Core i5 750 cooler

fliptrip · Post by **fliptrip** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:07 am

Ok, long time listener, first time caller.

I've been out of the upgrade game for a while and have just recently spent the last week deciding on which upgrade path I want to take. Have been AMD since my 800mhz Duron up to currently my 64 5600+. Finally after much researching decided I'd go Intel i5 750 (should be faster than the last Intel I ever owned - PII 200mhz MX!)

God I love researching a completely new build! Here's the specs.

i5 750 2.66ghz
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R ATX or Asus P7P55D LE ATX
G.SKILL Ripjaw 4GB kit DDR3-1333 PC10666
Gigabyte GTX 260 OC
Antec 300 case
MAYBE (if I can hopefully swing it by the missus a Intel X25-M G2 80gb SSD)
Already own - Corsair HX620 watt PSU

And now the hardest bit - which has actually consumed the most time over the past week looking at numerous reviews etc - the CPU Heatsink + fan.

God knows how many reviews I've looked at. Let it be known that I'm in New Zealand so whatever products you recommend could yu please check this website pricespy.co.nz /category.php?k=369(can't post links) for pricing/availability of coolers & fans.

First up let me tell you that I plan on doing a slight overclock of the i5 - around 3ghz - bearing in mind this will be a 24/7 PC that operates in the same room I sleep in. I've always wanted to see how silent a PC I could make (on idle/ when I'm sleeping) and hopefully now's the time.
So therein lies the dilemma. I want a good HSF that will accommodate this small 24/7 OC yet be quiet enough to not be heard over the PSU (not sure whether the GPU or PSU will produce more sound at idle temps)

Unfortunately of all the reviews of current adequate heatsinks, few have been tested on the i7 platform and even fewer on the i5. Those that have been tested usually just whack a massive high rpm/dBA/CFM fan on which pretty much debunks the review/benchmark for me when looking at cooling/sound. Further complicated by most of the heatsinks being from a previous (or several previous) sockets so some do and don't currently support the i5 platform!

So basically I'm looking for honest advice from you guys about silence/noise (unlike other overclocking forums "yeah it's quiet as" on the following:

Noctua NH-U12P SE2 - comes with 1156 mounting plate & could just run 1 of the 2 fans for quieter operation)
$165

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 RR-CCH-LB12-GP - Not sure if there is a mounting plate for 1156 yet?
$110

Prolimatech Megahalems - Quite the champion it seems.
$100 cooler only -But only has 1366 support AFAIK + would need a nice silent fan for it. Not sure if a silent fan would still produce such stellar results on it. A Noctua NF-P12 120mm is $44. What other silent fans would you recommend that could be attached?

Thermalright IFX-14 + need mounting bracket, again only currently supporting 1366 as latest socket
$80 + would also need recommendation on silent fan/s that would enable it to perform well.

Scythe Mugen II with Scythe Slip Stream 120 mm PWM fan
$90 + would need a mounting bracket as only currently supports 1366

Plus the usual bunch of Xigmatek XT-S1283DK Dark Knight - $110 (not sure how quiet the fan is) OR Thermolab Baram - $70 + a silent fan OR the old Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme $92 (not sure which revision is best) + needs silent fan OR Thermalright HR-01 / 4U $80 + neds silent fan.

SO Please give me your advice - I know I've recommended a few heatsinks but those seem like the top performing ones, but unsure how they compare seeing as I only know from that list that the Noctua is near silent? How do the others compare when paired with equally or quieter fans? A recommendation would be great, bearing in mind I know any of those coolers are overkill for my overclock/requirements but I appreciate having great hardware even if I'm not using it to it's maximum potential + Having longevity/efficiency for perhaps the next generation socket would be a bonus (that's why I think - get the best now, and then by next socket it will be around 3rd best).

Bear in mind the last time I had an aftermarket CPU was the Thermaltake Volcano II! with it's Smart Fan II! - What a noisy beast - Dear I never want to repeat such a thing ever again.

Thanks guys...I know it's a massive request but solving this i5 silent heatsink dilemma will probably solve many others wanting this answer for their future i5 setups!

JamieG · Post by **JamieG** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:34 pm

SPCR has reviewed a lot of the heatsinks on your list. Check out the Recommended Heatsink list on the main site.

FWIW, the latest revision of the Prolimatech Megahalems is socket 1156 compatible. There is also a black version of the heatsink, called the Mega Shadow, which is also socket 1156 compatible but is more expensive.

There should be a version of the Cooler Master heatsink, the 212+, that is 1156 compatible as well I think.

Also, I'd look at replicating the Noctua's style of using 2 x undervolted quiet fans mounted in a push/pull format. From memory at high speeds this didn't make too much of a difference in the results on the Noctua, but in the SPCR review of the Mugen 2, the results using 2 undervolted Nexus fans were pretty spectacular.

fliptrip · Post by **fliptrip** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:18 pm

Thanks for the reply.

I've read the reviews on this site but still can't decide., especially considering the reviews on this site are tested on a Pentium D.

So you think - any of those heatsinks (megahealems, HR-01 etc) will operate pretty much as good as the Noctua when using 1 or 2 of the Noctua P12 fans?

In that case it pretty much comes down to price. Will the megahalems operate as good as the Noctua if only 1 Noctua fan was used? I read that some heatsinks operate proportionally better with lower CFM/dBA/RPM fans vs others with high CFM fans?

What would you recommend? Considering 2x Noctua fans = $80 here.

Cheers

burebista · Post by **burebista** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:55 am

I give you a link at a test made by one of my friends on his Q6600 G0. It's in Romanian and if Google translate fails you at least you have some pictures and graphs.
Also I have temperature for i5 and Noctua NH-U12P.

A short summary, if you want a high performance heatsink choose between Prolimatech Megahalems, Zalman 10X or TRUE rev.C (why rev.C? because they finally alleviate their heatsink base problem and changed the mounting system with IFX-14 one).
For Megahalems and TRUE you need a fan, choosing one is at your latitude, from expensive one like Noctua/Noiseblocker to more affordable Scythe Slipstream/S-Flex/Gentle Typhoon.
Zalman 10x has a variant named Quiet which looks very appealing too.
If you want a premium package and very good performance then choose Noctua NH-U12P.
You can take a look at Coolermaster Z600 too. Excellent performance fanless (of course with right airflow in case) and very good performer with fan.

fliptrip · Post by **fliptrip** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:53 pm

thanks for the reply.

I had already looked at the Romanian site - was a good review.

Basically I want to know whether the Megahelms with 1 fan (either a Noctua NF-P12 or one equivalent as quiet as it) will provide lower temperatures than a Noctua with 1 NFP12 fan.

Other fans I have the choice of here in NZ are:
Scythe S-FLEX 1200 120mm
$44.00
Scythe S-FLEX 1600 120mm
$44.00
Scythe S-FLEX 800 120mm
$41.99
Scythe Slip Stream 120mm 1200rpm $15.11
Scythe Slip Stream 120mm 500rpm $15.83
Scythe Slip Stream 120mm 800rpm
$20.00

Which of these offer the same quietness as the Noctua fans and produce equivalent CFM?

So in summary - It looks like I'm deciding between whether a Megahalems With 1 Noctua fan will be better than the Noctua (and justifiably better)

Thanks!

burebista · Post by **burebista** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:56 am

I just spoke with my friend who made that roundup an we both agree: for your CPU and your mild OC Megahelems with Noctua fan wold not gain a significant difference in front on Noctua U12P.

About choosing a fan, you have plenty of articles here on SPCR and on XBit too.
IMHO in my experience with fans I can say that for 99% of usual peoples a decent* 120mm fan at <8xx RPM is silent enough. Rest of 1% must have bat ears to hear some differences.

At least in the middle of the night in a quiet neighborhood and windows closed I can't hear any differences between my Noctua P12, Scythe KAMA PWM, Scythe S-Flex and Scythe Kaze Jyuni Slim all under 800 RPM.

*decent= no strange noise from fan motor

fliptrip · Post by **fliptrip** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:15 pm

Thank you very much for your advice - and your friends!

I've decided I will stick with the Noctua U12P Se1366 - seeing as it comes with 2 fans I can always use one as a case fan.

Thanks heaps!

nemo · Post by **nemo** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:59 am

im about to build the almost exact same system for my father except that we are going to go fanless on the cpu using a ninja 2

here is the list of the planned components:
http://geizhals.at/eu/?cat=WL-69618

we are going to get a nexus 430 psu