heatsink/fan for core i7 965 on Asus P6T, in Cosmos S case

[dfn]

I'm currently using the stock heatsink and fan on my i7 965, and the fan is set to the "performance" setting. I am looking for a replacement heatsink/fan that will achieve the following:

1) be significantly quieter (~10dB or more)
2) improve cooling (lower temperatures)

My system:

CPU: Intel core i7 965
Mobo: Asus P6T
Case: Cosmos S

These are the heatsinks and fans I'm considering at the moment:

Prolimatech Megahalems heatsink + Nexus Basic 120mm (D12SL-12)
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme + Nexus Basic 120mm (D12SL-12)
Thermalright Ultra-120 Rev. A + Nexus Basic 120mm (D12SL-12)
Noctua NH-U12DX

The total of any of the above does not exceed ~$72 CDN, which is my price range.

Will my choices above fulfill my requirements?

I was not able to find reviews that compared the sound level of the stock 965 cooler with others - or if they did, they did not specify whether the stock fan was at the performance setting. I'm also having trouble with the Nexus Basic fan. I found Nexus fans at some online stores (ie, ncix.com), but the specs of the fan did not match the specs found on the Nexus site, though the model numbers were identical.

Would appreciate some feedback or suggestions for other heatsinks/fans in the same price range that might suit me better.
TIA

 

[nitromullet]

San Ace 9S1212L401 or Scythe Gentle Typhoon 1150 RPM + Megahalems is probably the best quiet air setup you will get. There are Noctuas Nexus fans tested as well:

...courtesy of ehume from: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2072209

 

[joetekubi]

I am using a Zalman CNPS 10X Quiet on an i7 930, and have very low temps and noise. I agree with nitromullet that the Megahalem is probably the best cooler on the market.

 

[dfn]

Thanks for the replies.

So megahalems, with a decent fan, should be both quieter and cooler than stock @ performance? That's a huge fan comparison there, I found a bunch of candidates!

 

[davidrees]

Are you using the stock side fan configuration?

That limits you to coolers of about 154mm where as most tower coolers are about 160mm.

You need to either remove the side fan (I got the windowed panel) or get a cooler with a lower profile. There are a few good ones, but it can be a challenge.

Also, once you remove that massive source of fresh air, you have to somehow replace it. I am going with 2 or 3 120mm fans mounted in the front. I have acrylic brackets to do 3, but I am going to start with 2 and see how it goes.

and btw, I got the Noctua DH14 - but its not in yet and the front mounts for the fans are not here just yet.

 

[dfn]

Thanks for the info.
I actually just finished reading some stuff about the Cosmos S side fan and tall heatsinks. I'm going to see if I can rotate the fan frame after I disassemble that side door. If not, I'll wait to get a heatsink and see if I can "shave off" some of the fan frame because from what I've read so far, it is only the frame that interferes with tall heatsinks.