ASUS Silent Square Pro: Compact Embedded-Fan Heatpipe Tower
by Wesley Fink on April 16, 2007 2:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Overclocking
As cooling solutions do a better job of keeping the CPU at a lower temperature, it is reasonable to expect the overclocking capabilities of the CPU will increase. In each test of a cooler we measure the highest stable overclock of a standard X6800 processor under the following conditions:
CPU Multiplier: 14x (Stock 11x)
CPU voltage: 1.5875V
FSB Voltage: 1.30V
Memory Voltage: 1.90V
nForce SPP Voltage: 1.35V
nForce MCP Voltage: 1.7V
HT nForce SPP <-> MCP: Auto
Memory is set to Auto timings on the 680i and memory speed is linked to the FSB for the overclocking tests. This removes memory as any kind of impediment to the maximum stable overclock. Linked settings on the 680i are a 1066FSB to a memory speed of DDR2-800. As FSB is raised the linked memory speed increases in proportion. The same processor is used in all cooling tests to ensure comparable results.
The ASUS Silent Square Pro could only reach 3.81 GHz overclock with stability. This is a poor performance for a cooler targeted at the gaming market. These results are not comparable to the top tier of the heatpipe towers tested, where most top heatpipe towers reach 3.90 GHz with the same CPU and 3.94 GHz for the top performing cooler.
The design of the cooler is very similar to the Tuniq Tower 120, which suggests the ASUS Silent Square Pro should be an effective design. These results were with our modified installation that lowered temperatures, so the comparatively poor results cannot be blamed on a poor mount. We suspect that the performance is hampered by the smaller 90mm fan, which has to work harder to move air due to the smaller size. The odd 90mm fan size also makes replacing the 49.6 CFM fan with something better an unlikely event. It will be difficult to find any fans that will fit the Silent Square Pro. The smaller heatsink size is also a possibly factor in the lower cooling performance.
As cooling solutions do a better job of keeping the CPU at a lower temperature, it is reasonable to expect the overclocking capabilities of the CPU will increase. In each test of a cooler we measure the highest stable overclock of a standard X6800 processor under the following conditions:
CPU Multiplier: 14x (Stock 11x)
CPU voltage: 1.5875V
FSB Voltage: 1.30V
Memory Voltage: 1.90V
nForce SPP Voltage: 1.35V
nForce MCP Voltage: 1.7V
HT nForce SPP <-> MCP: Auto
Memory is set to Auto timings on the 680i and memory speed is linked to the FSB for the overclocking tests. This removes memory as any kind of impediment to the maximum stable overclock. Linked settings on the 680i are a 1066FSB to a memory speed of DDR2-800. As FSB is raised the linked memory speed increases in proportion. The same processor is used in all cooling tests to ensure comparable results.
The ASUS Silent Square Pro could only reach 3.81 GHz overclock with stability. This is a poor performance for a cooler targeted at the gaming market. These results are not comparable to the top tier of the heatpipe towers tested, where most top heatpipe towers reach 3.90 GHz with the same CPU and 3.94 GHz for the top performing cooler.
The design of the cooler is very similar to the Tuniq Tower 120, which suggests the ASUS Silent Square Pro should be an effective design. These results were with our modified installation that lowered temperatures, so the comparatively poor results cannot be blamed on a poor mount. We suspect that the performance is hampered by the smaller 90mm fan, which has to work harder to move air due to the smaller size. The odd 90mm fan size also makes replacing the 49.6 CFM fan with something better an unlikely event. It will be difficult to find any fans that will fit the Silent Square Pro. The smaller heatsink size is also a possibly factor in the lower cooling performance.
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JarredWalton - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
I wouldn't call this a "top 20" yet - more like "20 good/great coolers" - but I can do something about the graphs. Large (very large) versions now linked in. There's still a ton of data, so I figured a lot of people would just look at the tables below the graphs. Either way, I hope this works for you. Not sure what I'll do with the graphs when there's 30 coolers in the list! ;)yacoub - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
The click-thru for hi-res is a great interim solution! Thanks!yacoub - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
so few 650i motherboard roundups. :DGetting a bit anxious to see a nice 650i roundup before the 6320/6420/4400 launch... and perhaps an AMD motherboard roundup so folks who are looking to take advantage of the Intel price drop next week can be better informed about what good stable, overclocking-featured s775 boards exist or are coming soon, and compare that to what the current competition in the AMD arena looks like with their new CPU pricing and whatever AM2 motherboards are decent and how they overclock (which I have no clue about since I haven't seen any reviews/overviews/roundups for AMD boards in several months.)
What a great time for a nice Gary Key overview and analysis of the motherboard/overclocking scene!
Lots of talk on forums about DS3 v3.3 or whatever the Gigabyte P965 board is called. A bit about the MSi 650i board that seems to be well built and not as buggy as most boards but not as strong an overclocker. Please let's get a nice roundup.
rjm55 - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
AT probably has the largest database of top coolers tested on the C2D right now, sonce most other sites are still testing with older P4's and AMD. Thanks for providing the info I was looking for.One question though. I have personally tested the Zalman 9500 on the AMD and C2D platforms. The 9500 is a brilliant performer on the AMD processor, but I agree it is a dog on the Core 2 Duo. Do you or any readers have a notion why some coolers do well on the AMD and are misrable performers on the Core 2 Duo?
Wesley Fink - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
I believe the major reason coolers like the 9500 do well on AMD, but not so well on Core 2 Duo is because the AMD processors at present do not overclock nearly as well as Core 2 Duo processors. The 9500 does not run out of steam in the overclock range of the AMD, but the C2D overclocks much further and wxceeds the effective design limits.If you look at temps closely the Zalman 9500 and 9700 cool exceptionally well at stock 2.93GHz and up to 800 MHz higher, which is well within the top speed you can achieve with air cooling of an AMD. When you go further on a C2D the 950/9700 reach their effective limit while some other heatpipe towers like the top Thermalright and Tuniq Tower 120 are still performing very well.
Deusfaux - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
I remember you said a while back... which ones are left?Apack Zerotherm BT95? (the butterfly cooler!)
Thermalright's other new cooler? I4-FX?
anything else?
DrMrLordX - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
Scythe Andy Samurai Master? Enzotech Ultra-X?Wesley Fink - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
The Cooler Master Gemini II and Scythe Andy Samurai are in the labs for testing. The Enzotech Ultra X is on its way. We have also requested a Thermalright IFX-14.DrMrLordX - Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - link
Sweet. You gonna do the Big Typhoon VX as well?Pirks - Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - link
Big Typhoon beat the $rap out of almost all its competitors in overclockers.ru benches and seems to be number 1 (or at least 2) OC cooler in Russia :) too bad AT ignored it, but they will catch up, I'm sure ;)