Fins or Fans?

[UFN]

Simple Question! But perhaps a not-so-simple answer - What matters more on CPU Coolers? The heat sink set up or the fans attached to it?

Or to put it another way - If you took an average CPU Cooler and an uber one, (to avoid argument/offense I'll let you decide on what CPU coolers you consider average/uber) and mixed the parts what part would the performance follow?

Would a great fan on an average heat sink perform better than a great heat sink with an average fan? Or vice versa?

I thought this might be an interesting topic to discuss

 

[Ravious]

Temps sure go up when the fan speeds go down. When I turned the fans down my A70 the load temp rised 12 degrees more

 

[TicTac]

I think that, the fact that you have air flowing through the case already that the fins would definaitly be more important because they transfer the heat off the cpu and then its blown away by they air travelling through the case, really the fans are just their to speed the process and up the amount of heat that it can cool

also thats why that old computers don't have fans on any components just fins because they don't produce as much heat

.

But then i guess that there is a balance for modern day pc's since they do make so much heat

 

[UFN]

Temps sure go up when the fan speeds go down. When I turned the fans down my A70 the load temp rised 12 degrees more

Just to clarify This isn't a battle of Fans on their own vs Heatsinks on their own, but whether a quality fan on an average heatsink will perform better or worse than a Quality Heatsink with an average fan

Also, adding a poll for funsies.

 

[fcb]

In most cases I would think the fins are the more important aspect of heatsink design. I mean how they arrange the fins and the gaps between them for proper flow of air to pass through to remove the heat from them. It's universally understood that heat rises, so for example, if you don't have a fan on the heatsink you'd have to situate the heatsink properly and also have some kind of vent/mesh area above it to let the heat rise through and exit the case. Having a good quality fan designed for that specific heatsink will help to remove the heat produced quicker.

I think they both go hand in hand.

 

[thestepster]

a quality heatsink makes a difference more than a fan can mate, get an average heatsink and slap a delta on it u really wont get much better temps and a hell of a lot of racket

 

[TicTac]

a quality heatsink makes a difference more than a fan can mate, get an average heatsink and slap a delta on it u really wont get much better temps and a hell of a lot of racket

Delta's

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSllkFWVhJI&feature=related[/media]

 

[fcb]

Delta's

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSllkFWVhJI&feature=related[/media]

Jet engines....

 

[badtaylorx]

love and marriage love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage this i tell ya brother ....you cant have one without the.........other....

love and marriage love and marriage

frank sinatra

 

[Bladehawk]

12 deltas...

~ 550$ worth of fans...

~ 600w just to power them...

other things that link to this ... madness

- using a jet engine for a rubber band airplane

- using a blow torch to dry your hair

- taking an airplane to drive to work... 5 km away...

- using 2k worth of WC equipment to cool a single under volt memory stick

practical uses

- scaring people by simulating a plane flying over your house

- being the center of attention (probably in a bad way)

- drying your hands when you finished washing them

- throwing a pound of cheap steak in there to get diced meat

- using it as an offensive weapon if someone tries to break in your house

- using it as an early tornado/earthquake siren for you and many of your neighbors

getting over 75k views on a youtube video priceless

EDIT: oh and getting a 2600k @ 5.5 Ghz and 2 590 in SLI to 1C delta... now i know where the name comes from double priceless!!

 

[Ya93sin]

Delta's

I reckon you could get children to levitate on those things.

I suppose an efficient heatsink is absolutely neccessary, but I think fins and fans work together, ying yang style.

More fins allows more heat to leave the core, but then airflow is neccessary to move that heat out.

Similarly, fans allow the heat to move out, but if there is only a small surface area (i.e. less fins) to allow heat to move out..

Each ends up being a limiting factor for the performance of the other I reckon.

 

[Lollipop]

I would say a quality heatsink, because if the fan(s) wouldn't be able to cool the CPU you could always buy a new set of fans.

 

[Bladehawk]

Nofan CR-95C IcePipe 95W Fanless CPU Cooler

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/audio/nofan_cr-95c_icepipe_95w_fanless_cpu_cooler_review/1

i needn't say more.