heatsink+fan with AMD retail box

[onlyvinay]

I was wondering if heatsink and fan that comes with AMD retail box are good enough or should I buy a better heatsink fan combo. I have just bought an AMD XP 2400+ CPU.

[Omardeth]

if you don't plan on overclocking yes they will be fine . it will run warmer than an aftermarket fan , well most of the good ones , but if you have case fans and a clean layout , cables tied back for good airflow , you will be fine with the retail hsf . also useing paste on retail amd chips void warrany . not like u will ever use it if you don't overclock but you should know this little fact .

[Telexen]

if your system temperature stays low so will the cpu...if not then you need to invest in a better HSF.

[onlyvinay]

Thanks Omardeth.
I always thought using a thermal paste is a good idea. I bought one and was going to use for building my new PC. Why should that void the warranty?

[Telexen]

Void warranty? seems like it would help the warranty, if anything

[onlyvinay]

Is voiding of warranty the reason people normally go with OEM processors rather than retial even when retail works out cheaper than OEM+fan?

[win2kuser]

I recently bought a retail 2.1XP and it is running at 2.2 (probably closer to a 2.7XP), it still has the amd HSF on it and it runs at 49-50 degrees under 100% load running 24/7.

Having said that, in the UK, the ambient temperature is only about 20 degrees outside, and I have 5 case fans running.
Not to mention the round ide/floppy cables and conduited power leads

I should really get a better hsf, but I am not sure about warranty on the cpu if I do that

[Telexen]

I think aluminum cases help more than anything.

I don't think many people go with OEM...it's a waste of money because after the vender warranty you're screwed if it goes.

I've sent back a couple retail CPUs, but this was before the vendor's warranty expired...so I sent it to them rather than AMD.

[Omardeth]

well amd will void you warranty if you use paste . why they do this i don't know .i think it is because most people use way to much when they apply it . rememeber when you put the heatsink on the fan and put presure on it , it pushes the paste out . the paste it there , or pad , to fill in the tiny little gaps between the heatsink and the die on the cpu . this way it makes better contact . well like i said i think to many people use way to much paste , paste should be damn near seethru when it is aplied . amd cpus have bridges on top of them and maybe amd feels that the excess paste will touch them and either curode them or cunduct and fry the cpu . thats my guess and thats all it is so don't take it for fact please but if you go to amd site it will tell you that u must use amd aproved pad for the warranty to be valid . i think it even says it on the paperwork you get with the retail box version. there is a thermal pad on the bottom of the hs that comes with the retail cpu . so just use that and you will be fine . and as long as you aren't overclocking and you have good air flow you will be fine . people say 50c is to hot but there operating temp is up to 70c so 50 is fine .


the only reason i can say why people buy oem is to save a few bucks is all . at one time oem were alot cheaper that retail but today the difference is only a few dollars . i have been building my own pc's since the mid 90's and i have never had to use the waranty for a cpu . and in that time i have only fryed one and it was about 2 years ago trying to be fast . also with the price of cpus today , well if you buy in the middle of the curve like i do it is almost more hastle to rma a cpu to either vendor or maker . i just get a new one , time is money and if my pc is down i am pissed . it cost you money to shi back and wait for them to say ok we will send you another or no you voided the warranty . but like i said i have never had a cpu go bad on me and i doubt that maybe have to be honost . most dead pc's are from operator error not defect . so i don't worry about the warranty on a cpu . but thats me .

[Omardeth]

w2k 50c is ok under full load . it isn't bad at all . i have a xp2500 running overclocked at 185 x 11 instead of 166 x 11 and i have a vantec aeroflow with the tmd fan on it and a 92mm fan about 1.5 " above it in a bracket helping it and 1 case fan in bake blowing out and 1 case fan in front blowing in . with the case closed and 100% cpu load my daytime temp at full load goes up to 43-44 c . it is 4am so it is very cool in the house now and it is at 39c i have a 30$ hsf on my setup and u have retail yet at full load mine still isn't like huge amouts lower than yours . your fine at 50c