TRUE or NH-U12P?

H

haffey

Gawd
Joined
Oct 6, 2008
Messages
539
This is to cool a future Q9550. I will be overclocking a lot (read: as far as I can push it). I don't really want to lap unless it's dead easy. My TIM will be AS5.

Which one will get the job done better in terms of price, performance, and noise?
 
The noctua will be a bit better sound wise, because of the fan.

Can't say much about the true, but I am very happy with S1823...it's perfect.
 
You mean the S1283, right? What CPU are you running, and how high is it clocked? Can you give me an idea of idle and load temps as well?
 
E8400 @ 4.2ghz with the S1283.

Idle temps are 31c and 39c

Load temps are 55c and 60c

Temps based on real temp, MCH is at 1.200v and Vcore is at 1.3725v. Ram at 1.900v
 
The TRUE beats out the U12P, with it being a better performer it means you can run lower speed fans and get the same temps which means quieter running.
 
If you don't want to lap, then the Noctua is your only choice because the base of the TRUE is really convex. Also the Noctua performs better at the same price because it comes with two fans, or at least my version did. However, a lapped TRUE with two fans in push/pull would beat a noctua.
 
I believe the Noctua only comes with one fan, but that's better than the TRUE, which comes with none. It saves me money and more shopping, although I most likely will go with a push/pull config anyway.
 
haffey said:
I believe the Noctua only comes with one fan, but that's better than the TRUE, which comes with none. It saves me money and more shopping, although I most likely will go with a push/pull config anyway.
Click to expand...

The SE1366 ver. comes with two fans but I believe is around 70-80 bucks, wile the NH-U12P is about $60. the TRUE can be had for $49.99 without a fan. And you have many choices for good fans in the $10 range, you will end up with a better cooler and not paid anymore for it. Then if you ever feel like it you can lap the TRUE and have a really awesome cooler.
 
BlueFireIce said:
The SE1366 ver. comes with two fans but I believe is around 70-80 bucks, wile the NH-U12P is about $60. the TRUE can be had for $49.99 without a fan. And you have many choices for good fans in the $10 range, you will end up with a better cooler and not paid anymore for it. Then if you ever feel like it you can lap the TRUE and have a really awesome cooler.
Click to expand...
That's tempting. Those Noctua fans really are ugly. I used these for my T-Rad2 cooling my 4870, and they are very quiet and work well. However I don't think they move enough air.

What about these? They move a good amount of air while staying beneath the 25 dB threshold already in place with the Antec Tricools in my Nine Hundred case.
 
spenny2112 said:
If you don't want to lap, then the Noctua is your only choice because the base of the TRUE is really convex. Also the Noctua performs better at the same price because it comes with two fans, or at least my version did. However, a lapped TRUE with two fans in push/pull would beat a noctua.
Click to expand...

Very, true. Lapping is such a pain and lapping a TRUE takes forever. Plus, the mounting system on the TRUE sucks so you have to play around with that, too. A lapped and pressure modded TRUE will net you better temps, but Im not sure if all of the effort is worth it.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
Very, true. Lapping is such a pain and lapping a TRUE takes forever. Plus, the mounting system on the TRUE sucks so you have to play around with that, too. A lapped and pressure modded TRUE will net you better temps, but Im not sure if all of the effort is worth it.
Click to expand...
I'm into little weekend projects and the pressure mod seems as easy as adding a washer/penny/piece of cardboard. Is there anything I'm missing with the whole pressure problem?
 
haffey said:
I'm into little weekend projects and the pressure mod seems as easy as adding a washer/penny/piece of cardboard. Is there anything I'm missing with the whole pressure problem?
Click to expand...

Not at all. It's that easy. I needed two washers stacked together. I wish that I had used bigger fender washers, though. I used 2 1/4 washers about 3/4" in diameter, but the next time that I remount it Im going to use 2 1/4" washers 1 1/4" in diameter. Also the lapping isn't too bad, it's not fun but not that bad. It might be worth it for you to pick up a TRUE. I love mine.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
Not at all. It's that easy. I needed two washers stacked together. I wish that I had used bigger fender washers, though. I used 2 1/4 washers about 3/4" in diameter, but the next time that I remount it Im going to use 2 1/4" washers 1 1/4" in diameter. Also the lapping isn't too bad, it's not fun but not that bad. It might be worth it for you to pick up a TRUE. I love mine.
Click to expand...
I figure I need about $100 set aside for this project...sigh. I have a huge spending problem.

One more question though: Does the TRUE come with fan clips? If not, I either have to buy those as well :)mad:) or take a plier to paper clips as I did with my 120mm fans on a T-Rad2.
 
The TRUE black comes with 2 sets, while the regular comes with one. Dude I have that same spending problem. Everyone has a hobby and when you think about it is this one really that much more expensive than alot of other hobbies? Thats the way I try to justify it at least.
 
haffey said:
That's tempting. Those Noctua fans really are ugly. I used these for my T-Rad2 cooling my 4870, and they are very quiet and work well. However I don't think they move enough air.

What about these? They move a good amount of air while staying beneath the 25 dB threshold already in place with the Antec Tricools in my Nine Hundred case.
Click to expand...

The Scythe fans are always great, but I like running 38mm fans on my TRUE I have always found better temps with the higher pressure they make since the TRUE's fins are so tightly packed, and always a good choice when trying to push your OC "as far as you can". Lapping is easy, you can buy a kit for about 6 bucks or so and that's with the glass, took me 2 hours to do my HS and CPU. I did not have to do the washer mod, I got about 2C higher temps when I did it, though that is well within room temp change and variance in applying the TIM.
 
id go for the noctua if you were going for quietness, for close enough results to the true, the noctua also comes with a fan or fans if you get the 1366 version.

i remember seeing the 1366 version for about 65 somewhere, just look around and try google shopping.

also if you do get the true, do not use slipstreams, they are not good with statiic pressure and would perform horribly on the true, get the scythe s flex if you want superior/similar performance to the slipstreams or pretty much any other "regular" fan.

edit: also dont use as5, thats pretty old stuff, use mx-2 no curing time and better performance.
 
Yes I was going to buy that exact same kit. I didn't know about that website before, it looks great.

As for the 38mm fan, I was planning to use the fan shroud things instead and those only take 25mm fans. Do you recommend I use the fan clips and two 38mm fans instead? If so, I can't find any on PTS that are <25 dB and still move a good amount of air. I really would prefer to shop on PTS, I love them.

Thank you for the advice on the MX-2. I've been looking around and it seems to be better overall with no curing time as well, like you said. I guess AS5 is finally the "old" stuff. :p

Edit: What about 2 NF-P12 fans, a TRUE, a tube of MX-2, and an extra fan clip? How does that sound? I just have to/need to find a place that sells all 4 of those items so I can minimize on shipping costs.
 
Couple things - from all the metrics I've seen, 2 fans on a TRUE or U12P does not increase heat dissipation more than a negligible amount. Second, the Noctua are relatively low pressure fans - which makes them OK as case fans but not the best choice for a heatsink.

Also keep in mind those heatsinks (especially the HR-01+) are specifically designed for use with low speed fans - so throwing on a higher speed 38mm fan would be sort of defeating the purpose. A TRUE with a 1,200rpm Scythe will cool an overclocked Yorkfield just fine.
 
I think xoxide would have all those items, and their noctua fans are usually on sale.
 
Stellar said:
Couple things - from all the metrics I've seen, 2 fans on a TRUE or U12P does not increase heat dissipation more than a negligible amount. Second, the Noctua are relatively low pressure fans - which makes them OK as case fans but not the best choice for a heatsink.

Also keep in mind those heatsinks (especially the HR-01+) are specifically designed for use with low speed fans - so throwing on a higher speed 38mm fan would be sort of defeating the purpose. A TRUE with a 1,200rpm Scythe will cool an overclocked Yorkfield just fine.
Click to expand...

Having two fans or thicker fans is all about being able to use slower speeds and still get the same amount of cooling. After having 2 150+ cfm Delta fans, I should know :D. Wile I did get better temps it was only in the 3C range, NOT worth the sound level.
 
That was my point, you aren't getting better cooling. It's a less efficient means of cooling than a single fan pushing. The best cooling for a processor is turbulent airflow being pushed over the surface, which is provided by the fan that is pushing, which is unrestricted on the intake side. The fan that is pulling is going to be grossly less efficient. Moreover, the point of low speed fans is to reduce noise - but it is a proven fact that using two fans in place of one more than doubles the noise produced. In other words you would be better off with just a slightly higher rpm single fan than two lower rpm fans.
 
Thank you Stellar. Two fans doubles the noise though? Shouldn't the noise level just be a little higher than with just one fan?
 
Stellar said:
That was my point, you aren't getting better cooling. It's a less efficient means of cooling than a single fan pushing. The best cooling for a processor is turbulent airflow being pushed over the surface, which is provided by the fan that is pushing, which is unrestricted on the intake side. The fan that is pulling is going to be grossly less efficient. Moreover, the point of low speed fans is to reduce noise - but it is a proven fact that using two fans in place of one more than doubles the noise produced. In other words you would be better off with just a slightly higher rpm single fan than two lower rpm fans.
Click to expand...

Yes and no, wile you will get added noise with the extra fan, it will often be less than that of a single high rpm fan as the noise will be less intrusive to the human ear.
 
That depends on what you would consider a high rpm fan. As a serious quiet computing enthusiast I personally never recommend higher than a 1,200rpm fan at 12cm such as the SFF21E and only for use internally - not as a case fan. The noise from an SFF21E used internally will be undetectable in a properly dampened case except at < 12".

In this case, two 800rpm fans will have a markedly more "intrusive" acoustic signature than a single 1,200rpm fan, all else being equal, and the difference in cooling will be within the margin of error.
 
Well I think I'm all decided now, thanks to this. Comment #6 especially, since I have a Nine Hundred myself.

-TRUE (only need one fan clip)
- MX-2
- Panaflow H1 High Performance Fan
-coupled with a Zalman Fan Mate 2 I have from my CNPS9500 LED.

How does that sound?
 
haffey said:
Thank you Stellar. Two fans doubles the noise though? Shouldn't the noise level just be a little higher than with just one fan?
Click to expand...

Two of the same fans will double amplitude, but on a logarithmic scale.

Eg. for two Noctua fans at 18dB, put together, equi-distant from the point of measurement, would be a total rise of very slightly over 3dB, or 21dB total.

10dB is the rule of thumb of what's considered double perceived sound, however I find that observation to be absolutely useless. As Stellar stated, when you're going from one fan to two, you're changing the sound source(s) and you've now got a different sound signature. For instance, a very high pitched, beeping sound at a mere 15dB relative to human sound threshold would drive me insane, however a low, constant 25dB hum would rather pleasant in comparison.
 
to the guy who said noctua fans aren't good for heatsinks because of pressure is referring to the older s12 fan that was made for case use and had little static pressure, the new p12 was designed to be used as a heatsink and case fan and has very good static pressure, notice why noctua packs their heatsinks with them.

thought I'd clear things up ;)
 
What do you guys think of the weight of these heatsinks? Would use of the noctua be risky if the case is standing up and not laying down? Last thing I want is to rip out the motherboard due to the sheer size of the cooler.
 
christpunchersg said:
What do you guys think of the weight of these heatsinks? Would use of the noctua be risky if the case is standing up and not laying down? Last thing I want is to rip out the motherboard due to the sheer size of the cooler.
Click to expand...
uhh, heatsinks are designed to be put in whatever position, weight shouldnt be a problem unless your using the intel stock pushpins (which will probably still be fine) which isnt the case for the noctua since it has its own lock-in system.

i dont think the true comes with a crossbow like backplate to secure it, but i know the noctua does if that helps.

you can buy the crossbow for the true online as well.
 
vertigomhs said:
to the guy who said noctua fans aren't good for heatsinks because of pressure is referring to the older s12 fan that was made for case use and had little static pressure, the new p12 was designed to be used as a heatsink and case fan and has very good static pressure, notice why noctua packs their heatsinks with them.

thought I'd clear things up ;)
Click to expand...

Agreed. It's amazing the amount of FUD that continues to be pushed around here. Add that someone on here actually used a SlipStream for a pressure application (water cooling) - what the heck?!

I dropped my Noctua P12 from 12v to 9v, and my load temps from L4D stayed the same - 53C. OTOH, I don't think my sound dropped much either. My 7v SFF21E's are still VERY loud in comparison. However, even 7v, my case temps are easily 3-5C's cooler than the crap default LL case fans.
 
I looked at both but eventually went with the TRUE.

In my CM 690 case---- I've actually got a Scythe fan pulling air in from the back and pushing air right into the stock Thermalright fan and I have the Scythe on a fan controller for noise.

IMO really, you can't go wrong with either as they are both great coolers.
 
vertigomhs said:
uhh, heatsinks are designed to be put in whatever position, weight shouldnt be a problem unless your using the intel stock pushpins (which will probably still be fine) which isnt the case for the noctua since it has its own lock-in system.

i dont think the true comes with a crossbow like backplate to secure it, but i know the noctua does if that helps.

you can buy the crossbow for the true online as well.
Click to expand...

Hey thanks a lot for that response, just wanted some peace of mind since the last time I built a computer the cpu coolers were a lot smaller.
 
I researched both TRUE and the Noctua NH-U12P, and finally went with the Noctua for the following reasons:

Price: True + fan comparable to the Noctua's included fan + mounting bracket comparable to Noctua's + shipping for more than one package = more money than the all-in-one box, as-good-or-better Noctua.

Convenience: Noctua's all-in-one box is easy to put together with instructions that mention all parts involved, including things that might not be included with separate purchases such as bracket pads, noise dampeners between fan and fins, and exact fit between heat sink and fan, which were designed to be married.

There's a pretty girl on the packaging for the Noctua.

All jokes aside, it's a very good cooler for my Q9550, and it is far quieter even at full throttle than my Cooler Master case fans, which are already rather silent.
 
All are great solutions, but I'm still happy with my S1283V Dark Knight. Comes with the backplate/bolt-through kit, and got it shipped for under $40 from the Egg. Price/Performance (not raw performance), it easily beats the Noctua and the TRUE.
 
I have to agree that having the bolt-through design really does give me the confidence that I made an ideal bond between the processor and cooler. Personally I think that it is rediculous that all coolers, even stock coolers that come with processors don't have mounting like that. I can't see it causing much of a price increase to make this a simple standard.
 
I will also speak on behalf of the Xigmatech S1283 for price/performance ratio. On the whole system the $40-50 premium doesnt seem like much but every bit counts on the cost. The Xig was very simple to mount up on my AM3 board, Intel mounting should be fine as well. I don't know what performance your looking for but I wouldn't be scared of load temps in the 70s or 80s one bit. If one is ever released I will look into a hex-core AM3 chip and I think my S1283 will cool it with no problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top