Best cooler system for Voodoo5

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

Well, what is the best cooler for Voodoo5 which ensures safe OCing while still being quiet?

Would it be CPU heatsink like Zalman ZMNB32-J?

Or probably a "heatpipe" cooler? I saw a VGA heatpipe cooler on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80151&item=6746180622&rd=1), but would heatpipe coolers like that one compatible with V5 physical layout of CPU and memory?

Or is there any CPU watercooler would fit the size of V5 CPU? Could you reccommend such CPU watercoolers would be best for Voodoo5?

Many thanks.

[NitroX infinity]

1. Zalman ZMNB32-J is a good choice for passively cooling your V5. However, for overclocking it is not the best solution. You can fit the original V5 fans on the ZMNB32-J but not on it's successor the ZMNB47-J.

2. There are no suitable heatpipe coolers for the V5. So that's out of the question.

3. There was a watercooler designed for the V5. However, it's kinda impossible to get your hands on one. A CPU watercooler would not fit but one for a northbridge would suffice (seeing as the heatsinks from Zalman are also meant for the northbridge).

4. Overclocking a Voodoo should only be done in an attempt to break a 3DMark record or to make a game more playable (I had a game which wouldn't run good at 166MHz but perfect at 170MHz). Overclocking the V5 will seriously affect it's lifespan. Many cards have already died because they were running on speeds higher than 190MHz. (The VSA-100 simply can't handle these speeds well due to thermal limitations)

The maximum safest speed to overclock a V5 to is probably 183MHz.

[darkfalz]

Personally I believe that RAM would conk out before the GPUs, so if you're going to invest in a better cooling system, better get some ramsinks too.

I know that on my V5, above 176 at high resolution, I start getting the burnt/sparkly pixel effect in places, but I can push it much further before it starts crashing. Ergo, my ram is limited before my GPUs. Glitches (well, major glitches could also come from GPU too high) and skarkling pixels generally means memory too high, crashes indicate the GPU is too high.

[NitroX infinity]

Uhm, no Voodoo card has a GPU. A GPU (or VPU) incorporates HW T&L, Voodoo's don't have HW T&L.

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

Originally posted by Phalanx

1. Zalman ZMNB32-J is a good choice for passively cooling your V5. However, for overclocking it is not the best solution. You can fit the original V5 fans on the ZMNB32-J but not on it's successor the ZMNB47-J.

So would it be safe for OC if we fit original V5 fans on the ZMB32?

Originally posted by Phalanx
2. There are no suitable heatpipe coolers for the V5. So that's out of the question.

Originally posted by Phalanx
3. There was a watercooler designed for the V5. However, it's kinda impossible to get your hands on one.

So it isn't produced anymore? What's the brand name, though? Probably I could find one at ebay?

Originally posted by Phalanx
A CPU watercooler would not fit but one for a northbridge would suffice (seeing as the heatsinks from Zalman are also meant for the northbridge).

Would cooling VSA-100 with northbridge watercooler be better than putting fan on Zalman ZMB32? And is there any brand you would reccommend for northbridge watercooler?

Thanks, I'm pretty much a newbie in this cooling stuff!

Originally posted by Phalanx
4. Overclocking a Voodoo should only be done in an attempt to break a 3DMark record or to make a game more playable (I had a game which wouldn't run good at 166MHz but perfect at 170MHz). Overclocking the V5 will seriously affect it's lifespan.

Would a sufficient amount of cooling keep the overclocked V5 lifespan to the same length of unoverclocked one?

Originally posted by Phalanx
The maximum safest speed to overclock a V5 to is probably 183MHz.

Thanks again!

[NitroX infinity]

So would it be safe for OC if we fit original V5 fans on the ZMB32?

-Yes, I've done it myself, but again it's not the best solution.


So it isn't produced anymore? What's the brand name, though? Probably I could find one at ebay?

-I doubt anyone knows the brandname, you can find some images of it here: http://www.voodooalert.de/de/content/view/16/38/
Scroll down to the V5 section.


Would cooling VSA-100 with northbridge watercooler be better than putting fan on Zalman ZMB32? And is there any brand you would reccommend for northbridge watercooler?

-Offcourse it would be better, as to watercooling; I don't have the money for it so I know very little about it.


Would a sufficient amount of cooling keep the overclocked V5 lifespan to the same length of unoverclocked one?

-No, though it will have a longer lifespan than with improper cooling.

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

Originally posted by Phalanx
-No, though it will have a longer lifespan than with improper cooling.

Thanks again! Just wonder: how long is the average lifespan of normal (unoverclocked) Voodoo5? How about the OCed one? (with proper cooling and such)

How about tennmax cooling fan? Their website boasts about how good tennmax fan it is (tesimonials and such). Are they speak the truth?

Also, how to put V5 stock fan/other fans/watercooler on top of Zalman heatsink? (duh!)

[secretfj]

about the heatpipe, you can see it need screws and it's for single GPU only
say, a Voodoo 4 can have it...
http://www.3dfxzone.it/enboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1645
but seems my voodoo 4 is not a good overclocker after all... it can't run stably beyond 180MHz

[NitroX infinity]

Thanks again! Just wonder: how long is the average lifespan of normal (unoverclocked) Voodoo5?

-Impossible to say, too many factors involved.

How about the OCed one? (with proper cooling and such)

-Same answer as above; impossible to say.

How about tennmax cooling fan? Their website boasts about how good tennmax fan it is (tesimonials and such). Are they speak the truth?

-I wasn't aware they've made fans for the V4/5. I only know of their V2 coolers.

Also, how to put V5 stock fan/other fans/watercooler on top of Zalman heatsink? (duh!)

-Stock fan can be put on the NB32-J with the screws, it will be loosly but they won't fall off I believe. Same goes for other fans. As for the watercooling, you don't put it on the heatsink, it _is_ the heatsink but has water running through it.

[bloodworm]

You should also be aware that the true heatsink of the VSA-100 is on the BACK of the board where the small square of copper in the middle of the active pins is........

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

Originally posted by bloodworm

You should also be aware that the true heatsink of the VSA-100 is on the BACK of the board where the small square of copper in the middle of the active pins is........

Oh, thanks! How to cool the back side, then? Is it possible to replace/enhance the heatsink on the back of the board?

[NitroX infinity]

No you can't replace the heatsink on the back. If you want to make it better, use a copper spacer and another heatsink.

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

Originally posted by Phalanx

No you can't replace the heatsink on the back. If you want to make it better, use a copper spacer and another heatsink.

I guess I owe you much, Phalanx. Anyway, what is copper spacer? Is it the same with heatpipe cooler?

[osckhar]

[OFF TOPIC]
I am sorry.

@bloodworm,
Can you email me to osckhar@hotmail.com I need to speak with you!

Regards,
Oscar

[NitroX infinity]

A copper spacer is just a piece of copper which you put between the card and the heatsink so the heatsink won't touch any components it shouldn't touch (like capacitors etc.)