halcyon wrote:However, this can give a rough ballpark figure on the cooling efficiency of the heatsink with the stock fans (at certain airlow).
Yes, at certain airflow: at a different airflow (the one which matters for SPCR readers, for example) it can be different, so that prediction (the rough ballpark figure) cannot be used, or even better, that's what I meant.
halcyon wrote:Further, if one keeps the same airflow (m3/min, CFM) and just finds better / quieter fans, then it is probably possible to tweak the sonics (esp. the frequency spectrum) one way or the other, without affecting the cooling significantly.
Quieter fans have a different airflow (likely inferior), so that prediction about cooling prowess doesn't necessarily apply: with a better sounding one (bearing noise and the likes), YMMV.
halcyon wrote:Of course, I'll still try and compare them against the best of Prolimatech, Scythe and Noctua coolers.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
halcyon wrote:I was also considering trying the NoFan series (but with a very low spinning, large fan attached to the top of it), but it seems that NoFan CR-series has no LGA2011 mountings.
AFAIK the NoFan is not suited to cool any LGA 2011 CPU, so I guess that's why they don't supply such mountings.
You might give a look to Zalman FX-coolers also (I dunno whether they provide 2011 compatibility).