HSF dilemma

[Kebab]

Am about to buy an Athlon 64 3000+ Winchester and either MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum or Asus A8V deluxe.

And am wondering about which HSF i should go for.

I was thinking of going for the Asus Star Ice but was told it wouldn fit on either of the mother boards.
So was thinking of going for a Thermalright XP-90 with Panaflo 92mm instead but then i was told that i would loose my warranty if i didnt use the stock heastsink. so should i go for a panaflo 120mm on the normal heatsink, go for the XP-90+panaflo combination or go for a totally different fan/heatsink altogether, considering that i wouldn't try to OC anything for while.

Cheers for the advice

Keb

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Kebab
i was told that i would loose my warranty if i didnt use the stock heastsink.
Keb

Where did that information come from?
"Warranty" on the CPU or the MB?

 

[Kebab]

Loosing the warranty on the CPU. Read that on one of the guides on the Hexus hardware forum.

 

[Blain]

Yes, you will void your warranty if your CPU...

"...is used with any heatsink/fan other than the one provided herewith"

That is if you buy a retail boxed CPU. If you buy an OEM CPU, you can use the HS of your choice, but the warranty is shorter (check vendor).

In the real world, if your CPU setup makes it past the first week... You're Golden! :laugh:
In the AnandTech world, people rarely give much weight to the 3 year warranty anyway. In six months to a year, they have moved on.

 

[akira34]

OEM processor= 90 DAY warranty
Retail packaged processor= 3 YEAR warranty...

You could even get the retail processor (price difference between them is typically under $10) and then get the HSF you want. Use the retail heatsink for a short period (anything from an hour on up) then remove it and install the one you want. That way, they can't say you didn't use it (since you did).

Personally, I always get the retail processor for the warranty. 99% of the time, the retail HSF is enough to do the job. Other times, I use quality aftermarket HSF's to obtain either better, or more silent, cooling. The customers I build systems for are happier knowing that the major parts have 3 year (or more) warranty terms on them. Plus, most of them won't overtax the system until it's out of warranty (3 years) so I have little to worry about.

Something to keep in mind... It's far cheaper to get the retail version with the 3 year warranty than to get the OEM and a more expensive HSF. Even if you get the aftermarket cooler, it's a lot cheaper if your processor goes bad on you. With the OEM, after 90 days you have to purchase a brand new processor. With the retail processor, you get the replacement with little to no cost (maybe shipping charges, which you would have with a new/replacement processor too).

 

[Operandi]

To me the retail warranty is joke, I've never known anyone that knew what they were doing that had to use one. Unless you physically break the chip the CPU is going to last far more then 3 years.

Having said the retail HS/F is fine unless your going to A. overclock or B. build a low noise system.

 

[akira34]

I actually know someone, that knows what he's doing, that had to RMA his processor (and mobo) becuase of extra-ordinary heat. With the retail version, he was able to get support, and a replacement processor (and mobo) with only needing to shell out for shipping. This was long after the OEM 90 day period. IF he had picked up the OEM processor he would have had to either A: deal with it or B: shell out more money to get replacement hardware. He was not overcocking his chip, so that wasn't the source of the heat. He did everything possible to reduce the heat inside the case and such, all to no avail. The replacement processor DID take care of it though (last I heard from him), so it saved him more than a few dollars.

BTW, even getting the retail processor doesn't mean you HAVE to use the retail HSF. If you at least use it enough to make is show use, then you'll be fine with the warranty. Who's to say how long you actually used the stock HSF on the processor (unless you tell them over the phone/email). With the cost difference being [typically] so small, and the possible savings being so large, why not just do it?

 

[Operandi]

Well those retail CPU packages can be bitch to open somtimes.

 

[akira34]

Not for me... I use either some good scissors or my William Henry pocket knife to open them up... Either one does it really easily. Then again, they are Henckels scissors and a semi-serrated knife (sharp as all hell too). I typically use the pocket knife to open up all deliveries and product packages... I have yet to come across one that doesn't easily submit to it...

 

[Waylay00]

If I use the retail HSF and want to remove it later to replace it with an XP-90, will it be hard to remove the retail HSF?

 

[akira34]

Originally posted by: Waylay00
If I use the retail HSF and want to remove it later to replace it with an XP-90, will it be hard to remove the retail HSF?

If you get the heatsink warm, to let the stock thermal compound get 'soft' then it won't be that bad. Worse case, remove the stock heatsink (it will probably have the processor stuck to it) and then twist the processor off of it (this was mentioned in a previous thread).

If you plan on removing the retail heatsink later, you COULD just use some AS ceramique and not worry about it.

I did use the stock/retail HSF for a while before removing it (less than a month ago). It wasn't that bad to remove the retail HSF (even with the processor on it after removing it) and then get the processor off of it. Just make sure you clean up the processor well before applying AS (I use the ceramic compound) and installing the aftermarket unit.

Honestly, you're probably thinking it's more difficult than it really is.

 

[rgwalt]

I'm using a XP90 with a 92mm panaflow on my A64 3200+ 939 on my K8Neo2 Platinum, and it works like a charm. I bought the OEM chip, and added the newegg extended warrantee, so that could be a possibility. I was EXTREMELY impressed with the XP90. It is a very nice unit. I recommend ordering from FrozenCPU.com. They had the sink and the fan in stock, plus I was able to have them sleeve and put heatshrink on my fan cable.

R

 

[stevennoland]

Stick with the stock, it'll be fine. Unless you plan to water cool, but let's leave that for another thread.

 

[Arclite]

There's no way they could tell if it died and didn't use the stock HSF. Keep it though because you need to send it in with the CPU if it dies. My winchester runs fine at 2.4 with the stock hsf by the way.

 

[slash196]

You only void your warranty if they know about it

 

[Kebab]

Cheers for all the advice ill probably go with the stock one for a little while "to show use" then go with xp-90/panaflo as it seems to be the quietest option.

 

[akira34]

Originally posted by: slash196
You only void your warranty if they know about it

:thumbsup:

 

[Waylay00]

Originally posted by: akira34

Originally posted by: Waylay00
If I use the retail HSF and want to remove it later to replace it with an XP-90, will it be hard to remove the retail HSF?

If you get the heatsink warm, to let the stock thermal compound get 'soft' then it won't be that bad. Worse case, remove the stock heatsink (it will probably have the processor stuck to it) and then twist the processor off of it (this was mentioned in a previous thread).
.

I've heard that if you are wanting to remove the stock HS later, that you should scrape off the thermal pad before use. Reason being because the pad will heat up and fill the microscopic vallies in the CPU.

 

[akira34]

Where did you hear that??

I used denatured alcohol to clean my Athlon64 before applying the AS Ceramic compound. I'll be doing the same thing when I go to the XP-120 heatsink in the next day or so. I've found that the denatured alc. really cleans things well. Better than you might think, unless you've used the stuff too.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: stevennoland
Stick with the stock, it'll be fine. Unless you plan to water cool, but let's leave that for another thread.

Yeah like what do you want to do with the PC? if you want to OC like crazy, the stock might not work, but even for mild OCing the stock is fine. AND the warranty issue also...

I replaced mine with an XP-90 but that's cause I wanted quieter. my CPU is still running stock speeds.

 

[Waylay00]

Originally posted by: akira34
Where did you hear that??

I used denatured alcohol to clean my Athlon64 before applying the AS Ceramic compound. I'll be doing the same thing when I go to the XP-120 heatsink in the next day or so. I've found that the denatured alc. really cleans things well. Better than you might think, unless you've used the stuff too.

I heard it here . The post was made by Viper-X, it's the 5th post.

AMD Forums - In there

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm not saying that any of the posts here "don't make sense" -- I'm only saying that Arclite's and Slash196's remarks about warranties make the most sense.

Over about 15 years now, I've known two family members and one friend who were obsessive about warranties. Attractive warranties drove them to computer-buying decisions that left a trail of inconvenience and nuisance.

But even I try to get a 3-year-warrantied retail "boxed" processor over an OEM. And I DO save those stock heatsinks and the little "INTEL INSIDE" stickers and printed warranty agreements in the rare case that I might need to "prove" eligibility.

In the honoring of warranty agreements, there is a regime of probabilities similar to the issue of committing crimes: you have the probability of "detection", the probability of "apprehension", the probability of "prosecution", the probability of "conviction", the probability of "sentence and incarceration" for X years, and the probability that you will get worse than your sentence by extra-judicial means.

Honor your warranty agreements to a practical extent. If the agreement says "you must buy the heatsink with the processor to get three years" -- that's what it means. Anyway, what's the probability that Intel will be able to "detect" whether or not you used the damn thing?