Quietest Cooler for Socket 775 (Quad Q9550)

haiunparaiso · Post by **haiunparaiso** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 3:37 am

I've been reading a lot of posts and reviews, but still I can't find "the one".

My main priority is quietness.

Money is not a problem. But I don't want liquid cooling.

Fan size should be (at least) 12cm (as bigger fans are more often than not quieter, I suppose)

Heatpipe size is not a problem, as the PC case is huge and has lots of free space. So, I don't need a low profile heatpipe or something like that.

I really loved Asus Axe Square Amazing, what do you think of it? Are better candidates out there?

I had Asus Artic Square, but it was not as quiet as I needed.

mobo: Asus P5Q-EM
processor: Core2QUad Q9550 (socket LGA775)

Thank you all in advance.

Deucal · Post by **Deucal** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 4:03 am

Then the list is what you should use

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks

haiunparaiso · Post by **haiunparaiso** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 1:47 am

Deucal wrote:Then the list is what you should use

Recommended_Heatsinks

I've read that list a lot of times, but every time I read it, I get more confused. Sometimes too much information isn't a good thing.

Also, that lists in not complete, and some of the fans are outdated now.

The problem is that lot of people look for a fan and heatpipe having into account its cooling power or its beauty (modding fans).

I just need silence, or one fan+heatpipe that could be the quietest one.

Thank you anyway, I appreaciate your attempt to enlighten me.

mkk · Post by **mkk** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:09 am

Megahalems with a SlipStream 800rpm or similarly low noise fan. Just mount, connect, and forget it's there.

That Asus cooler is more about bling and can't compete at low noise levels.

Post by **MikeC** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:40 am

The OP's cpu is easy for any of the 12cm tower coolers to cool quietly. Since the Scythe coolers' stock fans tend to be the best, I'd suggest a Mugen2. Installation will require removal of the mobo unless you can access the backside, but once done, with the stock fan set to low on the mobo's fan controller, the noise should be minuscule.

Erelyes · Post by **Erelyes** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:24 pm

If you don't plan to overclock, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus would be my pick for those who are worried about A) board bending, or B) their budget.

Although the stock fan is noisy, you could try a push-pull setup (with another, quiet fan) and set them at ~6v each.

Thats what I plan to do anyway (but I only have a C2D)

ilovejedd · Post by **ilovejedd** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:28 pm

Erelyes wrote:If you don't plan to overclock, I would think the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus would be my pick for those who are worried about A) board bending, or B) their budget.

Although the stock fan is noisy, you could try a push-pull setup (with another, quiet fan) and set them at ~6v each.

Thats what I plan to do anyway (but I only have a C2D)

I think you would end up paying around the same as the Mugen after factoring in the cost of the extra fan...

cb95014 · Post by **cb95014** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 3:12 pm

One of my systems is a Q9550 cooled by an HR-01+ and a single S-Flex turning at just over starting voltage. Personally, I can't hear this combo at any distance, but apparently some people on this forum have better hearing than me.

I even run it over-clocked (but not over-volted), and while I don't remember the exact temps, OCCT was no problem. There may be more cost-effective solutions, but I can't see how anything could be quieter unless it was completely passive.