CPU cooler

sreeve1993

sreeve1993

sreeve1993

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Joined
9 Feb 2011
Posts
495
Location
Central London
Hey guys,

Can anyone recommend a CPU cooler?
There are so many to choose from. And my budget is £50. I like the look of the new thermalright CPU cooler which is new on OCUK :).

I have a GELID Tranquillo Rev 2 so hopefully I can get a decent upgrade from it.

I'd have to say a no to NOCTUA fans, they're too ugly!
 
Do you mean ThermalTake, the Riing Silent one? I don't know too much about that one, perhaps someone else can say. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 is an oldy but a classic by most accounts, still holds up very well. Matterhorn Pure Edition also very good. Phanteks PH-TC12DX is another.
 
Haha yeah I meant thermaltake lol.

I've been looking at all of those coolers you've mentioned. As well as the Brocken 2.

It's a tough choice, they all have good reviews.
 
First thing to do is check the dimensions and see which of the tower coolers would be too large for your case, then work out if any of them block the RAM slots on your motherboard (especially an issue if you have RAM with tall heatspreaders).

I've heard great things about all the coolers mentioned. I personally have the Noctua U-14S and it's simply fantastic. Quiet and efficient. They have a compatibility list on their website: http://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-retail/comp
 
NH-U14S is good but quite wide and can block PCIe socket. TRUE Spirit 140 Rev.A is just as good and is offset for better PCIe clearance.
NH-U14s is 150mm wide and 75mm center to each side.
True Spirit 140 rev.A is 155mm wide but 69mm center toward PCIe and 86mm the other side.
 
@doyll
I've seen the thermalright true spirit and I'm very tempted to get it as the benchmarks are incredible! There are two versions the Power edition and the Rev A.
One of those versions would block my PCIe slot, and it's being used at the moment with my soundcard. I'm sure it's the Rev A edition which blocks it too.

@Bantu
Thanks for that link, it's very helpful! Seems like my motherboard has no problems with any NOCTUA fans, only issue I have with NOCTUA is the ugly colours haha

In my signature you'll see what my rig has. I also have the Phantek Pro M case, it can fit in the Phantek cooler, the biggest one. Can't remember the code name.
 
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It's true that Noctua's design is an acquired taste... I have no side window so am fine :P
I know the Noctua is at the top end of your budget, so you could get something prettier and also save some cash with one of the others (like the Matterhorn)
 
sreeve1993 said:
@doyll
I've seen the thermalright true spirit and I'm very tempted to get it as the benchmarks are incredible! There are two versions the Power edition and the Rev A.
One of those versions would block my PCIe slot, and it's being used at the moment with my soundcard. I'm sure it's the Rev A edition which blocks it too.

@bantu
Thanks for that link, it's very helpful! Seems like my motherboard has no problems with any NOCTUA fans, only issue I have with NOCTUA is the ugly colours haha

In my signature you'll see what my rig has. I also have the Phantek Pro M case, it can fit in the Phantek cooler, the biggest one. Can't remember the code name.
Click to expand...

True Spirit 140 Power is 75mm center of cooler base toward PCIe
True Spirit 140 Rev. A is 69mm center of cooler base toward PCIe

ASRock Z68 Extreme4 has about 75-75mm center CPU to near side PCIe socket and 52 to near side of RAM. That will clear many coolers as long as RAM is not too tall, but coolers like NH-D15 will be very close to cards in top PCIE socket. Also, while NH-D15 has fins butchered out to clear RAM, the 140mm fan often will not fit between tall RAM and case .. making the cooler unusable with 2x push/push fans. Single tower coolers and coolers offset back for bet like R1 Universal, Macho and others usually clear RAM.
R1 Universal is 35.5mm center CPU to front of cooler plus 13mm fan is 48.5mm total center CPU to front of fan.
Machos are akll 25-26mm center CPU to front of cooler plus fan.
True Spirit rev.A is 26.7mm center CPU to front of cooler plus 25mm fan is about 53mm center CPU to front of fan.​

@Bantu I avoid downflow coolers because they like to eat their own heated exhaust air. They pull air in and down to mobo where it spreads out hitting RAM, GPU, etc. and turns up along side of cooer and fan, then back into fan .. around and around it goes. Even in open bench testing I've found 6-9c higher cooler intake air temps .. and this makes CPU 6-9c hotter too. Inside a case this 6-9c is usually much higher. Reversing the fan to pull air away from motherboard usually lower temps, but if a tower cooler will fit, they always seem to work better. :p

Hyper 212 was a good value cooler, but now there are many as good and better for similar money. Alpenfohn Materhorn Pure, Alpenfohn Brocken Evo and Raijintek EreBoss for example.

@AdamScott85, you sound like a Noctua fanatic. :D Don't get me wrong, Nocs are good. But they are just one brand in a large group with many other good and very good coolers. Some Nocs ar only marginal at best, like the NH-U12S and NH-L9i. The NH-D15 is no better than NH-D14 with same fans. ;)
 
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doyll said:
True Spirit 140 Power is 75mm center of cooler base toward PCIe
True Spirit 140 Rev. A is 69mm center of cooler base toward PCIe

ASRock Z68 Extreme4 has about 75-75mm center CPU to near side PCIe socket and 52 to near side of RAM. That will clear many coolers as long as RAM is not too tall, but coolers like NH-D15 will be very close to cards in top PCIE socket. Also, while NH-D15 has fins butchered out to clear RAM, the 140mm fan often will not fit between tall RAM and case .. making the cooler unusable with 2x push/push fans. Single tower coolers and coolers offset back for bet like R1 Universal, Macho and others usually clear RAM.
R1 Universal is 35.5mm center CPU to front of cooler plus 13mm fan is 48.5mm total center CPU to front of fan.
Machos are akll 25-26mm center CPU to front of cooler plus fan.
True Spirit rev.A is 26.7mm center CPU to front of cooler plus 25mm fan is about 53mm center CPU to front of fan.​

@Bantu I avoid downflow coolers because they like to eat their own heated exhaust air. They pull air in and down to mobo where it spreads out hitting RAM, GPU, etc. and turns up along side of cooer and fan, then back into fan .. around and around it goes. Even in open bench testing I've found 6-9c higher cooler intake air temps .. and this makes CPU 6-9c hotter too. Inside a case this 6-9c is usually much higher. Reversing the fan to pull air away from motherboard usually lower temps, but if a tower cooler will fit, they always seem to work better. :p

Hyper 212 was a good value cooler, but now there are many as good and better for similar money. Alpenfohn Materhorn Pure, Alpenfohn Brocken Evo and Raijintek EreBoss for example.

@AdamScott85, you sound like a Noctua fanatic. :D Don't get me wrong, Nocs are good. But they are just one brand in a large group with many other good and very good coolers. Some Nocs ar only marginal at best, like the NH-U12S and NH-L9i. The NH-D15 is no better than NH-D14 with same fans. ;)
Click to expand...

I have never used Noctua myself but I have fitted them into many people's computers and they are fantastic coolers, I use an AIO.
 
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