Best CPU Cooler i5

kh85

kh85

kh85

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Hi there, I am looking to spend around £30 for a CPU cooler, I'm not overclocking my CPU. I am currently using the provided Intel Cooler, and now realise that it's quite...rubbish as soon as I go onto a game.

I am wondering what the best cooler is up to £30, and has a bracket?

My Spec:
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz LGA1155 6MB
Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 S1155 Intel Z68 DDR3 ATX

Thank you
 
The A50 performs rather well, but tbh that is mainly due to a high fan speed ("Selectable 1,600 or 2,000RPM fan"), in contrast the Gelid Tranquillo has a slower fan ("Fan Speed: 750 - 1500 RPM").

This means that in performance tests the A50 usually beats the Gelid - however it is louder due to this fan. Therefore, if you don't plan on overclocking and just want to keep your system cool and quiet then I would go with the Gelid.
 
I may want to overclock sometime in the future. But I went into the CS Source menu screen last night, and I could hear the Fan on the Intel Cooler suddenly whirring up and down! I haven't played a game on my system yet, and so this is the first time i've noticed it. is 1,600rpm considered loud? Would the A50 come with a bracket also?
 
1600rpm is considered loud-ish on the scale of 120mm fans. 120mm fans are generally considered quiet at 1000rpm or less.

As for a LGA1155 mounting bracket, yes both the Gelid and the A50 come with one of these.
 
I don't know if this will help but my CPU i5 @ 4.4Ghz is being cooled by a Xigmatek Dark Knight which was a standard fit by OCUK on my PC.

Daily I run F@H @ 100% load, the temps of the CPU is showing 54 degrees C IMO this is an excellent cooler, although I'm no expert & others I expect will be much better informed.
 
I'm quite new to all this, I loved computers back when i was 17, now Im 26 and forgotten everything lol. So I just want something to keep my CPU extra cool at a low price!

Is 54° considered good???
 
Yea, 54 is very good for an overclocked CPU at full load.

Usually you want to aim for load temperatures of ~70 degrees or lower (varies with CPU).

If you are looking for CPU coolers in the price bracket of the Akasa Venom Vodoo, then I would strongly recommend the Thermalright Venemous X Silent Edition. This is a very nice performing CPU heatsink (basically an updated version of the higely popular TRUE) but set up with two very quiet (600rpm) fans for near silent operation and good cooling. Here is an in-depth review.
 
Last edited:
kh85 said:
I'm quite new to all this, I loved computers back when i was 17, now Im 26 and forgotten everything lol. So I just want something to keep my CPU extra cool at a low price!

Is 54° considered good???
Click to expand...

LMAO!!! I'm coming 69 & was hoping that you would know if 54C @ 100% full load was good or not. :D it seems pretty good to me though, the GPU shows 64-65 also doing F@H @ full load
 
It's a decent cooler that gets a good write-up, but for your uses I would go for the thermalright venemous X silent since it performs similarly and is quieter.

This review shows how it compares to the Thermalright True Spirit with a range of fan configurations (the true spirit is a very similar heatsink to the Venomous - also made by thermalright).
 
Looking at the spec, is the higher the CFM the better? But then that also leads to a higher RPM?
 
hondo said:
I don't know if this will help but my CPU i5 @ 4.4Ghz is being cooled by a Xigmatek Dark Knight which was a standard fit by OCUK on my PC.

Daily I run F@H @ 100% load, the temps of the CPU is showing 54 degrees C IMO this is an excellent cooler, although I'm no expert & others I expect will be much better informed.
Click to expand...


I can't find this cooler, do you have a link so I can check it out?
 
kh85 said:
Looking at the spec, is the higher the CFM the better? But then that also leads to a higher RPM?
Click to expand...

Higher rpm leads to higher CFM. However, a higher CFM does not equal better performance (though they often co-incide).

Basically, from the quoted specs you can't determine which is the better cooler - to do this you need to look at reviews which compare the two coolers (or ones very similar in design). As the True spirit is very similar in design to the Venemous X then that X-bit labs review is relevant and shows that the Thermalright is generally better than the Akasa for both cooling and quietness.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/akasa-venom-voodoo_5.html#sect0
 
cheers andi, your being very helpful. so overall, should I just stick with the A50 or the Gelid?
 
If you don't really plan to overclock, then yea - the Gelid will suit you perfectly and allow you to overclock in the future should you wish (many people use this cooler to hit ~4.5GHz with that CPU). For your uses the A50 isn't ideal, as it is mainly for people running high overclocks who don't mind the extra noise of the high-speed fan.

The thermalright on the other hand will cost more, but run much quieter - so if you put a big premium on quiet operation then it may be worth the extra cost.
 
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