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CPU coolers - what to get?

D

dbunder

Member
I know this question has been asked a million times over. But I gotta ask again. 😉

I've been reading reviews on popular and new CPU coolers for a couple days now, and all I find is inconsistencies. One site will say this cooler is the best, the other site will say that one is, etc. Most, if not all of the time, they're comparing these coolers with different fans attached, perhaps even in different conditions. So one site will say the SI-1200 is the absolute best when they're using a 70+ CFM fan on it, and say the Ninja sucks, even though they used a 40 CFM fan or such on the comparisson. It's all silly.

So. If it came down to it, exact same hardware (socket 939 in this case), exact same conditions, exact same fans on the coolers, exact *everything*, what would you recommend? What do you think would perform the best? I'm down to the Ninja, SI/XP-120, Big Typhoon, Noctua 120. Leaning more towards the Typhoon or the Ninja - but what do I know? 🙂 I know it's impossible to test everything under the exact same conditions, but educated guesses based on experience are better than nothing, eh?

Thanks for any help or suggestions.
-j
 
You have more or less the same components I'll have, just a couple different brands here and there. 🙂 What I'll probably do is end up buying two of the four (depending on what people say), test them for a week or so, and return the cruddier one. Just gotta check return policies on HSF's at various retailers. Still leaning towards the Ninja and Typhoon.

Anyone have any other feedback? I'd like as much as I can get. Thanks!

edit: oh, and I'd like to add to the list the Zalman CNPS9500-Cu. Pricey as all getout, but I love Zalman stuff. Just not sure about this particular one.
 
Honestly, not terribly. No matter which of the coolers I end up with, I plan on putting a pretty beefy fan on them that runs a lot of air, even if it's loud. The rest of my fans are whisper-quiet, so one loud one I wouldn't mind. And there're two other computers in our home office so it's already loud. 😀
 
In that case I would probably go with the SI-120 or the Big Typhoon (I like Thermalright more than Thermaltake, though).
 
I have the zalman CNPS9500 LED and it is a pretty good cooler. Looks better IMHO than the BT and performs well. I guess the BT cools a bit better from what I've heard but this zalman keeps my OC'd 3700+ @ 2.86GHz in the low 40's with the fan at 1650 RPM. The room temp is about 20*C.

I recommend it :thumbsup:
 
scythe ninja runs as well as or better than most cpu coolers on the market passive (0db) with decent airflow within your case, and runs VERY quiet with a nexus 120mm fan
 
I agree with the Scythe Ninja, I just used it to replace the Thermaltake Bigwater I was using to cool my 805, and the Ninja actualy is working better than the water cooling was.
 
If you do go with the Thermalrigh xp or si 120 don't bother with a fan over about 50cfm as in my tests it does absolutely no good and around the 65-70cfm mark the extra airflow can actually be detrimental.

Case design can be a BIG factor in the performance of a CPU cooler. What case will this be in?
 
One thing you have to keep in mind is future compatability. According to MadShrimps, the Ninja and XP/SI-120 are questionable on the AM2 front and the Big Typhoon and Noctua are both "not gonna happen."

I personally favor the Scythe Mine, but I don't own one.....yet. I've only read many reviews and forum posts, so I can't really give it a "must buy" rating until I get it. What I've heard, though, is that it's the Ninja of active cooling.

Sorry to muddy the waters a bit 🙂

-red
 
yes, the sycthe mine looks promising but i don't think it'll would work well with boards like dfi's ultra-d, due to socket orientation.
 
I don't see the appeal of the SI-120... I would go with the Big Typhoon as long as you're not going to use AM2.
 
Originally posted by: supafly
I don't see the appeal of the SI-120... I would go with the Big Typhoon as long as you're not going to use AM2.
Click to expand...

Uh ....., it's good, easy to install, and with the right fan is damn quiet. Oh yeah, compatible with almost all MBs.
 
Originally posted by: Pens1566
Originally posted by: supafly
I don't see the appeal of the SI-120... I would go with the Big Typhoon as long as you're not going to use AM2.
Click to expand...

Uh ....., it's good, easy to install, and with the right fan is damn quiet. Oh yeah, compatible with almost all MBs.
Click to expand...

And the TT Big Typhoon is excellent, easy to install, and cools better & is silet out of the box. I don't know about compatibility but so long as it works with what you got then it is fantastic. If your mobo isn't compatible then yeah it's too bad and you will have to get something else. But if it will work then why bother with something else?
 
Also, it's lighter than any of the huge tower coolers. They may be 1-2 degrees cooler, but I like being able to work around the SI-120 inside my case. Just my opinion.
 
Originally posted by: supafly
Originally posted by: Pens1566
Originally posted by: supafly
I don't see the appeal of the SI-120... I would go with the Big Typhoon as long as you're not going to use AM2.
Click to expand...

Uh ....., it's good, easy to install, and with the right fan is damn quiet. Oh yeah, compatible with almost all MBs.
Click to expand...

And the TT Big Typhoon is excellent, easy to install, and cools better & is silet out of the box. I don't know about compatibility but so long as it works with what you got then it is fantastic. If you're mobo isn't compatible then yeah it's too bad and you will have to get something else. But if it will work then why bother with something else?
Click to expand...

Actually in all reviews I have read the Ninja cools better than the Big Typhoon!
But mind you were are only talking about 1c - 2c better!

Then again what cools best for you might not cool best for somebody else!
Thats why the Ninja...9500 the Big Typhoon the si120 and the XP 90 copper as well as the XP120 are all top notch coolers!
 
From what I've read, yeah the Ninja is a great cooler. After using a XP90, I didn't feel like playing the "which fan works better" game anymore. I went through a lot of different fans with the XP90 and no matter how fast they were it didn't lower the temps enough.. and obviously the faster the louder.
In my Sonata I still have plenty of room to work with with the TTBT in there.. and I'm sure the inside of the P180 is much roomier. The weight also isn't a problem either.
 
The weight could be a problem if you move your case at all. Isn't the BT waaay over the the amd spec for hs weight?
 
Originally posted by: supafly
Originally posted by: Pens1566
Originally posted by: supafly
I don't see the appeal of the SI-120... I would go with the Big Typhoon as long as you're not going to use AM2.
Click to expand...

Uh ....., it's good, easy to install, and with the right fan is damn quiet. Oh yeah, compatible with almost all MBs.
Click to expand...

And the TT Big Typhoon is excellent, easy to install, and cools better & is silet out of the box. I don't know about compatibility but so long as it works with what you got then it is fantastic. If your mobo isn't compatible then yeah it's too bad and you will have to get something else. But if it will work then why bother with something else?
Click to expand...
Because Thermaltake isn't an honest company and I don't like giving money to dishonest parties.
 
Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
scythe ninja runs as well as or better than most cpu coolers on the market passive (0db) with decent airflow within your case, and runs VERY quiet with a nexus 120mm fan
Click to expand...

Better than Zalman's 7700?
 
Originally posted by: Smartazz
Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
scythe ninja runs as well as or better than most cpu coolers on the market passive (0db) with decent airflow within your case, and runs VERY quiet with a nexus 120mm fan
Click to expand...

Better than Zalman's 7700?
Click to expand...
With the same fan, yes.
 
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