A few questions about IFX-14

[ChaoShadow]

Hello everyone!

I'm about to buy the IFX-14 cooler, and I have a few questions about it:

 

1) I've heard that it's base (the part which attaches to the CPU) isn't very smooth, is it true? If so, does it harm heat transportation? Or is it unfelt?

 

2) In Thermaltake's site I saw the specs of the IFX-14, and they claim that it could hold 2 fans.. on the other hand, I saw someone on youtube who installed 3 fans on it, and common sense tells me that I could put even 4 fans on it.. Am I right? If so, how can I do it? I mean.. Does it come with 4 clips, or it comes with 2 clips and I whould have to buy 2 more?

Edited July 24, 2009 by ChaoShadow

[paulktreg]

Hello everyone!

I'm about to buy the IFX-14 cooler, and I have a few questions about it:

 

1) I've heard that it's base (the part which attaches to the CPU) isn't very smooth, is it true? If so, does it harm heat transportation? Or is it unfelt?

 

2) In Thermaltake's site I saw the specs of the IFX-14, and they claim that it could hold 2 fans.. on the other hand, I saw someone on youtube who installed 3 fans on it, and common sense tells me that I could put even 4 fans on it.. Am I right? If so, how can I do it? I mean.. Does it come with 4 clips, or it comes with 2 clips and I whould have to buy 2 more?

 

1) If the heatsink base and the CPU top were "exactly" flat then heatsink compound would be a thing of the past because it wouldn't be needed! Most heatsink bases, with the addition of a good heatsink compound are perfectly adequate but if you want the extra few degrees then you'll have to lap it! Just look up lapping on Google and you'll find it somewhere. So, buy a quality cooler, fit it to your processor using a good quality heatsink compound and your good to go, no problems!

 

2) Four fans is silly! Heatsink vanes are "usually" orientated in one direction so one fan blows air through and cools perfectly well in most case. For that added extra you fit two fans, one to force the air in and another to pull the air out for that added extra cooling.

 

It all depends on what your doing at the end of the day. Stock then one fan should be enough, overclocking then two will give that little extra cooling but then that depends on what your case cooling is like.

 

Give us a little more info on what you intend doing with your rig and you will get better advice.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Verran]

Thermalright's coolers are known to not be all that flat. Most of them benefit highly from a good lapping. I can't speak for the IFX specifically, but I would imagine it's true for that one as well.

 

Four fans? All I can say is "Why?" There comes a point where more fans doesn't make it cool better. It's like when people put 200CFM fans on their heatsinks. It usually doesn't do much better than a 60CFM fan. It just makes a LOT more noise and consumes more power. I can almost guarantee you that four fans will not cool ANY better than two.

 

Also, have you looked at reviews for the IFX? It's very expensive, but it's not really that great. It's beaten by many coolers that are much cheaper. I would say it's really not worth the money at this point. It was not really a good value when it was released, and I think it's only gotten worse as it ages. Personally, I'd MUCH rather have an Ultra-120 Extreme or a Xigmatech 1283 or something like that. IMO, the IFX is not the way to go in any circumstance.

[ChaoShadow]

OK, so I think I whould buy the thermalright True Black with 2 fans, since it performs much like ultra-120 but is nicer.