Recommend CPU cooler for LGA1155

[ganymede]

Yes, I know, I made thread about LGA775 today, but I might upgrade to a LGA1155, and obviously, the CPU cooler is going to factor into that decision.

Same criteria as in the other thread: $40-$50 budget, silent, easy to install, fits on vertically mounted motherboard in a tower ATX case (Casetek 1026-9).

edit: after several revisions, I'm now looking for recommendations on a 120mm 3-pin fan for a Schyte Rasetsu on an i3-2100.

 

[lehtv]

If the criteria and budget are the same, the same recommendations apply as in your other thread. Most coolers are multiplatform compatible

 

[ChrisRey3156]

I remember using a tuniq tower back then.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Like I said in another thread I recommend the 212evo

 

[Belegost]

Just another vote for the HR-02 Macho. The original HR-02 was fanless, so macho runs fine with no fan, is within your budget, and I personally have 2 cooling overclocked 2500ks with great results. (with the fan, don't think I would overclock without it, but would be fine stock with reasonable case airflow.)

 

[General Kenobi]

I'd go with CM Hyper 212 EVO if you're not much of an overclocker.

 

[BFG10K]

Prolimatech Panther or Lynx.

 

[ganymede]

Thanks for the tips guys. It's basically down to the HR-02 or the 212 Evo (both are available and priced similarily).

My only concern at this point is my case being too narrow. Both coolers are 160 mm and my case is 190 mm (factory specifications). According to my estimates, it's a matter of millimeters whether they'll fit or not. Anybody have any data on the height of an i3-2100 above the motherboard?

 

[ganymede]

So, according to my measurements, I have a ~170 mm clearance between the motherboard PCB and the side of the case. That 10 mm has to account for both the height of the heatsink above the PCB and the fact that there's a dust filter on the side protruding a few millimeters into the case. I think I might be able to fit the 121 Evo in there (since it's supposed to be 158 mm) but just in case, I'm looking at available coolers with significantly less than 160 mm height.

Do you think any of the following would cool an i3-2100 with no overclocking?

• Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Co
• Cooler Master Hyper TX3 Evo
• Zalman CNPS7X LED
• Zalman CNPS5X
• ThermalTake Contac 21 (CLP0600)

edit: I mistakenly listed the Thermalright Ultima-90, but as I couldn't find 775-to-1155 converter kits, that's out

 

[lsv]

The Ultima 90 would probably do it no problem, as long as you have a little airflow in the case. Then you can go ultra quiet

 

[llee]

Bear in mind that coolers that are compatible with LGA 1156 will also be compatible with LGA 1155.

 

[ganymede]

I like the idea of passive CPU cooling, although I'm not obsessed with being able to hear a pin drop while the system's at max load As for airflow: it looks like the CPU cooler would be just about level with the 12 cm rear case fan, as well as being pretty much across from the air intake/dust filter on the opposite wall.

Any opinions on other coolers in the list?

 

[MrTeal]

Just a heads up that I think I mentioned in the other thread, but the Ultima-90 is LGA-775/AM2 only out of the box. You need a kit to convert it to LGA1156/5.

 

[ganymede]

Right, that was my mistake, the Ultima 90 is in fact LGA775, I couldn't find any converter kits, so that's out. Here's the remaining list:

• Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Co
• Cooler Master Hyper TX3 Evo
• Zalman CNPS7X LED
• Zalman CNPS5X
• ThermalTake Contac 21 (CLP0600)

(For viewers just joining us: the question is if any of these would handle a non-overclocked i3-2100)

 

[IGemini]

The i3 can't be overclocked anyway so you don't need to go nuts on the cooler. I'd go for the TX3.

 

[lehtv]

Intel stock cooler handles an i3-2100 with zero issues apart from perhaps being slightly more noisy than you would like if you're sensitive to that sort of thing. No guarantee though that all low-profile aftermarket coolers will be any quieter, some of them may achieve better performance but at the cost of not being any quieter.

E8400 and i3-2100 consume about the same amount of power too (both are 65W TDP). At stock, any quiet-RPM cooler that fits in your case and is compatible with both LGA775 and 1155 will do.

Note that pretty much every heatsink-fan will have audible load RPM unless you somehow tone it down. Selecting quiet operation mode in the BIOS (if that is supported) should help but it may not eliminate load noise completely. E.g. Hyper 212+ $30 -> select quiet mode in BIOS.

Or you can connect the fan to the PSU and downvolt it for low constant RPM with this cable. The 4-pin PWM fan of 212+ won't fit the adapter cable so you'll need a new fan, e.g. this cheapo case fan. Then downvolt to 7V for constant silent 500-600RPM, idle and load.

 

[ganymede]

Durr, I just remembered that I have a CoolerMaster Aerogate II whiste. That would downvolt the CPU fan nicely, wouldn't it?

The question at this point is: how much can I downvolt it? I'm assuming CPU temperature is the key, so what's a good threshold?

 

[infoiltrator]

If you dislike using intel retention pins the Thermaltake CLPO556 a better performing cooler with screw mount, $12.99 atm on Amazon with prime, $18.99 at newegg.
Not for overclocking, just a downflow 90mm fan heatsink for I3 processors.

 

[ganymede]

CLPO556 is not available unfortunately.

 

[lehtv]

The question at this point is: how much can I downvolt it? I'm assuming CPU temperature is the key, so what's a good threshold?

The 212+ will cool a stock clocked 65W CPU very easily. At its normal max load RPM of 2000 it should cool a 2500K @ 4.5GHz to around 70C when stress testing which is still easily cool enough for long term use. 2500K @ 4.5 produces more than twice as much waste heat as an i3. I don't think you need to really worry about the temperatures at all, you should be fine even at something like 500RPM.

There are of course factors to consider like ambient temperature and case airflow. In any case, the best way to go about it would be to start with max RPM, stress test and record temps, then while the test is running, turn the fan down gradually and see where the temps settle

 

[ganymede]

What about the stock fan? Can I downvolt it to, say, 1000 rpm?

 

[lehtv]

The stock fan RPM is designed to be controlled with Pulse Width Modulation, not voltage control, at a range of 600-2000 RPM. Normally PWM control is done in an automated way through the motherboard CPU fan header, so you can't actually choose a constant RPM with PWM...

If you wanted to downvolt it manually, there are a few options I can think of but I don't know if they'd work. Since only the fourth wire is used for PWM, voltage control should work if you could attach the three standard wires into your fan contoller (even two should work, the third is just for reading the RPM). Either the fan controller needs to have a 4-pin header designed specifically for that purpose, or you need 4-pin PWM -> 3-pin adapter cable... Or I suppose you could physically mod the fan to disable the PWM function. I.e. remove the connector from the wires, attach a 3-pin connector to the three wires.

 

[General Kenobi]

The 212+ will cool a stock clocked 65W CPU very easily. At its normal max load RPM of 2000 it should cool a 2500K @ 4.5GHz to around 70C when stress testing which is still easily cool enough for long term use. 2500K @ 4.5 produces more than twice as much waste heat as an i3. I don't think you need to really worry about the temperatures at all, you should be fine even at something like 500RPM.

There are of course factors to consider like ambient temperature and case airflow. In any case, the best way to go about it would be to start with max RPM, stress test and record temps, then while the test is running, turn the fan down gradually and see where the temps settle

Just a side note, but I think that the 212 EVO should generally be recommended over the 212+, as the EVO doesn't have gaps between the heatpipes at the bottom. The 212 EVO generally received better reviews for its design as well. The price difference shouldn't be that huge now, depending on where you're shopping.

 

[lehtv]

Part of what makes EVO better is the slightly better fan, but if you're going to swap the fan anyway, that doesn't matter. For non overclocked 65W CPU, the more even base of EVO wouldn't really be worth anything

 

[dpk33]

Hyper 212+ or Evo like many have said. I don't think you even need the fan and just run it passive, if that works. The stock cooler is pretty quiet too, so I hear.