Replies to post #68425 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[dacaw]

Opteron open boxes

Funny that's how I've seen them all the time. At shows and demonstrations they always have one open so you can touch the heatsinks and feel that they are running only just warm. I remember well seeing my first Opteron - it was a Newisys box - and how people lined up to feel how cool the Opteron was running and the amazement that pervaded.

[ChrisC_R]

Smooth, re: "I wouldn't run an Opteron open box either."

Why not? If the box is wide open, the air in there will be at ambient temperature. It doesn't get cooler than that no matter how you duct the outside air. I wouldn't myself over a long period simply for protection and to stop dust buildup, but it shouldn't be a problem for a test.

I would say Intel still has thermal problems since it took this Zalman to stop the throttling:

http://techreport.com/reviews/2005q4/zalman-cnps9500/index.x?pg=1

[mas]

Any open ATX box will still be fine. It's just these BTX boxes that were especially made to cope with P4's prodigious thermal outputs that can't be open and that's purely an Intel problem for P4s.