Can any of these cool a Phenom II X4/X6?

[GoogalyMoogaly]

So I'm thinking of putting my old Phenom II 1055T into an HTPC. I might disable a couple cores to help it run cooler (as I doubt an HTPC will need 6 cores).

I believe my chip is a 95w version.

Will any of these be able to cool the chip well?
YOUR BASKET
1 x Prolimatech Samuel 17 CPU Cooler £34.99
1 x Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet Heatsink & Fan £29.99
1 x Akasa Nero LX Low Profile CPU Cooler £24.95
1 x Alpenföhn Panorama CPU Cooler £19.99
Total : £120.42 (includes shipping : £8.75).



I prefer the cheapest one, but want something that can do a decent job.
Would be nice if there was some OC headroom, but I'm not expecting it.

 

[Theophany]

If it is just an HTPC setup, I don't see why the Alpenfohn wouldn't do the job, though I would consider underclocking/disabling cores as overclocking it makes no sense.

 

[Evil-I]

I'd say all of them would be fine.

I'd go with the Alpenfohn just for cheapness.

I wouldn't worry about disabling cores, the chances of a HTPC actually maxing all 6 cores for a long enough period to make much difference in temperature is probably nonexistent. Just don't run prime95 etc

You should be able to undervolt a bit though, I've got an old Core 2 Q6600 that's both overclocked and undervolted in my bedroom htpc. I think its running at 3ghz (from stock 2.4) with only 1.15 volts I think? Only bothered overclocking as I couldn't drop the voltage any more and keep it stable but bizarrely could overclock it more at that voltage level. Great little chip.

I've also got an old Phenom II 1055T in my server with an arctic cooling freezer 7 pro and although that obviously isn't a low profile cooler, it is running fedora linux 24/7 and the CPU never goes above 40 degrees (as its using relatively little CPU consistently, as I imagine your HTPC would).

E-I

 

[Sayso]

Any of them would be fine at stock, perhaps even with a little O/C, i would be more apprehensive with general airflow as the chipset when i had a MATX set up with the 1090T used to get roasting hot.

 

[doyll]

All are fine. I've found that reversing the fan so it's pulling air from cooler often gives lower motherboard and CPU temps. Try it and see.

 

[GoogalyMoogaly]

Any of them would be fine at stock, perhaps even with a little O/C, i would be more apprehensive with general airflow as the chipset when i had a MATX set up with the 1090T used to get roasting hot.

I was thinking a cooler that blows down onto the motherboard might help with that more than a normal tower cooler.

All are fine. I've found that reversing the fan so it's pulling air from cooler often gives lower motherboard and CPU temps. Try it and see.

I might just try that!

I went with the Alpenfohn in the end as it looked similar to the Akasa so didn't seem worth paying the extra. The Zalman isn't in stock and you can't change the fan. The Prolimatech is quite a lot more expensive.

Just hoping the Alpenfohn works ok or it will have been false economy.

 

[doyll]

Downflow/pancake coolers pushing air down through cooler, hits mobo and turns out in all directions, hit's RAM, GPU, etc. and comes up around cooler mixing with and heating up the air fan is putting into cooler. If the air is flowing across motherboard and being sucked up through cooler, the heated air has a better chance of flowing away from cooler and out of case.

Blowing down means heated air from cooler and flowing across motherboard.
Pulling up means cool air flows across motherboard and is drawn up through cooler.

Each degree hotter the air going into cooler makes the CPU a degree hotter. 22c in CPU 44c, 28c in CPU 50c.

Tower coolers generally make a cooler case because they pull cool air in and push their heated air toward back vent. This means less of the heated air mixes with cool air coming into case.