Need CPU Cooler Advice

[Maxxarcade]

I have a Phenom II X4 955, and the stock cooler is too loud for me.

I have the Noctua NH-U9B SE2 in mind as a replacement, But I don't think it will clear my RAM. My motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P, and I have all 4 slots filled with Mushkin RAM that has heatsinks.

Any of you guys know of a cooler that would work without too much hacking?

[stj]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

fit a flange and a 120mm fan with higher cfm but lower rpm.

a lot of modding sites sell 70-80, and 80-120 / 92-120 adapter flanges.

[ratdude747]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

my ex-friend had a spin q on his phenom II. he was happy with it. it oc'd really well. quiet, too.

[shadow]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

You may be lucky with the Noctua...I was! I had roughly 2mm gap between RAM heatsink and CPU cooler.

[washu]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Anything by Scythe should work fine and be much quieter. I have a Kama Angle and my ram has heat sinks and they don't interfere. Make sure you get one with a PWM fan so that it will be quieter while your CPU is idle.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

fit a flange and a 120mm fan with higher cfm but lower rpm.

a lot of modding sites sell 70-80, and 80-120 / 92-120 adapter flanges.

I would love to do that, but it looks like the fan clips into this heatsink by using a plastic bracket. None of the flanges I found would fit

[Scenic]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

i'm kinda happy with my Arctic Freezer 7 Pro (Freezer 64 Pro is the AMD version).
keeps my overclocked Quadcore (C2Q Q6600 @ 3,2) quite cool for not being as big as a shoebox..
pretty quiet too (PWM controlled via mainboard)

the intel version comes with pushpins () but i got that sorted out with the scythe 775 CPU Cooler stabilizer kit (out with the pushpins, in with the backplate and screwed-down cooler )

[370forlife]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835200038

I know, I know, rosewill, but it's actually pretty good. Mine with a 5000+ stays at 25C idle, 28-29C full blast. Room temp is roughly 25C. Just don't use the supplied thermal paste, it's not that good. They also tell you to use 1/2 of the syringe, and there's a lot more in it than in the picture. It's pretty liquidy. With your motherboard it would either have the fan facing up or down, not towards the rear fan. Most coolers like this will do that though.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835200038

I know, I know, rosewill, but it's actually pretty good. Mine with a 5000+ stays at 25C idle, 28-29C full blast. Room temp is roughly 25C. Just don't use the supplied thermal paste, it's not that good. They also tell you to use 1/2 of the syringe, and there's a lot more in it than in the picture. It's pretty liquidy. With your motherboard it would either have the fan facing up or down, not towards the rear fan. Most coolers like this will do that though.

I might give this one a try, since other people have apparently used it on my board. It also appears to be taller, so it shouldn't have any RAM clearance issues.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

I just noticed something odd. According to the hardware monitor, both my case and CPU temp are about 49 degrees. How could the CPU be anywhere near ambient temp with the stock cooler? It has to be wrong, because the CPU fan slows down when I remove the side cover from the case.

I have a hot fanless Geforce 9600GT, which is probably why my case temp is so high.

[Wizard]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Maxxarcade,

This is normal for all *aluminum* heatsink. Poor conduction. If you have heat pipe with copper bottom heatsink, the temp lowers by 5 to 8C. That can be significent.

Back in the day when melting athlon CPUs was the vogue, I had to search hard and long to find alpha heatsinks, paid petty price for them but WORTH the trouble.

Cheers, Wizard

[370forlife]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Looks like his is the smaller heatpipe heatsink AMD provides with their higher end processors.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Looks like his is the smaller heatpipe heatsink AMD provides with their higher end processors.

It is indeed a heatpipe. I'm wondering if what I really need is better airflow through the case.

The case has 3 120mm fans running at 1000 RPM or so. There are 2 in the front with filters, and one in the back. Hardly any air goes through them, considering the size.

[Wizard]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

What kind of this heatsink? This size of heatsink as shown does not qualify as good one even with heat pipe, it looked like it has no copper bottom either and blows down on CPU performs poorly. I tend to go for much larger heatsink. Tower actually with number of heatpipes with fins blown thru sideways towards tower case's back. There are good ones that is not so wide yet good cooling and quiet.

I even don't have many fans either and I like quiet.

Cheers, Wizard

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

What kind of this heatsink? This size of heatsink as shown does not qualify as good one even with heat pipe, it looked like it has no copper bottom either and blows down on CPU performs poorly. I tend to go for much larger heatsink. Tower actually with number of heatpipes with fins blown thru sideways towards tower case's back. There are good ones that is not so wide yet good cooling and quiet.

I even don't have many fans either and I like quiet.

Cheers, Wizard

Are you referring to the stock cooler, or the Rosewill one?

The stock one does have a copper base if I recall, but it is too small and has poor airflow.

Do you have any recommendations for something that will fit, and still be able to clear my RAM chips?

[Wizard]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Down blown heatsink is Rosewill?

Cheers, Wizard

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Down blown heatsink is Rosewill?

Cheers, Wizard

The one in the picture is the stock one, which I am currently using. That is the one I referred to as the down flow.

The Rosewill would blow down towards the video card or up to the PSU, depending on which direction I install it.

[Wizard]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Prefered tower cooler is blown to the rear towards rear of case. Get another heatsink.

Cheers, Wizard

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

Prefered tower cooler is blown to the rear towards rear of case. Get another heatsink.

Cheers, Wizard

I haven't been able to find any AMD ones that blow to the rear. Probably because of how the mounting holes are spaced for the AM2 platform.

[Wizard]

Re: Need CPU Cooler Advice

There are some that have you mount the heatsink while out of case. Keep looking.

Some reqires taking off AM2/AM3 bracket and installed directly thru the holes with reinforced plate on back of mainboard.

Cheers, Wizard