CPU Cooler Guide For Sandy / Ivy Bridge Cpus !!

This post has an update long overdue, I will update this over the next week(I need to read up a bit), I urge you to contribute what you can, reviews, prices, links, articles(written by you), pics(800x600).

Recently I'm seeing lots of people asking questions about whether they need an after market cooler for Sandy system, this small report is intended for them.

Q: Do I Need an after market cooler for Sandy CPU?
Ans: Depends on the CPU:

1. 2600k: Yes, even with stock.
2. 2500K and the else: No, needed only for Oc'ing.

Coolers Preferred:
Upto 2k:
Cooler Master Hyper 212+:
Comes with 1 FAN
Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus review
Cooler Master Hyper 212 PLUS CPU Cooler Review | Hardware Canucks
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus Review - Overclockers Club

2-3k: Cooler Master N620
Comes with 2 FANs
Cooler Master Hyper N620 Review - Overclockers Club
Coolermaster Hyper N620 Review - Page 1 - Introduction
Cooler Master Hyper N620 CPU Cooler Review | Hardware Secrets
Cooler Master Hyper TX3 and N620 Review | AlienBabelTech

OR:
Hyper 212+ and 1x Cooler Master Blademaster Xtraflow fan for 600/-

3-4K:
Noctua U12P SE2
Comes with 2 FANs
Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler Review - The Noctua NH-U12P SE2 - Legit Reviews
Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler | Overclockers Online
Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler Review | Reviews - Clunk.org.uk
Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler Reviewed

OR:
Thermalright TRUE Rev. c
(installed fan will block first ram slot, 2nd, 3rd and 4th slot can be populated), does not come with fan, also 1156(sandy bridge) bracket needs to be bought separately.

Pics by digit member(Faun): *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cpu-motherboards/142397-cpu-cooler-guide-sandy-bridge.html#post1428596

Reviews:
TRUE Rev. C - Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120 Revision B & C Review | [H]ard|OCP

Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme Rev.C Review - Overclockers Club

4-5K: Noctua NH-D14
Comes with 2 FANs

Digit member Review: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/reviews/142519-noctua-nh-d14-review-re-posted.html
Noctua NH-D14 review
Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler Review
Noctua NH-D14 Review - Overclockers Club
Noctua NH-D14 HSF Review - The Best CPU Cooler Ever? - The Massive Noctua NH-D14 - Legit Reviews

Now, The Horror that is Intel Stock cooler that comes with Sandy Bridge:

The baseplate is anything but mirror:
*i.imgur.com/LVov8.jpg

That's a 2/- coin:
*i.imgur.com/C814w.jpg

*i.imgur.com/kL8qT.jpg

The other side of the cooler, no heatpipe, nothing, its just a hollow metal container:
*i.imgur.com/N7550.jpg

*i.imgur.com/KAmHO.jpg

*i.imgur.com/nBNyA.jpg

Hmm, that's 1.5cm :lol:

*i.imgur.com/i48NR.jpg

The fans happens to be a delta though, surprise, surprise:
*i.imgur.com/Rr02T.jpg

Important: Now, the compatibility, most coolers have 42mm+ clearance underside, so Gskill rams will fit, but the likes of corsair vengeance will not, if the cooler heatsink clears the ram slot or have fans that can be raised, it can fit vengeance rams, 212+, U12PSE2, N620 falls in this category, D14 does not, D14 goes over ram slot(the heatsink), so you need to buy Gskill RAMs.
If you want to know the compatibility of any rams with any cooler, post here, I'll get back to you as fast as I can.

Thermal Interface Material Guide:
TIM is a substance that forms a layer between the grooves of the cooler baseplate and CPU HSF, it is needed because air trapped in the grooves acts as insulator and decreases thermal conductivity, thereby increasing the temperature of the CPU.

There are two basic types of TIMs;

1.Electro conductive: These tims have metal particles in them, as you know metal is very good thermal conductor but they are also electro conductive, one drop falling on your mobo or cpu socket will fry it, these tims are best but with better performance comes higher risks, I'd suggest users to not buy these types of TIM, Eg: Arctic Silver 5

2.Non electro conductive: These do not conduct electricity, so it will cause no issues if it falls on your mobo, they have good performance, a balance between performance and risk.
Eg: Arctic Cooling MX2, MX4, Noctua NTH1(free with noctua coolers), Tuniq TX4, Coolermaster thermal fusion.

TIM Properties that are the measure of its bleeding and performance capabilities:

Viscosity: Higher this value is, the more "Sticky" the paste will be, lower viscosity means its easier to spread, higher means you have to spread with finger.
Thermal conductivity(Fourier's Law of conduction, Unit: W/mK): The higher this value, the better the cooling performance of the tim.

Detailed Analysis of Some Popular TIMs
by mukherjee

A. Non Electro-conductive

1. Tuniq TX-3

Specifications:

Available @395/- +shipping @ The IT Depot

Reviews: Tuniq TX3 Review

2. Tuniq TX-4

Specifications:

Available @440/- +shipping @ The IT Depot

Currently,the TX-4 is the best TIM available,but its viscous and a bit more difficult to spread than others...it is non electro conductive though...

Reviews: Tuniq TX-4 Thermal Grease Review » Page 3 - Specifications & Features - Overclockers Club

3. Arctic Silver Matrix

Specifications:

Average Particle Size|7.8 microns 0.00031 inch

Temperature Limits|Peak: –50°C to 135°C

Coverage Area|2.5-gram syringe. (About 1cc)

At a layer 0.003" thick, one syringe will cover about 20 square inches.

Available @230/- +shipping @ The IT Depot

4. ARCTIC MX-2

Specifications:

Viscosity (poise)|850
Density (g/cm³)|3.96

Available @ Mediahome.in(390/-+Shipping)

Review: Bay Reviews: ARCTIC MX-2

5. ARCTIC MX-4
Specifications:

Thermal Conductivity| 8.5(W/mk)
Viscosity (poise)|870
Density (g/cm³)|2.5

Presently the best TIM available for money...but as always...unavailable in India....will cost ~900/- to get a 4gm tube shipped to India from Hong Kong presently

Reviews of MX-4:

OverclockersHQ: ARCTIC MX-4

OCC: ARCTIC MX-4

MADSHRIMPS: ARCTIC MX-4

B. Electro-Conductive

1. Arctic Silver 5

Specifications:

Thermal Conductance|>350,000W/m2 °C (0.001 inch layer)

Thermal Resistance|<0.0045°C-in2/Watt (0.001 inch layer)

Average Particle Size|<0.49 microns <0.000020 inch

Extended Temperature Limits|Peak: –50°C to >180°C Long-Term: –50°C to 130°C

Warning: These are electro conductive TIMs. Inadvertent spillage on electrical components WILL harm them

Available @530/- +shipping @ The IT Depot

Comparison of some Thermal Interface Materials
*benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=150&Itemid=62

How to apply TIM for HDT Coolers like Hyper 212+
*benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=38&limit=1&limitstart=5

Contributers: Tkin, mukherjee, Faun, asingh

A very informative thread and it comes at the nick of time!

M

excellent work.

@ tkin

Nice post buddy. Intel stock coolers are really pathetic. Btw have you ever tried fitting your stock cooler? How did you do it?

I think my stock cooler is not fitting properly. Do you have to press all the four pillars simultaneously?

So i m gng with i72600k , cm hyper 212plus .. Enough ??
ll be using cm690ii cabby with 3 fans..
Will corsair and gskill , both fit properly ??
i m gonna use single stick of 4gb for nw

vickybat said:
@ tkin

Nice post buddy. Intel stock coolers are really pathetic. Btw have you ever tried fitting your stock cooler? How did you do it?

I think my stock cooler is not fitting properly. Do you have to press all the four pillars simultaneously?

Put the cooler on top of CPU, now gently push the pins in so that they go through the hole, but do not tighten it yet, now push down on the cooler and keeping the pressure, use a screw driver to tighten two diagonally opposite screws, be careful or the screw driver will slip and hit the motherboard.

techking_dinesh said:
So i m gng with i72600k , cm hyper 212plus .. Enough ??
ll be using cm690ii cabby with 3 fans..
Will corsair and gskill , both fit properly ??
i m gonna use single stick of 4gb for nw

Yes, its good enough, even for moderate oc, make sure to buy one more fan for 212+(it comes with one fan) for push pull.

Yes, both rams will fit, without any issue.

Can u elaborate d detail of extra fan plz ?
i live in a very small city , wnt get it here ,
so how much mm , wat kinda extra fan ??

techking_dinesh said:
Can u elaborate d detail of extra fan plz ?
i live in a very small city , wnt get it here ,
so how much mm , wat kinda extra fan ??

This fan:
Cooler Master Blade Master Xtraflo 120MM Computer Fan | eBay

This is an exact copy of the fan that comes free with 212+(well not exact as it has leds etc, but speed, air pressure etc are same), so you should try to get it, two fans used as push pull must be very close to each other in specs for optimal performance.

The above listing has ended, wait a few days and it will be relisted in ebay again.

Can I use my stock cooler's fan as cabinet fan. Any way ?

Faun said:
Can I use my stock cooler's fan as cabinet fan. Any way ?

Well, not in basic form, you can try to hard mod it, but I'm not sure if it will void warranty from intel(manual says you need to return item in exact condition, not sure if it needs the fans for rma as well).

Nice and very informative posts. Pics are very good too.

Really nice and informative.

Stuck'ed.

^^ I'll update this guide with tims and optional coolers, right now researching price of other coolers.

That's nice addition, mukherjee. :doublethumb:

I'm adding this to first post, with credits to mukherjee, other members please help out, those who have after market coolers, please post here, I'll add your post to first post with due credits.

Mukherjee, removed your original content. Since Tkin merged it. He gave you credit -- which is honorable.

asingh said:
Mukherjee, removed your original content. Since Tkin merged it. He gave you credit -- which is honorable.

Yea..he's a nice guy

tkin said:
I'm adding this to first post, with credits to mukherjee, other members please help out, those who have after market coolers, please post here, I'll add your post to first post with due credits.

Thanks

Skud said:
That's nice addition, mukherjee.

Thanks a lot bro

Sheesh...all the review links I put up...went for a walk...

@ tkin...if u can...please add the Tx3 and Tx4 review links...also update the price of Mx2 @390+shipping @ Mediahome.in.....I cant modify those...

No worries bro, I'm doing it, you should think about me, I had to put the top post in part by part, it was painfully slow.

D14 should come with a disclaimer as it can be obstacle for certain memory kits with taller heatspreaders. Its a good thing you mentioned it

. Good findings.

Truth be told, we should get thermal pastes like X23-7783D. Those MX2 aren't like the older ones when they used to come in older black packs. Some say OCZ freeze is a better option but I'll guess I'll give it a shot.

Thermalright TRUE Black didn't pose any hindrance to Vengeance. Though one migh require slim version of fan as the Scythe Ultra Kaze I received are humungous. This fan literally blows the wind out of your system like a jet engine, sound like one too

Tkin, I will dig up my NHD14 review. You can update it on the link...! I think it got purged from TDF. Will copy it over from TE. Hope that will help. It has detailed stuff about RAM deltas to the fans.

great guide - bookmarked it.

Have a look at this Sandy Bridge Buyer’s Guide

Here are the pics of Thermalright TRUE Black to give an idea about clearance and other issues

*farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/5841407858_5445047442_b.jpg

*farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/5844946441_5bd955fef6_b.jpg

*farm3.static.flickr.com/2768/5844944883_5b186e9bf1_b.jpg

Will be moving to 25mm width fans and back to dual channel later.
*farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/5844943333_ac8336fee5_b.jpg

PS: You need to buy fan and 1156 (compatible with 1155) socket bracket separately for it.

V

Nice Guide .. Just what I needed ... I will buy aftermarket HSF soon ... Stock Cooler sux Bigtime ...

Thank God !!! I didnt buy arctic silver 5 ... was gonna buy that b4 I got the matrix ....

@ Faun, merged your post on top, let me know if I need to modify anything.

V

@faun : Adding another fan will block ur RAM slot ???

@tkin : What should I buy ???
N620 or Hyper 212 + ???

Coz N620 looks more bling bling !!!!

vizkid2005 said:
@faun : Adding another fan will block ur RAM slot ???

@tkin : What should I buy ???
N620 or Hyper 212 + ???

Coz N620 looks more bling bling !!!!

N620, if you can find it, very vfm cooler, I would've bought it if it was available at 2.5k(the actual market price)

V

@tkin : Will fit in my Cabby ?? I guess so ... Wat say ???

vizkid2005 said:
@tkin : Will fit in my Cabby ?? I guess so ... Wat say ???

Not a problem.

Real nice guide. It really helped me to clear out my doubts about TIM.

And one more request please tell me how much Thermal paste to apply ????

^just a rice grain size drop at the center of CPU die.

Just that much ??? And does it comes in a tube ???

Tkin,Mukherjee and Faun thanks a lot for good informative post.

gameranand said:
Just that much ??? And does it comes in a tube ???

Yeah.
*brain.pan.e-merchant.com/5/6/00002465/g_00002465.jpg

Tenida said:
Tkin,Mukherjee and Faun thanks a lot for good informative post.

welcome

V

Guys Should I use the spreading by hand method for Artcic Silver Matrix ??? Or Rice grain method is ok ???
Reason I think I`m getting Higher temps is maybe the TIM didn`t spread well ...
Is it a possibility ???

Thin method works nice too.

vizkid2005 said:
Guys Should I use the spreading by hand method for Artcic Silver Matrix ??? Or Rice grain method is ok ???
Reason I think I`m getting Higher temps is maybe the TIM didn`t spread well ...
Is it a possibility ???

Rice grain method is what I use and it's proved to be very good so far ;-)

Guys When I apply thermal paste do I need to wait for some hours or days before using PC again or I can use my PC just after applying the TIM ???
Please reply ASAP.

You can use it ASAP.

What about coolermaster V6GT cpu cooler?Will it be fit with gskill ram in asus z68 vpro?

asingh said:
You can use it ASAP.

Thanks a lot for replying ASAP with ASAP as my answer. :))

Tenida said:
What about coolermaster V6GT cpu cooler?Will it be fit with gskill ram in asus z68 vpro?

Not worth the money when you can get cheaper sol with better performance.

Joined the Z68 club :))

Will try the spread method using TX4 wat say? :?:

Congrats!!!

Skud said:
Congrats!!!

thanks

mukherjee said:
Joined the Z68 club

Will try the spread method using TX4 wat say?

Drop of noctua first? Just for testing? The TX4 is amazing though, I am planning to switch very soon.

tkin said:
Drop of noctua first? Just for testing? The TX4 is amazing though, I am planning to switch very soon.

Is there any need? U alredy have the NT H1 applied...do some benchies...lemme do the same with teh TX4

My cpu has the batch no 3103b451......did a google search...this is what I came across...

Link 1

Link 2

This is what I was talking about

*i.imgur.com/BZsZt.gif

Wat do u say about it?

tkin said:
Drop of noctua first? Just for testing? The TX4 is amazing though, I am planning to switch very soon.

The more you apply, clean, re-apply and repeat the cycle. The quicker you will wear out the machine finish of the contact surfaces. Will loose performance.

asingh said:
The more you apply, clean, re-apply and repeat the cycle. The quicker you will wear out the machine finish of the contact surfaces. Will loose performance.

Thanks for the valuable input...this has put paid to tkin's designs :twisted:

@mukherjee
pics of cooler + bios settings.

Faun said:
@mukherjee
pics of cooler + bios settings.

Will do so when I build it up....any tips on how to take bios screenshots?(Late nights...feeling a bit snoozy :tired:

)

mukherjee said:
Will do so when I build it up....any tips on how to take bios screenshots?(Late nights...feeling a bit snoozy )

Plug in a FAT32 formatted pen drive, press F12 and save, its that simple.

tkin said:
Plug in a FAT32 formatted pen drive, press F12 and save, its that simple.

Thanks for the heads up bro :doublethumb:

Look at this NEW NZXT Havik 140 CPU cooler it looks Super and perform well too.
Reviews
Hardwaresecrets
Neoseeker
Legitreviews

NZXT HAVIK 140 Installation (Intel)

^^ looks nice and I liked the 2x 140mm fans - this should keep every CPU cool ;-)

I recently bought CM N620.... do i need to apply ThermalPaste for it?????

Congrats, Where did you get it, from Hyderabad? The stock thermal paste should do the job. Check the temps with it first.

Yes, you would.

Skud said:
Congrats, Where did you get it, from Hyderabad? The stock thermal paste should do the job. Check the temps with it first.

I doubt it would have TIM pre-applied.

a very informative and timely presentation.

But IMO it will be a ONE STOP COVERAGE if the following guides are there

1)how to remove STOCK HSF from cpu in case the thermal pads are felt to be feviquick on cpu during removing
2)The washing liquid to clear the old remnants
3)and a lapping guide.(which cooler requires which grit sandpapers)

Also want to know in stock cooler can i change only the fan and not the heatsink.(noise issue)

I have also bookmarked it.

rahulbalmuri said:
I recently bought CM N620.... do i need to apply ThermalPaste for it?????

Bought from where?price?Post some photos.

Stock thermal is enough to cool ur processor.

Tenida said:
Bought from where?price?Post some photos.

Stock thermal is enough to cool ur processor.

i've got it from ebay buddy

price was 3385 but used a discount coupon which i got it frm ebay few days back so totally got it for 2856 or something around that... i'll post the pics soon....

Skud said:
Congrats, Where did you get it, from Hyderabad? The stock thermal paste should do the job. Check the temps with it first.

i've got it from ebay buddy price was 3385 but used a discount coupon which i got it frm ebay few days back so totally got it for 2856/- or something around that... i'll post the pics soon....

Lucky chap. A bit higher, but still worth it. :doublethumb:

@rahulbalmuri-Wow you're so lucky mate

Guys, best TIM on the planet w/o curing time?

MegaMind said:
Guys, best TIM on the planet w/o curing time?

Arctic Cooling MX4.

^^Ha ha, me too was thinking the same.. But how is it compared to Shin etsu n IC7 Diamond?

MegaMind said:
^^Ha ha, me too was thinking the same.. But how is it compared to Shin etsu n IC7 Diamond?

Comparable, MX4 is really good top of the line paste.

By the way, Itwarez have Noctua products back in stock...!

Happy cooling.

^Thanks for the info Asingh..

And MX-4 it is then..

asingh said:
By the way, Itwarez have Noctua products back in stock...!

Happy cooling.

MD Comps in kolkata is also importing them from itwares, just got a called from MD salesman asking me the price of U12P that I paid back then.

C

slightly ot:
will a noctua nh-d14 fit a coolermaster elite 310?

clear_lot said:
slightly ot:
will a noctua nh-d14 fit a coolermaster elite 310?

Might fit, but very tight... Not advisable... Even with CM 690, its a tight fit as said by Asingh...

R

You should add Zalman CNPS 9900MAX, kills the D14 and is around 3.2k

rajnusker said:
You should add Zalman CNPS 9900MAX, kills the D14 and is around 3.2k

Nope.. Close to D14 (@med OC), but annoyingly load...

Yeh Dekho....

Cooler Master Hyper 612

Hyper the Eighth: Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM Review - X-bit labs

^^ thanks for the link ;-)

BTW, what's the difference between CM Hyper 612 PWM and 612S - spec wise they are same :

Hyper 612 PWM - Cooler Master - Leading Provider of Computer Case | Cooler | Power Supply
612S review and specs : Overclock3D :: Review :: Coolermaster Hyper 612S Review :: Hyper Hyper!

Ceck this links for diff

Cooler Master launches Hyper 612 PWM, Hyper 612S and GeminII S524 CPU coolers by VR-Zone.com

Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM vs Hyper 612S Review - TechFud

Ceck this links for diff

Cooler Master launches Hyper 612 PWM, Hyper 612S and GeminII S524 CPU coolers by VR-Zone.com

Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM vs Hyper 612S Review - TechFud

^^ thanks for the links ;-)

here's the official links ;-)

Hyper 612S - Cooler Master - Leading Provider of Computer Case | Cooler | Power Supply
Hyper 612 PWM - Cooler Master - Leading Provider of Computer Case | Cooler | Power Supply

T

awss

mm...!!!!! ,m stl droolin lookn at d tower..!! m stl livin in d stone age....wd a dual core and 80 gb hdd.....

hi guys, i am looking for a cooler for my 2500k (1155). My mobo is biostar tz68k+ and case is CM 690. Plz suggest me a cpu cooler within 2k. I am planning to oc it arround 4.5ghz.

Thanks in advance ..

^^Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo@2K

Tenida said:
^^Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo@2K

Is this avaliable in kolkata ? If then, where in kolkata ? And any thermal pest comes with it ?

^^

M.D.Computers Pvt. Ltd.
16/1, Ganesh Chandra Avenue
Near Chandni Metro Station
Kolkata - 700013
Phone No :-
(033) 2234 6274 , 2253 7133
Mobile No :-
+91 9831151358
+91 9830243212
+91 7439334007
Email :-
support@mdcomputers.in

Welcome To M D COMPUTERS PVT.LTD

Tenida said:
^^

Welcome To M D COMPUTERS PVT.LTD

Thanks for the address, but that 'evo' looks diffrent than previous one ( link which u have posted early) ..

will a NH-D14 fit on NZXT gamma?

^^ yep, it will fit but you may not be able to use the TOP side panel fan and top fans on the roof area.

avinandan012 said:
will a NH-D14 fit on NZXT gamma?

Check here

D

Cooler Master Hyper N620 CPU Cooler

Is this cooler compatible with LGA1155 socket? Cooler Master website does not mention it. I want to buy it for i7 2600K.

Coolers compatible with LGA1156 can also be used for LGA1155...

D

Thanks MegaMind!

My core i7 2600k is showing a temp of over 40C in BIOS, but in Windows (RealTemp) it is 32-33C. Are these figures OK? And why is it showing ~10C more in BIOS?

Cooler is N620 with stock thermal paste.

Skud said:
My core i7 2600k is showing a temp of over 40C in BIOS, but in Windows (RealTemp) it is 32-33C. Are these figures OK? And why is it showing ~10C more in BIOS?

Cooler is N620 with stock thermal paste.

Because in BIOS CPU power saving features are not activated and also theres a bit of load(UEFI), so the extra temps. Its ok.

OK, thanks.

Skud said:
My core i7 2600k is showing a temp of over 40C in BIOS, but in Windows (RealTemp) it is 32-33C. Are these figures OK? And why is it showing ~10C more in BIOS?

Cooler is N620 with stock thermal paste.

Yes its normal me too getting around 40*c in Bios

will the noctua u12p fit NZXT Tempest 410 Elite Mid Tower Case
and how good is this case

dfcols71 said:
will the noctua u12p fit NZXT Tempest 410 Elite Mid Tower Case
and how good is this case

Yes it will, and case is good enough.

T

I would be buying asus P8Z68M-Pro mobo with i5-2500k , corsair vengeance 2x4 GB RAM sticks and an aftermarket cooler. I've chosen following coolers:
1. Antec Kuhler Box AP CPU Cooler
2. Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Cooler

Will any of these coolers interfere with my corsair RAM sticks(moreover it is a uATX mobo)?

Hyper 212 Evo shouldn't have any problem. Not much idea about the Antec.

T

Skud said:
Hyper 212 Evo shouldn't have any problem. Not much idea about the Antec.

But according to this thread, the CM hyper 212 evo would create a space crunch on Asus P8Z68-M Pro mobo with corsair vengeance RAM sticks.

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cpu-mothe...m-pro-v-le-vengeance-212-evo.html#post1600092

just use 1 fan and that too facing rear and you shouldn't face any problem. later add 1 more fan if you feel the ram won't be blocked.

T

I don't have enough knowledge about cpu coolers, so please elaborate. :-?

the_conqueror said:
But according to this thread, the CM hyper 212 evo would create a space crunch on Asus P8Z68-M Pro mobo with corsair vengeance RAM sticks.

Firstly, no one had said so in that thread. It won't actually as I had tried that by installing the bundled fan on right. I'm using CM Hyper 212 Evo, Corsair Vengeance and Asus P8Z68 Deluxe.

Simply install the fan on the left rather than right. Problem solved.

Pic below:

*i.imgur.com/6LJ27.jpg

My system is automatically shutting down itself. And when i turn it on, it displays the porblem is due to CPU Overheating.
So, do i need to get an additional cooler or will applying a fresh layer of thermal paste do the job? BTW after getting my mobo bck from RMA i had applied local thermal paste woth 50bucks. So is this causing the problem?

And is the Antec Kuhler Box AP cooler better or the CM Hyper TX3?

^^Did you the temps in the bios?

Yes, the temp in BIOS is around 50C.
But still i dont understand why my system shuts down!

saswat23 said:
BTW after getting my mobo bck from RMA i had applied local thermal paste woth 50bucks. So is this causing the problem?

This might be the prob. also they can be elec. conductive beware.. Is your cpu HSF free from dust accumulation?

No need to spend on a cooler, get a decent TIM like MX-2..

Don't ever use local 50 bucks wala TIM, it can damage your Processor.

MegaMind said:
This might be the prob. also they can be elec. conductive beware.. Is your cpu HSF free from dust accumulation?

AFAIK my HSF is dust free. Will confirm it again tomorrow.
Actually here only CM thermal paste is available. Abacus Peripherals told me they have one and it costs Rs.570. They didn't mention the model though. I hope that will do.

saswat23 said:
AFAIK my HSF is dust free. Will confirm it again tomorrow.
Actually here only CM thermal paste is available. Abacus Peripherals told me they have one and it costs Rs.570. They didn't mention the model though. I hope that will do.

Buy online :wink:

^^ I am not permited

. I can order via Cash On Delivery only.
And AFAIK there isnt any site as of now, that sells Thermal Paste with COD option.

Wont the CM thermal paste be a good choice?

If you're getting Coolermaster Thermal Fusion 400 at your place then, you are fine

saswat23 said:
Actually here only CM thermal paste is available. Abacus Peripherals told me they have one and it costs Rs.570. They didn't mention the model though. I hope that will do.

It should be TF 400 as Tenida said...
Its a good paste, been using it for 3yrs..

Yes TF400 is very good.Its Rs 430/- in Kolkata.

BTW can you tell me which CM TIMs are good and which are not.
Price would a lot helpful.

You mean i would be paying Rs.570 for a 400 bucks paste.
BTW can you give me a list of all good CM TIMs with price. That will be very helpful.

Well CM has 3 TIM AFAIK
Thermal Fusion 400- Rs 430/- * (Very good)
Ice Fusion-Rs 450/-* (no idea about performance)
HTK002-Rs 150/-* (Cr@p colgate paste is better than this :lol:

)

*Kolkata price

^^Ice fusion is decent..
HTK002 is elec. conductive..

AFAIK the Ice Fusion comes in a cylindrical box instead of a Syringe.
BTW how many time can i use a TIM. Do they have any expiry date??
The local TIM that i had bought had already expired from Nov 2010. When i asked the dealer about this he said that these TIMs dont have any expiry. I think that's why my CPU is heating up a lot.

@Megamind -ARTIC SILVER 5 @Rs. 350 is good but i think but its also elec. conductive. So, some risk is there

So, which one is better. Ice Fusion or Thermal Fusion?
And do these TIMs have any expiry? Plz answer my prev. Ques. too.

saswat23 said:
1. AFAIK the Ice Fusion comes in a cylindrical box instead of a Syringe.

2. BTW how many time can i use a TIM. Do they have any expiry date??

3. The local TIM that i had bought had already expired from Nov 2010. When i asked the dealer about this he said that these TIMs dont have any expiry. I think that's why my CPU is heating up a lot.

1. yes it does..
2. depends on the quantity u get.. TF400 comes in 4g pack & you can do ~25 applications.
3. typical way of a dealer to cheat..

saswat23 said:
So, which one is better. Ice Fusion or Thermal Fusion?
And do these TIMs have any expiry? Plz answer my prev. Ques. too.

TF400 is slightly better...
Yes they do & it will be printed on the TIM package itself..

Tenida said:
@Megamind -ARTIC SILVER 5 @Rs. 350 is good but i think but its also elec. conductive. So, some risk is there

Ya but AFAIK AS5 sticks up to the cpu pretty well & hard to remove w/o isopropyl alcohol..

Thanks for the info mega

^^ regarding the third question of your I'm telling something from my personal experience :

I've used the TiM I got with Hyper 212 - bough it on 2008 and I used it two times and after that forgot about it ( though stored it really well in a plastic pack ). Only a few days ago I've discovered that I had this - so used it on a friend's pc and temp went down by 10c - so If a TiM is stored well and the paste like shape and color is still good ( like when you bought it/got it as new ) it can be used ;-)

So, the TIM has to be stored in a cool and dry place!

saswat23 said:
So, the TIM has to be stored in a cool and dry place!

Just keep it in your shelf/cupboard/draw..

I confirmed from Abacus Peripherals that the TIM model they have is the CM TF-400 and it will cost Rs.570.
Actually when i called their office, the man who picked up the phone was their Sales Executive and this fellow was not aware of TIMs. He didn't even know that there is some kinda paste that CM manufactures for HSFs. For a moment i felt that i wont be getting a good TIM. But fortunately i had contact of one of there executives from servicing dept. Hopefully he checked and told me that the TIM is available and its the TF-400. Very glad to know that indeed. And the best part is shouted at the Sales Officer for misguiding customers

.

BTW is the ThermalFusion-400 better or the IceFusion?

Get ThermalFusion-400...

@ saswat23 - someone has bought CM TF400 @ 400 bucks a few days ago from delta peripherals - so if you can order it from there or else try MD computers and see if they can offer you a lower price tag for this - I bought TF400 on nov @ 500 bucks.

As i have mentioned above, I am not permited for online payment.
So, i will have to settle with whats available here :-(

.

Its available for Rs.530 @ Deltapage.
Cooler Master Thermal Paste - ThermalFusion 400 - www.deltapage.com

saswat23 said:
As i have mentioned above, I am not permited for online payment.

I guess you are left with no choices.. Try to bargain a bit..

Thermal Compound Roundup - February 2012 | Hardware Secrets

Yes, will have to bargain a bit. Will probably get it on Monday. Lets see what happens.

Got this site with COD (I Hope) selling CM TF-400
Buy Cooler Master Thermal Fusion 400 Grease Online in India, Best Price, Best buy, Deals, Offers, Discount, Sale, Shop Online

overpriced !

Ok, CM TF-400 will cost me Rs.550 here so should i go for it or should i get the Vortex 221P cooler instead. It costs Rs.850 here.

Flipkart: Cooler Master Vortex 211P Cooler: Cooler

Vortex 211P - Cooler Master

Considering the price should be a good upgrade over the stock Intel HSF .... go for it ;-)

BTW do i get TIM with it or i do have to buy a new one?

Most probably it ain't ships with any type of TiM on a separate syringe though a little bit of TiM may be pre-applied on the bottom of Vortex 211P for the first time use.

OK, i bought the CM TF-400 for 550 bucks but still i dont notice any change in my temperatures. The temps are still around 45c-55c at stock. And the worst thing is today my PC shutdown again due to CPU Overheating. So, what's the problem actually? I am not really happy with this :-(

.

^^Have you applied the TIM properly?? Which method you have used to apply??
Note:Before applying the thermal paste you should clean the surface of professor with Isotope Alcohol.

saswat23 said:
OK, i bought the CM TF-400 for 550 bucks but still i dont notice any change in my temperatures. The temps are still around 45c-55c at stock. And the worst thing is today my PC shutdown again due to CPU Overheating. So, what's the problem actually? I am not really happy with this .

You might want to update your motherboard's BIOS.

ASUS - Motherboards- ASUS P8H67-M EVO

Tenida said:
Note:Before applying the thermal paste you should clean the surface of professor with Isotope Alcohol.

Isopropyl alcohol.

Go to a Chemist and ask for Surgical Alcohol.

Dip cotton or a thick cloth slightly and clean using it.

Hmmm... even in my case BIOS temps dropped handsomely after update. No change in Windows temps though.

Skud said:
Hmmm... even in my case BIOS temps dropped handsomely after update. No change in Windows temps though.

yup, I have Asus P8Z68 Deluxe as well. My BIOS temperature readings were way too high until I updated. CPU Overheating error was common. More the time I used to spend in BIOS, the more it increased and approached 60-70. Windows temp readings were fine though.

ico said:
Isopropyl alcohol.

Go to a Chemist and ask for Surgical Alcohol.

Oops typo

Tenida said:
^^Have you applied the TIM properly?? Which method you have used to apply??
Note:Before applying the thermal paste you should clean the surface of professor with Isotope Alcohol.

Yes, i think i have applied the TIM properly. I used the rice grain method.
And yes, i had also cleaned the surface of both processor and HSF with Isopropyl Alcohol.

ico said:
You might want to update your motherboard's BIOS.

Ok, updating now.
BTW should i update to the latest one only or all the newer versions that have come out after my previous update!

Go to a Chemist and ask for Surgical Alcohol. Dip cotton or a thick cloth slightly and clean using it.

Already cleaned it properly. But still temps in CoreTemp are the same i.e 45c-55c or even more.

Another thing that concerns me is that in my rig Motherboard temps is around 37c and CPU temp around 46c or more. But my bro who is having i5-2400 + P8H61-M LE gets almost the reverse. His motherboard temp is around 45c and CPU temp around 38c-41c.
Why is this so

??

Only the latest one.

ya, only the latest one.

Ok, downloading the latest one.

when will somoene do something similar for amd proccys?
and please do include a guide for setting that latch and key mechanism, i think i installed mine with too much force.

I think this guide is even good for AMD cpus and most of the coolers mentioned here is also compatible with AMD cpus and the stock coolers usually comes with AMD CPUs is enough to handle the cpu at stock clock speed .. the same TiM can be also used for both .. only the mounting mechanism is a little bit different but most pricey third party coolers have similar mounting mechanism for both cpus .. if you still have doubts just look at couple of youtube vids ;-)

MegaMind said:
I guess you are left with no choices.. Try to bargain a bit..

Thermal Compound Roundup - February 2012 | Hardware Secrets

There they say Arctic Silver 5 is better than Noctua NT-H1? (As far as I can understand) :mrgreen:

M

is the stock cooler with i5 2400 ok ??

do we have a complete guide for how to build a pc.. including all the techniques.....???

mastercool8695 said:
is the stock cooler with i5 2400 ok ??

do we have a complete guide for how to build a pc.. including all the techniques.....???

Yes the stock cooler will be fine if you have proper airflow in your case..

"how to build a pc" is under construction...

M

when will it be out ?? (the guide..)

and for proper airflow , is there any suggestions ?
cheap....

mastercool8695 said:
when will it be out ?? (the guide..)

and for proper airflow , is there any suggestions ?
cheap....

The thread writer is a busy bee.. So not sure.

The case should have an intake & an exhaust fan to maintain airflow..

mastercool8695 said:
when will it be out ?? (the guide..)

and for proper airflow , is there any suggestions ?
cheap....

Read these ;-)

Which is the Best Place to Install a Case Fan? - Part 1 | Hardware Secrets

Which is the Best Place to Install a Case Fan? - Part 2 | Hardware Secrets

M

thanks for the above...

D

good guide

planning to buy a 2500k and a z68 mobo this weekend and use my lapped TRUE120(hope its up to the job) on it with the 1156 mounting kit. im hoping that i wont have any placement issues with the TRUE and the Gskill ripjawsX i've got

if possible do post a pic of the lapped TRUE 120 and post the idle and load temp readings ( I'm sure you will OC - right ? ).

mastercool8695 said:
thanks for the above...

you are welcome . ;-)

D

topgear said:
if possible do post a pic of the lapped TRUE 120 and post the idle and load temp readings ( I'm sure you will OC - right ? ).

will take some pics when i install the new parts. no plans to OC till june(due to summer heat). wasn't able to do the best of Lapping the true since I couldn't get the finer grit sandpapers(3years ago

). im getting the i5 2500k in a short while and along with a z68 or 77 motherboard from asrock/GB/asus depending on availability in chennai.

^^ I thought every TRUE users will OC their cpu right from the beginning ;-)

anyaway, there's only 2 more months to go ... and you need to get the required components ... so I will wait to know how good TRUE 120 performs with SB cpus.

BTW, if possible wait a little bit more and try to get a equivalent IVB K series cpu.

D

^^ I bought the TRUE 120 way back in 2008 when I was new to the concept OCing but got overloaded with work and travel since 2009 and running on stock since then

Its proven hard to get Z series motherboards(non Asus) in Chennai esp Biostar/Asrock. I'm expecting call backs from asrock retailers tomorrow so will know if i'm gonna get SB cpu or IVB. going OT, BTW know any place from where I can get higher grit sandpapers to finish lapping? (can't find any in hardware shops in chennai)

dexterz said:
Its proven hard to get Z series motherboards(non Asus) in Chennai esp Biostar/Asrock. I'm expecting call backs from asrock retailers tomorrow so will know if i'm gonna get SB cpu or IVB.

BTW know any place from where I can get higher grit sandpapers to finish lapping? (can't find any in hardware shops in chennai)

Get Asus MB, Rashi service is better in Chennai..

Check evening bazaar, plenty of hardware shops..

D

MegaMind said:
Get Asus MB, Rashi service is better in Chennai..

Check evening bazaar, plenty of hardware shops..

bad rma experience with them when i had to claim warranty for my friends 8600gt

anything supported by rashi is always 2nd choice for me

S

Which cooler should I go for in case of a Asus P8Z68 LE baord with i72600k and 16gb Corsair Vengeance RAM? I want it below Rs 2000/-

sabchat said:
Which cooler should I go for in case of a Asus P8Z68 LE baord with i72600k and 16gb Corsair Vengeance RAM? I want it below Rs 2000/-

Cooler master hyper 212 evo - 2k

is the stock cooler for i5 2500(non-k) ok to use. And will there be tim on the hsf preapplied? Or need to buy seperately?

^^Its pre-applied and the stock cooler is good enough to keep the temps under control..

W

If I don't wanna OC a core i5 2500K then am I good to go with the stock cooling? How high will the temps reach with a R6950 2 gb while playing BF3 at 1080p Ultra? 70*C or higher?

The temperature of an air cooled cpu depends on a lot of other factors apart from the work load. Room temperature, case's air flow system, amount of wiring and case size are some of those factors I can think of now.
I am sure the stock cooler can handle the non OCed core under a wide range of loads at normal room temperature.

Myth said:
The temperature of an air cooled cpu depends on a lot of other factors apart from the work load. Room temperature, case's air flow system, amount of wiring and case size are some of those factors I can think of now.
I am sure the stock cooler can handle the non OCed core under a wide range of loads at normal room temperature.

Doesn't work with 2600k.

I didnt know the stock cooler for the 2600k was so inadequate for it. *makes a mental note*

@tkin : Love the cpu cooler you have. Costlier, but best in the whole lot.

I think we should rename this thread to : CPU Cooler Guide For Sandy/Ivy Bridge - Ivy Bridge cpus run hotter than SB cpus - so IB cpus need more cooling than SB cpus ;-)

Good idea.
Someone should also update the *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cpu-motherboards/150570-intel-lga-1155-motherboard-thread.html and *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cpu-motherboards/149791-best-cpus-money-india.html threads to include the IB cpu and Z77 mobos

Myth said:
I didnt know the stock cooler for the 2600k was so inadequate for it. *makes a mental note*

@tkin : Love the cpu cooler you have. Costlier, but best in the whole lot.

Not just the cooler, the NTH1 thermal paste is a beauty too, zero curing time, no spreading needed, and even after an year the conductivity remains solid.

topgear said:
I think we should rename this thread to : CPU Cooler Guide For Sandy/Ivy Bridge - Ivy Bridge cpus run hotter than SB cpus - so IB cpus need more cooling than SB cpus

Go ahead, the socket is same for both.

tkin said:
Not just the cooler, the NTH1 thermal paste is a beauty too, zero curing time, no spreading needed, and even after an year the conductivity remains solid.

Go ahead, the socket is same for both.

Yes, I heard the paste supplied is good too. Pity the dollar messed up its price in india. The prices went up almost 1k in the last few months.

tkin said:
Not just the cooler, the NTH1 thermal paste is a beauty too, zero curing time, no spreading needed, and even after an year the conductivity remains solid.

Go ahead, the socket is same for both.

Done

BTw, I think you should update the first post with coolers like Cm Hyper 212 Evo, DeepCool frostwin etc. coolers.

topgear said:
Done

BTw, I think you should update the first post with coolers like Cm Hyper 212 Evo, DeepCool frostwin etc. coolers.

Currently running a bit short on time, if anyone else could do it, just add their names in contributors list.

^^ Ok ...

Ah finally i have stumbled upon the correct thread. My upgraded system spec will look like this:
processor- i5 2500k
Mobo- Asus P8Z77-M
GPU- ASUS ENGTX 560 DirectCU Single Fan
PSU- Corsair GS600
Cabinet- NZXT Gamma
RAm- G Skill 2 x 4Gb 1600MHz CL9
HDD- Seagate barracuda 2 TB(5400 RPM)+ 500 GB(7200 RPM)

Now I am looking for a overclock of 4.2- 4.3 GHz. Will Hyper 212 Evo suffice for that kind of overclock? If not then please suggest one within 3k. Also if i do go for hyper 212 Evo will it fit in my cabinet? :-?

W

rohit32407 said:
Ah finally i have stumbled upon the correct thread. My upgraded system spec will look like this:
processor- i5 2500k
Mobo- Asus P8Z77-M
GPU- ASUS ENGTX 560 DirectCU Single Fan
PSU- Corsair GS600
Cabinet- NZXT Gamma
RAm- G Skill 2 x 4Gb 1600MHz CL9
HDD- Seagate barracuda 2 TB(5400 RPM)+ 500 GB(7200 RPM)

Now I am looking for a overclock of 4.2- 4.3 GHz. Will Hyper 212 Evo suffice for that kind of overclock? If not then please suggest one within 3k. Also if i do go for hyper 212 Evo will it fit in my cabinet?

Answer to everything you asked is YES, without a doubt!

@ rohit32407 - Evo will fit but you won't be able to use the Side Panel's top left fan - near the cpu area.

topgear said:
@ rohit32407 - Evo will fit but you won't be able to use the Side Panel's top left fan - near the cpu area.

Will that be a problem? I can either use top panel fan and rear fan and one for intake in front? Also should i go for pull and push config on hyper 212 Evo? If so then which fan should i buy, any suggestions? :-?

no. that won't be an issue and for Evo better to go for pull+push config using this fan :

Cooler Master 90 CFM Blue LED Cooler | Cooler | Flipkart.com

topgear said:
no. that won't be an issue and for Evo better to go for pull+push config using this fan :

Cooler Master 90 CFM Blue LED Cooler | Cooler | Flipkart.com

Thanks alot i will order this fan with evo itself.

topgear said:
no. that won't be an issue and for Evo better to go for pull+push config using this fan :

Cooler Master 90 CFM Blue LED Cooler | Cooler | Flipkart.com

Great fan. Got 2 because I needed them, but then got another one because the rate fell a bit

^^ Congrats ;-)

@ rohit32407 - you are welcome ;-)

Myth said:
Great fan. Got 2 because I needed them, but then got another one because the rate fell a bit

And increased again. :-(

Saw the price as 475/- yesterday, but not now.

Ok guys I am going to finalise the cooler and order it either tonight or tomorrow morning depending on when i get my answer here. I have a budget of 3.5k or max 4k. Can i get anything better than hyper 212 evo within tht budget or will it be best for me to stick with hyper212 evo? I was thinking about buying Noctual Nh d14 but first of all its really expensive and secondly I don't think it will fit in my cabinet.

So can i get anything in 3.5-4k max which is better than Hyper 212 evo or should i stick with that in push-pull config only?

I am sorry for repeating my question but just wanted to know whether i have any better alternatives. I am hoping to overclock it to 4.5GHz Max. Cabinet is NZXT Gamma so suggest a cooler which wont make me run my pc with an open side panel

Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler ( If you can stretch your budget )

OR

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO ( Best budget cooler available) and Cooler Master 90 CFM Blue LED Cooler

PS: Does anyone know what is the model of the stock fan used in the Evo ?

Myth said:
Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler ( If you can stretch your budget )

OR

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO ( Best budget cooler available) and Cooler Master 90 CFM Blue LED Cooler

PS: Does anyone know what is the model of the stock fan used in the Evo ?

Cooler Master XtraFlo Cooler | Cooler | Flipkart.com

Myth said:
Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler ( If you can stretch your budget )

OR

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO ( Best budget cooler available) and Cooler Master 90 CFM Blue LED Cooler

PS: Does anyone know what is the model of the stock fan used in the Evo ?

Noctua]Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler

I might be able to stretch it if i don't need to buy another fan with it. How many fans are included with it? And also will this fit my cabinet? I don't mind if my upper fan on side panel gets blocked but i would like to keep the lower side one as i installed it to cool down my GPU.

rohit32407 said:
Noctua]Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler

I might be able to stretch it if i don't need to buy another fan with it. How many fans are included with it? And also will this fit my cabinet? I don't mind if my upper fan on side panel gets blocked but i would like to keep the lower side one as i installed it to cool down my GPU.

It will fit.
It comes with 2 fans.
I own it.

tkin said:
It will fit.
It comes with 2 fans.
I own it.

Thanks a ton, I will see if i can stretch my budget and if I can I will go for it

tkin said:
Cooler Master XtraFlo Cooler | Cooler | Flipkart.com

Thanks tkin.

rohit32407 said:
Noctua]Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler

I might be able to stretch it if i don't need to buy another fan with it. How many fans are included with it? And also will this fit my cabinet? I don't mind if my upper fan on side panel gets blocked but i would like to keep the lower side one as i installed it to cool down my GPU.

One front intake + one rear exhaust + the twin fan noctua is sufficient.

Finally i have the cash to go for a CPU cooler in the range of 4.5k max. Earlier it was suggested that i should go for Noctua NH-12 U12P SE2 but then i cam across this water cooling solution Corsair H60. They both are in same price range AFAIK.

Which one will be the better solution-
1)Noctua NH-12 u12p se2
2)Corsair H60
3)Corsair H80(If its worth the extra 1.5k)

I plan to OC my i5 2500k to 4.5 ghz Max. My config is in my signature(Cabinet is NZXT Gamma). The PC is in an air conditioned room so ambient temperature is generally around 24 degrees.

P.S. I know i have asked too many questions about coolers but i am a complete noob in this area and this will be my first overclock thats why i just want to go for the best in my budget.

Noctua NH-12 u12p se2 is more than sufficient to take 2500k to 4.5GHz..

MegaMind said:
Noctua NH-12 u12p se2 is more than sufficient to take 2500k to 4.5GHz..

Only thing i am worried about is that the 8 pin ATX CPu power cable supplied with seasonic s12ii 620w is really small. It barely reaches the connector on my mobo even when I haven't taken it out the back of the cabinet. I had to connect it directly. I was wondering whether these huge air coolers will obstruct that cable coz there is really no way to manage that cable. It's not possible for me to take it from the back of the cabinet as i have done with other cables.

Is H60 inferior to noctua nh-12 u12p se2? Managing that cable with this sleek water cooling solution would be much easier. But if H60 is not good enough then i will have to look for extension cable. On ebay these extension cables are priced around 1200 RS and these extension cables are not available locally to me.

rohit32407 said:
Only thing i am worried about is that the 8 pin ATX CPu power cable supplied with seasonic s12ii 620w is really small. It barely reaches the connector on my mobo even when I haven't taken it out the back of the cabinet. I had to connect it directly. I was wondering whether these huge air coolers will obstruct that cable coz there is really no way to manage that cable. It's not possible for me to take it from the back of the cabinet as i have done with other cables.

I have the same cabby & don't have any prob. with venomous X installed...

Check here,

*i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww54/mailmemanju/Venomous%20X/DSCN4788.jpg

MegaMind said:
I have the same cabby & don't have any prob. with venomous X installed...

Check here,

*i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww54/mailmemanju/Venomous%20X/DSCN4788.jpg

not the cabinet, the 8 pin CPU power cable provided with the Seasonic s12ii 620w PSU is just way too short in length. It is not long enough to go through the back of the cabinet. When i have connected it directly it has barely reached my mobo's 8 pin connector.

rohit32407 said:
Finally i have the cash to go for a CPU cooler in the range of 4.5k max. Earlier it was suggested that i should go for Noctua NH-12 U12P SE2 but then i cam across this water cooling solution Corsair H60. They both are in same price range AFAIK.

Which one will be the better solution-
1)Noctua NH-12 u12p se2
2)Corsair H60
3)Corsair H80(If its worth the extra 1.5k)

I plan to OC my i5 2500k to 4.5 ghz Max. My config is in my signature(Cabinet is NZXT Gamma). The PC is in an air conditioned room so ambient temperature is generally around 24 degrees.

P.S. I know i have asked too many questions about coolers but i am a complete noob in this area and this will be my first overclock thats why i just want to go for the best in my budget.

this should help :

noctua NH-u12P SE2 vs corsair H80

topgear said:
this should help :

noctua NH-u12P SE2 vs corsair H80

EDIT: Ordered Noctua NH U12P SE2 from TheItWares.com

EDIT2: Ordered it at 7 PM last night and still they shipped it last night only..that is just amazing. I would also like to add that they have replied to my every query within 5 mins through mail which is also remarkable.

One last query. I have Arctic Mx 2 and the paste supplied with Noctua NH U12P SE2 is Noctua NT-H1. Which one of them should I use? and what would be the best way to apply the suggested thermal paste? Would it require manual spreading or just putting on the heatsink over the drop of TIM in the centre of CPU will do the trick?

Yup, A drop of TIM in the centre will do the job.

rohit32407 said:
One last query. I have Arctic Mx 2 and the paste supplied with Noctua NH U12P SE2 is Noctua NT-H1. Which one of them should I use? and what would be the best way to apply the suggested thermal paste? Would it require manual spreading or just putting on the heatsink over the drop of TIM in the centre of CPU will do the trick?

Use Noctua NT-H1, better than MX2.

d6bmg said:
Use Noctua NT-H1, better than MX2.

Done installing the HSF. Ran prime95 large fft test for about 1 hr and temps stayed at max 58 degrees(at stock speed). With core 1 and core 3 running slightly hotter at 58 degrees while core 0 and core 2 at around 53-54 degrees. Googled it and found it to be perfectly normal. What is bothering me are the idle temps with core 3 idling at 39 degrees while core 0 is at 32. Possible mistake in installing the heatsink fan or this is normal as well? basically core 1 and core 3 are running 5-8 degrees hotter than core 0 and 2. Any solution? should i try reinstalling and reapplying TIM?

that's normal behaviour, even my HSF ( hyper 212 evo ) behaves like that. Nothing to worry unless your CPU touches 95C.

ashis_lakra said:
that's normal behaviour, even my HSF ( hyper 212 evo ) behaves like that. Nothing to worry unless your CPU touches 95C.

Ambient temperature is close to 30 as well so i guess idling at 40 isn't that bad. Also the temperatures under 1 hr of torture tests rose by only 15-18 degrees so i guess HSF is doing its job fine. Just the erratic difference in idling temperatures of different cores is bothering me.

here is a screenshot

*img96.imageshack.us/img96/4387/tempskp.jpg

Reinstall the HSF, and make sure to apply the TIM properly, one drop in center and then press the cooler on top, wiggle a little bit and screw it down. Cause 2-4c variation is ok, 10c variation is not. Make sure to secure all sides with equal pressure.

Check mine, with 2600k, same cooler, same TIM:
*i.imgur.com/F783L.png

tkin said:
Reinstall the HSF, and make sure to apply the TIM properly, one drop in center and then press the cooler on top, wiggle a little bit and screw it down. Cause 2-4c variation is ok, 10c variation is not. Make sure to secure all sides with equal pressure.

Will do this tomorrow morning and post a screenshot. Even with stock intel cooler my temps were like this with core 1 and 3 running hotter than the core 0 and core 2(although difference used to be like 5-6 degrees). I was surprised to see that coz core 0 gets used the most still it was the coolest one. God knows why it was so.

Okies, let us know if its done.

rohit32407 said:
Will do this tomorrow morning and post a screenshot. Even with stock intel cooler my temps were like this with core 1 and 3 running hotter than the core 0 and core 2(although difference used to be like 5-6 degrees). I was surprised to see that coz core 0 gets used the most still it was the coolest one. God knows why it was so.

Could be a problem with the sensor, the sensors are never accurate, you may have just got one with a faulty sensor, it won't cause any issues, but you may get wrong readings.

The sensor is not for consumer use, doubt if intel covers it under warranty, you might want to rma.

tkin said:
Could be a problem with the sensor, the sensors are never accurate, you may have just got one with a faulty sensor, it won't cause any issues, but you may get wrong readings.

The sensor is not for consumer use, doubt if intel covers it under warranty, you might want to rma.

There is one more thing that bothers me. The CPU temp in Asus Ai Suite when i was torture testing never went above 50 degrees infact it was stable at 47-48 degrees where as HWiNFO showed core temps to be around 58-60 degrees. Why that difference? Are they reading off the different sensors? Even in the BIOS my cpu temps were around 30 degrees but as soon as i entered windows and opened HWiNFO the core temps were idling at 45max(core 1) 38 minimum(core 2)

the lower one is tcase temp ( cpu heat spreader ) and the higher ones are tj ( cpu core temps - ie silicon chips under the cpu heat spreader ) hence the difference in temps.

topgear said:
the lower one is tcase temp ( cpu heat spreader ) and the higher ones are tj ( cpu core temps - ie silicon chips under the cpu heat spreader ) hence the difference in temps.

some people recommend to monitor core temps where as I found 1 link on intel communities which recommended to monitor the CPU temp(which is lower than the core temps) and never let it cross 72.6 degrees here is the link

Big difference in Core temps i5 2500K during load

Ok so i re-seated the cooler and reapplied the TIM. I have made sure that its seated properly and one thing have noticed is that idle temperatures are still a little confusing but load temps are almost identical maybe 3-4 degrees difference but nothing alarming so I think HSF is positioned correctly. I think there is something crazy going on with the sensors :-x

coz at full load with prime95 blend test running the temps are pretty much identical on 3 cores and core 0 maybe 3 degrees cooler. Anyway as long as Load temps are fine I don't really care much about idle temps. Right now I have got it OC'ed to 4.0 ghz with stable temps at 1.250 vcore and LLC to auto.
Just one more question, which temp should I be monitoring? The CPU temp on Asus Ai suite or individual core temps on HWiNFO or realtemp etc...?

here is a screenshot of my current temps at 100% load with prime95 blend test running.

*img339.imageshack.us/img339/4766/loadtemps.jpg

^^ individual core temps on HWiNFO ;-)

topgear said:
^^ individual core temps on HWiNFO

ah! in that case I need to install this HSF yet again. My first time surely isn't going to be a breeze

.

I guess i am being a little hesitant in screwing down the heatsink. It's written in Noctua's guide that you should screw it until it stops but i was hesitant coz this is my first time and I didn't know how tight it should be and i don't want to damage the CPU by putting too much pressure on it.But this time I will screw it down until it stops just as suggested in the Noctua's guide.

My TIM application is fine AFAIK coz I can see a thin layer of TIM all over the CPU IHS.

I will do the installation from scratch this time. Lets see what happens. Will post the temps here.

P.S. Should i create a separate thread coz I think I am flooding this thread a little too much?

If you are still gating 58C at stock load, something is wrong unless ambient is ~40C. It might be wrong HSF setting or wrong application of TIM or bad processor (least chance).

d6bmg said:
If you are still gating 58C at stock load, something is wrong unless ambient is ~40C. It might be wrong HSF setting or wrong application of TIM or bad processor (least chance).

I have installed HSF from scratch just 30 mins ago and load temp at OC@4.0GHz with prime95 blend test running right now are something like this. Q Fan control is disabled so all the fans are running at MAX i.e
1)Cabinet Exhaust at 2000 RPM
2)Cabinet Intake at 1300 RPM
3)HSF 2 fans(Push-Pull) at 1300 RPM each

*img201.imageshack.us/img201/4766/loadtemps.jpg

P.S. Ambient temp is around 25-26 degrees. Only thing bothering me are the idle temps which doesnt go below 40 degrees. I think 59-60 degrees at 4.0 GHz OC at full load with prime95 are fine?

rohit32407 said:
I have installed HSF from scratch just 30 mins ago and load temp at OC@4.0GHz with prime95 blend test running right now are something like this. Q Fan control is disabled so all the fans are running at MAX i.e
1)Cabinet Exhaust at 2000 RPM
2)Cabinet Intake at 1300 RPM
3)HSF 2 fans(Push-Pull) at 1300 RPM each

*img201.imageshack.us/img201/4766/loadtemps.jpg

P.S. Ambient temp is around 25-26 degrees. Only thing bothering me are the idle temps which doesnt go below 40 degrees. I think 59-60 degrees at 4.0 GHz OC at full load with prime95 are fine?

Yup, its fine, you may want to try running Intel Burn Test to find max temp.

^^ IBT put more stress than prime95 small FFT test ??

@ rohit32407 - at-least your cpus tcase and core 2 temp has dropped below 40c - check the minimum temp column in Hwinfo and it's 34c and 35c respectively and with all these low load temps yur are good enough to hit 4.5 Ghz now ;-)

topgear said:
^^ IBT put more stress than prime95 small FFT test ??

@ rohit32407 - at-least your cpus tcase and core 2 temp has dropped below 40c - check the minimum temp column in Hwinfo and it's 34c and 35c respectively and with all these low load temps yur are good enough to hit 4.5 Ghz now

Pheww its good to hear some reassuring words. I was going mad over temps :pullhair:

. Actually my tcase temp was stable and in 30's right from my first install of HSF but its the temp of that core1 and core3 that was bothering me the most. Even now Idling temps of those 2 cores are mind-boggling but load temps look fine. I don't know if its the faulty sensor or something else but i have re-seated my HSF and reapplied my TIM for 3 times now. Tried every possible method from the noctua recommended to spread to smiley etc etc but the idle temps of these two cores just wont budge so i will just leave them there as long as load temps are fine I don't really care much.

I will try to hit 4.5, right now I am just trying to get familiar with the bios and its options. Playing with offset settings at the moment. Will try for 1.2 vcore for 4 ghz(too less?). I tried to set the vcore manually bt then even on idle condition vcore gets fixed at 1.23-1.24 where as when its under stress LLC kicks in and vcore drops to 1.192. So I thought maybe playing with offset settings might help with lower idle vcore hence lower idle temps. In any case i think it would be better if there is no unnecessary voltage when its not required. Do correct me if I am going about it the wrong way.

P.S. Did IBT in "High" stress settings(20 cycles). Max core package temp was 67 with core 1/3 being hottest- 65-67 and core 0/3 being coolest 60-64

topgear said:
^^ IBT put more stress than prime95 small FFT test ??

@ rohit32407 - at-least your cpus tcase and core 2 temp has dropped below 40c - check the minimum temp column in Hwinfo and it's 34c and 35c respectively and with all these low load temps yur are good enough to hit 4.5 Ghz now

It does, IBT(linpack) now has support for AVX, which puts a wild stress on the CPU, highest I had ever seen.

Only applicable to CPUs with AVX support and win 7 sp1 or win 8.

^^ Thanks for the info and now even prime95 has support for AVX - so if anyone can compare the latest version of prime95 and IBT side by side to see which one generates maximum heat ( or puts maximum loads on cpu ) that would be great.

Guys my stock temperature is around 40-50 and while running prime 95 it is going to 97 C in 10minutes...I thought TIM gone bad and reapplied new TIM(deepcool z5). But the temperature is same.

I am using intel stock cooler,i5 2500k stock speed,gigabyte p67a-ud3-b3.

I noticed my cpu fan speed in bios/hw montor is around 600rpm..I even disabled speed control in bios but the cpu fan speed doesnot go up. Is my CPU fan failing or is it the sensor fault..?

*i47.tinypic.com/bdwtgx.jpg

some times i see the max cpu fan speed as 675000rpm!!

*i49.tinypic.com/2mffcqh.jpg

^ Flash the latest BIOS and see if it helps.

Time to buy a cooler anyway. Intel stock cooler is rubbish.

@eagle06: Sensor problem, nothing to worry about.

Today i bought CM hyper tx3 and installed it. The cpu fan speed is still around 645rpm...When i set cpu speed control to normal the cpu fan runs very slow like 56rpm(i can see in bios when temperature is 38 C).

Then I connected the CPU fan plug to SYS_FAN1(3 PIN) socket and restarted.I can see increase in fan speed now bios shows 2200+rpm (fan is loud now so its really fast now).

I am using the latest UEFI bios U1a and also cleared cmos and loaded optimised defaults still when i connect it to CPU_FAN(4 PIN) socket fan runs very slow.

what should I do now?? Is there a problem with my mobo/cpu?? Or should I just ignore it and use SYS_FAN1 socktet??

UPDATE: downgraded to normal bios F9 from UEFI. Now CPU fan is working as expected, 2000rpm in prime 95 torture test.
idle ~35 and 62 max temperature(TX3 is good

)

I think i should not upgrade to new bios next time when everything is working fine ;P(but in UEFI windows boots up fast)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it ;-)

anyway, for faster boot time consider buying at-least a 60GB SSD.

M

i have an i5 2310 with intel dh61ww
the temps at medium load (4-5) tabs, utorrent, kaspersky, a full scan operating, two folders open one 700 mb 480 p video is about 64 ~66 degree C
and at normal conditions (only one browser with 2 tabs , kaspersky (no scan) , utorrent , one video ) the temps are 45-51 degree C

and the cpu fan aperates at an average 1000 rpm.
is it ok ?
temp and rpm are from Speccy
please tell me if this is ok ??

thanks

Kaspersky uses hat much cpu ?? can you confirm the cpu usages from the task manager of load no. 1 ( ie browsing,scanning, video playback, utorrent ) and load no. 2 - 1k rpm fan speed may be due to automatic cpu fan speed control option under bios - disable it and see how much cpu speed you can get - for real time monitoring use Hwinfo along wth IBT for 5-10 mins and from HWinfo screen see the temp of cpu and cpu fan speed - this will give some clear idea about the cpu's load temp and fan speed under load.

64-66c though is on higher side but still within safe range and considering the current climate status idle and load temps should be ~40c and ~60c respectively.

M

whats IBT ??

Intel Burn Test.

The first post in the thread could use some updating. New coolers, tims and prices. :razz:

just PM tkin ;-)

topgear said:
just PM tkin

I thought he might be watching this thread.
Anyway, pm is better.

This thread has an update long overdue, I will update this over the next week(I need to read up a bit), I urge you to contribute what you can, reviews, prices, links, articles(written by you), pics(800x600).

For TiM : Noctua NT-H1 or DeepCool Z5

For coolers : Time to replace Hyper 212+ with Hyper 212 Evo

Is it possible to add a small section on how to clean the old tim and re-apply new one. Dos and Don't s would be most helpful.

For coolers: Add liquid cooling solutions.

^^One of the better videos on the same -

Myth said:
Is it possible to add a small section on how to clean the old tim and re-apply new one. Dos and Don't s would be most helpful.

For coolers: Add liquid cooling solutions.

I think you we should have a new thread for that as it applies to all cpu and gpus too - finding it would be more easier this way. Anyway, always use your wits while ceaning and applying TiM and yes, we do need some Liqid cooling solution - start with Corsair H100 ;-)

H

do i need after market cpu cooler fir i5 3570 (non k) or will intel cooler be fine?

hitman4 said:
do i need after market cpu cooler fir i5 3570 (non k) or will intel cooler be fine?

For non-k normal heatsink is fine or if the temp. On higher site with stock cooler you can buy CM entry level cooler that costs 1K .

hitman4 said:
do i need after market cpu cooler fir i5 3570 (non k) or will intel cooler be fine?

I'd say get it.

Ivy Bridge tends to run hot and will hit high temperatures in summer.

Tenida said:
For non-k normal heatsink is fine or if the temp. On higher site with stock cooler you can buy CM entry level cooler that costs 1K .

yep, Cm Hyper 101 and Deepcool Gammaxx 200 both are good coolers around 1k only.

H

Tenida said:
For non-k normal heatsink is fine or if the temp. On higher site with stock cooler you can buy CM entry level cooler that costs 1K .

ico said:
I'd say get it.

Ivy Bridge tends to run hot and will hit high temperatures in summer.

topgear said:
yep, Cm Hyper 101 and Deepcool Gammaxx 200 both are good coolers around 1k only.

thanks all for reply.
i would like to ask one more thing.
right now i m kinda short on cash so can i use stock cooler for three months and then buy like in april when the summer begins in delhi....?

hitman4 said:
thanks all for reply.
i would like to ask one more thing.
right now i m kinda short on cash so can i use stock cooler for three months and then buy like in april when the summer begins in delhi....?

Yes no problem in that :toast:

hitman4 said:
do i need after market cpu cooler fir i5 3570 (non k) or will intel cooler be fine?

to be very honest if you keep the cabinet at a cool place always then you don't need after market cooler.

CPU cooler group test review with 3770K - Introduction

Looks like old lady NHD14 holds a strong ground..
Also i think CM 212 is a nice mention with cheap price

^^ thanks a lot for this great find.

Four Closed-Loop CPU Coolers Take On Noctua's NH-D14 : When It Comes To Cooling, Size Matters

Corsair Goes 140mm: H90 and H110 Liquid Coolers Released

Chaitanya said:
Four Closed-Loop CPU Coolers Take On Noctua's NH-D14 : When It Comes To Cooling, Size Matters

Corsair Goes 140mm: H90 and H110 Liquid Coolers Released

Heh, released so long ago and still kicking @$$:
*media.bestofmicro.com/Q/B/365123/original/image017.png

*media.bestofmicro.com/N/L/365025/original/image014.png

*media.bestofmicro.com/N/J/365023/original/image008.png

Also note, the liquid coolers work slightly better, but if they leak, boom, is taking such a risk worth it? And they leak, I can post a hundred forum complaints here.

I love my Noctua U12P, they sure know how to make 'Silent' coolers, I can never hear my noctua fans although they keep running at 1200RPM, plus fan blades do not accumulate dust much, so no slowdown, no cleaning frequently(something CM fans do a lot), burn down theitwares for stopping noctua import, greedy @%$*#^&

tkin said:
Heh, released so long ago and still kicking @$$:
burn down theitwares for stopping noctua import, greedy @%$*#^&

Completely agreed on both points. :-D

T

Hi,

What would be a good cooler for an i7-3770K with an ASUS P8Z77-V Pro motherboard?

I can't seem to find the Noctua NH-D14 here in Chennai. In it's absence, is there any comparable cooler? Someone suggested a CM Hyper Evo 212 , but another said it was more effective with an i5 than an i7.

Hyper 212 EVo is a overall good cooler for every cpu available on the market but it can't be compared with D14 for sure so for you I would suggest Thermalright Silver Arrow.

T

topgear said:
Hyper 212 EVo is a overall good cooler for every cpu available on the market but it can't be compared with D14 for sure so for you I would suggest Thermalright Silver Arrow.

That's a really huge cooler TopGear o.o , are you sure it won't encroach upon any RAM or PCI slots?

EDIT : The cabinet is a CoolerMaster CM 690 II Advanced

EDIT 2 : I saw a variation of the Silver Arrow called Silver Arrow Extreme. Anyway , I presume this is the one you're talking about :

*www.primeabgb.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=4029&category_id=163&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=54

Its a great cooler and yes, quite large and heavy.
I think its somewhere between the d14 and the nh-u12p se2. No worries with the clearance for ram and pci slots.
The ram clearance issue (if any) can be resolved by raising the fan and the clips by a few fins on the cooler.

The choice between the Evo and the Silver Arrow would depend on how high you plan to OC and how much you want to control the temps. For an i7, until 4.5 Evo works pretty well. Beyond that, you need some heavy stuff with dual fans.

T

Myth said:
Its a great cooler and yes, quite large and heavy.
I think its somewhere between the d14 and the nh-u12p se2. No worries with the clearance for ram and pci slots.
The ram clearance issue (if any) can be resolved by raising the fan and the clips by a few fins on the cooler.

The choice between the Evo and the Silver Arrow would depend on how high you plan to OC and how much you want to control the temps. For an i7, until 4.5 Evo works pretty well. Beyond that, you need some heavy stuff with dual fans.

I don't plan to overclock much , around 4.3 Ghz is what i'm looking at (Chennai is wretchedly hot). So , is the SilverArrow one of those coolers than needs the motherboard to be dismounted from the cabinet ?

Tachyon1986 said:
That's a really huge cooler TopGear o.o , are you sure it won't encroach upon any RAM or PCI slots?

EDIT : The cabinet is a CoolerMaster CM 690 II Advanced

EDIT 2 : I saw a variation of the Silver Arrow called Silver Arrow Extreme. Anyway , I presume this is the one you're talking about :

Thermalright Silver Arrow Dual 14cm Fan Cooler

yeah that's the cooler I was talkin about and depending on the ambient temp Silver Arrow may be better investmenet compared to 212 Evo and about mounting well, you have to try and check it out for yourself even though your cabinet has cpu cooler mounting cut out but sometimes they are not just enough.

Need CPU cooler for C2D E4400 (LGA 775)

Budget - Below Rs.500, Idle: 53C, Load - 65-70C

Are these good options? What do you suggest?
Deepcool Alta 7 , Deepcool GAMMA ARCHER

Gamma Archer seems better. More silent and better airflow.

PS: Personally, I am not too comfortable about the clamping system in these coolers. Opt for something better like the Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO. Check local markets for lower rates.

Thanks. I don't want to cross Rs. 500 because its a pretty old system.

Off-topic - My Zotac 9400GT idles at 70C and becomes very hot on load (frame rate drop), what can I do about this? (Any equivalent fans for GPUs like the ones available for CPUs?)

Renny said:
Thanks. I don't want to cross Rs. 500 because its a pretty old system.

Off-topic - My Zotac 9400GT idles at 70C and becomes very hot on load (frame rate drop), what can I do about this? (Any equivalent fans for GPUs like the ones available for CPUs?)

Air clean the system, brush off the dust from the gpu/heatsink. Check airflow inside cabinet.

Renny said:
Thanks. I don't want to cross Rs. 500 because its a pretty old system.

Off-topic - My Zotac 9400GT idles at 70C and becomes very hot on load (frame rate drop), what can I do about this? (Any equivalent fans for GPUs like the ones available for CPUs?)

Proper ventilation, adequate air flow, clean inside and outside, good PSU and at least one cabinet fan blowing cool air from outside directly in the graphic card; maybe through a duct. I did the duct thing with my cpu and gpu (8400gs

) and the results were good.

Cleaned it and re-applied thermal paste, but the fan is screwed up - one of the blades is broken, it struggles to spin and there's no way I can oil it.

Renny said:
Cleaned it and re-applied thermal paste, but the fan is screwed up - one of the blades is broken, it struggles to spin and there's no way I can oil it.

No other way than to replace it. You can do it yourself. Just seperate the heat sink from the board and unscrew the fan and attach a new fan. But, you'll have to reapply a TIM to the gpu.

^Yup, I'll have to procure it locally, couldn't find it online.

see if you can fix/mount a 80mm fan on the top of 9400GT and for cpu cooler look for Antec A20 - should cost you ~600 bucks.

What is the best Water Cooler among Corsair H60 2013 Edition, Antec Kuhler H20 620, Coolermaster Seidon 120M which can OC i5 4670K to 4.5GHz as all of them are in the same price bracket.

Deepcool Gamma Archer (Basic Cooler for non-k CPU's)

Review Link:

Price Link:Deepcool GAMMA ARCHER CPU Cooler - Buy @ Best Price in India | Snapdeal

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO (Best Cooler for non-k CPU's)

Review:

Price Link
Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO: Amazon.in: Electronics

My CPU i5 760 really heating up while playing GTA V, 90-95 C

Cooler Master Hyper TX3

*paytm.com/shop/p/cooler-master-hyp...cooler-COOLERMASTER_HYPERTX3_2800RPM_NULL_247

Rs 1643