Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/175
Pentium II Cooling Reviews
by Anand Lal Shimpi on April 29, 1998 3:50 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Spending thousands of dollars on a Computer should not be done without care, heat can become a major factor to your PC's performance and stability especially if you happen to be overclocking even the slightest bit. Intel's Pentium II is the fastest desktop processor on the market today, approaching clock speeds of 333MHz and above this bone shattering performance doesn't come without a tradeoff, in this case, heat. Even when clocked at 333MHz, the Pentium II dissipates enormous amounts of heat, pushing the processor to clock rates of 375MHz, and even 416MHz increase the already excessive levels of heat produced by the processor to new, previously unheard of levels. The Pentium II doesn't present itself as a very flexible processor when it comes to cooling, with the tank like construction of the cartridge put together in such a manner that one wouldn't even consider removing the heatsink/fan from their expensive investment. |
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However what most Pentium II owners don't realize is that there are a number of replacement Heatsink/Fan combos out there aside from the conventional "boxed" or retail Heatsink/Fan from Intel.
Anand Tech, in cooperation with Anand Tech Network Affiliate ThermalNet evaluated 5 of the top Pentium II Heatsink/Fan combos out on the market today. Let's take a look at the first unit, from AOC.
Review
Courtesy of Anand Tech Network Affiliate - ThermalNet
AAVID Pentium II Heatsink/Fan Unit |
| I admit I do own a couple of shares of AAVID stock. When I saw this unit I had the word sell on my mind. Given this is not the nice(big) PII cooler they have. Still when the heatsink is less than half the height of he FHK-20/FAP223B I have to wonder what they were thinking. Well I guess it fills a lower cost alternative or something. I can't find anybody who carries these though. I'm going to stop ranting now. Well I guess the only good thing is it uses a 3 pin connector. Spend the money and buy something better. |
| Price: $?? The AAVID Pentium II Heatsink/Fan Unit is very similar to the one used in Boxed Intel Pentium II Processors |
Pros
Slim design.3 pin connector.
Cons
I hate the clips. Too small. Dinky thermal pad. I'm going to just stop there.
Review
Courtesy of Anand Tech Network Affiliate - ThermalNet
AOC Pentium II Heatsink/Fan Unit |
| A respectable unit from AOC. Large thermal pad is a unique point of this unit. It is a covered unit like the Vantec and has a VERY simple attachment mechanism. 3 pin connector. Mid range performance.... Overall not a bad unit The only thing I would have liked to see would be better performance. Of course this unit is much better than that small AAVID unit that was tested. |
| Price: $20 Ram Warehouse http://www.ram-ware.com |
Pros
Large thermal pad. Solid fan/heatsink. 3 pin power connector. Nice attachment mechanism.
Cons
Could be improved, always room for improvement
Review
Courtesy of Anand Tech Network Affiliate - ThermalNet
Cool-it Dude! FAP223B Pentium II Heatsink/Fan Unit |
| Great clip. This is another mid range unit. Covered heatsink. Would have liked to see a better fan and larger heatsink. A good sized thermal pad on the bottom is a nice touch. 3 pin power connector is becoming quite standard but I like it.Vantec has some bigger units that I would like to try. One of these units has a dual fan system which I admit I really like. |
| Price: ?? Vantec http://www.vantecusa.com |
Pros
3 pin power connector. Covered unit. Great clip.
Cons
Small heatsink and fan.
Review
Courtesy of Anand Tech Network Affiliate - ThermalNet
Global Win FHK-20 Pentium II Heatsink/Fan Unit |
| What a monster. Again the Global Win unit is strikingly similar to the Computer Nerd units. However in this case there are some distinct differences. Well the heatsinks are exactly the same on both units. Again the Cool-it Dude! unit favors XA1HTC thermal paste while the GW unit favors a thermal conductive pad. The two main differences are the fan and power connector. This unit features a nice little fan that has those rounded fins vs. the straighter fins on the FAP223B. The power connector is a 3 pin instead of the FAP223B's 5 pin pass through. Over all a great unit.I think the reason it lost out is that the XA1HTC is better than the thermal pad. |
| Price: $18 Memory-Man http://www.memman.com |
Pros
Big unit. Great price. 3 pin connector.
Cons
No thermal pad - the use of thermal paste would be better.
Review
Courtesy of Anand Tech Network Affiliate - ThermalNet
Vantec PII 5025-H (Ball) Pentium II Heatsink/Fan Unit |
| Great clip. This is another mid range unit. Covered heatsink. Would have liked to see a better fan and larger heatsink. A good sized thermal pad on the bottom is a nice touch. 3 pin power connector is becoming quite standard but I like it.Vantec has some bigger units that I would like to try. One of these units has a dual fan system which I admit I really like. |
| Price: ?? Vantec http://www.vantecusa.com |
Pros
3 pin power connector. Covered unit. Great clip.
Cons
Small heatsink and fan.
Review
Courtesy of Anand Tech Network Affiliate - ThermalNet
Feature Comparison |
||||||
| Feature | ||||||
| Thermal Pad | Thermal Grease | Covered Heatsink | Simple Clip | 3-pin Pwr Connector | 5-pin Pwr Connector | |
| AAVID Unit | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| AOC Unit | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cool-it Dude! FAP223B | No | Yes | No | No | No* | Yes** |
| Global Win FHK-20 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Vantec PII 5025-H (Ball) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
* New Version DOES have this Feature ** New Version DOES NOT have this Feature
Lower Temperatures Indicate Better Performance Test System was a Pentium II - 233 (Ambient Case Temp - 75 degrees F.)
Review Courtesy of Anand Tech Network Affiliate - ThermalNet
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