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***POLL: Which is the BEST HSF?***

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Originally posted by: Skott
Originally posted by: s44
Which is the best for use with a big in-case side fan?
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Thats something you are going to have to research. If you got the case or got a particular case in mind you'd need to find out who else has one and what type of hsf they have in it. Basically start googling the case and see what you come up with. Most full tower cases will house the big hsf like the Scythe and Tuniq without a problem. As you move down into the mid-tower cases you have to look more closely at what what others are using because they are smaller inside in many instances.

For example I had to research the Chakra in my sig below. I found a couple reviews of it and one in particular the reviewer used a Zalman 9500 which was the hsf I wanted to use to begin with. I was a bit leary of those bigger hsf and their weight.
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Yeah, thanks. I was actually wondering more about interaction of the fans, whether they might tangle each other up or provide synergy (so one could go fanless on the actual HS, for example).
 
If money isn't a concern, the best air cooler is easily the Sunbeam Tuniq Tower.

(Aside from the hybrid TEC/air coolers.)

I'd also mention that i wouldn't touch any of the Scythe coolers, unless they've changed the absolutely retarded installation/retention system.

 
Originally posted by: n7
If money isn't a concern, the best air cooler is easily the Sunbeam Tuniq Tower.

(Aside from the hybrid TEC/air coolers.)

I'd also mention that i wouldn't touch any of the Scythe coolers, unless they've changed the absolutely retarded installation/retention system.
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Good point.

I also don't like the installation/retention system that is used by Intel and some of the other aftermarket HSFs. The Intel one is a pain. I've never used an aftermarket HSF before but I can easily see that the backplate/thumbscrews combination works well.
 
Try xoxide . . . their price ain't too bad.

I would like to point out that you left off the Big Typhoon VX. Also, in cases that have side air vents/ducts or side air fans that blow directly onto the HSF, HSFs that blow directly onto the CPU (rather than across the CPU) will perform optimally. Big Typhoons equipped with high-cfm fans (80-100+) have beaten the Tuniq Tower 120 in open-air testbeds and cases with side air ducts or side case fans. An example:

http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=103462

Notice how the 72 cfm fans (Tuniq stock and Delta) allow the Big Typhoon to match the performance of the Tuniq Tower 120? With an 86 cfm fan (same speed as the fan included with the Big Typhoon VX) it is 1C cooler, and with the 102 cfm Sanyo Denki fan the Big Typhoon is 3C cooler.

In cases where the Big Typhoon doesn't have unrestricted vertical airflow, it may produce unwanted turbulence and perform below expecations.

I have also seem examples where the Ultra-120 can perform very well with 100+ cfm fans, and it seems to be one of the few coolers on the market that can effectively utilize the 150-220 cfm Delta fans, though there still isn't much data on that. Few people want to put up with the noise of the high-speed Delta fans (and who can blame them?).

I have seen one instance in which a Scythe Infinity with two (yes, two) fans mounted on it was a dominant performer, though the practicality of mounting two fans on the Infinity is . . . suspect. You can also mount two fans on the Noctua NH-U12F, though I've heard two fans don't help much (even fast ones).
 
The Ultra 120 is a little hard to rate vs others because it has no stock fan, yet it does not perform well unless it is paired with a fast fan. It may be one of the best, if not the best, cooler on the market when paired with a single add-on fan, but I haven't seen enough test results to come to a solid conclusion.
 
This is a stoopid poll. There are really only two places for anyone to get an opinion: from personal experience, or from reviews from other people. In the latter case a poll is meaningless, and we're not allowed to vote based on the former case. What's the point? Besides, do you think I'm gong to think that one hsf is the best, but then go and buy a different one? Geeze!

The one I HAVE for my e6400 is a Big Typhoon which does a great job of quietly cooling. On the downside its fitting is less than ideal. It's easy to warp the motherboard, the brackets can hit other components, and the sponge gasket is hell to peel off if you need to do so. The Thermalright SI-120 on my Opteron is an excellent cooler too, but a lot easier to fit.

Overall, one thing a lot of people overlook is the expectation on behalf of the mboard manufacturers for the hsf fan to also cool other components such as rectifiers and the chipset. Many hsfs can direct air away from some of these components, and because of this, a hsf may be a great cpu cooler but ultimately fail to contribute to a stable system. I see some notable offenders on the list of candidates.
 
Originally posted by: Zim
This is a stoopid poll. There are really only two places for anyone to get an opinion: from personal experience, or from reviews from other people. In the latter case a poll is meaningless, and we're not allowed to vote based on the former case. What's the point? Besides, do you think I'm gong to think that one hsf is the best, but then go and buy a different one? Geeze!
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Uhhh, please explain to me what the point of judging a heatsink off of personal experience is. Heatsink reviews are only useful if they compare to more than say... 5 heatsinks.


 
Originally posted by: tcG
Uhhh, please explain to me what the point of judging a heatsink off of personal experience is.
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Do I really need to answer that?!
Heatsink reviews are only useful if they compare to more than say... 5 heatsinks.
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True, and many do. They often review one heatsink, but then compare it against results from other previous reviews. But what would be the point on voting based on reading reviews? It proves nothing.
 
anyone know where the arctic freezer 7 is still on the cheap?

ive tried the egg, zipzoomfly, xoxide, outpost, and the older HT forum ewiz link....


i know im forgetting some retailers but my mind is dying...
 
Read the article here on Anandtech about the CoolerMaster Hyper6+. It would have to be considered one of the better values in terms of price/performance.

I agree with some of the comments above. I'm not going to vote on this because I only have experience with one. I don't mind giving advice based on reputable reviews, like at this site, but I'm not going to vote on a winner when I haven't made the comparisons myself.
 
Fair enough...no hassle from me. Advice is after all what I'm seeking.

However, the Tuniq Tower 120 seems to be the runaway winner here. Even in the price/performance category because the price of the AC Freezer 7 Pro has risen soooo much in price. I was contemplating getting one some time ago when they were for $30.
 
I don't think that the AC Freezer 7 Pro is a good price/performance value any more now that it costs as much as the Tuniq. You'll be better of by spending less money and getting the Tuniq Tower 120.
 
Scythe Ninja hands down. At a high CFM the Tuniq Tower can beat the Ninja by a little, but at low speed the Ninja absolutely destroys the competition. The C/Watt is incredible at lower fan speeds and still extremely good at high fan speeds. Tuniq tower is good, but not as good as people here make it out to be.

-Kevin
 
I think that the Tuniq is just an Anandtech favorite because fo the good review it got here. If you look elsewhere the Infinity or the Ultra-120 are rated as good or better. Tuniq just got a lot of buzz. Not sure if it's all merited.

PS - you left out the Hyper 6+. The Hyper 6+ would easily win the price/performance poll.
 
Originally posted by: Chapbass
anyone know where the arctic freezer 7 is still on the cheap?

ive tried the egg, zipzoomfly, xoxide, outpost, and the older HT forum ewiz link....


i know im forgetting some retailers but my mind is dying...
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Try svc?
 
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