1) correct me if I am wrong , If I buy a cpu it comes with the coolant system. I.E heat sink , fans , perhaps thermal compound...etc

2) Is it possible to buy just the coolant system without the cpu. Like just the heat sink and the fan ,...etc

3) What coolant technology is the best (i.e dissipates the most heat...)
Is it peltiers , water coolant , heat sink/fan , or something completely different that I am not aware of

4) how interchangeable are the coolant systems for the cpu's?
For instance if I look at the spec's of a heat sink and it say's it can dissipate X amount of heat at a certain rate and my cpu never heats up that quickly to that rate. Then I should be safe in using that heat sink.
Or is their other factors I am overlooking?

 

Hello,

Zalman has a lot of CPU coolers, that are rather quiet too:
http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/CategorySecond_Pic.asp?categoryname=Coolers&categorySecond=CAS1

I have used this one in one of my computers:
http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?idx=312

Bertus

 

Thanks for the links.

Curious is their a best coolant technology currently? Or should you use what ever is cheapest that supports your cpu.

Also is it possible to buy a cpu with out the coolant system? Or must you buy the cpu with the coolant system (i.e fan , heat sink ,..etc)

 

You can buy OEM CPUs from some retailers. These versions come with no hestsink or fan.

Peltiers are excellent at removing heat but are expensive to power and will still need some form of cooling to remove the heat from the hot side.

Water-cooling is a good option but is expensive and us relatively high maintenance.

Air cooling is simple and effective.

The larger the heat dissipation area the more heat you can get away from the CPU and the cooler and quieter it can be operated.

Manufacturers of CPU heatsinks to fit intel and AMD CPUs include Thermalright, Zalman, Akasa, Noctua and loads more. The best air cooler currently is the Thermalright Silver arrow.

 

1) correct me if I am wrong , If I buy a cpu it comes with the coolant system. I.E heat sink , fans , perhaps thermal compound...etc

Yes

2) Is it possible to buy just the coolant system without the cpu. Like just the heat sink and the fan ,...etc

sure

3) What coolant technology is the best (i.e dissipates the most heat...)
Is it peltiers , water coolant , heat sink/fan , or something completely different that I am not aware of

Well, all dissipate the same heat, otherwise your cpu would become a toast. The difference is where the heat leaves the system and how much noise they make.

If you have water cooling, the heat leaves from a radiator, which is somewhere else than you computer case, so it doesn´t heat up other components.
Peltiers consume a lot of power so they are grossly inefficient.
You can have a passive heatsing without a fan, which is the quietest solution, but you still need at least one fan that circulates air through the case.

4) how interchangeable are the coolant systems for the cpu's?
For instance if I look at the spec's of a heat sink and it say's it can dissipate X amount of heat at a certain rate and my cpu never heats up that quickly to that rate. Then I should be safe in using that heat sink.
Or is their other factors I am overlooking?

This is more complicated. The original heatsinks that come with "boxed" cpus are made just for the socket and Thermal Design Power of the procesor, so you can have a problem if you install them on a different socketed processor or with higher TDP.

On the other hand, if it fits but the cpu has larger TDP, it is possible that the cpu will just run a tad hotter, but all will be ok.

Custom heatsinks i.e. bought separate from the cpu usually have a mounting kit for all different kinds of cpus, so that should not be a problem. They are mostly larger than the original, which could be a problem to fit inside the case.


Also another problem is that CPU guys never heard of thermal resistance, so it is hard to compare the heatsinks without any actual measured facts.

 

Also, I have a ´09 intel with 65W of TDP with the original heatsink, at full load it gets to 48°C, idle about 28°C.

 

It's more than just removing the heat from the CPU; it's also removing that heat from the computer's case.

You need to pay close attention to the airflow pattern through your case. Is it sufficient? Do the CPU and HDDs stay cool enough?

There is a free utility program that you can download called "SpeedFan"
The home page is here:
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php
The download page is here:
http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php
The direct link to downloading SpeedFan is here:
http://www.almico.com/speedfan444.exe
Right-click and "Save As"...
Then install the program.
If you're running Vista or Windows 7, you'll need to run the program as administrator.

SpeedFan will report your CPU, HDD and case temps (where sensors are available) in real time. If your HDD temp exceeds 55°C, it will have a short life. If you minimize it, SpeedFan will stay in your system tray and continuously report the HDD temp in blue if <55°C, and in red if 55°C or higher.

Unless you really know what you're doing, don't use the advanced options, as you can damage your computer. I'm not going to try to explain more about that over the Internet. If you use those options, it is completely at your own risk.

Some older Dell and E-machine tower cases have very poor airflow around the HDDs. Many older computers simply have poor airflow through the case in general. Adding on a small, cheap fan won't help the situation much, if at all.

I worked on a couple of these old Dells for friends; their HDDs had died. I monitored the HDD temps while doing a defrag, and discovered that the HDD temp was going well above 55°. I wound up having to drill several rows of 1/4" holes in the side of the case to allow air to flow in and around the drives, and install a 2nd, much more capable case fan, cut out the stamped fan guard and install a welded wire guard that had much lower airflow resistance. The case looked a bit like Swiss cheese, but the HDD temp stayed well below the danger point afterwards.

 

That was a great ideal SgtWookie about cutting the holes in the case to let more air in.

I always just consider size, look , durability , access convenience when purchasing a computer case never thought about heat dissipation inside the case thanks for making me aware.

Also if I buy a cpu would it be safe to just use the coolant system that comes with it for any motherboard that supports my cpu.
Or would their be a case where you buy a motherboard/cpu which the coolant system for the cpu will not be good for the new motherboard?
(I.E is their a time when the coolant system shipped with the cpu won't be a good choice for the new motherboard that you bought as well )

 

Hello,

Here is a article on PC cooling:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/maintenance/tp/pc_cooling.htm

Bertus

 

(I.E is their a time when the coolant system shipped with the cpu won't be a good choice for the new motherboard that you bought as well )

Never, the motherboard allways respects the socket, i.e. it has the right holes for the processor and it´s appropriate cooling. If the cpu fits, the boxed heatsink does as well. (in 1U and 2U rackmount cases this very well might not be true)

The other way is not that simple, so when you buy an "aftermarket" heatsink you need to check if it fits your processor´s socket. But there is no point buying it unless you are doing something special like overclocking the cpu or removing noise by going completely passive.

 

OK , I see

I am not going to be over-clocking and the noise is not an issue for me.
So I think I am all set