noisier on an overclocked system when the CPU runs idle. However, the fact that the Zalman cooler maintains much cooler CPU temperatures when idle (-9°C/-16°F at stock idle) and at full CPU load (-6°C/-11°F at stock peak) makes it clear that the cooling potential helpa to better distribute heat and to further reduce speeds of other system fans, if necessary. But the real deal is cooling performance at overclocked speeds.
Huge Temperature Advantage at High Clock Speeds
The new CPNS 10X shows its muscle when it comes to cooling an overclocked Core i7-920 (3.7 GHz). We found that it reduces CPU temperature by -16°C/-29°F at idle when overclocked, and by -15°C/-27°F at load while overclocked compared to Intel’s stock cooler.
In such a scenario, the aftermarket cooler lets loose its full potential, as it is equally noisy as the Intel cooler at idle conditions. Moreover, it is quieter or comparable to the Intel heatsin on an overclocked 3.7 GHz Core i7 at full load when running low or medium fan speeds. In this context, it has to be said that noise is still fairly acceptable versus the performance level you get.
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Any chance you can redo the charts to list temps in Celcius as normal?
Agreed. I know SA used to be under British rule, but F went out with feet and pounds... ;-)
I've never used faranheit. I thought it was only the US still holding onto it in weather reports!
As it did in the UK too (still to get rid of those pesky miles though.) I think the USA has to be about the only country in the world using imperial measurements still.
Ah well... C = (F - 32) * 5/9
this Farenheit temps is so annoying.
I found that I was getting thousands of thermal-throttling interrupts on my i7/920 running under Linux with the stock cooler, and that these went away when I replaced it with a chunkier Zalman one; it started running significantly faster.
Linux seems to clock the i7/920 at 2.8GHz by default, which is perhaps an issue; though the Ubuntu 8.10 that I'm running reports different clock speeds for the two threads of the same core, so I'm not sure I should trust anything it says about clocking ...
"So-called heat pipes, which are fluid-filled tubes"
Actually, heat pipes are hollow pipes containing a low pressure gas (near vacuum) and a small amount of liquid, which evaporates easily in the low pressure at the hot part, taking the energy away, then condenses on one of the cooler surfaces, dumping it's energy before returning to the hot end (often by way of a wick, so it can operate in any direction). It is not filled with fluid (unless heatsink makers are incorrectly labelling fluid-filled tubes as heat pipes)
"So-called heat pipes, which are fluid-filled tubes"
Actually, the statement is technically correct: both gases and liquids are fluids. It is the common usage of the word "fluid" to mean just liquids that is incorrect.
I think you will find that the 'low pressure gas' is in fact the vapour of the liquid in the system, with the pressure being the saturated vapour pressure of the liquid at whatever temperature the system is at. The presence of any non-condensable gases such as air or nitrogen, even in small quantities, would seriously impair the heat transfer process. The key process driving the heat transfer is, as you suggest, the change in phase from liquid to vapour and back again.
Worst review I've ever read, it is organized, has typos, temperatures in fahrenheit..etc..
What is the reviewer thinking of? Just pathetic, I've lost hope in toms.
The title of this article could have been better thought out.
"Is it worth upgrading your stock CPU cooler ?"
First off, this article only relates to Core i7.
Not to mention that the answer is blatantly "no" unless you intend to overclock. Temps in Deg F is not useful either as other posters state. This continues the recent trend of shoddy journalism by THG
The title of this article could have been better thought out.
"Is it worth upgrading your stock CPU cooler ?"
First off, this article only relates to Core i7.
Not to mention that the answer is blatantly "no" unless you intend to overclock. Temps in Deg F is not useful either as other posters state. This continues the recent trend of shoddy journalism by THG
Agree, very disappointing these days, but the graphics articles are still good.
I had to check the address bar to make sure this is a ".uk" site. Who cares about Fahrenheit? You didn't even bother to change the temps to Celsius... what a shambles this site has become.
I'm getting a AMD 965, I'm not planning to overclock so I think I should be ok. If I need to overclock later I'll replace the cooler