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Pentium 4 HSF Roundup


Date
: 12/24/04 – 06:59:36 AM

Author
:

Category
: Cooling

Page 1 : Introduction

It has been forever since our last cooler roundup. In this latest edition we look into a few new Pentium 4 coolers for sockets 478 and 775. Our comparisons will include coolers from SilverStone, Zalman, Spire, and Intel. We hope to expand our comparisons in the future, but for now these air coolers are a good start and are able to cater for those seeking silence and those seeking performance.

Without further ado, lets move on to what you've all come for…

Page 2 : Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu

Manufacturer: Zalman
Price: NA

Certainly not a new player in the cooling market, Zalman always brings with it quality and their attention to silent computing. The CNPS7700-AlCu (and Cu for that matter) are no exception and continue Zalman's tradition. What is truely striking about these two new models are their sheer size.

Designed to use a low-rpm 120mm fan, the CNPS7700s are so large that they are also able to provide airflow over many other components in the system including the video card, RAM, northbridge, and FETs (field effect transistors).

With the included FAN MATE 2, users are able to throttle the speed of the fan between 1000 and 2000rpms to adjust performance/noise according to their needs. While not required for use, the inclusion of this controller adds a lot of value for those looking to put together quieter PCs.

Aside from the heatsink, fan, and the included controller, what sets Zalman products apart from many others are their continued support for a wide range of sockets. The CNPS7700s support AMD's 754, 939, and 940 sockets as well as Intel's 478 and 775 sockets. While socket 462 and 423 aren't among that list (Socket A and the original Pentium 4 socket respectively) the compatibility Zalman offers is still great and up with the times.

Specifications:

Installing the CNPS7700-AlCu proved simple on both the socket 775 and 478 platforms. Users installing onto Intel's socket 775 will be required to remove the motherboard from the case in order to install the required mounting pieces, however this practice has been common among multiple cooling products on the new socket.

Page 3 : Spire SP503B0 CoolWave II

Manufacturer: Spire
Price: NA

Not new to the cooling market, Spire has been in the game of making cooling solutions since the early 90's. What we have today is their latest entry into the socket 775 realm that on the surface closely mimics Intel's retail solution in form.

The design of the CoolWave II is that of an orb with a shielded 90mm temperature controlled fan, sleeved power cable, and copper core. Both the shielded fan and sleeved power cable are welcome improvements over Intel's retail solution can easily catch loose wires. The cooler arrives with only the bare necessities: HSF, tube of thermal paste, mounting piece, and a short install guide on the lid of the package.

Perhaps the biggest drawback to owning this heatsink is its incompatibility with any socket other than 775.

Specifications:

Installation of the CoolWave II requires motherboard removal like the Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu. The install went smoothly and without a hitch. Some users will find the motherboard removal an inconvenience, but on Intel's new platform it seems like we'll just have to get use to it.

Page 4 : SilverStone Nitrogon NT01

Manufacturer: SilverStone
Price: NA

SilverStone is a young company which started in the beginning of 2003 making high-end cases, power supplies, and accesories. In almost two years we've seen a lot of innovation and quality come from SilverStone, particularly in case and power supply design. Right now we look at SilverStone's entry into the CPU cooling market with their NT01 socket 478 cooler.

Designed for passive operation assisted by case and/or power supply exhaust, the NT01 makes use of three powder heat pipes. Those seeking performance and not silence can choose to mount one or two 60mm fans with the included mounting screws.

Heat pipes, made up of three basic components: a container, working fluid, and wick/capillary structure are also referred to as superconductors for their ability to move heat with minimal loss. The materials that make up the heat pipe are chosen based on the desired use.

SilverStone has chosen copper containers, water, and powder metal for the wick. Most designs typically feature copper containers and water, but the advantages of the powder metal wick are that it can move more heat, has a high reliability, can be used at any angle, and has a low thermal resistance. The downside to using powder metal is that it has a higher cost than mesh and groove wicks.

Another victim of incompatibility, the NT01 can only be installed onto socket 478 Pentium 4s. This unfortunately decreases the value and longterm use of SilverStone's first CPU cooler.

Specifications:

The simplest of the bunch to install, the NT01 requires no screws or motherboard removal. Attaching the NT01 is as simple as fastening two clips that SilverStone includes. The only problem that occured during installation was the need to remove the case fan as it was in the way. For testing purposes, this heatsink was tested passively using only the power supplies single 120mm fan due to the orientation of the socket (more information on orientation can be viewed here).

For those interested in pure performance the SilverStone Nitrogon NT01 was also tested with dual 60mm Delta fans strapped to it. That just sounds sexy now, doesn't it?

Page 5 : Testing

Benchmarking analysis was limited to temperature of the CPU. To gain the results, the system was first put under heavy load by running Folding@Home and RC5-72 clients for a period of one hour and then the peak temperature recorded. The processor would then be allowed another hour to cool to an idle temperature with no user interference.

This method was followed in the same order for each cooler and proved to be a consistent way to stress and compare the coolers abilities. Room for error could then be primarily traced back to environment variables such as room temperature and any possible human error in taking the readings.

Measurements were taken using Hmonitor 4.1.4.5. A RadioShack digital indoor/outdoor thermometer for monitoring the room temperature. The indoor temperature throughout testing was between 75°F and 80°F.

The test systems used were:

Socket 478

Intel Pentium 4C 2.4GHz @ 3.2GHz (Northwood) @ 1.65 V
2*512 MB PDP Systems PC3200LLK DDR RAM
Maxtor 60 GB 7200 RPM 2 MB Hard Drive
Abit IC7-G Motherboard
ATi 9700 Pro Video Card
Coolmax 400 W Power Supply
Nu Tech DDW-082 DVD Burner
M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Sound Card
Cooler Master Cavalier 1 Case
Windows XP Pro SP2 + Latest Drivers, Updates

Socket 775

Intel Pentium 4 520 @ 3.01 GHz (Prescott) @ 1.385 V
2*512 MB PDP Systems PC4000ELK DDR RAM
Maxtor 60GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Nu Technology DDW-082 DVD Burner
Albatron PX915 Pro Motherboard
Albatron PCX5750 128MB Video Card
Thermaltake PurePower 420 W Power Supply
SilverStone B032FW Case
Windows XP Pro SP2 + Latest Drivers, Updates

The results show that Zalman's quieter and larger CNPS7700-AlCu cooler outperforms their previous solution which uses a smaller, faster fan on a similar heatsink design. The CNPS7000A-AlCu was tested without the FAN MATE and so was running its fastest. Even in their highest modes of operation both Zalman coolers have their competition beat in the noise department.

Looking at the SilverStone part, when in passive it proves capable to cool even a highly clocked Pentium 4C to acceptable temperatures. Coupled with a pair of Delta fans and this passive solution turns into an active monster besting our coolers from Zalman by more than 10 °C. At 12V the dual Delta fans were simply unbearable and so to compare, 9V operation was able to deliver near equal performance at what I would consider normal noise levels in the range of Intel's retail HSF for socket 775.

On socket 775 we see the Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu bringing in the worst performance at the cost of being the quietest. Next we see Intel's retail solution bringing in similar numbers with a good 5° advantage, however Intel's solution is quite a bit louder. The loudest, marginally more than Intel's, was the Spire CoolWave II bringing in the best numbers. I was not surprised by any of these results, though none of these temperatures can be considered desirable. The Zalman solution is at the least able to offer a good trade-off of noise for such performance unlike the Intel and Spire solutions. In the end the Prescott, again, is just one hot chip that I have yet to see be tamed.

Page 6 : Conclusions

Taking into consideration price, performance, noise and compatibility, the final judgement is of the consumer which solution best fits your needs. The Zalman products looked at are the most compatible and offer low noise levels, but otherwise have average performance and a high price with the cost of the CNPS7700-AlCu approaching $50. One final benifit to the CNPS7700-AlCu is its ability to cool neighboring components thanks to its large size which is something to consider.

The Spire CoolWave II has demonstrated performance marginally better than Intel's stock heatsink and fan, but at a slightly higher noise level and at a cost that is hard to justify over the benefits of just buying a retail boxed CPU; over $20 for the CoolWave II.

SilverStone's first attempt at CPU cooling is a success in my opinion, but could use improvement in compatibility. The performance is very configurable to what the user seeks, offering one of the quietest solutions available or one of great performance with the help of active cooling. Next to compatibility though, the cost is pretty high at around $46 and even more so with the addition of fans.

Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu

Justification: The Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu was our Editor's Choice pick because of its versatility and performance.

Although the performance of this Zalman product was lower than what we expected for the LGA775 test, Zalman products are known for a combination of performance and low noise, and with that they deliver improvement and features not seen in the CNPS7000 series compared to today.

Advantages

Quiet
Pushes air over neighboring components
Compatible with many platforms
Adjustable fan speed

Disadvantages

Expensive
Average performance

Spire SP503B0 CoolWave II

Advantages

Relatively inexpensive
Sleeved wiring
Shielded fan

Disadvantage

Small performance advantage over boxed HSF
Louder than boxed HSF
Only compatible with socket 775

All things considered, the boxed Intel CPU is money better spent.

SilverStone Nitrogon NT01

Justification: As noted, this was Silverstone's first attempt in the HSF market. For a first try, it was a pretty damn good one allowing users to choose their performance by making a passive cooler an active one. If you're looking solely for a socket 478 cooler, don't skip this one. In the near future we look forward to seeing more products like this from Silverstone that support multiple platforms.

Advantages

Passive capable
Good performance in active mode
Low noise solution
Very good looks

Disadvantages

Expensive
No fans included
Only compatible with socket 478

Works Sited:
The Chemical Engineers' Resource
Yeh-Chiang Technology Corp
Enertron Inc.
Noren Products Inc.

…and a thanks to SilverStone for help with obtaining information.

Thanks to our three sponsors, SilverStone, Spire and Zalman for making this review possible.