7. Turion 64 And Centrino Notebook Cooling Systems Are Barely Different

Before we turn to the analysis of our benchmark results, we'd like to show you a few pictures to demonstrate that the cooling systems in Turion 64 and Centrino notebooks differ very little in their size and weight and thus don't differ much in their abilities, either. To that end we removed and photographed the cooling systems from two Turion 64 notebooks, an MSI M635 and an HP Compaq nx6125, as well as the Gigabyte W511A Centrino system. The HP Compaq nx6125, an SMB notebook from HP based on the Turion 64 will shortly be the focus of a detailed review on our Web site.

A visual comparison of the cooling fans from the Centrino (above) and the Turion 64 (below) notebooks. The Turion 64 fan in the HP Compaq nx6125 blows heat away from the Northbridge.

In the MSI 635's cooling system, only the heat pipe is made of copper. Though a cooling system made completely of copper will perform better than one with mixed metals, the Mobile Turion 64's modest TDP doesn't require such capability. The heat from the graphics processor and CPU are conveyed to the heatpipe from separate aluminum heat sinks.

The MSI 635's complete cooling system.

The CPU cooler for the Gigabyte W511a (photo left) is designed for a Pentium M with a maximum possible power consumption of 27 Watts.

Compare the size of the CPU cooler from the HP nx6125 to the Turion 64 CPU.

The cooling fins for the cooler for the 25 Watt Turion 64 (right) are made of aluminum, and the cooler for the Pentium M 750 is made of more expensive, but more heat conductive copper (left).

With net approximate weights of 1 ounce (29 grams) there's no weight difference between the fans for a Pentium M or a Turion 64 notebook.

The power draw of the system fan in the Centrino notebook is rated at 1.6 Watts, and that for the Turion 64 system at 2 Watts at full power.

As the pictures illustrate, while it may be more costly to cool a Turion 64 system, that same system is less noticeable noise-wise than a comparable Centrino notebook.

Our testing experience showed us that noise levels play no role in deciding which mobile technology to install in a notebook. Whether the system is quiet or noisy in use depends primarily on its thermal design and the effort the maker puts into the development of fan control algorithms.