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Does the fanless Pentium II Overdrive require active cooling?

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First post, by jheronimus

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Hi, all

I recently got myself an OEM version of Pentium II Overdrive that only comes with a heatsink. I think it's intended for servers that probably have some built-in case fans, but I'm still wondering whether I need to add some kind of active cooling.

Maybe someone has experience with a chip like that and has found a good solution? I got mine for a lower than average price, but still kind of expensive, so I wouldn't want to damage it. I've used it for about 20 minutes and I think the heatsink got to around 50 degrees C (I only have a food thermometer, so not too precise) and the part of the motherboard behind the socket got pretty warm as well.

Then again, I think a lot of systems used late Pentium 2 and Pentium 3 chips without fans, so maybe I shouldn't worry?

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Reply 1 of 3, by BitWrangler

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Well you wouldn't want it in completely dead air, and you don't need an 80cfm screamer, if you can waft about 20cfm past it that should be fine.

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 2 of 3, by Horun

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Many of those cpu's were designed for and relied on the case for ventilation, like the Compaqs with P2-233/266 and big heat sink - no cpu fan. The case was designed to blow air over the heatsink front to back and no additional CPU fans required.

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 3 of 3, by pentiumspeed

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Intel did have specifications even bare CPU (under 5W if package is ceramic), and for passive heatsink is specified in how much air flow is required. The cooling device is how large is needed is not specified.
What all companies do is publish minimum and maximum temps acceptable. How it is cooled is up to the OEM who integrate their chips.

It is us who wanted better than that had to modify ours to keep it cool and more quieter.

Even Apple developed their way using dry dark grey thermal paste on the hot especially the SOC then brass shields soldered on but with no contact to the frame metal (the external metal bit that you hold it) at all, rest of the board is not heatsinked, relying on the copper planes in the board to help with minor thermals. Samsung do use thermal pad and heat pipe in high end phones.

Cheers,

Great Northern aka Canada.

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