The absolute best air cooler for a HTPC?

TechnoCorruption

TechnoCorruption

TechnoCorruption

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I am looking to upgrade the cooler I have in my HTPC so that I can clock my cpu higher. What would be the best cooler I could buy bearing in mind it has to be a fan-facing-down model? I have up to £50 which should make any air cooler come into my budget.

My case is a DH101 which has the psu at the top of my Asus P5K-E so the cooler cannot overlap the top of the motherboard at all. I looked at the Scythe Zipang but I think its going to be just a little too close to my psu.

Any suggestions?
 
That one doesn't look too bad, do you think that would be better or worse than an Arctic Cooler Freezer 7?

I had my cpu in a normal case previously with the Freezer 7 and that got me a decent overclock so if its on par with that then it looks like a good candidate.
 
Hi, I've got a Silverstone Nitrogon NT-06 but I wouldn't really recommend it for an overclocked system, mine runs relatively high temp wise.

I haven't lapped my current processor yet, but my last processor that was in this rig was a lapped E2140 overclocked to 3.2GHz with 1.35V and the max temps I got with that were around 55~60 depending on ambient temperature.

I'd probably recommend the Thermalright SI-128 or wait a little bit for the Thermalright AXP140 (personally, I'm waiting for the AXP140, but if you want it now...

Anyway, just my thoughts as I have a SFF case myself so I've been looking for a replacement myself.

Banjo
 
Thanks for the advice mate, I appreciate it :)

The SI-128 does look like a good cooler and I remember the XP-120 I had during my Athlon64 days being a really effective performer, in the picture in the link you provided does it look to you like it is slightly overlapping the top of the board?

I can't really judge it, I know you could orientate it with the heat-pipes at the top of the board but am unsure if that would make more clearance or not?
 
I do agree with you in that it does look like a great air cooler for a HTPC but in the reviews it looks like it may overhang the top of the board as well.

The cooler I have at the moment has dimensions of 115(L) x 102(W) x 103(H)

The specs of the Mini-Ninja are 110(L) x 110(W) x 115mm(H) and I think increasing the width by just under a centimetre may be pushing it a little.

As you can see by my case, its already quite close to the power supply...

 
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Akasa AK-961 CPU Cooler

Take the stock fan off and fit a quieter 80mm fan on it. Any 80mm fan will fit. The 80mm Xilence Fans are good and have PWM with them. I bought that cooler last year and it kept an overclocked E6400 nice and cool.
 
Wiggins said:
Akasa AK-961 CPU Cooler

Take the stock fan off and fit a quieter 80mm fan on it. Any 80mm fan will fit. The 80mm Xilence Fans are good and have PWM with them. I bought that cooler last year and it kept an overclocked E6400 nice and cool.
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They are quite poor really, I have one lying around I got with a P4D machine I built, the HS I found performs the same as the Intel one, maybe with a different fan like you mention will reduce the temps.
 
Fothsn said:
I’ve got an Zalman 8000 http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...000 CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/LGA775)

Excellent HTPC cooler, has a fan controller that you can use to lower and raise the fan RPM.
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Just out of interest, what processor is that cooling (one in your sig?) and what speed/volts are you at, any idle/load temps?

Also there is a very slim possibility that I may be able to squeeze a Freezer7 Pro in my case, the total height of the case is 153.5mm and the specs for the Freezer7 Pro say that it is 126.5mm high.

Taking into account the standoff height and the socket height - it may just be doable, can any Freezer7 Pro owners measure the exact distance from the motherboard to the very tip of the heatpipes?

I am not sure if when Arctic Cooling say 126.5mm they mean from the top of the heatpipes to the base of the heatsink or if they are taking into account the pushpins and therefore the socket as well.
 
jimmybates said:
If i wanted one for a HTPC i'd want it to be the quietest possible as well, are you considering that too?
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Yes, to a certain degree. The PC is my main unit so even though it is in a HTPC case - being a HTPC isn't its primary function.

I play games on it and would like it to be as overclocked as possible, I think I am going to try out the Scythe Mini-Ninja, I am ordering some kit tomorrow and have read loads of cooler reviews and can't seem to find anything better performance wise.

I have measured up the case and concluded that it 99% should fit, I will probably stick a 92mm Sharkoon on it which will keep it quiet and cool.
 
Agr3sive said:
Just out of interest, what processor is that cooling (one in your sig?) and what speed/volts are you at, any idle/load temps?

Also there is a very slim possibility that I may be able to squeeze a Freezer7 Pro in my case, the total height of the case is 153.5mm and the specs for the Freezer7 Pro say that it is 126.5mm high.

Taking into account the standoff height and the socket height - it may just be doable, can any Freezer7 Pro owners measure the exact distance from the motherboard to the very tip of the heatpipes?

I am not sure if when Arctic Cooling say 126.5mm they mean from the top of the heatpipes to the base of the heatsink or if they are taking into account the pushpins and therefore the socket as well.
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Yep it was cooling the e8400 which was clocked at 3.8GHz cased inside a Lian-Li V350B, I’ll be honest and say the fan on full speed is noisy well to me anyway, I would say on full RPM it’s quieter than the stock Intel one for me was too loud I like a quite PC. The best thing about this HSF is that it comes with a fan controller that you can have outside/inside your case to adjust the speed, I had it on the lowest which is 1500RPM and the temps were very very good and you can honestly not hear the fan its totally silent, it’s no Ultra120 but it does a good job keeping cpus cool. :D
 
Agr3sive said:
Thanks for the info mate :)


What volts were you putting through that cpu to achieve 3.8GHz?
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No problem :)


Now then as I’m on my laptop I have no way of seeing my CPUz screenshot and can’t say for definite but it wasn’t more than 1.29V somewhere around 1.27V The e8400 are cracking chips. :)
 
Mini ninja is one of, if not, the best for HTPCs

I've had the zalman 8700, and it managed to keep my q6600 @ 3.6ghz @ 60°c It's very noisy though at full speed.
 
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