Maximus Gene + 3770k - air cooling suggestions needed

[tsantsa]

Hello,

First time posting, currently researching parts for a new build.

specs:
- Corsair Carbide 500R
- Maximus Gene V
- 3770k
- G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series

I am looking for a decent cpu cooler that would give me good temps without having to use something as big as the Noctua nh-d14.

I have used custom watercooling in the past, but I'm sticking to air this time around.

Any other coolers I could look into, that would give decent/similar performance while taking up less space?

Is something like the True Spirit 120 worth considering?

btw, I will be doing bellow average OC's at best, if at all.

many thanks for any help!!

[lehtv]

True Spirit 120 is alright for a mild OC. But 212 EVO is better. For 4.2-4.4Ghz you don't need a better cooler than that

OT: I'm wondering about your mobo, why do you want a microATX mobo in an ATX case?

[Eureka]

You can do a basic overclock with just the stock cooler, and those are rather compact. Any $20-30 cooler (Hyper 212+, for example) should be able to get you close to 4.5 Ghz, but they would still be rather tall (but not as wide).

[tsantsa]

Well, local ambient temps can get pretty high, I would prefer to go a bit more extreme than the EVO or the TRUE Spirit, if possible.

anything small enough to leave 2 or 3 mm between cooler and GPU, but as powerfull as I can get, any ideas?


thanks a lot for the fast reply!



OT:

I found the case first, had all the features I wanted. Original plan was to go atx.

Saw a video review from newegg "Yes it's compatible with matx but who would do that on a case this big?!" I instantly agreed.

The following day someone suggested that the gene would be a better and cheaper option than what I had planned.

Case was already shipped, gene gets more room than it needs, but at least I can upgrade to atx later on, no real worries.

[kleinkinstein]

Originally Posted by lehtv

True Spirit 120 is alright for a mild OC. But 212 EVO is better.

Ha! Not so, the True Spirit in p/p outperforms the Evo in p/p with the same Cougar fans by 3C in my TJ08-E. I know, I know I must have applied the MX2 TIM better. But in no way, with my results, is the Evo better, nor is it less expensive. It's just more popular. What it does have is an atrocious mounting bracket.

Edit/ and I'm not the only one who knows the head-2-head champ.

[lehtv]

So what? You're comparing the heat sinks themselves, not HSFs. Did you compare the coolers using the stock fan and stock TIM?

I never claimed it was less expensive. But if you want to talk bang for buck, then replacing the stock fan of a cheapo heat sink with two fans in p/p is one of the best ways to ensure low bang for buck. You'd be much better off getting a higher performing heat sink to begin with.

[Eureka]

You can look into an AIO water cooler if space is tight.. I've seen a few go for around $40 lately.

[lehtv]

Originally Posted by tsantsa

The following day someone suggested that the gene would be a better and cheaper option than what I had planned.

I'm pretty sure there are better and cheaper ATX options than the Gene. Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H for instance. Even P8Z77-V seems to be less expensive than Gene.

[tsantsa]

Originally Posted by Eureka

You can look into an AIO water cooler if space is tight.. I've seen a few go for around $40 lately.

as I said in the OP, not looking for WC units this time

@ klein, thanks for the link and suggestion, TRUE in p/p looks like a good option, just checking for alternatives that are more powerfull, at around the same size?


what about like the Phanteks PH-TC14CS? Or maybe some similar design? Any options like it worth checking?


thanks everyone for all the feedback so far, greatly appreciated!

[lehtv]

True Spirit in p/p would cost as much as a Scythe Mugen 3 which will be quieter and perform the same or better. But I still think 212 EVO would suit you fine. TC14CS is pretty nice but seems a bit overkill in size and cost for your purposes. According to occ, there's not really a huge difference between all these coolers



Is the 5 degree difference between D14 and 212 Evo going to make any difference to you? This is with an i7-2600K @ 4.4GHz

[kleinkinstein]

Originally Posted by lehtv

So what?

Huh? Hello, your pimp on the Evo is false. TS-120 > Evo. Let me simplify it for you...





No big deal, we all make mistakes.

[tsantsa]

ambients are very very high, I live in Brazil.

I realize the difference is small and that a user like me would be fine with pretty much any after market cooler out there.

so other things start to become important, good mounting mechanism, size, extra performance for those extremelly hot days, etc.

Just checked the dimensions of the NH-U12P and the Macho120. Apparently both would fit without issues.

just checked Phanteks website and it doesn't list the Gene as compatible

[lehtv]

Originally Posted by kleinkinstein

Huh? Hello, your pimp on the Evo is false. TS-120 > Evo. Let me simplify it for you...

You provided invalid evidence and I pointed it out. I was just being skeptical, nothing personal.

That's more like it. The same test shows though that at a given RPM, 212 EVO is quieter than True Spirit 120, but the latter does still seem to perform a bit better at the same noise level.

You still didn't answer my question - I asked if you had compared the TS-120 and Evo in their stock configurations. I suppose not

Originally Posted by kleinkinstein

No big deal, we all make mistakes.

Indeed we do

Originally Posted by tsantsa

just checked Phanteks website and it doesn't list the Gene as compatible

Did you already buy the Gene? As I said I think you'd be better off with a less expensive ATX board like Z77X-UD3H. That way you wouldn't have to worry about heatsink compatibility either.

What's your PSU by the way, is it SLI/Crossfire compatible? If not, there's not much point getting a board with x8/x8 PCIe

[tsantsa]

Originally Posted by lehtv

Did you already buy the Gene? As I said I think you'd be better off with a less expensive ATX board like Z77X-UD3H. That way you wouldn't have to worry about heatsink compatibility either.

What's your PSU by the way, is it SLI/Crossfire compatible? If not, there's not much point getting a board with x8/x8 PCIe

nope, still waiting in my wishlist. I just had good luck with Asus in recent builds, been interested in the Gene since I first saw it. every board will probably have at least a few features I don't need, gene still seems like a solid choice

I agree, atx would make it easier but in the end, I could still go with nh-d14, it is compatible, just too big for my tastes.

psu: not many choices available locally, but probably seasonic x-760