Malvineous wrote:

Does anyone know whether there are any heatsink/fans from other sockets that will work with Socket 3? […]
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Does anyone know whether there are any heatsink/fans from other sockets that will work with Socket 3?

I'm looking for a Socket 3 CPU cooler for a future 486 build and before I buy a relatively expensive one, I'm wondering whether I might be able to pick up a cheaper cooler for a different socket that will work on a Socket 3.

Is there such a thing?

There's a Vogonswiki page on Socket 3 but it doesn't mention anything about cooler compatibility.

No. Aside from fairly niche retention mechanisms that do not have universal support, Socket 3 coolers directly clip onto the CPU. This means unless you find a clip on cooler that fits the exact size of your 486 chip (All 486 full size chips are the same size to my knowledge, not counting any overdrive chips, especially the POD)

The best bet you have is to buy a Socket 3 cooler. Hunt around. This is the one I bought. https://www.amazon.com/IEC-486-CPU-Cooling-Fan/dp/B003U48PSC

It connects via 4 pin molex and has a pass-through. For what I can tell it's made of copper, but should handle everything. I actually overclock with it, my DX4-100 to 120Mhz (SV8B AMD model)

You can also hack some stuff. Technically you can just get a universal heatsink, attack with thermal adhesive, and slap a fan on it (Or just use a really big heatsink)

You also need to remember, if you are using a DX2-66 or slower, you do not need a cooler. Anything over a DX2-66 most likely needs one unless it's some strange modern thing (Which you may or may not find)

Well, if you don't have the motherboard yet you should wait. Socket 3 is a tricky one. Your best bet is to buy a heatsink/cooler that clips to the CPU.
Some 486 motherboards don't even have ways to hold a heatsink.

Thanks for the replies. I do have a Socket 3 board already with a clip-on cooler, but the socket has lugs on it that appear to be for attaching a cooler, and they look quite similar to what you see on Socket 370. Here's a photo from Vogonswiki of a socket like mine. They look a bit more secure than attaching to the CPU itself.

Do you mean to say that these lugs are not present on all Socket 3 boards? Now that you mention it, I have seen a special tool to remove 486 CPUs from the socket which strikes me as odd given it's a ZIF socket, so I'm guessing that means there must be variants of Socket 3 that are not ZIF and/or don't have those lugs.

So perhaps my question should really be - are there CPU coolers that attach to this ZIF style of Socket 3 with the lugs, and if so, are they compatible with any other sockets too?

Malvineous wrote:

Thanks for the replies. I do have a Socket 3 board already with a clip-on cooler, but the socket has lugs on it that appear to be for attaching a cooler, and they look quite similar to what you see on Socket 370. Here's a photo from Vogonswiki of a socket like mine. They look a bit more secure than attaching to the CPU itself.

Do you mean to say that these lugs are not present on all Socket 3 boards? Now that you mention it, I have seen a special tool to remove 486 CPUs from the socket which strikes me as odd given it's a ZIF socket, so I'm guessing that means there must be variants of Socket 3 that are not ZIF and/or don't have those lugs.

So perhaps my question should really be - are there CPU coolers that attach to this ZIF style of Socket 3 with the lugs, and if so, are they compatible with any other sockets too?

No, they are not on all Socket 3 boards. Some Socket 3 boards, and indeed Socket 1 boards, have a LIF socket. You need to push it firmly into the socket in order to install the CPU, and the tools were likely chip extractors, just very big. It can be removed with a swiss army knife quite easily, or with a screwdriver, etc. If you want to see one, Phil has a video with his Biostar mobo, you'd need to dig a bit.

And as for that, you can try a Socket 370 cooler if you think it would work. For all I know that's exactly why they are there, but don't go looking to buy a Socket 370 cooler. It's entirely possible it's proprietary, and in that case, you might as well spend 10$ on a clip on cooler

And as for security, they are strong enough to not only take the CPU with it when you remove it, but it will hold the weight of the board as long as the socket will.

They are actually impossible to remove vertically and need to be slid off.

Also, installation tip, remove the fan by pulling it off, remove two of the clips, add your thermal compound, add the heatsink, and then slide the clips on to hold the CPU. Afterwards, put the fan back on. It is WAY more easier, and there is less chance of snapping the clips.

Malvineous wrote:

... so I'm guessing that means there must be variants of Socket 3 that are not ZIF and/or don't have those lugs.

So perhaps my question should really be - are there CPU coolers that attach to this ZIF style of Socket 3 with the lugs, and if so, are they compatible with any other sockets too?

Just google search some images with socket 3 motherboard and you'll see several socket 3 types.

I remember that IBM used some wires to secure some coolers- I own one 486 IBM, but is doesn't have a heatsink on it. Maybe other users have one?

Socket 7 heatsinks seem to have the same size as the 486 CPU, so maybe with some modding it's possible to run one on a 486... Maybe.

EDIT: Found a picture and thread here on Vogons:

Socket 3 processor options

Interesting! Unfortunately Amazon don't ship to where I am so the cheapest I can get one is $25 off eBay which isn't too bad I guess, but no harm in looking for cheaper alternatives!

Surprising the clip on ones hold the weight of the motherboard - I was too scared my existing one would break to attempt anything that dangerous 😀

I've seen a few "socket 7 / 370" combo heatsinks so maybe it is possible to get a 370 to work on a 3. I did try it when setting up the board I have now but the 370 tabs didn't quite fit. Maybe I need to try with a Socket 7 cooler to see if that's any better...

Malvineous wrote:

Interesting! Unfortunately Amazon don't ship to where I am so the cheapest I can get one is $25 off eBay which isn't too bad I guess, but no harm in looking for cheaper alternatives!

Surprising the clip on ones hold the weight of the motherboard - I was too scared my existing one would break to attempt anything that dangerous 😀

I've seen a few "socket 7 / 370" combo heatsinks so maybe it is possible to get a 370 to work on a 3. I did try it when setting up the board I have now but the 370 tabs didn't quite fit. Maybe I need to try with a Socket 7 cooler to see if that's any better...

If it doesn't quite fit, then it means that it's not gonna work. The thing is Socket 3 is fairly small for a socket, so some coolers might be a bit too big.

Malvineous wrote:

Surprising the clip on ones hold the weight of the motherboard - I was too scared my existing one would break to attempt anything that dangerous 😀

Sometimes the socket tabs do break under pressure. I have a DX4ODPR100, it's an Overdrive DX4 and Intel only put a heatsink on it, no fan. So if you want to be on the "safe" side find a small socket 7 heatsink, some dual sided thermal adhesive tape and you are good to go. Cyrix did this all the time with their 486 CPUs.

sprcorreia wrote:

Malvineous wrote:

Surprising the clip on ones hold the weight of the motherboard - I was too scared my existing one would break to attempt anything that dangerous 😀

Sometimes the socket tabs do break under pressure. I have a DX4ODPR100, it's an Overdrive DX4 and Intel only put a heatsink on it, no fan. So if you want to be on the "safe" side find a small socket 7 heatsink, some dual sided thermal adhesive tape and you are good to go. Cyrix did this all the time with their 486 CPUs.

I suggested exactly this. The OP can use any old heatsink (Make sure it isn't like a really modern heatsink with a massive core, you only need a smallish heatsink) and to use thermal adhesive. The doublestick tape is not as good as the paste in my experiences. Which is why you do not find it used on many components. Only those that need good cooling. Thermal adhesive is an interface material that has epoxy or other binding agent in it. The advantage is that it will have a perfect interface with the heatsink, and that it will stay on. The downside is that it will STAY ON. Once that heatsink is on, it is not coming off. EVER

Why not a sick on heatsink? They cost next to nothing.

Jade Falcon wrote:

Why not a sick on heatsink? They cost next to nothing.

Because of the same reasons as why not to use doublestick thermal tape. The thermal interfacing isn't as good. That's fine for low power, low heat electronics, and it may even be fine for this application, but a liquid paste will always be better.

Ampera wrote:

Jade Falcon wrote:

Why not a sick on heatsink? They cost next to nothing.

Because of the same reasons as why not to use doublestick thermal tape. The thermal interfacing isn't as good. That's fine for low power, low heat electronics, and it may even be fine for this application, but a liquid paste will always be better.

Another reason is the adhesive on a 20 year old 486 heatsink is not that good. The one on my DX2-66 sticks but not very well. Might be doing something different for the AMD DX4 I have coming in.

Interesting thing in my case is the motherboard I have has a fan power plug on it for the CPU fan, I've never seen that on any other of the 40+ 486 motherboards I've seen in my life.

creepingnet wrote:

Ampera wrote:

Jade Falcon wrote:

Why not a sick on heatsink? They cost next to nothing.

Because of the same reasons as why not to use doublestick thermal tape. The thermal interfacing isn't as good. That's fine for low power, low heat electronics, and it may even be fine for this application, but a liquid paste will always be better.

Another reason is the adhesive on a 20 year old 486 heatsink is not that good. The one on my DX2-66 sticks but not very well. Might be doing something different for the AMD DX4 I have coming in.

Interesting thing in my case is the motherboard I have has a fan power plug on it for the CPU fan, I've never seen that on any other of the 40+ 486 motherboards I've seen in my life.

Often these layers of TIM were also very thick and trying to remove a heatsink that is stuck to a 486 CPU with nothing else but lots of TIM would often result in parts of the print from the top of the CPU coming off.

And I actually found an old thread with pics of my 486 rig I build years ago and the heatsink I used was one of those larger passive Pentium OEM heatsinks, attached with one of those Z-wire thingies.

s3 is the same size as s5/s7/s370 and sA, but the problem is mostly the area around the CPU socket and in case of s3 it's often also the absence of some or even all of those CPU socket tabs...or whatever they were called 😊