Custom Built in Progress

[Nemix]

Hi all, I'm in the process of putting together a new custom built overclocking PC for Windows 7 and some light gaming. Due to work and items on shipment, I have to delay the built and only can work on it on the weekends and when shipment arrives.

Here's what I got so far:

CPU - Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 3.1Ghz: I'm hoping to get a 3.9Ghz overclock with this CPU combined with an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro and Arctic Cooling MX-3 Thermal Compound.

 

[Nemix]

Video Card - XFX HD4770 512MB GDDR5 800/850 with Ramsinks and Mosfet Heatsinks, I'm hoping to get an overclock of 950/1050 with this video card combined with an Arctic Cooling Accelero L2 Pro and again Arctic Cooling MX-3 Thermal Compound.

 

[Nemix]

Memory - 4GB G.Skill DDR2-800 5-5-5-15, I'm hoping to get these to overclock @ DDR2-950 5-5-5-15.

 

[thefabe]

Best wishes for you on your new build. Fabe

 

[Nemix]

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-MA78LM-S2H with Mosfet Heatsinks, waiting on Zalman NBF47 Passive North Bridge Cooler.

 

[Nemix]

Thanks Fabe. I've already put most of the things together but I'm waiting on the little things to arrive like the above mentioned Zalman Passive North Bride Cooler, Heatsink Lapping Kit and some noise reducing items.

Hard Drive - 500GB Seagate 7200.12, I originally bought a 1TB Samsung SpinPoint F3 but found that too noisy for my taste. My goal is to get a fairly quick gaming PC that runs low on power, overclockable and has to be extremely quiet.

 

[Nemix]

Power Supply - 500W Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus modded with Arctic Cooling F12 Pro PWM 120mm Fan. The original fan that came with the power supply was too loud for my taste so modded with a quiet PWM fan which I can control and monitor RPM via motherboard.

 

[Product FRED]

Hi all, I'm in the process of putting together a new custom built overclocking PC for Windows 7 and some light gaming. Due to work and items on shipment, I have to delay the built and only can work on it on the weekends and when shipment arrives.

Here's what I got so far:

CPU - Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 3.1Ghz: I'm hoping to get a 3.9Ghz overclock with this CPU combined with an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro and Arctic Cooling MX-3 Thermal Compound.

I have a 945. I also have an Arctic 64 but wasn't sure if it would fit since it wasn't designed for it. Thanks for confirming it does!

 

[Nemix]

Case - Cooler Master Elite 341 with 2 x Arctic Cooling F12 Pro PWM Fans. This was the smallest reputable brand name Mini Tower I could find, I already own a Cooler Master Centurion 5 with my custom built 2K6 XP rig and I think Cooler Master does decent quality when it comes to cases. I replaced the Cooler Master 120mm exhaust fan with a more quiet and more decent looking Arctic Cooling one. I'm contemplating if I should install 2 more Arctic Cooling F12 Pro PWM fans on the side of the case for extra video card and CPU intake cooling.

Optical Drive - Samsung 22X SH-S223C DVD Writer

Legacy Devices - Yup, that's a Sony Floppy Diskette drive!

 

[Nemix]

@ Product Fred. The Freezer 64 Pro does not perfectly fit my 550 BE, the bottom of the heatsink does not cover the whole CPU. Still, I've tested it with Arctic Cooling MX-3 and I get 35 degrees Idle and about 45 degrees load. On the AC website the Freezer 64 Pro supports AM2, AM2+ and AM3 CPU's, knowing that I'm pretty sure it'll also work for your 945.

 

[stormy13]

the bottom of the heatsink does not cover the whole CPU.

It wasn't made too. What you are referring to as the whole CPU is in fact just a heat spreader, the actual cores are in the middle where the Freezer 64 does make contact.

P.S. For a mild overclock to 3.2 GHz on my x4 630 it keeps it in the low-mid 40's under full load (topped out around 45°C after an hour or so of Prime 95).

 

[Nemix]

Thanks for the info Stormy, I wasn't aware the actual core was n the middle with a big heat spreader protection layer. Just for the record I'm trying to keep the RPM on the Freezer 64 Pro as low as possible with efficient cooling.

 

[stormy13]

Enable Cool and Quiet and Q-fan (or whatever the Gigabyte equivalent is called, and assuming the CPU fan header is a 4 pin to take advantage of the fans PWM feature) in the bios. Mine runs at a nice and quiet ~1100 rpm's or so at idle, and even at load only gets up to around 1600 rpm or so; still about 800 rpm from its default speed.

 

[drywallguy]

The Freezer Pro is a trooper, but came out well before your 955BE. When you start to overclock watch your temps. You should be good to go. Might want to use Arctic Silver as opposed to the applied grease.
Your gonna love your new system! Have fun!

 

[Nemix]

The Freezer Pro is a trooper, but came out well before your 955BE. When you start to overclock watch your temps. You should be good to go. Might want to use Arctic Silver as opposed to the applied grease.
Your gonna love your new system! Have fun!

I initially had a choice to pick between 4 CPU heatsinks: AC Freezer Extreme Rev.2, AC Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2, Scythe Katana 3 and AC Freezer 64 Pro. The Freezer Extreme Rev.2 was automatically taken off my list because of price and it's size to get into a Mini Tower, the Freezer 7 Pro was next off my list because on AMD systems it blows hot air downwards onto the video card and north bridge heatsinks. I had a tough choice choosing between the Scythe Katana 3 and Freezer 64 Pro, reviews are about the same for both, noise is about the same, price is the same, the Katana 3 is newer 2009 model and the Freezer 64 Pro is older 2007 model. I ultimately chose the Freezer 64 Pro because it just looks better and everything else in my cooling plans where from Arctic Cooling minus the Zalman North Bridge Cooler because AC does not offer a NB solution.

Arctic Silver 5 is sooo 2K6, it's what I've been using until I found out about Arctic Cooling MX-2: Reviews | Arctic Cooling MX-2 | APH Networks

The stuff I got is Arctic Cooling MX-3, beats MX-2 by 1-2 degrees, I also made the rookie mistake and went for Arctic Silver 5 first, I then found out the Arctic Cooling MX Series because it came pre-applied with the Freezer 64 and Accelero L2 Pro.

There are more reviews online all saying Arctic Coolings MX-2 is superior to Arctic Silver 5.

I'm now just waiting on my heatsink lapping kit which should knock off an additional 2-4 degrees on both the Freezer 64 and Accelero L2 Pro, some motherboard washers, Zalman Passive North Bridge Cooler, Nexus silent rubber fan screws, rubber washers and AcoustiFeet rubber feet case vibration absorbers.

 

[Nemix]

All orders shipped, eBay takes forever to arrive. Good thing all eBay orders have been post marked before March 27, 2010.

I'm now just trying to decide to install 32-Bit or 64-Bit version of Windows 7 once everything arrives, tested for DOA and properly assembled.

 

[Product FRED]

64-bit. That's all I'm going to say. You don't want to be stuck behind when 32-bit officially becomes obsolete. 64-bit is stable enough for everyday use. Plus you have 4GB of RAM, so unless you only want to be able to use 3.5GB, go 64-bit.

 

[Nemix]

Thing is Product FRED I've ran into some bugs and software incompatibility with 64-Bit, most annoying bug was the Visual C++ needed for Catalyst Control Center was installed in the root and all the regedit entries did not properly register the .dll files needed for VC++ to function.

Other than the above mentions, I would rather go with 64-Bit as it seems faster and more stable even on my current system with only 3GB useable. Seeing this time around I've got 4GB, I guess I give 64-Bit another whirl first and hope for the best.

Thanks for your input,

 

[stormy13]

Thing is Product FRED I've ran into some bugs and software incompatibility with 64-Bit, most annoying bug was the Visual C++ needed for Catalyst Control Center was installed in the root and all the regedit entries did not properly register the .dll files needed for VC++ to function.

Can't say that I have seen that one yet. I know I haven't had it happen to me and I have been using an ATI though Vista and Windows 7, both 64 bit only.

 

[Nemix]

@ stormy13, I've decided to remove the AMD IHS (Intergrated Heat Spreader) based on topic found on the internet and from your clue giving post above.

From topics found on the internet this should shave off an addition 5 - 10 degrees on average off my temps, combined with AC MX-3 and heatsink lapping kit; I'm looking at a generous average shave of 10 - 15 degrees versus Freezer 64 Pro retail.

Thanks man, I'm looking forward to doing this mod once my heatsink lapping kits arrives.

Edit: After more extensive research on the internet, I've found out the newer Phenom II X2's have the core soldered onto the IHS, that means it s no go for me. Besides, removing the IHS from a soldered on core CPU only shaves off 2-3 degrees at best but not worth going through the trouble and maybe killing the CPU in the process. However, I'm still gonna give this a shot on my Athlon X2 6000+ HTPC.