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Thread: Good low spec CPU for running fanless/minimum fans

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    Good low spec CPU for running fanless/minimum fans

    I have a VIA fanless motherboard with fanless cpu, fanless psu and fansless case (I really don't like noise!) but the poor cpu is maxed out virtually all the time and I would very much like something with a little more processing power. The newer VIA fanless boards are a bit out of my price range so I'm hoping to do a bit of DIY.

    I don't need much, just enough to run the box as an XP Pro web server & MP3 player. It doesn't have a monitor, keyboard or mouse, just a decent sound card and wireless network dongle. I guess something 1ghz+ would do it..

    My question is what processors run cool (or don't mind running really hot) and so lend themselves to to operating in such an environment? I've heard of underclocking, would this reduce the temperature? Can I do this with any processor? Since I'll be experimenting I'm hoping older (and so cheaper) CPU's might be worth a go.

    While we're on the subject, do CPU's have overheat protection or do they just blow up when they get too hot?

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    YUKIKAZE arthurleung's Avatar
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    Athlon 64 3000+ undervolted is a good start

    Alternatively you could run Pentium M.

    All new processors have thermal throttling which will reduce speed when overheat, so unless you suddenly remove the whole heatsink, they won't blow.
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    Senior Member chrestomanci's Avatar
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    AMD do 35W low power variants of their CPUs that are pin compatible with the normal ones, but produce less heat (and cost more). However, the Intel Pentium-M CPUs produce even less heat so that is probably the way to go unless you are on a tight budget.

    You can get a small range of desktop Pentium-M motherboards. They are more expensive than normal boards with a similar spec, but they are not outrageous like they used to be. http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=401837

    For cooling, some big over clocking CPU coolers can be run without a fan, and will provide adequate cooling for a low power CPU.
    http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=378739

    Another way to stop your system getting to hot & noisy is to limit the amount of work it does. I have a script on my Linux box that continuously monitors the CPU temperature, and if it gets to high, it reduces the maximum clock rate available to the ondemand frequency governor. I will post a copy here on request.

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    Quote Originally Posted by chrestomanci
    You can get a small range of desktop Pentium-M motherboards. They are more expensive than normal boards with a similar spec, but they are not outrageous like they used to be. .
    Thanks, but £100 for a mobo then a processor on top is more than I was looking to spend. Perhaps I need to review my budget??

    Quote Originally Posted by chrestomanci
    For cooling, some big over clocking CPU coolers can be run without a fan, and will provide adequate cooling for a low power CPU.
    Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately this is for a PC to go in my HiFi Rack so these huge sinks aren't much of an option.

    Quote Originally Posted by chrestomanci
    Another way to stop your system getting to hot & noisy is to limit the amount of work it does.
    Trouble is, it's not doing much and I need to see some inmprovement in performance.

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    Senior Member FatalSaviour's Avatar
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    SPCR is your friend in situations like this:
    http://www.silentpcreview.com/

    HTH
    Quote Originally Posted by Noni
    What the hell does "WTH" mean


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    Senior Member chrestomanci's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pealy
    Trouble is, it's not doing much and I need to see some inmprovement in performance.
    Is it sustained or burst performance you need?

    That script I am using allows my CPU to run at 2GHz for about a minute before it gets to hot and needs to slow down. In practice this means that only media encoding or games suffer compared with 2GHz flat out. Everything else wants lots of little bursts of performance with idle time in between. The cpufreq demon on linux is able to switch frequencies very quickly, so I get the interactive performace of a 2GHz system, with the heat output of a 800MHz system.

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    Quote Originally Posted by chrestomanci
    Is it sustained or burst performance you need?

    That script I am using allows my CPU to run at 2GHz for about a minute before it gets to hot and needs to slow down.
    Clever stuff - and something to consider when I get closer to a few options. Of course I'd need something to work with XP as my o/s and all my development tools are Microsoft.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FatalSaviour
    SPCR is your friend in situations like this:
    http://www.silentpcreview.com/
    HTH
    Plenty of reading material there, thanks. The site seems to be much improved since I last looked at it too.

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    There are few decent Heatsinks that have been made for fanless usage on normal cpus (scthe ninja, tuniq tower, some thermaltake one, the noctua..). There are also a decent few hsfs thatuse 120mm fans which you can pair up with a silent fan like the Nexus one.

    I think for something realy cost effeective pick up a venice 3000+ piared witha cheap 939 board and get one of the passive/120mm heatsinks .
    Genetically modified crops - answer to starvation in Africa?

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    I picked up a 1.6Ghz Turion (ML-28) from eBay and a cheap s754 motherboard for my htpc recently. I am cooling it with a cheapo artic cooling freezer 64, which is temp controlled and the fan spins at around 300rpm. Nice and quiet as well as cheap, if you don't mind the very limited upgrade path.

    If I had more dosh I would go for a pentium M - it's just those motherboards!

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    Senior Member Dark Horse's Avatar
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    Some of the new EE athlon 64s would be worth a look in, they have tdps of 35w. Probably quite pricey though.

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    Senior Member FatalSaviour's Avatar
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    Bit of a thread revival here, but if it's still applicable...what dimensions have we got to play around with?

    I've just installed an E6300 with a fanless Scythe Ninja and almost no case ventilation.
    With a passive 6600GT beneath it, the CPU temp averages 30-31degs C idle and 34-35C load.

    ...Although, as you say, it's for a Hi-Fi rack, so this probably wouldn't ideal.

    HTH
    Quote Originally Posted by Noni
    What the hell does "WTH" mean


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