Cooling the Metis 266

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MSI packs an AVC heatsink, . It's rated for Athlon XPs up to 2600+, which is the maximum supported by the Metis anyhow. The heatsink is aluminum based, with a copper core embedded into the base.

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What we like to see for clip based heatsinks is the use of all three mounting prongs on either side of the socket. The AVC 112C83 uses such a clip, and has a screwdriver brachet to assist in the installation.

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The fan spins at 4500RPM, but is actually fairly quiet, compared to most fans I'm used to working with. Airflow is kinda paltry at 19 CFM, so I'll be curious to see what kind of cooling performance to expect from it.

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Looking at the heatsink from above, we can see that the copper core does not pass through the base of the heatsink. I'm not sure how this will affect performance, but more copper would always be more helpful when overclocking. The initial blast of heat from an overclocked CPU is better absorbed by copper, but at least the core is centered correctly, making good contact with the CPU core.

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The case and power supply fans are the only other sources of active cooling for the Metis, other than the HSF for the CPU. Both of these fans are positioned near the CPU, keeping that area cool. There isn't any cooling available for the hard drive, nor are there any intake fans for the case itself. There are plenty of ventilation holes throughout, but since the design of the Metis doesn't allow for dual CPUs, and 6 drive SCSI arrays, the cooling should be adequate.

CPU Cooling Performance

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The Metis 266 has the four mounting holes in the motherboard, and does allow for the larger heatsinks, such as the Swiftech MCX462+, to fit. You cannot use a large 80mm fan such as a Tornado or Delta though, assuming you plan to put the top cover back on the Metis. Even a standard 80mm fan is a tight squeeze. I do plan on testing the temperatures with the case closed, simply because it's going to look ghetto with it open. We'll be using the included AVC heatsink, and testing it against the Swifty (using a 70mm TMD fan).

Nanotherm Ice II is the thermal compound used for both the MCW5000, and the MCX462+. To load up the system, we run Prime95 run for 20 minutes, with Folding @ Home running in the background. Ambient room temperature is maintained at ~23°C/74°F.

And for our American readers...

At under 50°C/120°F, the stock cooling seems to do a good job. Of course, it can always be better, which is shown by the Swifty results, but it is a noisier solution. The Metis is small enough to rest on your desk, and the last thing you'll need is a high speed fan spinning away next to your head.

In terms of noise, the Metis 266 is not loud at all. It's not silent, but considering there is only one case fan, a PSU fan, and a heatsink fan, it's a lot quieter than the typical desktop. Compared to the Shuttle XPC SS51, noise levels are about the same.

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