Spec me a cheap(ish) CPU cooler

[trickycurve]

As title really: I need a new CPU cooler as I'm currently using the stock fan.

The three I've been eyeing up are the Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Pro Extreme Performance, the Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev.2 High Performance Quiet, and the Corsair A50 High-Performance.

All three are also about as expensive as I'd like to spend on a cooler, but will be open to suggestions as long as they're not too pricey. I also need the cooler to be able to fit in an Antec 300 and be small enough to fit over Ripjaw RAM (not that Ripjaws are the tallest RAM around [41mm or so I think], but it's better to be safe than sorry).


Thanks guys.

 

[Thekwango]

until recently i had this cpu cooler fitted to my rig(i5 750, UD3, and 4gb ripjaws). did a cracking job too for the price. i added a couple of akasa vipers later in push/pull but the stock fan did just fine with a 3.2/3.4 oc

 

[Reaper 392]

if overall height is an issue, then i will recommend the gelid tranquillo, as its a great cooler, a couple of quid cheaper than the A50 and only 153mm tall. if you still have the manual it may tell you the maximum height of a processor cooler that can fit in there. if not, send an email to antec customer support and they should tell you in no time (its what i did)

supposedly it fits in my coolermaster elite 342 (its 153mm tall, and the elite 342 supports up to 153mm tall heatsinks), so im sure it will fit in your case height wise

as for ram clearance i have no idea. its wont be an issue for me, so i havent looked into it in my research

 

[trickycurve]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I've actually been looking through some slightly older posts and found someone using an A50 who also has an Antec 300 and Ripjaw RAM. I like the look of the A50 and literally just read a favourable review of it too (also mentioned RAM height shouldn't be an issue), but the Tranquillo does seem to be quite popular. I'll probably go with one of those two. Not really in a rush as I don't really have the time or motivation at the moment to go diving in my case due to college and other things, so I'll mull it over and decide which one to get in time for half-term.


Cheers guys.

 

[AzZ]

You can get an A70 cheaper than the A50 if know where to look. It's a great cooler.