The first one isn't copper, it's colored aluminum. Look at the picture of the base, the contact surface is aluminum and towards the edges it blends into copper-colored material. They're probably doing that for aesthetic reasons, or to pass it for "real" copper.

I used something similar to the second one in my s939 build several years ago, it performed well while I had it in use. That was IIRC with a Athlon 64 X2 Toledo-core, 4400+ so not 110W but 89W. Also IIRC my temperatures under load with that setup were on the order of 58-60deg C. YMMV.

I would just pick up a Zalman CNPS9500 and call it a day. It can handle a huge heat load. Techpowerup did a test with it using an overclocked Pentium 4 561 (115w TDP oc'd to 4.3GHz @ ~180w TDP) and it ran around 65C at max load. Other options would be Thermalright or Scythe, as they designed quite a few high TDP load coolers that performed extremely well.

Edit, another one I use is the Zalman CNPS10X Extreme. (still readily available on Amazon and Newegg) It is compatible with everything from socket 754 up to socket 2011. I run them with dual Xeon 135w TDP processors and it keeps them nice and cool at load.

One quick thing you could try before looking for a different cooler would be to reapply thermal paste. I don't know if the heat pipes go bad, but I know thermal paste does and I regularly re-paste my machines every 2-3 years.

So, I had an X2 4200+ running at 2.6 GHz on this cooler: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BVCBOE/ … e?ie=UTF8&psc=1. While it worked fine in a case with adequate airflow (3 big fans), it was on the edge of what I would consider comfortable. In the end I just went with an old Hyper 212 EVO that I had lying around from a 2500k build and of course the increase in fin area worked much better.

feipoa wrote:

Do the heat pipes in heatsink/fan units go bad after some years?

I have never heard a single story of a heat pipe going bad. Which of course doesn't mean that it can't happen, but I'd be very surprised if it did. If your heatsink/fan assembly doesn't perform like it used to, you should first disassemble everything, clean it thoroughly, and re-install it with proper thermal paste like Arctic MX-4. And maybe add some proper case fans to ensure a good airflow through the case.

If you still wish to replace the cooler assembly, you should stay away from this no-name china stuff and instead go for a tried and tested model from a brand manufacturer. There are plenty of models out there with S939 compatibility that are still available new or NOS from eBay.

Avoid the AMD cooler you linked. It is incredibly loud. The newer "wraith" ones would be okay but those old boxed coolers are way too loud to be tolerable.

Cooler compatibility should be not that much of a problem. IIRC (I might be wrong) mounting holes have been the same for most boards since socket 939 only majorly changing with AM4 and the retention modules should support the same coolers for all sockets.

I think it is a fair assumption to say that the CPU is over heating.

Step 1:
Remove CPU IHS with a thin blade/razor. Be careful not to damage small elements near the edges. Patience is the key.
Step 2:
Remove 10+ years old thermal paste from the core.
Step 3:
Apply some fresh and good thermal paste. I recommend good ol' Arctic Cooling MX2/MX4, but there are also better options.
Step 4a:
Put IHS back with adhesive.
Step 4b:
Modify your cooler for direct contact with the crystal. Some may fit even without any modifications.

What's your case and airflow like? - probably best with a tower cooler like the CM Hyper 212 Evo / 212X then you can double up to push-pull airflow with a 2nd fan if needed.

My main system is 939 still (DFI Lanparty nF4 Ultra D), with an Athlon 64 X2 4600+ and an everyday configuration (very relaxed) of 220x12=2640 MHz (1,264 V) with Cool'n Quiet ON (220x5=1100 MHz @ 1,056 V), and 4x1GB RAM. My heatsink is an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 (not the Pro version, only 2 heatpipes), but with a very well ventilated case:

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Speci … ArticleId=14140

Today's temperatures:

- Room: 26 ºC
- Idle: 36/36 ºC (core 1/2)
- Full load: 51/56 ºC (core 1/2)

Thermalright Ultra 120 extreme + this : LINK + Delta Fan = 3,05GHz and 50C at load.
Proof : LINK

feipoa wrote:

This thing has no heat pipe and looks like a giant block of finned copper. Cheap too. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pin-12V-PC-Int […]
Show full quote

This thing has no heat pipe and looks like a giant block of finned copper. Cheap too.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pin-12V-PC-Intel-7 … 98AAOSw~OdVWtZc

This thing has what looks like 4 heat pipes,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-4Pin-CPU-Cooler-H … =item33c0ff9638

Dodgy no-name coolers like these, shipped from overseas on Ebay, are always a poor choice. The AMD stock cooler that you linked would likely work fine, but it won't be quiet. The best option is to look for coolers made by the name-brands, such as the Cooler Master Hyper 212+, Thermalright Ultra-120, and Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro, that use large 92-120mm fans. It may be possible to get used ones for relatively inexpensive.

Replacing cooler won't help.

feipoa wrote:

Then there is something like this, which is original AMD for Athlon X2. Specifies it is for up to 125 W TDP.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Heatsink-CPU-Coo … joAAMXQlgtS1PEN

I had this cooler with an Athlon X2 6400 rated at 130W and it wasn't up to the task, when I taxed the computer for extended periods of time it overheats and even shuts down, and it also makes a lot of noise; perhaps it can cope with 110W loads, but I wouldn't use it in anything rated above 95W. Also, it isn't worth 47$, not even half of that.

Right now I use an Opteron 180, also rated at 110w, with an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro and it cools the processor well enough, in a cheap case with moderate airflow I've never seen it to go above 56-57° celsius and most of the time it' s barely audible.

The heatsinks with copper base that were shipped with Phenom II and FX 83x0 chips work fine, just make sure the BIOS controls fan speed (they are 4 wire fans) otherwise they are loud as hell full on.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

wiretap wrote:

I would just pick up a Zalman CNPS9500 and call it a day. It can handle a huge heat load. Techpowerup did a test with it using an overclocked Pentium 4 561 (115w TDP oc'd to 4.3GHz @ ~180w TDP) and it ran around 65C at max load. Other options would be Thermalright or Scythe, as they designed quite a few high TDP load coolers that performed extremely well.

Edit, another one I use is the Zalman CNPS10X Extreme. (still readily available on Amazon and Newegg) It is compatible with everything from socket 754 up to socket 2011. I run them with dual Xeon 135w TDP processors and it keeps them nice and cool at load.

I don't mean to sound like a novice, but I'm looking at photos of what you recommended and I do not see a clip to attach to socket 939. Am I missing something basic here?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zalman-CNPS9500-AT-C … EAAAOSwubRXEE0y

stamasd wrote:

One quick thing you could try before looking for a different cooler would be to reapply thermal paste. I don't know if the heat pipes go bad, but I know thermal paste does and I regularly re-paste my machines every 2-3 years.

Replacing the paste helped some, but the issue is that under max load, this CPU is overheating. My current cooler has two copper heat pipes which attach to some aluminum fins, and a fan.

RetroBoogie wrote:

So, I had an X2 4200+ running at 2.6 GHz on this cooler: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BVCBOE/ … e?ie=UTF8&psc=1. While it worked fine in a case with adequate airflow (3 big fans), it was on the edge of what I would consider comfortable. In the end I just went with an old Hyper 212 EVO that I had lying around from a 2500k build and of course the increase in fin area worked much better.

I'm looking at this photo and wondering where the S939 clip is, https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cooler-Master-Hyper- … 6kAAOSw~YRaiJyN

gex85 wrote:

feipoa wrote:

Do the heat pipes in heatsink/fan units go bad after some years?

I have never heard a single story of a heat pipe going bad. Which of course doesn't mean that it can't happen, but I'd be very surprised if it did. If your heatsink/fan assembly doesn't perform like it used to, you should first disassemble everything, clean it thoroughly, and re-install it with proper thermal paste like Arctic MX-4. And maybe add some proper case fans to ensure a good airflow through the case.

If you still wish to replace the cooler assembly, you should stay away from this no-name china stuff and instead go for a tried and tested model from a brand manufacturer. There are plenty of models out there with S939 compatibility that are still available new or NOS from eBay.

Well, I am using a no-name from China. To be honest, I had never run Advanced Chrome on this machine before and after using Advanced Chrome, I couldn't believe how much more CPU draw it has than, say, Firefox.

Koltoroc wrote:

Avoid the AMD cooler you linked. It is incredibly loud. The newer "wraith" ones would be okay but those old boxed coolers are way too loud to be tolerable.

Cooler compatibility should be not that much of a problem. IIRC (I might be wrong) mounting holes have been the same for most boards since socket 939 only majorly changing with AM4 and the retention modules should support the same coolers for all sockets.

Thanks for letting me know. I almost bought the old AMD cooler. I don't believe my motherboard has any 4 pin fan plugs, so no speed control. OK, so I can use any heatsink I want that is for AM3?

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote:

What's your case and airflow like? - probably best with a tower cooler like the CM Hyper 212 Evo / 212X then you can double up to push-pull airflow with a 2nd fan if needed.

I have some low noise fans in the input to the case, and one on the exit. The PSU also has an input and output fan. We have had a really hot summer.

Bellator wrote:

My main system is 939 still (DFI Lanparty nF4 Ultra D), with an Athlon 64 X2 4600+ and an everyday configuration (very relaxed) […]
Show full quote

My main system is 939 still (DFI Lanparty nF4 Ultra D), with an Athlon 64 X2 4600+ and an everyday configuration (very relaxed) of 220x12=2640 MHz (1,264 V) with Cool'n Quiet ON (220x5=1100 MHz @ 1,056 V), and 4x1GB RAM. My heatsink is an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 (not the Pro version, only 2 heatpipes), but with a very well ventilated case:

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Speci … ArticleId=14140

Today's temperatures:

- Room: 26 ºC
- Idle: 36/36 ºC (core 1/2)
- Full load: 51/56 ºC (core 1/2)

Hmm, maybe the new models have more heat pipes. I think the Opty 185 gets quite a bit hotter than the X2 4600.

agent_x007 wrote:

Thermalright Ultra 120 extreme + this : LINK + Delta Fan = 3,05GHz and 50C at load.
Proof : LINK

That's a beast. Where's the 939 clip?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermalright-Ultra-1 … 0QAAOSw555a2GX5

shiva2004 wrote:

feipoa wrote:

Then there is something like this, which is original AMD for Athlon X2. Specifies it is for up to 125 W TDP.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Heatsink-CPU-Coo … joAAMXQlgtS1PEN

I had this cooler with an Athlon X2 6400 rated at 130W and it wasn't up to the task, when I taxed the computer for extended periods of time it overheats and even shuts down, and it also makes a lot of noise; perhaps it can cope with 110W loads, but I wouldn't use it in anything rated above 95W. Also, it isn't worth 47$, not even half of that.

Right now I use an Opteron 180, also rated at 110w, with an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro and it cools the processor well enough, in a cheap case with moderate airflow I've never seen it to go above 56-57° celsius and most of the time it' s barely audible.

Well, that's two points for the Freezer 64 Pro. I guess I'll look into this one.

Wait... It seems like the newer Freezer 64 Pro's have 4-pin connectors. So this thing is going to run full speed at 20K RPM? Won't that be loud? Anything with 3-pins?

feipoa wrote:

I don't mean to sound like a novice, but I'm looking at photos of what you recommended and I do not see a clip to attach to socket 939. Am I missing something basic here?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zalman-CNPS9500-AT-C … EAAAOSwubRXEE0y

You're linking Ebay (and the Intel version at that), which doesn't show any accessories, so it may or may not come with the right mount. Always check the manual to see what it supports and what mounts it is supposed to come with. Here's a snippet from the user manual..

Detailed in #6 & #7 is the mounting bracket.

What about this monster? Claims it can do 160 W.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ARCTIC-Freezer-Xtrem … IEAAOSwL4lbK0li

EDIT: I keep running into the 4-pin PWM fans. Seems like I need one which is quiet on its max RPM. Seems unlikely.

I ended up getting the Zalman CNPS9500A because of the 3-pin fan connector. I've been using ceramique 2. Is there something significantly better I should be using?

I'll just not tax my Opty 185 too hard until the new cooler arrives. I suspect a lot of heat problems come from the heatsink not grasping with enough force to smash the compound down flat enough.

EDIT: I remember some time ago, I bought this fancy thermal paste which was silver and claimed to be the best. The stuff was too viscous to smash down sufficiently.