i5-3570k stock cooler or COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

[Seromontis]

I've been looking at buying an aftermarket cooler to cool my cpu when I overclock it. It seems as though most people go to 4.5ghz, so I plan on ocing to that speed. What oc software do most people use to oc their cpu? This would be my first time I ever oc my cpu. Is the stock cooler sufficient for cooling it down, or should I go ahead and buy the Hyper 212+? I've read other forums where they mention the 212+ is the best value/$ so that's why I chose it. I've also looked into thermal paste and found this review site:

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermal-Compound-Roundup-January-2012/1468/5

I understand that they used a different cpu and cpu cooler, but I figured it is still an accurate test of how thermal pastes performed. I believe the 212+ comes with the Cooler Master Thermal Compund Kit, which according to this site would make the cpu core temp 58C. I found a nice cheap paste on newegg for $3.50 called the Prolimatech PRO-PK1:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835242020
According to the thermal paste review site I would see core temps of 47C which is definitely worth $3.50 considering that's 10C cooler for such a cheap price! I don't really have a problem with the packaging of the paste, as long as it actually works. My case is the HAF 922: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119224 Any suggestions or improvements to this cooling setup, or should it be sufficient for my needs?

 

[lau808]

to hit that speed you will likely need the 212+

 

[AnonymouseUser]

What oc software do most people use to oc their cpu?

The BIOS. OC software is fine for testing limits, but locking the settings in the BIOS is preferred.

Is the stock cooler sufficient for cooling it down, or should I go ahead and buy the Hyper 212+?

You're definitely gonna want the 212+, though you may even need a better cooler for 4.5Ghz. The 212+ is a great value (which is why I own two of them), but it is far from the best.

According to the thermal paste review site I would see core temps of 47C which is definitely worth $3.50 considering that's 10C cooler for such a cheap price! I don't really have a problem with the packaging of the paste, as long as it actually works.

You are mis-reading the test results. The important part is the Difference (over room temperature). According to their charts, the PK-1 would perform ~1° C better than the Cooler Master TIM. They were tested at starkly different room temperatures (23° C vs 13° C), which is where they get the additional 10° C difference.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Any suggestions or improvements to this cooling setup, or should it be sufficient for my needs?

One simple improvement would be to add a second fan to the 212+ for a push/pull setup. That generally nets up to an additional 2° to 4° C improvement, though it can also add additional noise. Also, be sure to read this for the proper way to install the TIM (skip step 1, lapping can be fatal to an HDT cooler like the 212+).

 

[Kenmitch]

Would be better to get.the hyper 212 evo as the base is more TIM friendly. Its worth the $5 diff in price.

 

[Termie]

Would be better to get.the hyper 212 evo as the base is more TIM friendly. Its worth the $5 diff in price.

Agreed. If I didn't already have a 212+ I purchased in 2010, I would have gone with the 212 Evo for my new build. It's definitely worth the extra few bucks. And either one is an absolutely huge upgrade over the stock cooler, which really isn't designed for overclocking.

By the way, you don't actually need to buy TIM. The cooler will come with some CoolerMaster branded TIM. If you're willing to spend a few more dollars, however, it's probably worth investing in some really good TIM, since changing TIM later on is a pain. I'm not familiar with the Prolimatch TIM, but it's probably pretty good. A few others that have received great reviews are Gelid Extreme, Noctua NT-H1, and Arctic MX-2 or MX-4. You'll see all of those here: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...e&Order=RATING.

Don't be persuaded to buy Arctic Silver 5 - the only reason it's top-rated by Newegg users is because it's been around forever.

 

[Seromontis]

Agreed. If I didn't already have a 212+ I purchased in 2010, I would have gone with the 212 Evo for my new build. It's definitely worth the extra few bucks. And either one is an absolutely huge upgrade over the stock cooler, which really isn't designed for overclocking.

By the way, you don't actually need to buy TIM. The cooler will come with some CoolerMaster branded TIM. If you're willing to spend a few more dollars, however, it's probably worth investing in some really good TIM, since changing TIM later on is a pain. I'm not familiar with the Prolimatch TIM, but it's probably pretty good. A few others that have received great reviews are Gelid Extreme, Noctua NT-H1, and Arctic MX-2 or MX-4. You'll see all of those here: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...e&Order=RATING.

Don't be persuaded to buy Arctic Silver 5 - the only reason it's top-rated by Newegg users is because it's been around forever.

Thanks all for your thoughts on the matter. About the thermal paste, must have not even looked at the difference column. I don't plan on buying any thermal paste any time soon then. How often should you replace thermal paste on the cpu anyway?
I ended up getting the 212+. I heard reviews of the 212 evo only getting 3-5C cooler and since the 212+ already runs it at stable temps I didn't see the point in spending a little more, I guess I'll see when I'm gaming.

 

[philipma1957]

... How often should you replace thermal paste on the cpu anyway?
I ended up getting the 212+. I heard reviews of the 212 evo only getting 3-5C cooler and since the 212+ already runs it at stable temps I didn't see the point in spending a little more, I guess I'll see when I'm gaming.

close to never but every 18 months may not be a bad idea. myself i don't do it, but for the first time.


as for buying the lower cost cooler i think is was a mistake on your part. but thats just my opinion. I have played around with both coolers and i prefer the better one. I only say this because you wanted to oc at 4.4 or 4.5 ghz

 

[Hubb1e]

Don't worry at all about TIM. use what it comes with. It only makes an extremely small difference and there's no way it would make the difference between a stable rig and an unstable rig since you can't run a computer that close to the edge of stability.