The Cyrix 6x86, upon its release, broke some records and set a few standards in the world of computers. It broke the 66MHz bus speed barrier, it set a new P rating standard, and a new standard for cooling. The 6x86, like many other chips, ran at extremely fast speeds, however unlike most Intel chips the Cyrix 6x86 generated a significant amount of heat (much more than the competition). In order to satisfy the tastes of the consumer as well as the chip itself, the die hard tweakers went out and tried to develop the ULTIMATE cooling configuration. The AMD K5 pushed the limits of most cooling fans even moreso than the 6x86 in some cases, and then came the monstrous Pentium II with its 1LB heatsink!! Some said that running your system with the case off would be the best solution to your heat problems, but then dust collection and component damage risks come into play. Two factors most people aren't willing to live with, so the market demanded an innovation to suit the increasing requirements of the next generation processors. Therefore I compiled this small review of all of your cooling options for different processors to help you in choosing the best cooling combination for your system.

First lets discuss the options you have when cooling your System as a whole and your CPU itself:

• Heatsink/Ball Bearing Fan Combos - By far the most effective and basic method to cooling your CPU, however be sure you pick up the correct combination otherwise you'll pay

• Peltier Coolers - The big daddy of cooling, the Peltier cooler can be a very effective solution IF used properly.

• Pentium II Cooling Solutions - How are we supposed to cool Intel's latest and greatest? Find out...

• Secondary Case Fans - Excellent methods for adding additional cooling to your system. Secondary case fans are very effective especially when used in the proper location

• Slot Fans - An effective cooling solution especially if you have any peripherals that get quite hot (i.e. Diamond Monster 3D) placed in the slot above the card.

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Heatsink/Ball Bearing Fan Combos

These are your basic, run of the mill, Heatsink/Ball Bearing Fan combos. You find them listed as anything from CPU Fans to Heatsink/Fan combos, they all mean essentially the same thing. However, that's where the similarities end.

Usually when you're ordering a CPU, the vendor will throw in a CPU Heatsink/Fan combo that is decent enough to cool your CPU when running at the recommended clock speed, that is USUALLY. Whenever you are ordering a Heatsink/Fan combo ask questions, and a LOT of them. Here are some things you might want to consider when ordering:

• Ball Bearings, you want a Ball Bearing fan. They last much longer and usually have more powerful motors than the conventional fans.
• The bigger the better! You want the largest possible heatsink you can get, just make sure it'll fit in your case. A 1" heatsink is perfect if you can get your hands on one. But remember you are looking for a combo, not just a heatsink.
• If you wish to use any of your motherboards CPU monitoring options (if they exist) then make sure you get a heatsink/fan that supports this
• Be sure to get a proper power connector for your fan, depending on whether or not you have a connector on your board for a fan
• Check to see if your Heatsink/Fan will come with any sort of thermal conductivity compound to increase the heat transfers between the CPU and the heatsink. You'll need some, just a little can go a long way.

In my experience, AAVID has left me with the best impression overall. AAVID makes fans superior to most generic brands which are very reliable and effective. If you happen to have a Cyrix 6x86 fan laying around, by all means, USE IT!!! The recommended 6x86 heatsink/fan is much larger than most other Pentium ones and is very effective. I've used mine on an overclocked K6, Pentium MMX, Pentium classic, and of course the trusty old Cyrix 6x86 without a single problem. If you need ultimate cooling, but aren't ready for the jump to a Peltier yet then a good ball bearing fan + heatsink combo is the perfect solution. There's really nothing more to it, it is the most basic and sometime the most effective cooling solution you have...

But what if you want more?

Peltier Coolers

Is your CPU running too hot? Is your heatsink just not doing the job? Sounds like you'll have to bring in the big-guns for this one, but is the mighty peltier too good to be true?

The Goodies

Peltier coolers are basically refrigeration units for your CPU. They consist of a Peltier Junction, a Heatsink, and a Fan, and if used properly can provide great cooling for a hefty price, that is IF used properly.

There are many Peltier coolers in the market today and choosing one is often a difficult task. Here are some considerations to take into account when looking for a Peltier cooler:

• Temperature Sensors - these enable the Peltier Junction (the thing that cools) to power up/down according to the heat level of the CPU, this prevents condensation from forming on the face of the Peltier (the cool side)...and well, water and computer peripherals really don't mix well. A must have for any Peltier cooler, refuse to buy one without a Temperature Sensor.
• Temperature Alarm - this is the perfect addition to any Peltier cooler, it allows the user to know, via a nice audible alarm, if the temperature of the Peltier is getting too high or if the Peltier fails. Although they are kind of bulky, they can rest perfectly at the bottom of any case.
• Ball Bearing Fan + Heatsink - there are two sides to everything, including peltier coolers, literally! The peltier junction (the thing that cools) has two faces, one which is pressed against the CPU that is ultra-cool and another facing upwards that is ultra-hot. In order to benefit from the Peltier you need a good heatsink/ball bearing fan on top of the peltier junction. Make sure that the one shipped with your unit is adequate to dissipate the enormous amounts of heat generated by the peltier junction.

I Really, Really, Want One...

Now that we've taken care of the basics when looking for a Peltier lets go back and answer the big question, how do I know if a peltier is right for me?

By all means, if you don't have a hot CPU, don't buy a Peltier. I would recommend using a Peltier cooler on AMD K5/6's, Cyrix 6x86/MX's, and Intel Pentium MMX's (when overclocking). If you don't plan on overclocking, why use a Peltier? No CPU out today (although the Pentium II comes pretty #$@% close) REQUIRES a Peltier cooler so if you're not going to overclock there is no point in adding more heat to your system by buying a peltier. I mentioned earlier that Peltier coolers generate mucho heat. If you decide to use one you must have a large or well ventilated case, otherwise the heat generated by the Peltier junction will cancel out the cooling advantages of it. You should always make sure that nothing is obstructing the fan mounted on the Peltier and it is always best to have another fan blowing above the Peltier for added security.

A World of Choices...

There are many Peltiers out on the market today but you can only trust a small percentage of them. Specifically, the Megatrend's Active Peltier Cooler, and the Computernerd Peltier Cooler. I personally use the Megatrends Active Peltier unit, but I have been informed that Sage Computer Solution carries the real mother of all peltier coolers equipped with a 1" heatsink!!! I would recommend all three of them for anyone interested in a Peltier cooler for your system. If you really want to do some serious overclocking you may want to try that super peltier from Sage.

Now that you've decided on using a Peltier lets try and get the best out of it. A little word of advice, I know most of you should realize this but there are some that don't. When using a Peltier, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, use thermal compound between the Peltier Junction and the CPU. Peltiers are designed for use without the addition of any third party components, such as thermal compound. When attaching your Peltier be sure to make the surface of the Peltier flush with CPU, and try to center it perfectly if possible so all parts of the CPU get cooled.

But what if a Peltier isn't right for you....

Pentium II Cooling Solutions

Intel dazzled us with their Pentium II...however they also left us with the burden of cooling their latest monster. Currently there are two options of cooling when purchasing a Pentium II, the OEM Heatsink, or the Retail (Boxed) Heatsink/Fan Combo.

Bigger is not always better...

When I received my Pentium II I had the pleasure of using the 1.5LB OEM Heatsink which I thought would be the ultimate cooling solution, and although it cooled my chip well enough to overclock it to 300MHz (originally a 266) once I took it up to 337.5MHz I realized the problems this minitower heatsink had. The Pentium II OEM Heatsink is designed with the idea that the user will NOT overclock the chip too greatly, since it does dissipate or carry heat away from the cartridge, just in a very slow manner. Therefore, a Pentium II at 337.5MHz simply heats up too quickly for the heatsink to keep up with the heat being generated, the result? An unstable and extremely erratic performing system. So in other words, the huge heatsink does the job, however it could to it much better.

Solution for the masses

For those of you that spent the extra on a boxed Pentium II, you were blessed with having the tiny but effective Retail Heatsink/Fan. This quaint little model fixes the flaws mentioned above that are present with the OEM Heatsink, it can dissipate heat and carry it away from the processor in a very fast and effective fashion, therefore allowing the user the possibility of taking the Pentium II beyond 300MHz. The boxed Pentium II heatsink/fan comes fully equipped with a wonderful and POWERFUL AAVID fan which gives it its excellent cooling capabilities. The retail Pentium II heatsink/fan seems to be the best answer for cooling the Pentium II...or is it?

The best of both Worlds

The OEM Heatsink dissipates incredible amounts of heat, however it doesn't do it fast enough to keep the Pentium II really cool (I use that phrase lightly). The retail (boxed) heatsink/fan keeps the cartridge cool, but it doesn't dissipate as much heat as the OEM Heatsink. The answer? A hybrid solution, an OEM Heatsink with a heavy duty AAVID fan on it. Below is a quick procedure list for attaching a fan to your OEM Heatsink:

• Position the fan directly above the large gap in the heatsink (where the heatsink support is installed, refer to your manual for more info)
• Orient your fan at a slant so at least 3/4 screw holes line up with an opening in the middle of the heatsink
• Screw in at least 3/4 holes so the fan is securely attached to the heatsink
• Spin the fan a few times to make sure that it isn't being obstructed by the heatsink, if it is, loosen the screws
• Plug it in and you're off!

Now there is a slight problem with this design, first of all, if you position the fan so that it blows air away from the heatsink (i.e. you can feel hot air coming out of your fan when you put your hand in front of it) common sense tells us that the extremely hot air coming from our wonderful processor will find its way to some other part of your case. This only applies to cases in which the Pentium II cartridge is facing your drive bays, since the direction of your fan's air flow will be forward...meaning your hard drive(s) will receive the excess heat. This becomes a major problem when you have a high speed SCSI drive in your system, so in cases like that make sure you orient the fan so it takes in cool air and blows it across the surface of the heatsink or don't approach this cooling solution at all.

A New Hope

I have been informed of one company that makes an excellent heatsink for the Pentium II, however I have yet to receive my test model...I'll see if I can get my hands on one, and if possible I'll keep you updated.

Secondary Case Fans

So you want more cooling, what's the first step? Sometimes you shouldn't approach your CPU as being your first priority when dealing with system cooling, in many cases (no pun intended) secondary case fans are the solution to your cooling problems.

Radio Shack...Here I come!!!

The most popular Secondary Case fan is the standard 3" or 4" Radio Shack fan, very powerful, and very effective when used properly. You have a few options with secondary case fans. Most cases allow them to be placed in a cartridge type enclosure near the front of the case to be used as an intake fan. These are most effective in AT style cases and motherboards in which the CPU is placed in the path of the intake fan which really helps cooling the system as a whole. ATX layouts benefit from secondary case fans as well, sometimes better than AT systems. If you have any peripheral cards that get extremely hot (i.e. the Monster 3D) then a secondary case intake fan is perfect for you. The fan, when left unobstructed, will not only help circulate air throughout your case, but it will also project a nice cool breeze past your peripherals. The only problem with placing a secondary case fan at the front of your case is that in many situations, the fan is blocked by cables and other such obstructions therefore limiting its capabilities.

Where do I put these thingies?

Where else can you place secondary case fans? Some cases allow you to place these quaint little fans along the sides of your drive cages, which helps a LOT if you have 7200 or 10,000RPM hard drives or other such drives spinning away in those cages. Although this is a more unorthodox method to system cooling, these unique fans can be suspended over almost any hot peripheral of yours, and in my case, the Pentium II. As you may have heard, the Pentium II (in this case, a Pentium II - 300) generates amazing amounts of heat therefore Intel supplies the end user with two options. The OEM Heatsink, weighing in at about 1.5LBS and about 1.25" tall, or the Boxed Heatsink/Fan combo which is much smaller, but very effective. For all of you Pentium II owners out there with OEM Heatsinks (like me, I just couldn't resist it) a secondary case fan suspended over the processor card which really helps cooling the titan. These fans can easily be suspended with a few rubberbands or twisty-ties, both of which should be plentiful in any tweaker's work area (can't live without twisty-ties).

Lets get technical...

Most newer Enlight cases come with these useful secondary case fans, but what happens if you don't have a 5-pin power connector (like the ones bought at Radio Shack)? Well, simple, you can use your own external power supply. Simply pick up a 12v AC adapter, which should be resting quietly in the isle next to the one where your fan came from, so swing around, grab one and head for the counter. When you get home, installing it is once again, a very simple task. Cut the proprietary power connector interface plug off of the end of the AC adapter (should look like a cylinder with an opening at one end) and viola! you have two separate wires, one for the positive terminal, one for the negative one of your new fan. Attach the wires, I suggest running them through a screwhole in your case, and plug it in. Easy huh? Well, lets make it a bit more complex, pick up a simple two-way switch and you can attach that to the connection, and that way you'll have a little desktop switch that controls your secondary case fan. If you have any of the jumperless ABIT boards and like switching clock speeds on the fly, the added option of extra cooling at a button press away is a very reassuring feature, and a great addition to any system.

Danger...Danger...

Here are just a few precautions to take when installing and using secondary case fans:

• If you are doing any of the wiring yourself, BE SURE TO USE ELECTRICAL TAPE to seal all wire connections, its common sense, but you wouldn't believe the number of people that wouldn't use it
• Never place the secondary case fan flush against any surfaces, remember its just a fan, it requires air to expel. If you restrict one of its surfaces, well, then it has no air supply to circulate, so it simply shoots air out the sides, not very effective.
• When positioning your fan, make sure it is at least 2" away from any surfaces, peripherals, or other components. Remember, those fan blades can cut wires if they find their way into the path of destruction, especially power supply cables. WATCH OUT!!!
• Finally, when dealing with any type of electrical wiring, make sure you connect the correct wires together, this is mainly the cause of many fan burnouts. Bottom line, be careful =)

Secondary case fans, as I mentioned before, should be used as intake fans however you need to make sure that if you are going to use one as an intake fan, that you have a source from which to take in air (hence the name, intake). Airholes are usually punched in the front of your case, but sometimes it helps to remove that pesky Internal PC Speaker and replace it with a perfectly sized 3" fan. Once again, the decision is yours, I personally don't recommend damaging your case by punching air holes in the front of it, but that is always an option.

The Sound Side of it

Although these fans seem almost perfect, they can get quite noisy, especially if you have 2 or more in your system. Just make sure your case is well insulated, and that the fans aren't drawing power your power supply doesn't have to give out. So if noise is a big no no, then you may want to consider some of your other cooling options before selecting a Secondary Case fan.

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Slot Fans

The final addition on to any perfectly cooled system would be one simple slot fan. In most cases, slot fans ease their way into a slot cutout in your case and are powered by either a 5-pin power cable or an ISA slot. Slot fans are very quiet, and can be quite effective, especially in ATX layouts. If possible, you want to get a Slot Fan powered by a power cable instead of taking up an ISA slot. Why? Well, the fan(s) on the card will vibrate, and in turn wear out the connectors on the ISA slot which isn't something I would like to do. I'm still trying to get my hands on a decent slot fan, when I do I'll post a more in-depth review of them.