CPU Cooling.

mattmacc123 · 1 May 2014 at 12:40

Hi Everyone,

Im putting together my first PC and the plan so far is buying one thing a month for it. I have just purchased an I7 3770K and i am not entirely sure which cooling to go for. Was just wondering if anyone could recommend which would be the best cooling option for my processor? i have so far looked at the Zalman CNPS5X and some of the Corsair liquid coolers, which is best?

Thanks!

lude1962 · 1 May 2014 at 14:12

I've got a Zalman CNPS5X on a FX-6100 OC'd to 4.1 according to hwmon when running prime i was using 90 watts (@fx-6100 package) highest temp i've seen is 57deg.

Its a cheap cooler but seems to be doing its job.

doyll · 1 May 2014 at 14:15

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 140 Power is probably best cooler for about £35.00. Do keep in mind it is 171mm tall so you will need a case with 179mm from motherboard to side cover.
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=26134788

The closed loop coolers are not any better than air, cost more, are noisier, are not as dependable (pump issues mostly, but also fan control issues and leaks).

mattmacc123 · 1 May 2014 at 14:25

ah thanks for that everyone. I recently just purchased my case in the last month which i regret slightly as i have heard the Cit mars cases do not have good airflow, does anyone know anything about this also? and would the case be worth changing?

Thanks again for helping.

ttaskmaster · 1 May 2014 at 16:15

I know nothing about your case but, if I'm honest, it just looks horrible.
It's all personal taste, but I'd personally change it... especially if you're in the market for such.
Effective cooling is quite a science and I'm just getting into it myself.

As far as the All-In-One (AIO) coolers go, some are good, some are not.
If money is a main issue, go air-cooled.
If money is a factor then consider an AIO, but check the user reviews (and failure frequency) and compare performance to similarly priced air coolers. I recommend Noctua for anything to do with air!!

If money is no problem and you're after the best you can get/justify, even if it means saving up for a few months, then a custom water-cooling loop is something to consider. It's also not something I can advise on, so I'll leave that side for someone else.

So AIOs...
The Corsair H100 I currently use was bought for about £40 as a refurb unit (normally around £100) and outperformed most air coolers at the time. For that price, it would have been stupid not to... and even better that it was bought as a gift for me!!
As is, on medium setting alone, it keeps my FX6350 constantly below 47ºC, even after hours of running the likes of Heaven 4, 3D Mark, Intel Burn Test and all the games I own. I've never had it breach 50ºC... I've also never run it on High settings, which I probably should when I start messing with my overclocks, but I just forget...!

However, I *am* running a pair of 120mm Noctua fans (NF-P12 Vortexes, at that) through the radiator instead of the generic Corsair ones it came with - The stock fans give bloody good performance, but are also bloody noisy!!

The H100i seems to perform even better, by most accounts, knocking around 8-10ºC off what the H100 can manage.

The NZXT Kraken is another popular and seemingly reliable AIO.
OCUK can also custom-make one.

mattmacc123 · 1 May 2014 at 17:02

Hi ttaskmaster

Thanks for this!

Yeah i seen the case and thought it would be okay because it had the temperature sensor, fan control etc. Not knowing much about cases though i wasn't sure what to expect. But il try it and if the temperature gets too high il just change the case for one with more cooling. Would you recommend any cases?

Noctua! il look them up! what are you getting from your FX6350 after overclocking?

ttaskmaster · 1 May 2014 at 17:52

mattmacc123 said:
Hi ttaskmaster Thanks for this!

Just my thoughts. I'm still learning a lot of this myself.

mattmacc123 said:
But il try it and if the temperature gets too high il just change the case for one with more cooling.

Best option, I think. It could be great. I just think it's ugly, heh heh!!

mattmacc123 said:
Would you recommend any cases?

Well, I personally have a Corsair 500R. Twin 120mm intakes, 200mm side intake and a 120mm rear exhaust, all included as standard.
However, I've chosen to replace them all with Noctua & Enermax 120s and a Coolermaster 200m fan. There's also 2 extra Noctua 120s exhausting out the top, with space for another 3 fans on top of all that.

To me, a case is very important - I personally look at cooling, aesthetics, features, space, size and future expansion and then temper that by price.
Other people look for different things, but with so many cases out there I generally find user reviews pretty darn helpful. A lot depends on how much you're willing to spend.

I usually start with looks - The CoolerMaster ones always look wicked when you first see them all lit up... but when I saw what Corsair cases can do, I was sold.
I also started out by saving up and buying one big bit (or several small bits) each month. The 500R was £95. Top end, by my standards, but I love it to bits!!

Do shop around, though.
This will take some time, but that's all part of the fun. Any questions about any of them, ask the folks here.

mattmacc123 said:
Noctua! il look them up!

They're usually the most expensive fans going... but they're bloody good! I'd say they're pretty much the best. Just the signature colour scheme that puts some people off.

mattmacc123 said:
what are you getting from your FX6350 after overclocking?

It's currently sat at a relaxed 4.5GHz.
I could probably go higher. 4.7GHz seems to be the average recorded overclock, with 6.3GHz being the record I believe... he used LN2 (Liquid Nitrogen cooling) though!!