Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Cooling Processors quietly

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
Djehuty
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 5:12 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by Djehuty » Sat May 10, 2014 11:03 am

Greetings,

I'm planning a build around an ASUS Z87-PRO motherboard and Intel Core i5-4670K CPU. I had the Scythe Mugen 4 in mind for cooling, but now I've gone and confused myself by reading various reviews online. :roll:

Is the Mugen 4 the best choice for cooling and silence? Should I go with the Noctua DH14? What about the lower-profile Noctua coolers? Or something else entirely? I note the Mugen 4 review here suggests the Thermalright HR-02 Macho, and though I am loath to put something labeled "Macho" in my computer, I'll do it if it would make my life better. :)

On a related note, these coolers tend to be ridiculously huge. If I fill all four RAM slots, am I going to run into problems with the RAM overheating due to proximity to the heatsink? Also, what about moving the computer? I'll be taking it on a cross-country move in a few months. Is there anything I should do to prevent the gargantuan heatsink from ripping the motherboard in half the first time I go over a speed bump? (I'm assuming it's best to lay the case on its side on the back seat of my car, preferably in the box the case shipped in.)

Vicotnik
*Lifetime Patron*
Posts: 1831
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 6:53 am
Location: Sweden

Re: Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by Vicotnik » Sat May 10, 2014 11:24 am

All of those you mention are good. Get one that's available to you at a reasonable price.

No danger of overheating RAM, but make sure you use low profile sticks that doesn't get in the way of the cooler. I like the Crucial Ballistix Sport and Tactical VLP but any low profile will do.

I use a Silverstone Temjin TJ08-E where the motherboard is mounted upside down and a small support stand is available for support. My Thermalright HR-02 Macho rests against it, looking very macho indeed. ;)
In a normal case you can always rig something like a wire or zip-ties from above to provide support if you feel uncomfortable with the weight of the cooler. I certainly would do it if I knew I was to move the case around a lot. And transport it laying down, as you say.

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by Abula » Sat May 10, 2014 1:22 pm

The Scythe Mugen 4 is among the recommended heatsinks on SPCR, its a good cooler for what it costs, similar value to the HR02 Macho, just the mugen imo comes with a better fan for someone looking for a quiet setup,

That said, imo the NH-U14S is a better cooler, comes with a fan that can dropped to lower rpms (thats if you motherboard allows it), and if you want top end coolers, look into Noctua NH-D15 (relesed couple of weeks ago, should hit retail very soon) or Thermalright Silver Arrow IBE (swapping the fans for NF-A15 PWM), both were recently released, and both are their signature coolers from either brand, with the warning that both weight a lot, for some is an issue, for me its not.

Djehuty
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 5:12 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by Djehuty » Sat May 10, 2014 1:32 pm

Thanks, that's good to know. :)

Now if only Scythe would ship the Kotetsu over here. I just read the review, and it seems better than the Mugen.

Djehuty
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 5:12 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by Djehuty » Tue May 13, 2014 10:35 am

Having mentioned the Scythe Kotetsu... I have an opportunity to get one, via a friend who lives in the UK. Is it worth the extra time and effort? The price would be about the same as the Mugen 4, after shipping.

If this isn't worth the bother, I'm now leaning toward the Noctua UH-14S, but the weight worries me. It's about twice as heavy as the Kotetsu. Will that overload a motherboard? Especially given how tall/long the thing is, that must exert a fair amount of force at the other end of the lever, so to speak. Is this a valid concern, or just down to me being out of the computer-building game for nigh on a decade?

lodestar
Posts: 1683
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:29 am
Location: UK

Re: Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by lodestar » Tue May 13, 2014 10:14 pm

Djehuty wrote:...but the weight worries me. It's about twice as heavy as the Kotetsu. Will that overload a motherboard? Especially given how tall/long the thing is, that must exert a fair amount of force at the other end of the lever, so to speak. Is this a valid concern...
If you look at the back of the Z87 Pro it has two substantial metal backing plates for large motherboard heatsinks, attached by screws. The ram once fitted in the slots helps keep things rigid. The CPU backplate also plays a part, which for any of the coolers you mention is supplemented by a fairly substantial, rigid mounting system. And there are board mounting points in this area which combined with all the other factors mean that there is nothing really to worry about...

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by quest_for_silence » Tue May 13, 2014 11:04 pm

Djehuty wrote:Having mentioned the Scythe Kotetsu... I have an opportunity to get one, via a friend who lives in the UK. Is it worth the extra time and effort? The price would be about the same as the Mugen 4, after shipping.?


There will not be any practical difference, as they sport the same fan.
And all in all, for a really quiet (but not actually silent) rig, there won't be any difference whichever recommended heatsink you'll pick.

Djehuty
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 5:12 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Best Cooler for Z87-PRO/i5-4670K?

Post by Djehuty » Wed May 14, 2014 9:48 am

Thanks for taking a weight (ha, ha) off my mind. :) Last time I did this, motherboards weren't quite so well reinforced, and things got a tad... bendy. And my old heatsink isn't nearly so heavy.

Post Reply