As the title says,i got my starice cooler for 2400/- yesterday.
And yes i was very nervous about the Noise emmisions from it,as i have read it from many reviews,but think the hype was too overrated.
So After i got it,i was not so familiar with the installation procedure.It was my first time.The procedure was easy to understand,but very hard to implement.Took me abt 2 hours just for installing it.I had to remove the whole mobo from the case install the cooler on mobo and re-assemble the whole pc again.In the middle i goofed up because the smps was getting in the way of installing it,hence had to repeat the whole thing again.
Ok so after installing it,i went with the manual fan control provided with it rather than automatic.
I was astonished that the noise was farely low and was not that much that was being hyped.The rpm range is from abt 2100-4700.
Above 4000,its literally like a jet turbine along with the whistling sounds.
But at 2500-3000,its fine(especially compared to my p4 stock cooler).
Getting to its cooling performance.
I have a prescott 2.8ghz btw.
At stock cooler:-
Idle(normal routine playing mp3s etc)-60c
load(subjected to 100% cpu usage while doing more than 1 video encoding)
:-81c
With starice cooler(@2500 rpm)
:-
Idle-50c
load:-61c
@4000rpm
idle-45c
Load-54c
Please note than the thermal paste during stock fan and the starice used was same normal 20 rs paste.
So for me using starice at abt 3000rpm is pretty much satifactory with adequate cooling.
Well i got a jump from 81 to 54,thats pretty much good enuf for me.
In my opinion its not too bad,and with the blue leds on top of it,it looks damn cute.
This is the most recommended cooler especially there is no any other available in the markets except the thermaltake hyper 6(But dude 1 kg of cooler,forget it).
Ending up i will say no tears for me and i am very happy with it.
Yes yamaraj,even though starice cooler has middling cooling capacity,its the only solution available here except hyper 6+ which i said weighs a ton and has some clearance issues and also expensive for a cpu cooler out here.
But i think starice is adequate enuf for keeping prescott at appropriate temps.
XP’s are the best u can get,but here its impossible to get them.
Still, the difference in temps is seriously good. U can also try doing this. Am planning to do this. Remove the extra covering ( The plastic part with the LEDs ), put a higher CFM fan like the Tornado or a Sunon in front and rear of the StarIce. This will ensure that the noise will be lower and more heat will be dissapated. ( This does involve removing the MOBO with the cooler and assembling it again. ) Will let u know once I do it. There is also the possibility that using a better paste like the AS5 might make a bigger difference.
@Goldenfrag,i threw away the thermal paste that came with starice.It was like free flowing liquid.Instead i bought a 20rs thermal paste called honeywell.
@Freaky,i didnt get u.Afaik,i have an option of adding another 80mm fan on opp side of the starice fan.
Well i went to lammy and saw the antec smartcool 120mm.
check it out the details at:- http://www.antecindia.com/pro_details_cool_smart.html
Costing abt 850.
What I meant that was to remove the entire outer the covering leaving just the copper tower inside. How can u fit the 120mm fan when the StarIce accepts only the 80mm ?
Get a Panaflo 80mm. Will move more air. Or get a Sunon 40 CFM fan which costs just 60 bucks accd. to Sunny. These will move more air than the Antec 80mm ( 34 CFM ).
