Replacing intel I3 Stock cooler but with what ? for HTPC

Meridiusuk · 22 Jul 2011 at 18:32

Hi all

I just bought a I3 chip to install in my HTPC and wanted to know if there is anything better at keeping the cpu cool ? but one of the most important feature it has to be silent as possable but not be worse at cooling than the stock cooler.

I have not used the stock cooler so i dont know how quiet it is but as this is for a HTPC i wanted to know if there is anything better

thanks for the help

Reaper 392 · 22 Jul 2011 at 19:23

what case do you have, what is your budget, and does your RAM have tall heatspreaders like Gskill ripjaws or corsair vengance, or short heatspreaders like corsair XMS3 or corsair vengance low profile?

Meridiusuk · 22 Jul 2011 at 19:42

Hi there

I have corsair vengance low profile and looking at a Fractal Design Define Mini case

Reaper 392 · 22 Jul 2011 at 22:41

amazingly you have one of the few cases where the maximum cooler height is listed on the company's website. the maximum height is 165mm so you wont have any problems there unless you go for something ridiculous.

here are my suggestions depending on budget:
£22: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
£26: Gelid Tranquillo
£33: Titan Fenrir Evo
£44: Zalman CNPS9900MAX blue LED or Red LED
£50: Thermalright silver arrow (currently missing from the OcUK shelves)

there is nothing better on the market than the thermalright silver arrow apart from a custom watercooling system

Meridiusuk · 22 Jul 2011 at 22:58

Do Think I could run a passive hs ?

What about the megaharlems ? Or other

Meridiusuk · 23 Jul 2011 at 08:08

the only 2 Hs i can find are these that have realy good reviews

the only 2 Hs i can find are these

thermalright HR02 + Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm 1150 RPM Cooling Fan turned down to 700rpm
OR
Prolimatech Megahalems Rev B + Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm 1150 RPM Cooling Fan turned down to 700rpm
OR
Noctua NH-D14
OR
Thermalright Silver Arrow

or the same above but without a fan on the HS

which would be better for a HTPC system ? as there the same price as well

these 4 HS seem to be trhe best at what they do but i dont want to run a fan any hogher than 800rpm if i need to use a fan but i would like to know if these can be used as passive.

Meridiusuk · 27 Jul 2011 at 19:18

Got the hr-02 and it just fitted in this case. Got 2 fans running at 800rpm and the system is about 33c and the CPU which is amazing is at 31c with no CPU fan.

Have not prime tested it yet but as this is a htpc and the gfx card will do the work it should keep cool all the time. And my gfx is passive to.

It's that silent I am thinking of putting 2 more fans in just to see if it's just as silent and it should help to keep it even more cool