Help me pick a HSF

[PolymerTim]

OK, so I'm trying to pick the HSF cooler for my new system (parts on order now).

What I really need is a good roundup, but I can never seem to find one with all the coolers I'm interested in or the features that matter to me. I'm trying to find the right balance of price/performance/quiet for me and I know that varies for everyone so let me describe a little what I'm hoping to find.

-I'm planning to do a reasonable OC on E8400 (3.6-3.8 GHz depending on the voltage needed). It's only dual core, so I'm thinking I need good cooling, but not necessarily the best.
-This is going into a P182 and I'm trying to keep the build reasonably quiet. I know the P182 is supposed to hold in the sound a little better than most cases, but I would still like to keep the fan at reasonable levels (<30dB).
-I'd like to do this for below $60 including the fan and any accessories such as bolt-through kit.
-I will be moving with this computer in a few months and think I would be more comfortable with a bolt-through design or add-on, but it is not necessary.

Some coolers I've been looking at and my thoughts on them:

Noctua NH-U12P $60 including fan and bolt-through kit
Thoughts: Anandtech review shows similar performance to TRUE

Xigmatek S1283 $37 fan included; pushpins
Thoughts: Performance is very good, but fans are a touch noisy. Vendetta2 very similar, but more expensive.

TR Ultima 90 $45 including bolt-through kit (no fan)
Thoughts: Reduced size/weight; reasonable performance compared to 120mm towers


I think right now I'm leaning towards the Noctua NH-U12P since it comes with most of what I want. I think the only downside is it is more expensive than the Xigmatek and probably a little less performance, although I have not found a review that directly compares them.

So what do you guys think?

 

[Tsuwamono]

Zalman CNPS9500

 

[PolymerTim]

Originally posted by: Tsuwamono
Zalman CNPS9500

Looks nice and has god performance, but also seems to be pretty noisy. I guess it could be undervolted, but I also worry about HSF with permanent fans since fans are known to go bad periodically.

 

[RallyMaster]

Scythe Ninja. Quiet operation and still good performance even if it has been around since the days when AMD K8 was king.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
Scythe Ninja. Quiet operation and still good performance even if it has been around since the days when AMD K8 was king.

I'm running an E8400 OC'ed to 3.9Ghz with a Rev. A Ninja and my load temps don't exceed 55C. I did replace the stock Scythe fan with a slightly faster one, but it's still quiet to me.

If you go with the Ninja, be sure and got with the bolt-thru kit. Pretty much all new Ninja's are going to be Rev. B, and the pushpins on those suck.

 

[error8]

As I see it right now, Xigmatek is the best way to go. It has great performance, first place on FrostyTech and you can use the fan at a lower rpm and that should be really quiet. Oh and it's the cheapest from those you've listed.

 

[ther00kie16]

There's also the Xigmatek RS1283 that's equipped with a very quiet fan. Or you can replace the stock fan on the S1283 with a Scythe fan.

 

[Syzygies]

Originally posted by: PolymerTim
-I will be moving with this computer in a few months and think I would be more comfortable with a bolt-through design

Nearly every decent cooler is heavier than Intel's spec. I recall at least one AnandTech article (the reviews here are at the highest level) worrying about board flex unseating chipset heatsinks, leading to instability; they vetoed push pins on heavier coolers, in favor of any solution using a back plate. Not everyone likes to hear this, but beware of anyone arguing on one data point.

Even with a bolt-through back plate, gently setting down a box containing a computer is a serious shock to this connection. I have the Zalman 9700 on an older build (good, not in the same league as a TRUE) and their directions were explicit to remove it before shipping, which I did. Look at sites that'll sell you a high performance build, they go crazy buttressing the cooler inside the case, to prevent exactly this damage.

I'm the crazy packer for my friends, like that guy who came to "clean up" in Pulp Fiction. I've packed hundreds of bottles of wine as checked luggage back from Europe without ever losing a bottle. So I enjoy packing. I also enjoy building. Many of us follow our friends and family around like a dog begging for food, "want to build a computer?" because each time we do this for ourselves, getting this rush costs us a comma. It is very cool helping a 12 year old girl build her own computer, and have her matter-of-fact tell her friends they should do the same.

What was my call, last time I needed to move a machine? Take out the innards, move them as carry on luggage to an identical case, burner, power supply, and rebuild. Between packing and building, building is less work and more fun, nice to be able to do it for free. Chance to lap, etc.

So count on taking out your cooler, and don't be lazy and go push pins just because you don't want to take the motherboard out again. Some people Dremel a square hole inside the case, so they can access the backplate area of the motherboard without reassembly. I haven't; the P182 is build like a tank, and I'd probably end up buying $$$ in tools to finish the job.

 

[imported_Irse]

I have a Noctua NH-U12P and its pretty good and quiet. But if I had to do it over again right now, I would chose this.
http://thermaltakeusa.com/prod.../Cl-P0464/cl-p0464.asp
It seems to be very efficient according to the reviews on it. And it cools the surrounding components. Plus looking at the installation instructions, it looks like you secure a bracket to the board (screws behind the board, bracket in front) then the HSF to the bracket unlike the Noctua in which you have to bolt it down directly to the bracket which is on the back of the board. This way when you move, you can remove the HSF from the bracket but keep the bracket on the board. If you do that with the Noctua, you need to remove your mother board again. The only drawback, $5 more than you wanted to spend, but it may be worth it in the long run.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: PolymerTim
OK, so I'm trying to pick the HSF cooler for my new system (parts on order now).

What I really need is a good roundup, but I can never seem to find one with all the coolers I'm interested in or the features that matter to me. I'm trying to find the right balance of price/performance/quiet for me and I know that varies for everyone so let me describe a little what I'm hoping to find.

-I'm planning to do a reasonable OC on E8400 (3.6-3.8 GHz depending on the voltage needed). It's only dual core, so I'm thinking I need good cooling, but not necessarily the best.
-This is going into a P182 and I'm trying to keep the build reasonably quiet. I know the P182 is supposed to hold in the sound a little better than most cases, but I would still like to keep the fan at reasonable levels (<30dB).
-I'd like to do this for below $60 including the fan and any accessories such as bolt-through kit.
-I will be moving with this computer in a few months and think I would be more comfortable with a bolt-through design or add-on, but it is not necessary.

Some coolers I've been looking at and my thoughts on them:

Noctua NH-U12P $60 including fan and bolt-through kit
Thoughts: Anandtech review shows similar performance to TRUE

Xigmatek S1283 $37 fan included; pushpins
Thoughts: Performance is very good, but fans are a touch noisy. Vendetta2 very similar, but more expensive.

TR Ultima 90 $45 including bolt-through kit (no fan)
Thoughts: Reduced size/weight; reasonable performance compared to 120mm towers


I think right now I'm leaning towards the Noctua NH-U12P since it comes with most of what I want. I think the only downside is it is more expensive than the Xigmatek and probably a little less performance, although I have not found a review that directly compares them.

So what do you guys think?

Xigmatec FTW!

 

[PolymerTim]

Originally posted by: Irse
I have a Noctua NH-U12P and its pretty good and quiet. But if I had to do it over again right now, I would chose this.
http://thermaltakeusa.com/prod.../Cl-P0464/cl-p0464.asp
It seems to be very efficient according to the reviews on it. And it cools the surrounding components. Plus looking at the installation instructions, it looks like you secure a bracket to the board (screws behind the board, bracket in front) then the HSF to the bracket unlike the Noctua in which you have to bolt it down directly to the bracket which is on the back of the board. This way when you move, you can remove the HSF from the bracket but keep the bracket on the board. If you do that with the Noctua, you need to remove your mother board again. The only drawback, $5 more than you wanted to spend, but it may be worth it in the long run.

The Duorb looks interesting. I didn't know they had a cpu version. I will try to find some reviews on it, although, as I mentioned earlier, I'm a little wary of permanently attached fans.

I'm a little confused on your statement that with the Noctua, you have to remove the motherboard to reinstall the HSF. From the installation instructions, it looks like the bracket is installed separately with standoffs on top of the motherboard before attaching the HSF, so this should be just like the Duorb right?



EDIT: Ahhh, I just realized I misunderstood how the adapter plates are installed. I thought you screwed those two adapter plates like standoffs on top of the motherboard and then screwed the HSF down on to them. Now I realize you screw the adapter plates into the HSF first (since the screws are on the bottom).

Wait, now it looks like the Xigmatek and TR work that way, but the Noctua has the mounting I originally envisioned with "short mounting bars" on the MB and "standard fastening brackets" on the HSF base. I'm so confused, but I think I'm figuring it out. I would almost be willing to go with the Noctua just for ease of use and guaranteed quiet fan.