Best ever CPU Cooler?

datawrite · 14 Apr 2009 at 19:50

Come on chaps, what would you say is the best ever CPU cooler you have used? Doesn't matter on what platform you use or the cost of the cooler. Just be good to know which one would you rate as the most efficient, best at cooling. Air cooling is what i am most interested in.

setter · 14 Apr 2009 at 19:58

Ive used the noctua nhu12, and arctic freezer pro, but the best without a doubt has been my TRUE black.

JimAroo · 14 Apr 2009 at 19:58

My best is the Thermalright IFX, only downside is how big the damn thing is.

weescott · 14 Apr 2009 at 20:04

LD DiCE/Ln2 pot.

metamorphpwner · 14 Apr 2009 at 20:20

vaporchil phase change i got off the bay when i was overclocking my processor

matt100 · 14 Apr 2009 at 20:37

I reckon my swiftech MCW6002 waterblock.. dunno if it was particularly great but it was my first cpu waterblock and as such has a special place in my heart

strumpusplunket · 14 Apr 2009 at 21:00

My favourite is my current Scythe Zippang. Not the very best in terms of pure thermal performance, but still very good and so quiet for the cooling it provides it's quite amazing. It's bloody huge though. Ridiculously so, in fact.

daniel_bourton · 14 Apr 2009 at 22:27

i think my gigabyte 3drocket 2 as was my first one i bought for overclocking the thing is massve aswell so big that i had to edit it with a hacksaw slightly to amke ti fit in my case which by no means is small lol

Rroff · 14 Apr 2009 at 22:40

ACF7 pro is good, not the very very best, but price/performance ratio is great and they manage really well.

Currently using the coolermaster V8, looks sick and is very good cooling.

mod1fied · 14 Apr 2009 at 22:50

AC Freezer 64 with the 92mm taken off and tie gripped 2x 120mm 1200rpm fans on.

Keeps my quad at around 35C idle.

Its certainly better than the Zalman 9500CNPS i bought

daniel_bourton · 14 Apr 2009 at 22:52

i like putting 2 fans on it when one 20mm isnt enough lol

datawrite · 15 Apr 2009 at 20:33

Read that the Thermalright ones are the best!

strumpusplunket · 15 Apr 2009 at 20:53

Yeah, depends what you mean by "best." Everyone has different priorities for cooling, noise, profile and price.

FrostyTech has a really thorough analysis of each of these properties and is a great resource for making your decisions.

Pneumonic · 15 Apr 2009 at 22:17

For Air Cooling:

Cheap: AC7
Midrange: Sunbeam Core Contact or Xigmatek
High End: TRUE

Frosty Tech performance review would have been so much better if they had used a real fan on the TRUE and not some POS jobby that had zero static pressure

warren_1979 · 15 Apr 2009 at 22:22

Cheap: Akasa AK965.

datawrite · 15 Apr 2009 at 22:36

Xigmatek look really good!

p4radox · 15 Apr 2009 at 23:25

Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. Dirt cheap from Members' Market, and runs brilliantly without a fan attached on top of my overclocked E5200.

contra · 15 Apr 2009 at 23:28

love my Noctua NH12 - looks like a sexy seventies kitchen and purrs like a dead cat. s i l e n t and cold.

AMG · 16 Apr 2009 at 00:04

I have up most respect for the thremalright TRUE.

But in real world terms it will be OCZ vennetta 2 and all heatsinks that uses the same technogly as it(heatpipes touch cpu) its cheap and its effective and it does a good job of cooling my overclocked q9550 never seen it above 60c in normal load uses prime it may go to 70c give or take

datawrite · 16 Apr 2009 at 00:08

The Xigmatek gets good reviews around the net.