Roundup of Noiseless Coolers for SocketA. `2002 Q2
Introduction
Since the first AMD processors were launched all the reviewers have repeatedly mentioned their excessive heat emission. The very first coolers that appeared on retail shelves were not quite suitable for those processors. To be more precise, they were absolutely unsuitable since they were meant forSocket370 or manufactured with some slight modifications.
In a short while, manufacturers pressed by competition started to supply more and more new models of varying shapes, dimensions, materials, fan speeds (or even varying fans, because some users installed two fans :). But they all had one common flaw - high noise levels. At first, the user did not mind the noise. Those who heard it thought it was the way it should be :). As AMD processors were gaining more popularity, there appeared a large group of users opposing to the noise incomputers. Many companies saw a good chance to make money on that and immediately responded with their solutions battling noise.
In this review we'll test noiseless coolers available currently on the market and select the best in terms of noise levels. Meanwhile, theircooling mechanisms don't count. Or, more exactly, almost don't. Most importantly, the processor temperature should not surpass the admissible norms.
Now about the measurement procedure. Without any noise measurement instruments I will gauge the noise levels (as well as other characteristics) and give them a certain rating in scores. The higher the score, the better a certain parameter is, or in this case the quieter a cooler is. Such assessment is quite subjective. But I must admit I am very sensitive tothe noise level since my computer is running on a 24/7 basis and must not disturb the user from good night's sleep. Now regarding the temperature. The processor temperature as well as the rotational speed were gauged with Motherboard Monitor v5.1.0.7. The test setup was assembled in an Inwin S506 case. If the cooler had a related thermal interface material, the test was performed with that first, then we removed it and measured the noise with silicon-organic paste KPT-8 used. The processor was heated up with the BurnK7 software and an Athlon XP having internal thermal conductor was picked up as the test processor. That gave a high precision of temperature measurements.
Indescribing the cooler I'll draw your attention to the fastening convenience. Also don't forget about such factors as the fastening reliability, radiator's dimensions, material used, appearance, processing quality etc. Most of these are fairly subjective (especially, the appearance :), so I'll try to be as impartial as possible through presenting more illustrations.
Thermaltake Volcano 7
The produce of Thermaltake is very popular on the Russian market. It was just Thermaltake who first produced a series of ORB coolers which were rather successful owing to the lack of competitors. Some time later that series was on the down and consumers turned their heads towards the Volcano line. Volcano 6Cu proved the most successful model but did not appeal to many because of the high noise level (theVolcano 6Cu+ model with a faster(7000RPM) 60 mmfan made a terrible noise). Being aware of that, Thermaltake engineers released a completely new cooler, Volcano 7. The main idea behind it is this: we maximize the radiator dimensions (the copper insert in the base remains the same), install a large fan whose speed is variable. This results in a sufficient damping of vibrations and noise produced by the cooler.
Now let's verify how true it is to life.
Besides the cooler itself, in the package there is a Thermaltake logo and an adapter converting the standard Molex connector to the ordinary 3-pin socket (but with2 wires only).
What struck me first was its weight. The cooler is quite heavy - 550 g. On the one hand, it isn't bad since the heavier the radiator, the better it pumps out heat from the processor. On the other hand, a heavier cooler needs to be fastened to the motherboard socket more firmly and reliably. In this part, there is a flaw in Volcano 7- the radiator is fastened with a metal clip hooked up to one socket tooth. So I wouldn't recommend moving around a complete PC with a Volcano 7 inside.
Again the cooler mass is important but is not a decisive factor. More important is how large the surface area is for the radiator to contact the flowing air. There are 20 aluminum fins in the radiator. Its dimensions are 70x68x53 mm (height).
look at the copper insert in the base
The cooler efficiency strongly depends on the right choice of material. To improve the heat transfer, Thermaltake engineers fitted a copper insert into the base, 46 mm in diameter.
Although new Thoroughbred-based processors use the0.13 mk process technology, their maximum heat emission power stays as before -70 watts. With the core area reduced considerably, copper-base coolers cease to be the overclocker's toys alone and are becoming more of a must-have asset of the AMD system.
Moreover, of great value to the cooling efficiency is the thermal contact between the processor and the radiator base. Volcano 7 has a rectangular pad on the copper base,(thermal interface material Bergquist 225U or T905C). The base itself is smooth enough, although not finished to the gleam.
Large surface area of the radiator is still half the success. What matters more is how large is the air contact area - the larger it is, the better. Thus, we are coming to the issue of choosing the right fan. On Volcano 7 there is a fan of 80x80x25 mm in dimensions which could have been regarded as standard if it were not for the thermal sensor. Yes, the thermal sensor is not installed in the radiator base (where it should be, following the logics) but on the outer surface of the fan.
that green thing is the thermal sensor
The thermal sensor controls the fan speed varying between 2900 rpm (at the ambient temperature 25 C) and 5000 rpm (35 C), with the air flow being 46CFM and 53CFM, respectively.
Now we move on the main part of the review - testing the noise levels of Volcano 7. The specifications said the noise level was 27 dB at the speed 2900 rpm and 39 dB at 5000 rpm. This cooler is making much noise, and for a"quiet"cooler it is too much noise. Vibrations are also high, so it doesn't matter much if the case cover is closed or not. The noise level stayed the same - only the tone was changing.
The scheme of plugging the cooler is quite interesting. There are 3 standard wires coming out of the fan. The 3 wires are forked into 2 and 1 (thus, making up 2 sockets). One of the wires is used for measuring the rspeed and is plugged directly to the motherboard. The other two are plugged to the power supply (via an adapter). Such a scheme is used primarilybecause of the high power consumption of the fan, and not all boards are able to provide sufficient power.
Some notes on the appearance. Volcano 7 is fantastic - there is a dark blue radiator, a decorative grid on top of the fan (which protects the fan against extraneous stuff like cables and fingers :), and finally a gleaming metal plate with Thermaltake logos on each side. By the way, the fan is fastened by this frame. Being ofstandard size (80x80 mm), the fan can be replaced with a new one. Which I did. I replaced the related fan with a Zalman ZM-F1 fan. In so doing, I plugged it to the motherboard via a special adapter (that came in the package kit with the fan). The result was simply fantastic - the noise level dropped substantially.
I also installed another aluminum fan taken from the Spare cooler(made by Fanner). The noise level was on par with ZM-F1, but the appearance was much better.
Mind you, not every user can afford to buy 2 coolers and join them into one. While Zalman ZM-F1 sells separately (at $5), the aluminum fan made by Fanner can't be obtained as a separate piece.
 |
Top Stories: |
 |
 |
|
MoBo:
| |
|
|
VGA Card:
|
|
|
|
CPU & Memory:
|
|
