I got a fan for installation on my socket 370 mobo with a pentium 3 cpu, but silly me didn't realize it's just a fan and doesn't come with a heatsink. I need a heatsink. But how do I figure out which heatsink I need? I don't really know much about heatsinks.
This is the fan I got, which would go on top of the heatsink on top of the cpu: https://www.alternate.nl/Noctua/NF-A6x25-FLX- … product/1036854
JustRob wrote on 2021-11-11, 16:54:I got a fan for installation on my socket 370 mobo with a pentium 3 cpu, but silly me didn't realize it's just a fan and doesn't come with a heatsink. I need a heatsink. But how do I figure out which heatsink I need? I don't really know much about heatsinks.
This is the fan I got, which would go on top of the heatsink on top of the cpu: https://www.alternate.nl/Noctua/NF-A6x25-FLX- … product/1036854
The link goes to this product:
Noctua NF-A6x25 FLX case fan
This is a case fan. These are designed to be installed onto the insides of a computer case.
If you want to cool your CPU, you will need to use a CPU cooler.
Tetrium wrote on 2021-11-13, 17:42:If you want to cool your CPU, you will need to use a CPU cooler.
For example, such a thing 😸
Someone seems to have attached a quad-copter on that motherboard. I assume it helps lift the weight of the heatsink?
There was a thread a few years back about s370 heatsinks: s370 Cooler Recommendations
You may be able to find a heatsink to which you can attach your case fan. Or use the case fan as a case fan. Multiple slower fans can keep things cooler and quieter than just one going flat out.
Tetrium wrote on 2021-11-13, 17:42:This is a case fan. These are designed to be installed onto the insides of a computer case.
If you want to cool your CPU, you will need to use a CPU cooler.
That's just the webstore's description, which is useless. They call all stand-alone fans 'case fans', even high static pressure fans meant for coolers or radiators. Nowhere on noctua's product page will you find anything about it being a 'case fan'. There's also no reason you can't use low static pressure fans on coolers (what's usually referred to as case fans) as long as they provide enough performance for your needs. Which with a pentium 3 you don't need much. This 6 cm noctua will absolutely provide more than enough performance to cool any P3.
As for which CPU cooler to get to go along with it. It depends on the motherboard. If there's enough room around the CPU socket, then most socket A/462 cooler will fit and accept a standard 6 cm fan such as this noctua. If there's capacitors or other obstructions close around the socket, that might prevent some bulkier sockat A/462 from fitting, then you might look for an older/smaller socket 370 cooler. In that case, just make sure it's at least 6 cm in size, then the fan will fit for sure.
Whichever cooler you do end up getting, be sure to replace its fan with this noctua one. It's arguably one of the best and quietest 6 cm fans you can get, probably even the very best when it comes to performance to noise ratio. It will almost certainly perform better than whatever fan comes with the cooler.
I just bought a 2 in 1 fan+heatsink off of eBay. It's Startech brand so I guess it's alright, and I'll just return the Noctua. It's impossibly difficult to find a loose heatsink for older machines, and I'm tired of having to search the whole internet for every other part I need.
Where are you located? If in the USA, it is extremely easy to find CPU coolers for older machines.
Europe, Netherlands. Not quite as easy here. Local stores don't seem to be selling anything of this kind.
Oh yeah.. no local stores will have that here either unless you are in an area that has a store that specializes in vintage hardware.
Sellers on eBay on the other hand have a ton of them available.
If your mobo supports a HP 306725-001, you can have it for free from me (postage only).
JustRob wrote on 2021-11-11, 16:54:I got a fan for installation on my socket 370 mobo with a pentium 3 cpu, but silly me didn't realize it's just a fan and doesn't come with a heatsink. I need a heatsink. But how do I figure out which heatsink I need? I don't really know much about heatsinks.
This is the fan I got, which would go on top of the heatsink on top of the cpu: https://www.alternate.nl/Noctua/NF-A6x25-FLX- … product/1036854
I have a larger version of that fan. It’s super quiet.
If that’s the size I think it is 60mm? Then it might fit some of those nice copper coolers on ebay, type in socket 370 cooler. Buy the cooler, if the fan doesn’t fit get the proper fan for it. Because after all, you buy the fan that fits the cooler and most coolers for 370 use a 60mm fan I believe
JustRob wrote on 2021-11-14, 02:54:I just bought a 2 in 1 fan+heatsink off of eBay. It's Startech brand so I guess it's alright, and I'll just return the Noctua. It's impossibly difficult to find a loose heatsink for older machines, and I'm tired of having to search the whole internet for every other part I need.
I would keep the noctua fan and use in in place of the fan that comes with the cooler. I have several of these startech coolers for socket 7, 370 and socket 462, the fans they use can be quite noisy. The nocuta on the other hand will be virtually inaudible.
The only socket 370 cooler without a fan I can find on eBay is this one, https://www.ebay.nl/itm/313002084175?hash=ite … EMAAOSw7Sxcvunv, and it seems to be a passive cooler as I can't see any screwholes for a fan.
When it comes to eBay I'm also mostly restricted to listings within the EU, 'cuz with listings from the US I have to pay a ton in shipping and import fees.
JustRob wrote on 2021-11-14, 08:42:The only socket 370 cooler without a fan I can find on eBay is this one, https://www.ebay.nl/itm/313002084175?hash=ite … EMAAOSw7Sxcvunv, and it seems to be a passive cooler as I can't see any screwholes for a fan.
When it comes to eBay I'm also mostly restricted to listings within the EU, 'cuz with listings from the US I have to pay a ton in shipping and import fees.
Idk if that will fit, the heatsink itself seems pretty small. But I can always try I guess. It's this one.
I have a couple of those exact coolers, as well as the all-copper version of it. The heatsinks are 6 cm on each side, so they fit 6 cm fans precisely. On the copper one I replaced the fan with the exact same noctua fan you got and I use that combo to cool an overclocked K6-2+. Works much quieter than the fan that originally came with the cooler.
Only issue you might have with swapping the fans is that the screws that come with the cooler won't fit the taller noctua fan. You can try either longer screws that fit through both of the holes in each corner on the noctua or shorter screws that fit through only the bottom hole. I had some spare case screws lying around that fit the latter purpose for me, otherwise you can always find some correct length screws at whatever hardware store you have nearby.
frudi wrote on 2021-11-13, 21:17:That's just the webstore's description, which is useless. They call all stand-alone fans 'case fans', even high static pressure […]
Tetrium wrote on 2021-11-13, 17:42:This is a case fan. These are designed to be installed onto the insides of a computer case.
If you want to cool your CPU, you will need to use a CPU cooler.That's just the webstore's description, which is useless. They call all stand-alone fans 'case fans', even high static pressure fans meant for coolers or radiators. Nowhere on noctua's product page will you find anything about it being a 'case fan'. There's also no reason you can't use low static pressure fans on coolers (what's usually referred to as case fans) as long as they provide enough performance for your needs. Which with a pentium 3 you don't need much. This 6 cm noctua will absolutely provide more than enough performance to cool any P3.
As for which CPU cooler to get to go along with it. It depends on the motherboard. If there's enough room around the CPU socket, then most socket A/462 cooler will fit and accept a standard 6 cm fan such as this noctua. If there's capacitors or other obstructions close around the socket, that might prevent some bulkier sockat A/462 from fitting, then you might look for an older/smaller socket 370 cooler. In that case, just make sure it's at least 6 cm in size, then the fan will fit for sure.
Whichever cooler you do end up getting, be sure to replace its fan with this noctua one. It's arguably one of the best and quietest 6 cm fans you can get, probably even the very best when it comes to performance to noise ratio. It will almost certainly perform better than whatever fan comes with the cooler.
Regardless of whether or not the fan is more suited for heatsinks or not, it'll be a futile endeavor if OP doesn't have any heatsink to attach his fan onto.
Finding a separate s370 (or sA) heatsink without a fan is going to be quite challenging. It could be even easier to just find an old or worn out second hand s370 HSF and replace the old fan with the Noctua one.
I agree with what you said about which CPU cooler to get. If choice is very limited, there won't be much of a choice anyway.
JustRob wrote on 2021-11-14, 03:20:Europe, Netherlands. Not quite as easy here. Local stores don't seem to be selling anything of this kind.
If you want to find a s370 HSF here in The Netherlands, you could try marktplaats or tweakers.net. Even an old and worn out HSF mounted on a broken motherboard could suit your needs.
And as already been mentioned, some of the older s370 boards have limited space around the CPU socket so not all CPU HSFs will fit (and too small ones will not provide sufficient cooling or may be more difficult to mount correctly depending on which chip you intend to use).
EDIT:Ebay might also be an option. Or just anywhere where you can be send the HSF you want.
