Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

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JJAP
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Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by JJAP » Sun May 17, 2015 3:17 pm

The only info on the stock cooler I could find comes from the fun, but less-than-rigorous review of sub-$20 coolers. Stock was measure to be 21.3 SPL and (to my ears) sounded the quietest.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1406-page13.html

It seems to me that anyone building a sub-21 dbA computer that isn't overclocked doesn't need to spend money on a cpu cooler. Am I correct?

CA_Steve
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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by CA_Steve » Sun May 17, 2015 8:01 pm

Welcome to SPCR.

I found the stock cooler for Haswell i5 was quiet, but very inferior thermal performance. Read the build thread in my signature.

quest_for_silence
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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by quest_for_silence » Sun May 17, 2015 11:57 pm

JJAP wrote:It seems to me that anyone building a sub-21 dbA computer that isn't overclocked doesn't need to spend money on a cpu cooler. Am I correct?

Two weeks ago I performed a brief test using the stock Haswell cooler (4690, stock clock) and the Kotetsu (fitted with two Noiseblocker PL1): although the stock one wasn't really obtrusive at gaming-like load (Heaven, Valley), the difference inside an Antec One Hundred was quite noticeable (in favor of the Kotetsu), and temp-wise the difference was dramatic (though the CPU temp was below any throttling point in any case). At idle, with all the three case fans running low, the stock was closer, but still audible over the Kotetsu.

Just as a side note, with stress-testing/CPU benchmarks (Linpack, Pi) there's no competition.

So, all in all YMMV.

JJAP
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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by JJAP » Thu May 21, 2015 12:09 pm

Thanks guys.

While I have your attention (and assuming the answer is straightforward): Is there a kotetsu-like cooler (great price, performance, easy default choice) for someone constrained to a 140mm cpu height? I'd prefer a tower (it seems to be harmony with the airflow provided by the case, as opposed to a top down fan), but after looking at the recommended heatsink list, it looks like I might have to settle for a top down model. My case has good airflow (thermaltake core v1) and I dont plan on overclocking.

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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by quest_for_silence » Thu May 21, 2015 12:30 pm

JJAP wrote:While I have your attention (and assuming the answer is straightforward): Is there a kotetsu-like cooler (great price, performance, easy default choice) for someone constrained to a 140mm cpu height?

There's the Thermalright True Spirit 120M (various versions, the ones with white fans need a better fan), which is 145mm, and the Scythe Kabuto II which is 140mm, but it requires some clearance to let breath the fan, being a top-down cooler.

Then there are some expensive options, like the Cryorig C1 (it deserves a better fan, like the Prolimatech Vortex Sleek) which is 74mm tall, and the Noctua NH-C14 (need DC controllable headers), which is 130mm: among those more expensive alternatives there are the new Noctua NH-C14S, which is 142mm, and the Phanteks PH-TC14CS, which is 141mm, but they both need some further clearance to breath, like the Kabuto II.

Other possible options are likely noticeably inferior to a Kotetsu, cooling-wise, as far as I recall.

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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by CA_Steve » Thu May 21, 2015 12:37 pm

quest_for_silence wrote: There's the Thermalright True Spirit 120M (various versions, the ones with white fans need a better fan)
+1.

JJAP
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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by JJAP » Thu May 21, 2015 2:36 pm

Thanks again, guys. You're an uncommon combination of patience and knowledge.

I made a mistake: The Silverstone Argon in the recommended list is indeed a 140mm tower. Funny enough, Silverstone also sells a cute 120mm fanless heatsink that supports 70/80mm fans: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.p ... 67&area=en

The spirit 120 M is 145mm, wouldn't that be a problem in a case limited to a 140mm?

Thermalright also makes a smaller, 125mm spirit: http://www.thermalright.de/en/cooler/10 ... rev.-a?c=9
As well as a 135mm Macho: http://www.thermalright.de/en/cooler/44/macho-90

The Thermaltake NiC L31 is a 140mm tower with a 120mm fan (bigger than argon AR02, macho 90, and spirit 90). I think it defeats Thermalright's claim of "world's smallest 120mm fan based tower cooler." Newegg reviews (for what it's worth) praise its performance, but note mounting annoyances. I haven't found a good professional review, but hardocp used it in a review of a thermaltake core v1 case (with a 140mm limit). After loading the case up, they were impressed by the silence and coolness (how many ITX cases have a 200mm fan?). So, that's an indirect review I guess! With great airflow, I suspect that any of these options could run fanless.

Sorry to derail my own post: I was originally going in the direction of "what is the cheapest way to be quieter than the stock fan?", which I'd still like to know :) I ended up researching <140mm towers! I can split the topic if the mods prefer.

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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by Irrelevant » Thu May 21, 2015 8:54 pm

JJAP wrote:Sorry to derail my own post: I was originally going in the direction of "what is the cheapest way to be quieter than the stock fan?", which I'd still like to know :) If the mods want to split this out into a "best 140mm limit tower heatsink" thread, that might help others.
There are some good coolers for ~$30, like the Coolermaster Hyper 212 or (I believe) the True Spirit, that will be way, way, WAY quieter than stock, and what noise they make is way more pleasant, too. There is just no comparison. Believe me, you'll think it $30 well spent.

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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri May 22, 2015 12:35 am

JJAP wrote:The spirit is 145mm, wouldn't that be a problem in a case limited to a 140mm?

Personally I'm quite confident it work, and even other people "measured" at least 147mm of clearance.

However, this is the 160mm Kotetsu inside the V1 (from OCN):
kotetsu-V1.jpg
Apparently it overhangs the top bracket by much less than 2cm.

JJAP wrote:I made a mistake: The Silverstone Argon in the recommended list is indeed a 140mm tower.

On the other hand it doesn't comply to your request: it's not comparable to the Kotetsu as it's noticeably less performing, and it is significantly louder so that it deserves a new fan.

JJAP wrote:More research: The Thermaltake NiC L32 ($40) is a 140mm tower. Somehow it has a 140mm fan on it. I don't know how that's possible.

As a matter of fact it's not possible: it's 160mm tall.

JJAP wrote:The L31 ($35) has a 120mm.

I beg your pardon: was your question "Is there a kotetsu-like cooler (great price, performance, easy default choice) for someone constrained to a 140mm cpu height?", right? A top cooler has an high quality convex base, a good number of heatpipes, and a quiet, high performing fan. Does the L31 fulfill all these needs? Well, with just 3 heatpipes, no, while about the base (it's an HDT, so no convex profile) and fan (Thermaltake isn't often recommended on SPCR) I can't say much of anything but personally I won't bet those are up to the task (be a top performer). Is it still a decent cooler? Thermaltake is not exactly a trustworthy brand, but honestly the only thing I can say is "I don't know": YMMV.

JJAP wrote:Newegg reviews (for what it's worth) praise its silence and performance, but note poor user manual and mounting annoyances. I haven't found a good professional review, but hardocp used it in a review of a thermaltake core v1 case (with a 140mm limit). They were impressed by the silence and coolness of the mITX case with a single 200mm fan.

I wouldn't ever bet on [H] thoughts/assessments about silence, IME 200mm fans can't be that quiet, but who knows? Some other forumers reported somehow mixed feeling about that case here and there.

JJAP wrote:(So, that's an indirect review I guess)! Maybe a better option than the Argon?
As already said, who knows?

JJAP wrote:Sorry to derail my own post: I was originally going in the direction of "what is the cheapest way to be quieter than the stock fan?", which I'd still like to know :)

In my experience the low end Scythe and Arctic Cooling coolers almost always offered the best bang for the buck when the budget was REALLY tight (because their fans are often better than the competition, noise-wise), but local pricing matters a lot.
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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by SebRad » Fri May 22, 2015 7:55 am

When I first built my current PC I used an Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 as it would fit in my case (< 135mm) and it was pretty good.
At idle the 92mm fan is really quiet and it coped well with load too. It's only that I was pushing over-clocking on i7 2600K that it couldn't cope, I was seeing ~85°C at full fan speed, although that was with ~4.6+GHz, high vcore and folding@home load.
I upgraded to NH-C14 and it wasn't as much better as I was expecting given the size and price.

I think the Freezer 13 has a lot going for it, fairly cheap and not too big or tall or heavy and good stock fan (that isn't easy to replace, would have to do your own mounting, a few zip-ties should work fine)

Seb

JJAP
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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by JJAP » Fri May 22, 2015 10:08 am

quest_for_silence wrote: Personally I'm quite confident it work, and even other people "measured" at least 147mm of clearance.
I praise your research (dare I say, quest?). Brilliant. Kotetsu it is! EDIT: Spirit, I mean
quest_for_silence wrote: Does the L31 fulfill all these needs?
Consider my rambling simply "a list of tower heatsinks under 140mm".

I also have to apologize: I edited my post a number of times (including removing the NiC32 and adding a bunch of 90mm fan-towers), but – according to the quotes – I don't think all my edits appeared.
quest_for_silence wrote: As already said, who knows?
"Who knows?", indeed.
SebRad wrote:When I first built my current PC I used an Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 as it would fit in my case (< 135mm) and it was pretty good.
Seb
Great! I didn't see that one. A fine addition to the <140mm tower list. Thanks.


To sum up to this post for future readers:

1) If you want quiet, replace stock.
2) If not limited, Get Kotetsu (unless you know what you're doing, of course)
3) If <140mm get a top down blower
3) If you insist on a tower, there are options (one with a 120mm, most with 92mm), but no definitive shootout nor confirmation of performance.

Thanks again, all, for putting up with my thinking-out-loud.
Last edited by JJAP on Fri May 22, 2015 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri May 22, 2015 10:34 am

JJAP wrote:Kotetsu it is!
Just to be somehow repetitively clear: you (royal, generic you) can't fit a 160mm Scythe Kotetsu in the supposedly 147mm clearance of the TT Core V1. Is that understood? :wink:
Last edited by quest_for_silence on Fri May 22, 2015 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by xan_user » Fri May 22, 2015 11:54 am

quest_for_silence wrote: Just to be somehow repetitively clear: you (royal, generic you) can't fit a 160mm Scythe Kotetsu in the supposedly 147mm TT Core V1. Is that understood? :wink:
Looks possible to me... just need to open (remove) the sunroof. but I guess that wouldn't really count as 100% "in"... :wink:

Image

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Re: Any reason to not use stock cooler if not overclocking?

Post by JJAP » Fri May 22, 2015 2:40 pm

Sorry sorry. I meant "True Spirit M it is!". I appreciate your confirmation.

@xan_user: Ha! Yeah, that occured to me. Run it test bench style.

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