Good cooler for AM3 that won't break the bank?

[saitrix]

Hi,

I am wanting to get a cooler for an AM3 cpu, now I really don't want to spend more than £30 on it. What is the best at this price point? Is the Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme any good?

 

[BigBruiserAl]

For the money you cant go wrong IMO

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-015-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=1395

what are you cooling btw?

 

[dazza13]

I use one of these on my unlocked x2 550 and keeps it nicely cool even with a small overclock on it.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-001-XG&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=1395

 

[saitrix]

Will most probably be an X2 550BE.

Also that Zalman doesn't state it will fit AM3?

 

[focus130]

Will most probably be an X2 550BE.

Also that Zalman doesn't state it will fit AM3?

Same fitting AM2, AM2+ and AM3.

 

[Geek.]

i would go with this one http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-035-AR&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=1395

 

[saitrix]

Going for the Xigmatek HDT-S1283, comes in at £28 and the reviews seem very good.

 

[BigBruiserAl]

am i right in thiking the xiggy does not sit the correct way on the amd boards?

 

[saitrix]

How do you mean?

 

[Big.Wayne]

I am wanting to get a cooler for an AM3 cpu, now I really don't want to spend more than £30 on it

Hi Saitrix,

this is a sweet cooler, I'm using it on an AM3 chip, it's so good I haven't needed to use a fan yet heh!

ThermoLab Baram

£28.99 inc

 

[Big.Wayne]

Same fitting AM2, AM2+ and AM3.

Is that right, all the same dimensions as far as heatsinks are concerned?

 

[DavyBoy]

Wayne, was the base like that when you bought it, or have you lapped this yourself??

am i right in thiking the xiggy does not sit the correct way on the amd boards?

This was one thing that used to really annoy me with AMD motherboards, I went through several AM2 boards, and out of them all, there was only one board that had the mounting bracket fitted so that heatsinks could be mounted with the fan facing towards the RAM pushing air through the heatsink.

Is that right, all the same dimensions as far as heatsinks are concerned?

I'm fairly sure this is the case, though I can't speak for AM3, but AM2 and AM2+ boards had the same mounting brackets for fitting heatsinks.

 

[Big.Wayne]

was the base like that when you bought it, or have you lapped this yourself??

It's like that out the box!

 

[DavyBoy]

It's like that out the box!

That is probably the shiniest heatsink base I have ever seen!!

 

[focus130]

Is that right, all the same dimensions as far as heatsinks are concerned?

If you look at each of the sockets on Wikipedia then you can see in the images they use the same mounting bracket for the cooler.

 

[Big.Wayne]

Ok thanks for the clarification!

 

[focus130]

No worries.

 

[Big.Wayne]

I use one of these on my unlocked x2 550 and keeps it nicely cool even with a small overclock on it

Zalman CNPS9500A-LED

£12.98 inc

Socket Type: AMD 754 / 939 / 940 / Intel 478 / LGA775

So a punter looking for an cheap AM3 cooler is not gonna look twice at that Zalman . . at least I didn't!

I forgot that AM2/AM2+ was 940-pin and just learnt that AM3 is 941-pin

When it comes to AMD heatsinks it's all a bit confusing!

 

[focus130]

This cooler is also decent, however £14 more expensive than the Zalman.

 

[Big.Wayne]

That is probably the shiniest heatsink base I have ever seen!!

It's a nice thing to buy a heatsink that has a flat base which is shiny . . . this is how the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme should have been!