Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/583



Test results / Introduction

Both the Celeron II and the FCPGA Coppermine CPUs are extremely popular among overclockers - reason enough to take a close look at cooling solutions for these CPUs. We tested a total of eleven heatsink/fan combos for Socket CPUs. All of these coolers will fit Intel PPGA Celeron, K6-X, and Thunderbird/Duron CPUs, while nine of them are also suitable for FCPGA (Coppermine and Celeron III) CPUs. At first, our intention was to include only FCPGA-compatible coolers in this comparison, but the overwhelming popularity of Global WIN's FDP32 and FEP32 heatsinks has led us to include these two FCPGA-incompatible models in the comparison.

All tests were done with a PPGA Celeron-533 CPU. This CPU was chosen because it is the most power-hungry Celeron CPU ever produced; it emits much more heat than the newer FCPGA CPUs, and therefore is more suitable for accurate performance measurements.  The temperature readings were obtained with the CPU's internal diode. The motherboard used was an ASUS P3B-F. All heatsinks were tested with high quality thermal compound. If a thermal pad was present on the heatsink, it was removed. To show how greatly thermal compound improves performance, we have additionally tested the boxed Intel heatsink with its preinstalled thermal pad.

With "slotket" configurations, large heatsinks often block one or more DIMM slots. Therefore we specify the height of the heatsink in the review, and for reference purposes, we specify how many DIMM slots the heatsink blocks on our ASUS P3B-F test motherboard.

Let's have a look at the test results first:

Test results

Heatsink 
    Temperature
Alpha (FC-)PAL6035
YS Tech fans
34.5
Alpha PEP66
YS Tech fans
34.5
Alpha (FC-) PAL6035
Sanyo Denki fans
35
Alpha PEP66
Sanyo Denki fans
35
Global WIN FKP32
36
Global WIN FDP32
36
Global WIN FEP32
37
Thermaltake Aircooler
("Golden ORB")
37
RDJD P710
41
Intel boxed
(w/ thermal compound)
42
RDJD P715 (1)
44
Intel boxed
(w/ thermal pad)
50

  CPU temperature
Motherboard temperature: 23, Ambient temperature: 19
All values in °C.

 
(1) The RDJD P715 has a temperature controlled fan. In the test setup, temperatures did not rise high enough to make the fan spin at maximum speed. Therefore, the obtained measurement does not represent maximum performance under more extreme conditions.



Alpha (FC-)PAL6035 with YS Tech fans
 
 
The Alpha PAL6035 is the successor of the famous PFH6035. Just like the P3125 and the P7125, it features a copper baseplate to help spread the heat across the base of the heatsink. The (FC-) PAL is produced using cold forging, a rather uncommon and expensive production method for heatsinks. It has 103 very fine hexagonal fins.

Alpha ships its fan/heatsink combos with Sanyo Denki fans, but many retailers bundle the Alpha heatsinks with YS Tech fans, supplied by Global WIN, because they are both cheaper and more efficient. We have tested the Alpha heatsinks with both fans.
 
 

     

The older version PAL6035 is not Coppermine compatible; however the newer FC-PAL6035 is. The difference between PAL and FC-PAL is the base plate - on the left, you can see the PAL6035 base plate, on the right the FC-PAL / PEP66 base, with its little plastic feet. Of course the FC-PAL will also fit classic PPGA CPUs, so if you have the choice, go with the FC-PAL, as it's a safer investment.
 
 

The fan

 

 

The YS Tech 60x25mm fan specs, according to Global WIN, are 26CFM at 4200rpm +/-10%. That's a very high tolerance, +/-10% -- this tolerance is present not only in the specs but also in the actual product. Some of these fans spin at 4500rpm, whereas others spin at only 3900rpm. Nevertheless, the fans provide excellent performance, and according to a few heatsink retailers we questioned, they are also extremely reliable. The disadvantage is that they are very loud, especially the ones spinning at >4400rpm. Choosing a fan always means choosing between lower noise and better performance; the YS Tech fans are a good choice for those who find better performance more important.


Installation

 
Installation takes a lot more time with the PAL6035 than with other heatsinks. The heatsink comes in totally disassembled form, but with a small "manual" that explains installation. The clip is very good, it installs and uninstalls easily, and holds the heatsink firmly.
 
 

Conclusion
 
 

The FC-PAL6035 with YS Tech fans  is the top choice for overclockers who want good performance, but do not care about high noise and are willing to pay a relatively high price for a heatsink. But keep in mind that the FC-PAL6035 with Sanyo Denki fans will provide very similar performance with less noise. A problem with the FC-PAL6035 is that it is quite high, and depending on the motherboard, it will block up to two DIMM slots when it is installed on slotket. Therefore Alpha also offers the PEP66, which is better for slotket configurations.

 
Alpha (FC-)PAL6035/YS Tech at a glance
Fans: One 60x25mm YS Tech
Fan rpm (measured): 4450
Weight: 280g
Height: 66mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 2
Price: around $30
Advantages
  • excellent cooling performance
Disadvantages
  • high price
  • may block up to two DIMM slots when used with a Slotket
  • very loud


Alpha (FC-)PAL6035MUC with Sanyo Denki fans
 
 
 
After looking at the PAL6035/YS Tech combo  let's have a look at the "original" PAL6035MUC, as Alpha ships it:
 

The fan

 
The Sanyo Denki fan used by Alpha spins at 3750rpm, and moves 20CFM, which means that they're not quite as efficient as the YS Tech fans, but much
quiter. Lower noise or better performance is a choice that you will have to make.  However, it would be exaggerated to call the P7125CM60/Sanyo Denki "quiet." The Sanyo Denki fans support RPM monitoring.


Installation


Everything said about installation in the PAL6035/YS Tech section also applies to this combo.

Conclusion

The FC-PAL6035CM60 with Sanyo Denki fans performs almost as well as the same heatsink equipped with YS Tech fans, but it is much quieter. For these reasons, we highly recommend this unit. The only disadvantages are the high price (the Sanyo Denki fans are even more expensive than the YS Tech fans) and the fact that it blocks up to two DIMM slots when used with a Slotket.

 
Alpha (FC-)PAL6035CM60/Sanyo Denki at a glance
Fans: One 60x25mm Sanyo Denki
Fan rpm (measured): 3750
Weight: 300g
Height: 66mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 2
Price: $31.10
Advantages
  • excellent cooling performance
  • not very loud
Disadvantages
  • high price
  • may block up to two DIMM slots when used with a Slotket


Alpha PEP66 with YS Tech fans
 
 
The PEP66 is Alpha's latest model for FCPGA CPUs. It is designed especially for CPUs installed in Slotket adapters. In fact, the PEP66 looks a bit like a P7125 cut into half. Like all current Alpha heatsinks, it features a copper inlay to help spread the heat across the heatsink.

A look at the huge fins of the PEP66:
 

The fan
 

For comments on the YS Tech fans used for this combo, please see the PAL6035/YS Tech section
 
 

Installation
 
 

Like all Alpha heatsinks, the PEP66 comes in disassembled form (but with a small instruction booklet).
 
 

 
Conclusion
 
 

Despite its larger size, the PEP66 does not outperform the FC-PAL6035, at least not in any measurable way. Both provide the same (excellent) performance. The PEP66 does have an advantage over the FC-PAL though: It is not as high, and therefore less likely to block DIMM slots when installed on a Slotket adapter. On our test motherboard, an ASUS P3B-F, it blocked only one DIMM slot. On the other hand, the PEP66 is not very suitable for socket motherboards.

Like all heatsinks with YS Tech 26 CFM fans, the PEP66/YS Tech is excessively loud, and like all Alpha heatsinks, it is expensive. The PEP66 is even more expensive than the FC-PAL.

 
Alpha PEP66/YS Tech at a glance
Fans: One 60x25mm YS Tech
Fan rpm (measured): 4450
Weight: 330g
Height: 62mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 1
Price: Around $35
Advantages
  • excellent cooling performance
Disadvantages
  • high price
  • very loud
  • not suitable for socket motherboards (only for Slot 1 boards with Slotket)


Alpha PEP66U with Sanyo Denki fans
 

Here's the PEP66U with Sanyo Denki fans, as Alpha ships it:
 
 

The fan

 

 

The fans are the same as the ones used on the PAL6035CM60/Sanyo Denki, so all comments made regarding those also apply to this combo.
 
 
 
Installation
 

Like all Alpha heatsinks, the PEP66 comes in disassembled form (but with a small instruction booklet). The spring wire clip is good - easy to install and uninstall.
 

 
Conclusion
 
 
 
This unit is the top choice if you plan to use a "Slotket" for your PPGA CPU. The PEP66CM60 is significantly quieter than the PEP66 with YS Tech fans, and still provides almost the same cooling performance. This cooler, however, is the most expensive one in this comparison.
 
 
Alpha PEP66/YS Tech at a glance
Fans: One 60x25mm Sanyo Denki
Fan rpm (measured): 3750
Weight: 350g
Height: 62mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 1
Price: $37.10
Advantages
  • excellent cooling performance
  • not very loud
Disadvantages
  • very high price
  • not recommended for socket motherboards (only for Slot 1 boards with Slotket)


Global WIN FKP32
 

The FKP32 is the successor of the famous FDP32 and FEP32. It is smaller than these two, but because of its finer fins, it will perform just as well as the FDP32. Thanks to its "narrow base", the motherboard compatibility is very good (which was a major problem with FDP32).
 

The fan

 
The fans are the same as the ones bundled with the Alpha PAL6035/YS Tech combo, so all comments (good performance, but very loud) made there also apply to this cooler.
 
 
Installation
 
 

The FKP32 comes with a standard clip that allows easy and fast installation and uninstallation. Global WIN includes a small blister pack of thermal compound.
 
 

Conclusion
 
 
In previous heatsink comparisons, Global WIN heatsinks have usually performed on par with Alpha heatsinks, sometimes even outperforming them. But this time, Alpha clearly deserves the crown - the Alpha heatsinks tested here outperform the FKP32. However, Global WIN has unveiled the successor to the FKP32 at this year's Computex in Taipei. Unfortunately, it was not available for us at our testing deadline.

But even though it is not the top performer in this comparison, the FKP32 still provides an excellent price/performance ratio. It is much cheaper than the Alphas, and it is more compact. So the FKP32 is definitely a good choice for budget-conscious overclockers. As with all coolers equiped with the 26CFM YS Tech fans, it is extremely loud.
 

 
Global WIN FKP32 at a glance
Fans: One 60x25mm YS Tech
Fan rpm (measured): 4450
Weight: 190g
Height: 60mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 1
Price: around $20
Advantages
  • good cooling performance
  • excellent price/performance ratio
  • good motherboard compatibility
Disadvantages
  • very loud


Thermaltake Aircooler ("Golden ORB")
 
 
Thermaltake is a new heatsink manufacturer, but they have quickly became famous because of their innovative heatsink design. Their "Aircooler" looks similar to the heatsinks produced by HP Polarlogic, but is cheaper to produce, since it is extruded and not entirely CNC-milled.

Plycon were the first to import these heatsinks to the states, and they sold the Aircooler under the name "Golden Orb". The name stuck, and today everybody is selling the Thermaltake Aircooler as "Golden Orb".
 



This is definitely the most elegant heatsink in this roundup - so let's have a closer look at it:


  

 


The fan
 

The Golden Orb's fan is integrated into the heatsink. It is smaller than the fans of the other heatsinks in this comparison (with the exception of the Intel boxed heatsink), and it is relatively silent.
 
 
 

Installation
 
 

The Golden Orb's "twist on" clip is just as original as the rest of the heatsink. You place the heatsink on the CPU, give it a twist, and it holds firmly. With FCPGA CPUs, this works perfectly. With the (thicker) PPGA CPUs, installation is quite hard - brute force is required to twist the heatsink. But once it is installed, the clip holds very firmly.

Instead of including thermal grease or using a thermal pad, Thermaltake pre-applies a small layer of thermal compound to the heatsink. This is a great solution, since it combines the ease of installation of a thermal pad with the better heat transfer performance of thermal compound. However, if you'd like to install the heatsink on another CPU later, you will have to buy thermal compound separately (the pre-applied layer can only be used once, of course).

The Golden Orb is very compact - you will not lose a single DIMM slot when installing this cooler on a slotket.
 
 
 

Conclusion
 

Considering the small size, low price, and the fact that a smaller fan is involved, the performance of the Golden Orb is absolutely amazing. This clearly proves that Thermaltake's heatsink design is excellent.

The Golden Orb is definitely a great choice - maybe not for hardcore overclockers, but definitely for anyone who wants a heatsink with above-average performance and bearable noise level at a very good price.

 
Thermaltake Aircooler ("Golden Orb") at a glance
Fans: One Thermaltake, integrated into heatsink
Fan rpm (measured):
Weight: 215g
Height: 50mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 0 (!)
Price: around $14
Advantages
  • good cooling performance
  • very good price/performance ratio
  • not very loud
  • does not block any DIMM slots when installed on a slotket
  • looks very stylish
Disadvantages
  • hard to install on PPGA CPUs


Global WIN FDP32
 
 
In the summer of '99, when the FDP32 appeared on the market, it outperformed all other available socket heatsinks. Global WIN achieved this by combining a huge heatsink (that was originally designed as a passive heatsink) with a strong 26CFM fan.
 


 

The fan

 
The fans are the same as the ones bundled with the Alpha PAL6035/YS Tech combo, so all comments made there also apply to this cooler.
 
 
 
Installation
 
 

The FDP32 comes with a standard clip that allows easy and fast installation and uninstallation. The older FDP32's came with a thermal pad, but later, Global WIN chose to include a small blister pack of thermal compound instead. The huge size of the FDP32's heatsink causes problems with many motherboards. The FDP32 does not fit the ABIT BP6, among others. When installed on a Slotket, the FDP32 blocks up to two DIMM slots (depending on the motherboard). However, it is possible to mount the fan on the side of the heatsink - there will be a performance hit, but no more DIMM slots will be blocked.

The FDP32 does not fit Coppermine or Celeron II CPUs. This problem can be solved with a small "shrine" (copper spacer that is placed around the CPU), which is available from Plycon, among others.
 

Conclusion
 
 
Last year, this heatsink was the top choice for overclockers. But today, both more compact and more efficient heatsinks are available. Still, if you already own an FDP32, then there's no need to update - the performance is still up-to-date.
 
 
Global WIN FDP32 at a glance
Fans: One 60x25mm YS Tech
Fan rpm (measured): 4450
Weight: 220g
Height: 72mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 2
Price: around $18
Advantages
  • good cooling performance
  • very good price/performance ratio
Disadvantages
  • doesn't fit all motherboards
  • not compatible with FCPGA CPUs
  • very loud


Global WIN FEP32
 
 
Since Global WIN was aware of the FDP32's motherboard compatibility problems, they came up with a smaller version of the FDP32, called FEP32:
 


The fan
 
 

The fan is the same as the one bundled with the Alpha PAL6035/YS Tech combo, so all comments made there also apply to this cooler.
 
 
 
Installation
 

Since the FEP32 is smaller than its big brother, FDP32, it will cause less problems with motherboard compatibility. However, it has been reported that there are some compatibility problems with early revisions of the ABIT BP6. The FEP32 comes with a standard clip and is easy to install and uninstall. Just like the FDP32, the heatsink is very high and blocked 2 DIMM slots on our test motherboard.
 
 
 

Conclusion
 
 

This unit is obsolete today, so don't buy one unless you can get it at a very good price. However, if you already own an FEP32, there's no need to upgrade. Performance-wise, the FEP32 isn't that far behind newer heatsinks.

 
Global WIN FEP32 at a glance
Fans: One 60x25mm YS Tech
Fan rpm (measured): 4450
Weight: 200g
Height: 72mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 2
Price: around $16
Advantages
  • good cooling performance
  • very good price/performance ratio
Disadvantages
  • not compatible with FCPGA CPUs
  • very loud


RDJD P710
 
 
RDJD's specialties are bonded fin and folded fin heatsinks. They gained a good reputation with their first Athlon heatsink, the K701. The heatsink used for the two RDJD coolers reviewed here was designed for Dell and is being used in high volume in Dell computers.
 


 

A closer look at the folded fin heatsink:
 


The fan
 

The P710 comes with a 60x25mm JMC fan. Since RDJD is a division of JMC, both fan an heatsink come from the same company. It is slightly louder than the Sanyo Denki fans used by Alpha, but still the noise level isn't that bad for a 60x25mm fan. The JMC fan supports rpm monitoring.
 
 
 

Installation
 

For reasons unknown to us, we received both RDJD heatsinks without any clips. Therefore we "borrowed" a clip from the Global WIN FKP32 for the tests. This clip would hold the heatsink firmly, and allowed easy installation. The shipping RDJD heatsinks will of course come with clips, but we cannot comment on the quality of these clips since we have not tested them.
The heatsink comes with a preinstalled thermal pad (which we removed and instead applied thermal compound for the test).

 
 
 

Conclusion
 
 

The cooling performance of the K710 was rather disappointing - especially considering that a 60x25mm fan is involved. This heatsink is neither especially efficient nor especially silent. On the other hand, it is the cheapest heatsink in this comparison.

 
RDJD P710 at a glance
Fans: One JMC 60x25mm
Fan rpm (measured): 4582
Weight: 190g
Height: 68mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 2
Price: around $13
Advantages
  • inexpensive
Disadvantages
  • performance isn't exactly convincing


RDJD P715
 

With a conventional heatsink, the fan is always spinning at the same speed, no matter how much cooling is actually necessary. If the CPU is currently running cool, then this means that the cooler creates a lot of unnecessary noise... But there's a simple solution to this problem: a cooler with a temperature-controlled fan. Until now, such units were not widely available. RDJD is probably the first manufacturer that makes coolers with temperature controlled fans available to the masses. One of these heatsinks is the P715, designed for FCPGA CPUs. The P715 uses the same heatsink as the P710, but comes with a smaller, temperature-controlled fan.
 
 


 



The fan
 
 

The fan, produced by JMC, will spin at 1530-4620 rpm, depending on the temperature. The thermal sensor (the little blue thing - or "NTC", for the experts -  you can see on the image) isn't very smartly placed though - it actually measures the temperature of the airflow, not of the heatsink itself. Nevertheless, the temperature control works very well, it willl keep the CPU at a constant temperature, and unless you run your PC under extreme temperature conditions, the cooler will be exceptionally silent.

Unfortunately, the fan does not support rpm monitoring (the third wire from the fan is a "rotor lock signal" wire, and not a "rpm signal" lead). That is a pity, since with a temperature-controlled fan, it would be even more interesting to know at which rpm the fan is currently spinning...
 
 
 

Installation
 
 

Just like the P710, the P715 reached us without a clip, so we can't make any comments on installation. The P715 comes with a thermal pad; however, we tested the heatsink with thermal compound.
 

 

Conclusion
 
 

It's about time that somebody came up with a temperature-controlled cooler. The P715 is definitely not the cooler overclockers will choose, but for anybody who isn't overclocking, low noise is more important than cooling performance. So if you do not have any overclocking plans, the P715 is a great choice. It will provide adequate cooling for non-overclocked CPUs, and it is much more silent than any other cooler in this comparison. Plus, it is inexpensive!

 
RDJD K715
Fans: One JMC 60x25mm
Fan rpm: n/a (max. 4620 according to mfr spec)
Weight: 170g
Height: 60mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 1

Price: around $14.50
Advantages
  • very silent thanks to the temperature-controlled fan
  • inexpensive
Disadvantages
  • not recommended for overclocking


Intel "boxed" heatsink
 

If you buy an Intel "boxed" CPU, it will ship with a cooler. Depending on the CPU, the cooler model varies. We have tested the cooler that is included with the PPGA Celeron 533, which should probably be the most efficient among the "boxed" coolers, since the PPGA 533 has the highest cooling requirements of all Celeron CPUs.

Both heatsink and fan are relatively small. Since Intel, like any other CPU manufacturer, doesn't encourage overclocking, it is clear that they didn't design the included heatsink with overclocking in mind.
 


 


 



The fan
 
 

The Nidec fan, spinning at 3900 rpm, is very good quality. It isn't extremely loud; calling it "quiet" would be exaggerated though.
 
 

Installation
 
 

The fixation clip of the boxed heatsink is very cheap and hard to uninstall. The cooler comes with a preinstalled thermal pad. Removing the pad and replacing it with high quality thermal compound dropped the temperature of the test CPU by 8°C!

 

Conclusion
 
 

The performance of the "boxed" heatsink isn't convincing at all. Overclockers should definitely replace their boxed heatsink with a better cooler - or, even better, buy a non-boxed CPU and a good heatsink separately.

If you already own such a heatsink, then a good and cheap method to improve cooling is to scratch off the thermal pad and apply a thin layer of thermal compound instead.

 
Intel "boxed" cooler
Fans: One Nidec
Fan rpm: 3877
Weight: 140g
Height: 45mm
DIMM slots blocked on P3B-F: 0 (!)
Price: n/a
Advantages
  • good quality fan, not very loud
  • doesn't block any DIMM slots when installed on a slotket
Disadvantages
  • not recommended for overclocking


Final words

Today there's a wide variety of good coolers for PPGA and FCPGA CPUs. Of the eleven heatsink/fan combos tested, five definitely deserve a recommendation. Which one you pick depends on your personal preferences and your budget:
 
  • The hardcore overclocker who wants maximum performance should go with Alpha. For motherboards with a socket, the FC-PAL6035 is the better choice (it is also cheaper than the PEP66). For slotket configurations the PEP66 is better, since it is less likely to block more than one DIMM slot. Alpha ships the heatsinks with Sanyo Denki fans, but many retailers ship them with YS Tech fans instead. In our opinion, the slightly better performance (0.5°C in our test) doesn't necessarily justify the much higher noise level of the YS Tech fans, so our recommendation is rather to go with the Sanyo Denki version. The disadvantage of the Alphas, as usual, is the high price.

  • The budget-conscious overclocker can chose between the Global WIN FKP32 and the Thermaltake Aircooler ("Golden Orb"). The FKP32 will provide better cooling, but it is louder than the Golden Orb. The Golden Orb  is a good choice for anybody who wants above-average performance at a bearable noise level. Also, thanks to its compact design, it doesn't block any DIMM slots when used on a slotket.

  • If you're not overclocking, but you're concerned about noise, then there's no alternative to the RDJD K715. Thanks to its temperature-controlled fan, it is the quietest heatsink we have ever tested.

From the cooling performance point of view, we have seen Alpha vs Global WIN duels many times. In previous heatsink comparisons, the Global WIN units always performed at least on par with the Alphas, but this time Alpha has clearly taken the lead. For how long? That remains to be seen - we have yet to test the successor to the FKP32, but as soon as it becomes available to us, we will be sure to see how it matches up with the Alphas.

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