CPU Cooler

[Anteaus]

Can someone recommend an aftermarket cooler that will fit my LGA 1155 i2600k but is really quiet? I'm not overclocking so it doesn't have to be fancy. My only request is that it be quieter than stock but also installs very easily. I've looked at a ton of aftermarket coolers such as the Noctua NH-D14 and Silver Arrow and while they seem to work great they are all PITA to install and are very big.

 

[blastingcap]

Water?

 

[Cerb]

Any quiet one will be pretty big, and will take a little effort to install because of it. It's just physics. But, you probably don't need one that covers the mounting holes on all sides.

If you need it to be quite a bit quieter than Intel's stock, rather than really quiet, the Cooler Master Hyper212+ with some other fan (Slipstream PWM and AC F12 PWM are good cheapish ones) would more than do the job, or for a bit more, the Scythe Mugen (its included fan should be fine). Either one will give you room to overclock, too.

 

[Anteaus]

Thanks for the suggestions. I did a bit of research and I think I'm going to take a chance on watercooling with the Corsair H60. I've always been leary about water but considering its good cooling and small footprint its worth a try.

 

[dma0991]

Corsair H60 is far from a good choice if you want to do some overclocks. It isn't that quiet either compared to most air coolers and for the price paid for the Corsair H60, air coolers like Noctua is still a better choice. If installing a Noctua NH-D14 is a PITA to you, opt for a single fin stack coolers, Prolimatech Megahalems.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

I personally use the ThermalRight TRUE spirit 140 on my i7 2600k, it's overclocked to 4.7Ghz and this cooler is very quiet, very cheap and keeps the temps down to ~65 degrees full load, one of the best coolers around and has pretty much the best performancerice ratio.

Check clearance in your case though, even in my Antec 1200 the clearance against the side of the case is basically 1mm

 

[Cerb]

When you want the best air has to offer, Thermalright is definitely the brand to go with. Scythe, though, is practically everywhere, and typically $20-30 cheaper. FI, the one to get to have a cooler as good as or better than the Mugen, that isn't freaking huge, would be the Archon, at $80. There may be a couple others, too (TRUE Spirit models), but who stocks them?

The models close to others in cost also mimic their performance, not really making them stand out (CoCage True Spirit, FI, which is about even with a CM Hyper212+).

TR makes great coolers, but I'd have to disagree with cheap.

 

[Anteaus]

Corsair H60 is far from a good choice if you want to do some overclocks.

As I mentioned earlier this is for stock speeds.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...oler-review-thermal-acoustic-performance.html

I saw this review and noticed that the H60 will give me much better cooling with some improved acoustics. I agree with some of the air coolers have others have mentioned but I'm trying to avoid the bulk and pain of installation. I don't want to worry about clearances and whether I'm going to break something. I'm going to be using a Corsair Obsidian 550D case and a Sabertooth Z77 MB.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I don't mind paying a bit more for quality.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Thermalright HR-02 Macho $52
or
Scythe Ninja 2/3 IF you can fit it with a bolt through kit $35-45

 

[PrincessFrosty]

TR makes great coolers, but I'd have to disagree with cheap.

I never really read about them before I checked the market to get mine about 6 months ago, back then it was in the top 95th percentile for cooling and noise while being about 50% the price of all the close competitors.

It's not the cheapest by far, nor is it quite the best, but it's got a fantastic performance to price ratio, great for high end without blowing the bank, which is generally what I am for.

 

[nyker96]

if you not overclocking, easy choice is hyper 212+, cheap and great, I had one the installation is simple compare to super coolers. and it works really well provided u not overclocking.

 

[Idontcare]

I have both an NH-D14 and an H100. If you want quiet and convenient then go with the NH-D14. It is not difficult to install, no more difficult than installing any HSF which has a backplate (and the H60 does).

The H60/H100 is actually more of pain to install than the NH-D14 because you also have to mount the radiator/fan block to your case. No such extra effort involved with the D14.

I bench with my H100, but I use my NH-D14 for 24x7 because it is that much more convenient compared to the H100.

The H60 will be quiet, but certainly not easier to install.

 

[Goresplattered]

I love my d14. easy install and with 2 fans you can run it slower to move the same air as a 1 fan setup.


i left it at stock profile and its quieter than my case fans even while keeping my OC CPU under 80C


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[Anteaus]

if you not overclocking, easy choice is hyper 212+, cheap and great, I had one the installation is simple compare to super coolers. and it works really well provided u not overclocking.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I looked up the Hyper 212 Plus and it seems to fit the bill. The only thing is I'm getting different results as to whether it supports LGA 1155, but the official site says it does so I'm gonna just go with it.