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Tocools NOVASONIC+ cooler
Written by Don Curry (24/Apr/03)
Page 2 of 2
Supplied By: Tocools

Untitled Document

The Test Rig

  • AMD XP1700 Thoroughbred B
  • Epox 8rda
  • Corsair XMS3500

The Test

I used the XP1700 using the default 1470 mhz (11x133) @ 1.6v. The 80mm fan was set to its lowest setting on the fan controller (1520rpm), 2800rpm and 3600rpm which is as high as the controller allows in adjustable mode. Then finally at 4000rpm by changing to the high setting switch (12v).

Readings were taken using the core diode and also using a thermister I placed against the core. Prime95 was run for 30 minutes for each fan speed. I used the supplied cooling flow thermal paste for the tests. Throughout all of these tests, ambient was a consistent 22 degrees.

1470mhz @ 1.60v

Test
Diode Temperature
Thermister Temperature
1520@idle
33c
34.8c
1520@load
38c
40.8c
2812@idle
32c
33.3c
2812@load
35c
36.8c
3668@idle
31c
32.1c
3668@load
34c
35.8c
4050@idle
31c
31.7c
4050@load
33c
35.1c

1900mhz @ 1.87v

Test
Diode Temperature
Thermister Temperature
4062@idle
35c
36.7c
4062@load
40c
42.7c

2000mhz @ 1.92v

Test
Diode Temperature
Thermister Temperature
4115@idle
36c
39.6c
4115@load
41c
44.6c

Conclusion

The fan is almost silent until you reach over ~2800 rpm but even at its highest setting of 4000rpm it is still quieter than the 6000rpm delta that most units seem to use. As the results show, the quieter you go, the less cooling you get but it still keeps the CPU well within safe limits - so the fast speeds only seem to be necessary when you are running at very overclocked speeds. One problem I noticed that when using the switch that sets the fan from adjustable mode to full speed mode while the computer is powered on causes a reboot. I found this out the hard way :P

The size of this cooler may be an issue on some Socket A motherboards as it was in my case. This heatsink performed very well for an aluminium heatsink and it makes me wonder how good a copper version of this cooler would be. I imagine it would need to use the 4 hole mounting system to cope with the extra weight.

Pros

  • Silent at low fan settings.
  • High quality construction.
  • Polished mounting surface.
  • AMD and Intel sockets both supported.
  • Adjustable fan speeds.
  • Excellent overclocking abilities.

Cons

  • Size is rather large and is very hard to mount on a epox 8rda.
  • The high/adjustable switch causes reboots if used while pc is running.

After a thorough testing at both default and overclocked settings this heatsink impressed me with its performance.

Don Curry (aka deathstar13)


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