Hola everyone. Today I got time to finally sit down and install this nice Thermalright HR-05 SLI chipset cooler.

As I was debating which board to try it out on first, I realized I needed to see the biggest bang for my buck, and so decided to try it out on the DFI Infinity NF Ultra II-M2 (socket AM2) motherboard.

This motherboard is currently busting up overclocks and getting itself into the OC Database here at DFI-Street, but the one disappointing factor so far has been the chipset temps with the stock cooler:



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Now, I'm not here to bash DFI, but the stock cooler is...mickey-mouse at best. My temps during idle as well as load on the stock chipset cooler have hovered at 60C to 65C, with the average (ie: what I notice the temp is everytime I walk over and look at it!) being 61C.

61C!!!. Blasphemy!



So, I wanted to get something else going on there, and Thermalright had sent me the original HR-05 about a month ago. I have to say that in a single video card situation, the HR-05 (as well as the new HR-05 SLI) is a fantastic little solution.

Very easy to install on ALL DFI LANPARTY/INFINITY MOTHERBOARDS.

I put that in giant bold red letters because I know a bunch of you will ask "but what about this board? What about that DFI board?".

The answer is that it will fit on all of them. NF3, NF4, ATI, etc. It will even fit on the Intel board, but before you jump out of your chair to go buy one, you best just sit tight as that is another story for later on...right now we are focusing on our most popular boards, the socket 939 Lanparty/Infinity series.



Now, as I was saying, the HR-05 and it's SLI brother both fit most righteously on the Infinity NF4 Ultra II-M2 board, and if there was ever a board that needed some better chipset cooling, it would be these boards.


So I dropped the normal HR-05 on one Infinity Ultra II-M2, and the SLI version on another. Here's some pics with both 6600GT SLI, and my trusty X1900XT monster:

6600GT SLI:



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ATI X1900XT Crossfire single-card setup:



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Now, what you really want to know...

Stock AM2 cooler:
Infinity AM2 @ 260x10, idle = 61C avg temp

Thermalright HR-05 SLI cooler:
Infinity AM2 @ 260x10, idle = 44C avg temp


pretty decent 17C drop...booyah!



Stock AM2 cooler:
Infinity AM2 @ 260x10, load = 66C avg temp

Thermalright HR-05 SLI cooler:
Infinity AM2 @ 260x10, load = 48C avg temp

scales well...it's busting out 18C cooler at load!




and finally, here's what happens when you drop a silent 120mm fan anywhere in the vicinity so that the HR-05 gets some airflow!

Thermalright HR-05 SLI cooler:
Infinity AM2 @ 260x10, idle = 37C avg temp

Thermalright HR-05 SLI cooler:
Infinity AM2 @ 260x10, load = 40C avg temp



Well, there you have it. I can honestly say that when I first saw the Thermalright HR-05, I was not that impressed. Mostly because I am not really all that fond of passive solutions.

But I gave Thermalright a chance, because they make, in my opinion, the best aircooling solutions on the planet, and on top of that, they are consistent with their quality and especially their customer service and support.

So I gave this a shot, and holy %@#$#@ I was blown away by the temp drops.

For the record, I tried to install an Evercool VC-RE, a forum favorite, and it would not install. Too large to fit on this particular motherboard.

I did however, install the Vantec Iceberq that is also a forum favorite. The problem with the Vantec though, is that temps didn't drop but maybe 1C to 3C overall, in any situation.

I thought maybe I was crazy, so I istalled another one on the other AM2 Infinity, and did a lot of anal-retentive checking to make sure I did it correctly...and I did...and the results were the same...1C to 3C temp differences from a stock cooler.

The Thermalright HR-05 SLI and it's earlier version (simply the HR-05) are both excellent solutions if you can find room for them to fit.



Now...those of you running "short" card SLI, like the 6600GT, you can use the HR-05 SLI version as well as the normal version, as long as your gpu cooler is not interfering on the Infinity AM2 board.

On the Lanparty SLI-DR Expert/Venus, and the ATI RDX200 and CFX3200-DR, you might run into some problems with the normal HR-05 as it really isn't designed to be "out of the way". However, the HR-05 SLI version can be easily used in SLI or multiple video card setups, but again, MAKE SURE THEY ARE THE "SHORT" CARDS!.

Long cards such as the ATI X1k series, and the GeForce 6 and 7 series, it still isn't looking good with the HR-05 on DFI Lanparty and Infinity boards.


ONE THING TO NOTE!

I only have X1900XT Crossfire cards to test with. I do NOT have any of the current Nvidia GeForce6/7 SLI cards to test with. The best I can do for Nvidia at this time is the 6600GT series, which as I have shown you, are very short cards.

If someone has real SLI NV6 or NV7 series cards they can test with, please let me know, and show us some pictures if you can get it to work!


Now, I will throw up some more pictures as I can get to them showing the HR-05 and the HR-05 SLI chipset coolers on various DFI Lanparty/Infinity motherboards, just because I know some of you won't believe my words unless there is a picture accompanying them!


Leave comments and such for me (and Thermalright as they will read this!)

Thanks everyone, and especially thanks to Chris & Hank @ Thermalright.com for allowing me to test these coolers!

placeholder for future pics on various boards

PS: Here is our preferred place to purchase these great Thermalright coolers.

Remember, using the links provided benefits DFI-Street!

Thermalright HR-05 Chipset Cooler

Thermalright HR-05 SLI Chipset Cooler




sorry Ellis, I didn't want to delete your post, but I wanted 3 in a row to alert everyone to where they could buy them!


The fact that you can rotate it to get it in the optimal position is a huge plus, plus the temp drops that accompanied it are quite impressive. If\when it comes time to replace the evercool, i will definetly check this out....i may anyways ;P

Nice and thorough job as usual H_G

ps...right now the monster is dual-priming @ 275x10 (DDR2-1100Mhz!)

and the chipset, with a silent Coolermaster 120mm fan near it, is still only doing 38C....

I can confirm that you cannot install the hr05sli in the configuration you did (ie with radiator near the sata ports) with a 7800GT involved - only options are top/bottom of gfx card,

but your temp decreases were much greater than mine.

a few other q's:
1) did you find that the pad that you put on the base was too big?
2) does your hr05sli rock a little and move if you push it a little? mine does and its a little concerning.

its a wonderful piece of kit, and this is a great review - if the 2mpixel camera on my phone was any better, i would take pics myself to show you what i mean.

but it is a very good cooler.

i think you might have failed to note that I am using a different motherboard than you are...and the one thing I noticed right off the bat with the AM2 Infinity is that the chipset temps were very very much greater than any 939 (both Nvidia and ATI) motherboard I've tested before.

I've never seen my 939 board's get up past 55C on the chipset temps, and most will only sit at about 45C for me, but this AM2, no matter what, with the stock cooler, sits at 60C+



1. I never use the pad, i simply clean the chipset, then put AS5/Ceramique on the top of the chip, and install my cooler

2. it doesn't rock at all, however it does allow for some movement just like any other chipset sink. If yours is rocking back and forth then it is not installed as good as it should be.

If it moves a little when you touch it...that is perfectly normal (how often are you in your case touching your chipset cooler? heh)

Thanks, looking sweet. Hmmm. I bought the Evercool. Maybe in the future I might pick one up. I don't know if it will fit in my Microfly though.

The chipset with fan low the temp was around low 60's.

With the Evercool on low fan it goes around high 40's. Has pretty led too...

Looking at the pics again... it doesn't seem like even teh SLI version would fit with another ati in there. Is it the angle? If you turn the cooler around, if u can, it looks like the card might be too long.

Does it fit DFI Infinity Ultra AM2?

this is correct. No matter how I place it, it will not allow me two long video cards.

Fortunately the Infinity NF Ultra II-M2 is only meant for a single video card.

But also note that i have not put it on the SLI-DR Expert board nor an RDX200 or CFX3200-DR yet, so I can only comment that it will fit on the board properly (as i have tested the HR-05 original on the SLI-DR and CFX3200 but it will not allow dual-gpu either).

lol did you even read this thread or look at the pics?

That shit's hot. Actually, cool.
Laughs at the guy who asked if it fits on DFI Infinity Ultra AM2.

not too sure about how the am2 setup looks like, but i know on the sli-dr,if you have the cooler installed so that the radiator bit sits on top of the first pci-e16, then you will have loads of room to install your dual gfx solution.

however, this means either rotating your cpu cooler, or getting another one (im now considering an si120 or whatever it is called)

If you orient the cooler on top of the PCIe slot, how about then? I've seen it work on LPs so maybe the Infinity is different.

i just installed one on my Ultra-D. will post pics in a bit.

compared to the evercool, the HR-05 SLI gets the same temps and does it passively which is what i was hoping for.

EDIT for some pics:








enjoy!

my sig is not so up to date (will fix it later) but my question isn't related that mutch to it...
the question is: would it fit in here (with 2 `bigger' videocards):


*note1: i know it's like an X-mas tree and u don't like it
*note2: i know it's a low res img (it's taken with a VGA camera from a celular)

It's not the video cards I'd be worried about since you have an LP, it's that big Zalman that might cause you a little trouble. Get one and find out. What I saw someone else on the forum do is mount it diagonally.

LOL! Christmas tree. It's sorta, nice, in a sorta okay way. haha

EllisD,

You're in Vancouver as well, anywhere local we can get the HR-05-SLI?

i like it....makes everything in the room nice blueish, when the side panel is off...

you got about 9 minutes to read and follow the rules (rule #10) before I remember it is not my bday anymore and you end up with a small vacation

The only place right off the bat that i have time to check is NCIX, and they dont have the SLI version with the bent heatpipes, just the standard version that stands straight up.

LINKAGE

You fill in your location yet? hint hint

I just got an HR-05-SLI in the mail today actually. I'm planning on using it with my SLI-DR and an X1900XT, but have another rig with an XFX 7800GTX 490/1300, and could just as easily pop it in to see if it'll work, if anyone is interested.

cant find anywhere to buy one of these in the uk. help anyone as id love on of these to match my silent graphics card!! (am not liking the high pitched fan).
Thanks
Edd

Well... it doesn't fit an Expert with 7900GT's in SLI. If you didn't have to plug power into the cards, it would work, but they get in the way and you can forget turning it any other way.

pics?

I can't emagine why it would not fit, pics please.

Also, anyone spotted some for sell in Sweden?

Love to give some pics, but I sent it back to the Egg already, but I'll use this Ultra-D as a reference:



If you try to install it this way, the top 16x slot is just a little lower than where the Ultra-D's 4x slot is. There is not enough clearance between the back of the card and the front of the sink.

Ditto flipped the other way for the second card.

Flipping towards the front would work, but the power connectors get in the way. Like Angry says, if you have shorter cards or no additional power requirements it would work this way. The funny thing is the 7900's are smaller than the 6xxx and 7800 series.

Flipping towards the back is too wide to go between the cards..

I never installed it, so I could be wrong, but just laying it out on the board with a card you could see it wouldn't fit. Feel free to prove me wrong with 2x7900GT's.

Thank you very much for this post... I was about to order one.

Gawd that is huge

lol, its big, but not that big. that pic makes it look huge, but it really isn't. ill try to take a better pic.

I think what's making it look big is that the block is small. As you can see, part of the chipset's PCB is showing.

its not that big, there are some size comparing pics with a VC-RE next to it on the first page of this thread i posted.

I finally got some pictures uploaded after I got the cooler installed, and during installations pics.

When testing the cooler on a 7800GTX, I ran into a couple of problems, the Scythe Ninja, on my CPU was too hugeriffic to allow mounting on the top side of the card. And, having a Silencer installed also proved detrimential to installation. So, in summation, if you have a 7800GTX with a Silencer, and a Scythe Ninja, on an SLI-DR, it's not going to work.

I was mainly installing it for the sake of silence. And as angry showed on the DFI Infinity NF Ultra II-M2 (socket AM2), the cooler will install and allow an x1900xt with an accellero to be installed also.





There would be no way to install a second card that had the same length as a 7800GTX or X1900XT, the HR-05-SLi cooler, and the Scythe Ninja on a plain SLI-DR board, because the cards are too long to allow the behind the card orientation, and the top can't be used because of the Ninja, and the bottom option can't be used because of the placement of the second PCI-E slot.



The cooler was shiney though... everyone likes shiney...

Sorry - did anyone find a UK retailer for this?

i am in the UK - ordered from jabtech, cost me around £19 delivered, and i think the £ is a little stronger now, and so itll be a little less.

they were fast, efficient and had good service with the lowest shipping out of those i could find who would ship to uk.

it should work on the Infinity SLI series on 7900GT cards... not that ive tried it, but my mb has the chipset a little lower than the lower slot... sooo if u orient the heatsink towards the bottom of the case, it will be lower than any heatsink on the lower slot (and the upper slot being no problem at all of course)


im not picking one since i got the JingTing installed in mine... shaved off about 10-15C from the mickeymouse fan........

** Critical Update **

I just wanted to let everyone know I tried this out - and rest assured, it DOES fit the MSI K8N NEO2 Platinum board.

So you can all sleep safely tonight, LOL

Seriously, it's a phenominal little cooler on my SLI-DR eX.

Thanks Happy for doing the required R&D.

I just fitted one to my Expert board and it has lowered my chipset by 10 degrees..And odly enough my pwmic and cpu temps by 5 degrees.

I highly recommend one......no fan noise anymore

Any ideas on whether this will fit with a 7800GTX (with the zalman vf900 hsf) and a TT big typhoon on a dfi nf4 ultra-d?

The stock chipset cooler is so noisy, $24 seems reasonably priced for silence.

I emailed Thermalright to see if it would fit my board, and they said since the retaining pins are diagonal, it would fit.

Well, it fits but it blocks one PCI-X slot. :mad:

If you swing it to the CPU side, it blocks the other PCI-X slot.
If you swing it to the rear, it blocks both slots (for long cards anyway, maybe a shorter card would work.)

While I'm just using one card, it's a lot quieter and cooler than before, but I'll have to figure something out before adding a second card. I guess that's why they don't call it a HR-05-CrossFire!

Temps CPU / PWMIC / Chipset / Video
Idle 29 / 35/ 41 / 45
After running Prime95 12+ hrs 38 / 39 / 42 / 46
After Running 3D Mark-06 35 / 39 / 43 / 78

Just fyi guys i've just installed the HR-05-SLI into my system with a 7900GTX and i've put an 80 fan on it too, its quite literally blown me away its taken around 15 degrees off my chipset and around 10 off my PWMIC (i'm guessing due to the fan)

I thought i'd post this information in case anyone else had any doubts about it fitting with this particular card, just trying to be helpful =]

I wonder if the non-SLI version might be better for the Expert boards, and go in between the cards.

LOL! I just saw what a stupid question I asked.I didn't see the picture cause I was in a hurry because I visited a Net caffe and the net was lame and I couldn't load the pics.Congrats good read.

Yes, it is better. Only thing is it will slightly interfere with SATA3 port. That's why you see me using a blue SATA cable, which is shorter in height, for that port.

Excellent, and it appears you can fit another card in the second slot. Can you confirm this?

Looks like the only problem would be if you had a big cooler on the card or something.

Yes, you can definitely fit in a 2nd graphics card.

I need to know if anyone has used this on the DFI UltraD with either an x1900xt or XTX card? I am also looking to see how well the temps do without a fan while overclocked.

You should look at this: [http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.p...35&postcount=15 That is on the Ultra-D with x1900 and it's in this thread.

Did you read the thread at all?