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Post by TRow on Jul 12, 2004 13:11:00 GMT -5
Sweet setup! Definately a comfortable setup. Are those 3 headed IDE cables going to your Optical Drives? I see the HDD single Sata cable? The fan in the HDD cage is that connected to the Mobo or PSU?
T.RoW
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 12, 2004 19:49:25 GMT -5
Just received the Zalman. Awaiting the new Retention Bracket.
Hey Buzsaw? Did you use the pressure of the Zalman to spread the Arctic Silver out on the processor or did you physically spread it yourself? What did you use to spread it with? Any tell-tale signs to know that there is enough thermal grease on the processor besides spreading out the correct amount, 1/2 a grain of rice?
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dan39
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Post by dan39 on Jul 12, 2004 20:35:56 GMT -5
follow the directions that come with it. the pt of the stuff is for it to fill the tiny ridges and stuff you cant see so there is better heat transfer. it fills the gaps so to speak. the actual heatsink is doing all the cooling, not the paste.
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 12, 2004 21:55:36 GMT -5
The instructions are slightly conflicting since the Arctic Silver website tells you to use the pressure of the heatsink to spread the thermal paste while the Zalman instructions say to physically spread it out with a plastic card. Buzsaw, what did you do or what does anyone recommend for the best cooling?
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buzsaw
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Post by buzsaw on Jul 12, 2004 22:09:49 GMT -5
T was told to use my finger and about paper thin, no excess over edges of cpu or heatsink. If it's a/silver 5 than its conductive!
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buzsaw
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Post by buzsaw on Jul 12, 2004 22:16:46 GMT -5
Sweet setup! Definately a comfortable setup. Are those 3 headed IDE cables going to your Optical Drives? I see the HDD single Sata cable? The fan in the HDD cage is that connected to the Mobo or PSU? T.RoW Yes they are going to my opticals. I wired the fan in the HDD cage to the mobo. |
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dan39
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Post by dan39 on Jul 13, 2004 0:50:28 GMT -5
T was told to use my finger and about paper thin, no excess over edges of cpu or heatsink. If it's a/silver 5 than its conductive! if you plan on using your finger, stick your hand in a plastic bag first, you dont want to touch it with your skin. you could use a old CC or something of the like, or you could just follow the as5 directions. also when you say its conductive, that was my pt in saying its not doing the cooling, the hs is. it is transferring the heat to the hs. the importance of this is not getting caught up in the "more is better." i dont know what youve done to the hs, i dont know its condition, if you lap it you would use less as5. either way you wont have much of a problem. |
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buzsaw
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Post by buzsaw on Jul 13, 2004 8:55:37 GMT -5
Your right about using a bag dan, its hard to get off afterwards. When I said conductive I meant that it will conduct electricity, so you wouldn't want to use it while anything is plugged in or touch anything on the mobo(capaciters and such) if you had some on your fingers. Next time I'll use a CC though, thanks dan.
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 13, 2004 13:03:36 GMT -5
What's a CC?
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Post by dano104 on Jul 13, 2004 13:50:54 GMT -5
CC is short for Credit Card. ;D
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 13, 2004 15:12:04 GMT -5
ha duh, thanks.
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 13, 2004 18:38:26 GMT -5
Whew. Just finished the Zalman mod. Went pretty well. Just a little difficult trying to get the original retention mechanism out of the board. At first I tried unscrewing the motherboard but then it was secured in some other location. I ended up just using a flathead and prying it out. Will post pictures soon.
I have 33-32 idle for the processor, 32 chipset, and 31 memory.
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Post by TRow on Jul 13, 2004 18:56:37 GMT -5
I have 33-32 idle for the processor, 32 chipset, and 31 memory. What are your Load temps? Please report your Ambient temps as well. Good work. T.RoW |
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buzsaw
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Post by buzsaw on Jul 13, 2004 23:01:35 GMT -5
Congrats gdawg, you've just extended a life. How did applying the paste go?
I just did my xt today with the zalman 80D dual heatpipe and opt. fan. It went okay no probs. Temps are almost 10 deg lower AWESOME! No pics though boys. Camera is empty(no digital here). Not like you haven't seen a vga before. ;D
before Zalman (Overdrive at 418Mhz)
idle: 65-67C
load: 70's
After Zalman
idle: 58-60
load: 65-69
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 14, 2004 1:14:58 GMT -5
Here are some pics   At an ambient temperature of about 74 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly 23 degrees celsius, I've been seeing idle temperatures of around 34 and load temperatures of around 47. As for applying the Arctic Silver, I applied the correct amount onto the heatspreader of the processor and used the pressure of the heatsink to spread out the thermal grease. So far the temperatures are good and I'm very happy with the cooling and the sound levels. Before when I had changed the front and rear fans, I had to adjust their levels to increase cooling. My XPS sounded like a vacuum cleaner afterward. Oh just for your information, I've left the Zalman at the normal (highest) fan setting. The noise is comparable between the silent and normal fan settings. |
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Post by TRow on Jul 14, 2004 9:59:14 GMT -5
SWEET! Good work....G...Dawg  What fan(s) do you have for Intake? Have you considered a HDD Fan(if you didn't have one already). The HDD fan would blow perfectly over/on to the Zalman. Also, the AS5 takes some time to "break in" so I would expect your Load temps to come down a bit, give it some time though. I also see you added some Ram modules too. Sweet setup... Ever think of overclocking your 9800pro? There is a TON of info on mod'n the 9800pro and non pro on www.rage3d.com forums. Good work, T.RoW |
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 14, 2004 12:31:47 GMT -5
Thanks a lot for your expertise T.Row. As for my intake fan, I have a 80mm Thermaltake Smart Fan 2. The CFM varies between 20.55 and 75.7 depending on the speed. I've been able to feed the speed control knob through the front grill of my XPS to make speed changing a breeze.
As for the HDD fan, I'll consider salvaging the stock front intake fan. Do you think there will be a signficant cooling increase with the HDD fan? I've taken the front shield of the XPS off, so ambient air can come in and cool the HD.
As for the RAM, I've added 512 mb of Corsair XMS RAM. My XPS now has a gig of RAM and it's been worth every penny.
As for OCing the Radeon, I just have a Radeon 9800 and not the PRO. I've run Rage3d in the past but up to now, I've never played a game that required additional power that my XPS couldn't already muster. At full detail and screen resolution, all of my games have run smoothly. If a game ever comes that requires me to OC, then I will.
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 14, 2004 12:32:56 GMT -5
My rear exhaust fans are 92mm Enermax Adjustable with a varying CFM rating of 47.3 and 64.1.
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Post by gdawg8947 on Jul 14, 2004 12:53:00 GMT -5
With the adjustable fans I've been trying to find a nice balance between noise level and cooling performance. I would say the Zalman with a few adjustable fans will yield the best compromise. I think I'll get those rounded IDE cables to reduce the clutter inside the XPS and to promote good airflow.
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Post by TRow on Jul 14, 2004 20:54:45 GMT -5
As for the HDD fan, I'll consider salvaging the stock front intake fan. Do you think there will be a signficant cooling increase with the HDD fan? I've taken the front shield of the XPS off, so ambient air can come in and cool the HD. As for the RAM, I've added 512 mb of Corsair XMS RAM. My XPS now has a gig of RAM and it's been worth every penny. As for OCing the Radeon, I just have a Radeon 9800 and not the PRO. I've run Rage3d in the past but up to now, I've never played a game that required additional power that my XPS couldn't already muster. At full detail and screen resolution, all of my games have run smoothly. If a game ever comes that requires me to OC, then I will. HDD Cage Fan: Try installing the Stock Fan just to see if theres a difference. With the case closed this fan will move Air directly across the N.B and the Heatsink with out the restriction of passing thru the "gap" between the VGA and the HDD Cage. Doesn't hurt to try, you may need to use a 3pin extension cable for length. And you may have to reposition you HDD in the Cage. ======================================= You may want to consider a Bigger Front Fan too, a 92mm or 120mm Fan can move more Air and at less noise, and at lower RPM's. With the power of the R. Fans, this also would contribute to a better Push : Pull config.....the noise factor remains to be seen. Rounded Cables would definately help and are a cheap upgrade from PCToyland.com. ======================================= T.RoW |
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