CPU Cooler Suggestions?

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Jul 22, 2011
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Hey guys, I am looking to buy a new CPU cooler for an LGA 1366 socket in a mid-size case. Any suggestions that are $80 or less? I'm running the stock fan/heatsink now (and have been for about a year) and am just now getting to upgrading the cooling.

Specs:
Intel i7 960 @ 3.2 GHz, non-OC'ed w/ Stock cooler
Nvidia GTX 560 Ti graphics card
8 GB RAM
Antec 300 case

Currently looking at the Thermaltake Spin Q VT and the Cooler Master Vortex Plus:
http://thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1405&ID=1904
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Cooler+...05167.p?id=1218320818125&skuId=2305167&st=LGA
 
Well you have a pretty decent range of cpu coolers. Obviously, best bang for your buck would be a cheaper model such as the hyper 212+ which goes for about $30 though you can find it on sale occasionally for $20 or so. It is pretty much diminishing returns after that. Top of the line for you at about $80 would be the noctua nh-d14. It is a massive dual tower cooler with support for 3 fans. Problems with bigger towers like this and even big single towers is making sure it fits in your case as well as clearance for large heatsinks on ram. If you have low profile ram, you would be fine. The nh-d14 also has very low noise for the performance, so if noise is an issue, that is another thing to consider.

A couple of good $50 or so coolers are the thermaltake frio and this:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-passed-Intels-testing-officially/dp/B00629G1PG/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1341168229&sr=8-13&keywords=thermalright+cpu+cooler[/ame]


Here is the smaller 120mm version that is $10 less

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-100700529-True-Spirit-120/dp/B005MSOH7C/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1341168229&sr=8-9&keywords=thermalright+cpu+cooler[/ame]


Unfortunately, looks like prices went up a couple months back on both by $10 which makes them slightly less attractive but still good deals.

Another consideration is the type of overclock you are looking for. I would like to know what type of temperatures you are pushing on the stock heatsink at 3.2 ghz 24/7. Temps seem like they could be quite high unless you undervolted quite a bit. But, obviously, if you are looking for a mild overclock like you have now with simply reduced thermals, then a 212+ would be a vast improvement and plenty. As the thermal output increases with a higher overclock, that is when the more expensive and better coolers start to distance themselves from the pack. Thus there are quite a few things to consider.

Lastly, there are some self contained liquid cooling systems from antec and corsair that have very small units that attach to the cpu which is nice. However, they have a fairly large radiator with a 120mm fan that needs to be mounted to the case for exhausting the hot air from the cpu. They are comparable to some of the air coolers, though they usually draw a price premium for similar performance. They are fairly noisy compared to most cpu coolers due to the high rpm radiator fans that come with them. Just another option if you are interested in it:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Kuhler-H2O-620-Liquid/dp/B004LWYE4Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1341168718&sr=1-1&keywords=antec+kuhler+620[/ame]
 
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Yeah I'm not looking to overclock and I'm looking for something relatively small. Most of the heatsinks I've seen are so bulky and heavy. I'm putting into a mid-size case, so that is where the problem lies =(
 
best one for me was the corsair H80. its a self contained water cooler, it does not have a massive rad on it that will stick out the side of your comp or anything, but it does have a 140mm rad that goes on your rear fan position and its recommended to have 2 fans attached. one fan, the rad, then another fan, so it gets somewhat thick that way, but by no means hinders anything.

personally i used to have 2 side panel fans, but now can only have 1 because it got thick and blocked the width of the top side fan, but it works like a DREAM. i also had the same problem tho, not having a FULL size case where you could have a 150mm tall cooler sticking off the side of your mobo
 
Well then you are probably looking for a tower with some 92mm fans such as this smaller version of the noctua tower I have:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608016

Cooler master also makes a smaller version, though thermals will not be as good as the noctua and noise will certainly be worse:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103057

However, still a decent upgrade over the stock heatsink:

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...er-master-hyper-n520-cpu-cooler-review-9.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103064

This one also appears to be a decent choice which would be a step down from the hyper n.

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/coolermaster_hyper_tx3/4.htm

Beyond that, a self contained liquid cooling system would also fit the bill since the bulk of the weight is not being supported by the motherboard:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Kuhler-H2O-620-Liquid/dp/B004LWYE4Q/[/ame]


A quick google search also says the hyper 212+ fits in the 300. That would still be a cheap option that will have quite a bit more mass for better cooling.
 

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