Alienware M18x-R1 Triple (3) Pipe CPU Cooler Upgrade

[Brian]

I ordered the M18x-R2 triple pipe CPU sink from Alienware last week and today it finally arrived. Since I had a new palm rest + control cover sitting around to install, I figured I'd get them all out of the way at the same time. Initially I was a bit skeptical about how it would perform vs the 2 pipe CPU sink I already had since the 2 pipe CPU sink has thicker pipes vs the 3 pipe one. However, after installing it (and sticking with the Dell thermal paste), I was simply blown away by the results!

The 2 pipe CPU sink with FRESH MX-4 running at 4 GHz would often yield temperatures ranging from 92-98C and was simply not feasible for daily use in this hot Arizona weather so I had to drop my clocks to 3.8 GHz. However, with the 3 pipe CPU cooler, this has all changed and I think I can easily go above 4 GHz. The best part about this upgrade is that the CPU does not throttle to base multiplier after extended use, instead it stays at a constant 4 GHz so performance is markedly improved with sustained load times.

Here's some installation photos + comparison shots of the 2 pipe vs 3 pipe:

Performance and temperature at 4 GHz:

M18x triple pipe cpu cooler part number: 0MXJ5, cost is around $32.

Special Thanks: @Alienware-Pablo_R

[Guest]

Glad you got one, Brian. I love my 3-pipe heat sink and it appears you are getting equally excellent results with yours.

My wife is visiting our daughter and grandkids in Phoenix and "hot" is an understatement. It is brutally HAWT there right now. Didn't you guys just set a new record for consecutive days over 115°F?

[Brian]

Thanks [MENTION=119]Mr. Fox[/MENTION] -

It was 116F yesterday and today it was around 114F so the A/C has to run 24/7 (not looking forward to my electric bill). I think the copper is higher quality with the triple pipe sink as well and the minor design difference seems to aid in dissipating heat better.

[m0nkeyprince]

hello! i just was reading this and bought a 0MXJ5 heatsink for 55 from ebay, but i saw your post that you got it for 35? how much combined with shipping and tax?

also thanks for the heads up, i can do this upgrade when i repaste my cpu and dual gpus with IC diamond.

[mikecacho]

I Live in the Glendale area out here in Phoenix, even tho it has been a hot year thus far we have recieved great rain fall throughout the valley which has been long awaited for the past couple of years.

[Brian]

hello! i just was reading this and bought a 0MXJ5 heatsink for 55 from ebay, but i saw your post that you got it for 35? how much combined with shipping and tax?

also thanks for the heads up, i can do this upgrade when i repaste my cpu and dual gpus with IC diamond.

It was $32 total if I recall correctly.

Sent from my GT-N7000

[Khenglish]

Wow I did not expect such large gains from adding a heatpipe. Definitely adding one to my CPU now.

[mw86]

It was $32 total if I recall correctly.

Sent from my GT-N7000

Excellent pics and description Brian. Been waiting to buy one. Can't wait to try it out nice write up.

[bradleyjb]

I just ordered one. I realized today that I have been hitting in the high 90s on 3dMark11 and Vantage (using only overclock level 3) and throttling back. Rather than just repaste, I saw this note and decided to give it a try. You have to get the right rep, as the first one I got practically refused to sell it to me since I had an R1. She kept insisting on selling me the dual pipe, and then eventually the single pipe from the R2. Thanks for the info, and after I get it in later this week I'll let you know how it went.

[mw86]

I just ordered one. I realized today that I have been hitting in the high 90s on 3dMark11 and Vantage (using only overclock level 3) and throttling back. Rather than just repaste, I saw this note and decided to give it a try. You have to get the right rep, as the first one I got practically refused to sell it to me since I had an R1. She kept insisting on selling me the dual pipe, and then eventually the single pipe from the R2. Thanks for the info, and after I get it in later this week I'll let you know how it went.

Awesome, you know you can also hit up the wonderful reps here which would next time gladly assist you from the start. Just check the forum leaders list and you can PM a specific Alienware rep if you would like. I hope your gains are vast!

Just noticed you only have two posts so you'll be able to PM by post five. So let me formally welcome you if you haven't been already. Welcome to Tech Inferno bradleyjb and thank you for becoming an Elite member.

[bradleyjb]

Well, 9 days later I am still waiting on my heat sink to arrive. Has been delayed twice, and a third time is looking likely since it hasn't shipped and has an EDD of 9/28. According to the reps, they are "out of stock", but yet somehow still manage to ship new M18X R2s . . . I have re-pasted my current heat sink, and that fixed my issues at least. Is this something the Alienware reps on the board can help with, or are they mostly for pre-ordering help? Also seems like the only one on ebay now is $90 - I should have done that from the start it seems.

[Michael]

Same here. Still waiting for mine and they pushed back the date three times already. Just bought one off ebay for twice dells price, can't wait longer. Once I get mine from Dell guess I will just sell it. I am sure someone will need one :-)

[mw86]

Why im surprised to hear of all the delays. I still havent heard back about my system problems. Im sure someone will by yours Michael. I may if finances are a bit better when you get yours... in anycase im sure someone here will buy it.

[bradleyjb]

Ok, finally arrived today and I just installed. However, temps aren't really that much different than before (2 pipe with IC Diamond). I get temps in the high 80s © in a room that is in the mid 70s (F) when running wPrime. I only used the Dell paste (it looked ok). Is there some sort of cure time with it? Did I install it wrong, and now need to redo it with paste? I know it is probably fine for day to day and gaming, but I was hoping to start overclocking my 2920XM beyond the Level 3 setting ...

[mw86]

I think for those room temps and that level in the settings on the triple heat pipe isn't too bad for 80s in wprime for a full 1024m run thats great and its still great even if its high 80s half way into test because that test is a bit stronger than most games. You can check if the heatsink is sitting flush on the cpu and not an angle. The dell paste that comes on the heatsink is a high grade thermal material that can give temps close to ICD and is made to last a long time just like ICD is designed to. Be careful removing ICD can scuff or scratch your cpu die. Based on automatic fan ec built in you are getting great temps. Start from idle and try out HWiNFO's fan control and set fans on full and do the test run and you will get a better idea of how more efficient that heatsink is. My dual heatpipe heats up on those level three bios setting with fans maxed out into 90s for a wprime run in a warm room like you are in. If you compare to others results on runs higher than level 3 they must be in a pretty cool environment. A few use air conditioned rooms or environments to give a run on wprime. When your or in an everyday room temp your run is actually very good. How about posting a pic of a full 1024m wprime run with hwinfo or a similar monitoring software or even Throttle Stop and set more data to see cpu temp and throttle state 8times a second with almost no resources. Post the run with those running and show the max temps . Your temps sound good.

[bradleyjb]

Ok, here it is. Glad to hear that it is more or less OK. I'll have to give this another run in the morning when it is cooler here, it is definitely warm where I am right now. Thanks for the info and tips!

[Zolutar]

I ordered mine, now a long wait....I hope not.

[Xonar]

Ok, here it is. Glad to hear that it is more or less OK. I'll have to give this another run in the morning when it is cooler here, it is definitely warm where I am right now. Thanks for the info and tips!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4993[/ATTACH]

Try using an aftermarket paste. See if that makes a difference.

[mw86]

Ok, here it is. Glad to hear that it is more or less OK. I'll have to give this another run in the morning when it is cooler here, it is definitely warm where I am right now. Thanks for the info and tips!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4993[/ATTACH]

Hey Bradley I have more advice. Go to your bios and turn Turbo Flexvid in Performance options to 0flex if you haven't already. 0 flex should get you safely to 42x before needing to add any voltage. Turbo flex is the overvoltage applied over the normal voltage only while in Turbo Mode. If you have ot on default which is 25... Your temps will not in control since with more voltage it runs hotter and in this case you need 0 flex for those cpu speeds. If its 0 already do as Xonar suggested and try a new paste but if it was set to 25 or anything else set it to 0 in the bios and retest the exact same test in about the same conditions. Im hopin thats how you have it set becauss it may atleast help lower temps a few Celcius got my fingers crossed

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[bradleyjb]

Wow, great call! This is from a similar wprime run, up to about 72% complete. I guess Dell defaults it that high for overclockers? I haven't re-pasted yet, and probably won't bother now until I really need to. Thanks!

[mw86]

Bradleyjb that is awesome. I am glad my advice proved to be helpful. What will you settle on now for your overclock now that you have the settings worked out? Its great you got the triple pipe heatsink. Now that you have it setup do you notice a difference in temps over the dual pipe? @Michael is getting his triple pipe heatsink soon and it would be great to hear Michael's results too when he recieves it. Based on temps and how stock fans ramp up only thing holding these cpu and triple heatsink back is when the fans go to medium high or high fan speed. Really if you set up like Brian in the original post... performance is great but to be safe medium high fans should already be on at 80c and max by 85c.... 90c is already warm... Thats why i love HWiNFO fan control. You can set it however you like your fans to spin up. I have to get one of these heatsinks they seem awesome.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[xxstd]

I ordered a Triple (3) Pipe CPU Cooler a few days ago and I received it last week. Then upgrade it in my M18X R2, it really make the tem lower than before.

[ArcticSoldier]

thats impressive result for just changing that. will you be changing the thermal paste or leaving the stock dell one? just wondering if it will lower temps abit mroe then dells paste

[mw86]

thats impressive result for just changing that. will you be changing the thermal paste or leaving the stock dell one? just wondering if it will lower temps abit mroe then dells paste

Perhaps maybe 1-3c improvement over Dells but perhaps the endurance of Dells would be higher than average aftermarket.. Atleast some. Last I knew they invested a lot of research into better thermal interface that lasts longer too.

Paranoid Galaxy S3 on Tapatalk 2

[ht_addict]

So is the 3pipe better than the 1 thick pipe heatsink for the CPU?