Heatsink + Fan, what do I do?

[Bryan]

I'm building my first computer system, and I'm having trouble deciding whether I should get a retail AMD processor with a stock heatsink + fan attached, or get an OEM AMD processor and buy and attach a better hsf myself. Right now I'm leaning toward the former, since I'm afraid I'll somehow f*** up my processor attaching the hsf, since I've never done it. I don't plan on overclocking or anything. I'm just gonna use the comp for video editing and occassional game play. Will I be okay with the stock hsf, or should I brave the wild and try to attach a better hsf myself?

[m330]

If you dont plan on OC'ing, then you will be fine with the stock fan and heatsink. Although, it doesnt hurt to have an aftermarket fan and heatsink, sometimes it helps to run smoother and a bit faster. You dont have to go wild or anything, but a copper heatsink is the way to go.


Hope this helps.

[DocEvi1]

I bought a OEM fan and had the same worries - I was told to be careful cos you can crush the core when placing the heatsink on.

I would personally be looking to buy OEM then install the fan - you have a much wider range - most decent shops will fit them for free anyway.

I would recommend the Zalmal Flower Cooler from www.quietpc.com (UK) it looks great, better than the GlobalWin WBK38 and is very quiet.

Good Luck.

[Jimstep]

Be careful with copper h/s. Copper is slow to extract heat whereas aluminum is very quick to extract heat. The best solution is an aluminum base with copper fins. This way, you get quick removal of heat from the processor with the copper fins absorbing the radiation around the aluminum core.

The best cooling is to use a water cooled system, such as, Koolance. This solution is more expensive but will keep the processor very cool.