How to choose a CPU Cooler

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It is right to say that the ventilation of the CPU has never been a major concern when buying a PC. But now, thanks to the high clock frequencies of chipsets and overclocking fever, we are all giving the importance it deserves in this section of our configuration. The internal temperature reaches our CPU is directly responsible for many cases of crashes and instability in our systems. This is because the amount of heat given off by different elements of our PC increases alarmingly with each new generation of components. And never mind if we practice techniques overclocking on any element of PC. The determining factors are the clock frequency and voltage it needs to function with the following rule: the higher the frequency, the more heat and more voltage, more heat.

To find an good cooling for your custom build or branded system is exactly simple as what you try to buy an hardware upgrade. You can go for cheap cooler for regular performance and high end for overclocking sutff. Usually it is possible to provide cooling for many elements of your PC, such as RAM, optical drives, chipset of the board (although some number plates are already part of this chipset fan), and even use more powerful methods based on Peltier cell Liquid-cooled, gas cooling, etc..

Some Tips to Cool your PC

Put your PC in a place that favors the entry of air (on a table near the window), avoid putting it under the table and in corners with no ventilation. To clean excess dust take a compressed air spray and apply to the vents open the box and remove debris. This also may do so by blowing and turning the box. Pay particular interest in the fan power supply, for this you can use a cotton swab or something similar.

When you open the box, power cables and belts are usually loose. Take more flanges or attach elastic bands and belts and cables in the back of the plate (the plate). It would be best to use clamps, rubber bands because eventually end up biting and tearing.

There are a lot of thermal pastes. The bag comes with the fan is sufficient in most cases. If you have a processor heating a lot, do not hesitate to spend a few dollars more for the Artic Silver 5 or ceramic whose composition still allows a better heat conduction. To buy an improved cooling solution can be costly. This put a brass plate on the processor to allow more surface contact with the cooler, and put conductive paste on the core of it.

The newly released graphics card dissipate large amounts of heat, just look at the impressive heatsinks that look some graphics cards. These cards feature drivers that allow us to force the operation of both the GPU (Graphics Process Unit) and memory. With the heat sinks can bring them out by default more performance, but if you really want is to express its full potential, we need a better cooling system. To place one of these systems, release the old (to do press with a screwdriver on the plastic tabs that attach to the plate and remove it), put the new refrigerator, and enjoy.
The hard drive is an essential part of our machine, why should not forget, especially when we have a model 7,200 rpm IDE or SCSI over 10,000 rpm. To improve the temperature there are many options.

Regular Cpu Fan Cooling

This type of cpu fan cooling is widely used on regular systems. This one is the most widely used system and it is more than enough to keep your CPU below the critical temperature. It is important to check the compatibility of cpu cooling with the socket. The second is to see if it can support the model that you will take. I suggest you take a cooler with copper base, with a fan 80 x 80 mm. The small fans have the annoying tendency to make much ado about very little air stirring.

Be aware that the cooler comes with the micro processor boxed more than enough for multimedia or office. You will not be at full load for several hours. For games, especially those coming and video editing, I recommend taking 100% copper heatsink. My personal opinion on the cooler on the market for a tight budget would take a coolermaster 100% copper, except for large budgets, the SLK 900 series version of Heat pipe. Know any time they are sold without fans and are not compatible with all motherboards, but at least you will have the best on the market. In addition they are sold without a fan, this is also an advantage because you can pair it with quiet fans in 90 x 90 mm. To be reserved for big budgets or those who want to overclock their CPU .

Liquid Cooling

This one is the costlier one. This system has the advantage of being quieter, though some kits are always equipped with fans. The main advantage is that it keeps ever lower the temperature of the processor and this time the hot air produced by the CPU is less important because the radiator is in direct contact with water. For those who fear for the sealing of the system, I advise them to learn about the many kits available, but overall this point there are not too many complaints. The major drawback is the place that the system with pump, hose kits and some fans. In addition, this system is more expensive than for air-cooling.

It is bit messy to maintain and handle. The same is also costlier. It depends on your choice if you want to buy an costlier option to cool your system and specifically if you are planning to overclock your cpu or GPU for better gaming or multimedia performance then this one is the most recommended one.

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List of some top cpu coolers

3Rsys Iceage 80 Prima Mini - Price : $35

It comes with a design of 3 copper heatpipes in direct contact with the processor based on the premise of aluminum and up to a small grid of aluminum fins, a quiet fan-cooled 80-mm and 1,200 rpm. Sink dimensions make it perfect for small size equipment, as the 104 x 83 x 102 mm measuring almost any box enter the market. It promises to be efficiently dissipate up to 200W, so that any processor socket market 939/940/AM2 + / AM3 LGA 775 may be mounted under the small sink. Its price is $ 35, weighs 365 grams and comes with a guide and support to be mounted on various platforms, as well as thermal paste.

3Rsystem Iceage 120 Boss II - Price : $60

3R System offers a sublime package very nice and very organized. The packaging is in the form of a small briefcase in the same style as the boxes for graphics cards. A window reveals the radiator cooler. All content is very tidy and protected in closed compartments. The IceAge of 3R System consists of an aluminum radiator through which two four copper heatpipes that go from a copper base also. The block heater is very high (150 mm) and rather late, although thinner than the Noctua NH-U12, for example. This allows for more room around the processor.

It weighs 590 grams, which is pretty light. The aluminum fins are very thin and tight. 3R System logo is engraved on top. The copper heat-pipes are rather thin and tightened, there is little space between. The great feature of this cooler is the base that is formed directly by the heat-pipes that are polished. There is no plate like on the basis of conventional coolers. The heat should be transmitted more quickly along the heatpipes.

Cooler Master V10 - Price : $139.99

The V10 is worthy of superlatives, a huge size 23cm long, 13cm wide and 16cm high, no less than 10 heatpipes to transfer heat from the base to the fins, two 120mm fans to dissipate heat and Finally a Peltier plate. As it turned out, the design uses a cooler TEC - thermoelectric module, whose operation is based on the Peltier effect, and that earlier announcements V10 was not mentioned. Well, the more interesting to check how effectively get a novelty, and how it justifies its high cost, size and weight.

The new cooling system Cooler Master comes in a big black box with a large photograph of a cooler on the front side and detailed specifications on the back. Cooler is quite large, and it is not so high as long. Dimensions Cooler Master V10 are 236,5 × 129,6 × 161,3 mm and weighs 1200 grams. Looking ahead, we note that this cooler will not all body system units, but more on that we tell a little later, but in the meantime continue to check the cooler. The top and sides of the cooling system shut down a plastic cover with netting over the horizontal and the fan with the logo of the manufacturer of the two vertical radiators and a second fan. Heat pipes and copper base nickel plated. Last processed fairly high quality, and its flatness and no complaints.

Evercool Tranformer 3 - Price : $28

The Evercool Transformer 3 of 3 uses copper heat pipes that are in direct contact with the processor. 120mm PWM fan cools the aluminum fins. It comes with a tube of thermal paste. AMD Platform installation is fairly simple since it is based on the standard AMD clip. Intel is more complicated since it takes place screws into the mounting holes through the back of the motherboard. At the cooler, pasta fixings that will be placed in the screws already attached to a mounting LGA775/115x, it will change their position for the LGA1366 and retire for the AMD. We then screwed it all up before the fan through plastic fasteners quite fragile not resist disassembly.

The optimal mounting direction prohibits the use of bars with massive radiators on the first slot on our motherboard test LGA1155, but not the second. On AM3 against by the first two DIMMs are unusable. At 5V, the Evercool Transformer 3 is very quiet if not silent, and cool enough to 2600K. We must move in by cons 12v from the first overclocking, and then the fan is very noisy when the temperatures obtained are still high. The second overclocking is not sustainable at acceptable temperatures.

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Noctua NH-C14 Price : $90

With six heatpipes and two NF-P14 140mm fan, the NH-FLX C14 classic horizontal top-flow design brings to a whole new level of performance. Here, the cooler is not only significantly lower than Tower cooler, but also provides strong airflow over the memory modules and near-socket components. The two included NF-P14 fan can be mounted above and below the cooling fins for maximum performance in dual-mode or to achieve a lower height or more free space for components in single operation. When operating with only one, below the cooling fins attached NF-P14 fan, the NH-C14 is only 105mm high and is therefore ideal for use in compact enclosures or in the HTPC section. In the single-operation with the upper fan, the NH-C14 full 65mm clearance for chipset coolers or RAM modules with high heat sinks.

The two supplied and approved NF-P14 140mm fan with 3-pin connector may vary with the supplied Low-Noise Adapter from 1200 r / min (110m ³ / h) and given 20 dB (A) to about 900 r / min in the smooth running be reduced. A special feature of Noctua once again the quality of workmanship, which comes just outstanding. Cooler before the radiator "horizontal" structural elements, which is equipped with two fans pre-size 140 × 140 × 25 mm. Dimensions 140 × 166 × 130 mm. Weight 1015g.

Noctua NH-D14 - Price : $85.95

Noctua is now one of the most popular but also most exquisite cooler manufacturer in the market. The models provide easy exactly what the manufacturer promises. The cooling power is always 1A, according to the design of the time and the support is exemplary. Thus, new brackets are simply sent free of charge to existing customers. Of course, this luxury has its price to radiator and so it does not surprise us that the new NH-D14 premium cooler bigger, well thought-constructed and of course become somewhat more expensive.

Prolimatech Samuel 17 - Price $42

After the success of their coolers and Megahalems Armaggedon, Prolimatech offers a new product with outstanding performance, the Samuel 17. With an extremely compact design and only 45 mm high on Samuel 17 can fit in the most compact housings. Delivered without the fans the fans accept Samuel 17 120-mm when mounted on your new jewel not only cools the CPU but also all the components around. The six heatpipes 6mm fitted to the 17 Samuel ensure optimum transfer of heat that will allow you to run the fan at low speed thus making your configuration completely silent.

The Samuel is 17, with its clear height of 46 millimeters of classifying as HTPC cooler. Prolimatech but are confident with that, the cooler is also suitable for high-performance processors. With a width and a length of exactly 120 millimeters it is only as large as necessary for the absorption of 120-mm fans is. What we can not quite understand is that not the entire area, which covers the fan is equipped with fins. Thus, the radiator cooling area given away unnecessarily. Prolimatech incompatibilities probably want way to counter this and to find the right balance is probably not easy. However, to achieve effective cooling, a total of six 6-mm heat pipes have been installed. These are on one side of the copper base plate to the aluminum fins. The entire cooler is nickel plated.

Scythe Zipang – Price $53.95

Top-Flow radiator with the introduction of the first tower cooler in 2003 were displaced further and further from the high-end segment This will provide the large 140mm fan, the lush heat pipe assembly in the cooler for TopFlow rather unusual U-shape and the huge cooling surface area for excellent cooling performance and move the established ranks of the Tower cooler close to the fur. To what extent can we trust the promises of the marketing department? In today's review we will clarify these and other questions in detail.

Thermal Take Jing – Price $64.99

With the Jing Thermaltake has developed a very interesting cooler. The design and the colors are definitely not a common sight for normal users to vote and temperatures as well as volume. In the field he is overclocked though thermal coolers behind the comparison, but nevertheless quietly done to reach his services without critical temperatures. The processing of the cooler is to be regarded as perfectly.

The dimensions of the Jing 131mm x amount to 123mm x 162mm. He acts as though everything is delicate and not suitable for very small package, but as this is a better cooling of the processor at low fan speeds possible. Left and right depending on the heat sink is mounted a 120 mm fan. The speed range is between 800 and 1,300 low rpm (revolutions per minute), with positive impact on the operating volume. For optimum cooling performance should provide not only the two fans, the five heat pipes. By comparison, the most comparable high-performance coolers must make do with only three heatpipes, thus the heat dissipation is less possible.

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Thermaltake Frio – Price $59.99

Thermaltake makes an effort to offer its superior performance heatsinks what the market offers us with models that support a high TDP and an extraordinary support. The latest invention is the sink Frio, compatible with all Intel and AMD sockets, which also supports the upcoming six-core CPU (AMD X6), supports a maximum TDP of 220 W and is therefore especially designed for systems with overclocking . Attached are two 12 cm fans that offer an extraordinary flow of air with integrated speed control which can be placed in different positions, so find the best available regardless of our team.

Thermaltake Frio is one of the first specific brand coolers for overclocking, because it has a great ability to dissipate up to 220 W. The heatsink comes with two fans and their controls for speed, several bags marked with a letter for each socket and an instruction manual for proper installation. The fins are aluminum with 0.5 mm thick all perfectly aligned to improve the cooling capacity of the heatpipes. As we can see, the place that houses the fan is made of rubber, to avoid any vibration. Both heatpipes and base are made of copper with a nickel plated to prevent oxidation. There are five heatpipes in total with a considerable size, 8 mm in diameter, this is the key to power dissipation that has the Frio, the large size of the pipes makes the exchange of heat is greater. The two fans that came with the sink are exactly the same model, a size of 12 cm with running 6 to 12 V, with a power of 6 W each.

Thermolab BARAM (80cfm fan) - Price $60

Standard equipment includes the multi-socket mounting hardware, four fan clips, a manual and a tube of thermal compound. What pleases us most good, instead of the needed four screws ThermoLab provides those with less than five. A fan is not included and must be purchased separately. The total area of the fins of about 7580 cm ² is optimally used with maximum efficiency. Another reason for the extremely high cooling potential of the ThermoLab Baram is the wavelike shape of each aluminum fins. This is the flow resistance of air is reduced to a minimum so that the flow of the used 120 mm fan (not included) used very effectively. The Baram ThermoLab can optionally with one or two 120 mm fans are fitted. Appropriate fan brackets are standard.

The processing of the cooler is spotless and of very high quality. The base plate has a thickness of about 13 mm and is made of copper. It is flat, nickel-plated and highly polished. The radiator is complete with mounting kits, so that the cooler on both Intel and AMD systems can also be used. In both systems, the CPU cooler with the help of the respective supplied mounting clips and the associated universal backplate is attached.

Thermolab Trinity - Price $40

Thermolab Trinity CPU Cooler Unboxing & Balanced Performance Low Noise CPU Cooler for Intel LGA & AM2 + / AM3. ThermoLab Trinity delivered fully assembled, dressed with a fan. Most users to install the fan does not even have to remove it. In ThemoLab Trinity it is off base, so build with a single fan was symmetric with respect to the base size. As a result, overall dimensions of the cooler is 136 x 85 x 150 mm (B), and its weight does not exceed 735.

By today's times, the radiator is small enough. However, its width - 136 mm - could be less. Especially because it clearly increased artificially, on the one side of the plate are the four extra millimeters. Apparently, the manufacturer really wanted to sink the total usable floor area exceeds 7000 cm 2, and in the original version of something they have not calculated a bit. Well, the current total of 44 plates give even more - 7050 cm 2. But still it is not too much these days, when someone unit design can boast a third larger area of dispersal (interestingly, they include the older model ThemoLab - baram2010). 0.4-mm thin aluminum plates are placed in Trinity with an interval of 2.0 mm. The top and bottom are black, but it is not simply decorative caps, and full edge (and the same soft, they should be careful). Deposited on the top of the cooler name, and apparently, its serial number.

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Titan Hati - $40

Cooler Titan from the house there is again a new CPU cooler, which might be of interest to many of you. This is called HATI and is suitable for current and previous socket types The HATI is equipped with a silent 12cm fan with high air volume. Its unique heat sink design offers the possibility, depending on the needs of the user to mount one or two fans. With his three U-shaped heat pipes and the Direct Touch technology offers the benefits of improved thermal conductivity of HATI and sufficient cooling capacity and is suitable for both Intel and AMD systems.

Titan cooler is already an eternity. Ever since the existence of our site which is there now since 2001, our coolers are known from this manufacturer. Nevertheless, it has never made it to the big fame, like other manufacturers in a much shorter time. Only with the first model came the great change Fenrir and the interest in titanium chillers began to widen again. The less it surprises us that it wants to build on this success and constantly introduces new models in this family.

HATI the cooler is a typical tower cooler, slightly narrower than its big brother. The cooler has three heatpipes each 8 mm, which lie directly on the chip you as to derive the heat better. As one fan has built a strong 120 mm fan with a maximum speed of 2200 rev / min. Thus, an output of up to 160 watts can be achieved. If that's not enough, you can optionally upgrade a further fan the same type and power. Therefore, the cooler is well designed.

Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme - $59.99

The Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme is a chunk of a cooler. Although the cooler is only 151 millimeters high, but the cooler is 131 millimeters wide by 112 millimeters deep. Without it the eye-catching fan cooler is already bringing to a weight of 775 grams, the black nickel-plated radiator is thus not one of the lightweights. Since the fan is installed in the cooler it must be hidden and yet somehow also fixed. This is achieved by a simple Tuniq stylistic device: A cover plate. This is not unlike the rest of the cooler special nickel matte black finish. His striking appearance gives the radiator through the fins in the shaft design layout. To enhance the effect, the pattern is transferred and mounted repeated after four fins. The Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme has a fin spacing of two millimeters.

The cooling capacity is so low though, as if five 8-mm heat pipes had been used, however, is the contact area to the CPU the better. The risk that the two outer heat pipes are completely without contact with the processor is reduced as well. Fixed to the bottom of the cooler is the universal mounting of the cooler. The soil is protected in transit by a plastic film. If this distance is the spotless processed soil to light. Since the soil was ground after the nickel it is blank.

Xigamtek Loki SD963 - $89

The Xigamtek Loki is the successor to the SD963 HDT-S963, which has been improved in several respects. Then Loki now, two 92mm fans are installed instead of one. In addition, the heat sink of Loki was closed on the side, which aims to improve the cooling performance. A further improvement of its predecessor is that when Loki lying in mounting kit, which now supports all modern socket from AMD and Intel.

The CPU cooler is packed in a cardboard box printed on all sides. On the front is a picture of the CPU cooler and the most important features is shown. On the left side of the cooler is shown again, while shown on the right side of the main features in images. Xigmatek printed on the back has the exact specifications. The radiator is located, without further packaging in the box. On the sides of the fan, the accessories are housed in a plastic bag and placed the multi-lingual manual and a warranty card.

Included with the Xigmatek Loki includes a comprehensive installation kit, which is mounting on all modern sockets from AMD (754, 939, 940, AM2, AM2 + and AM3) and Intel (775, 1156, 1366) allows. In addition, 8 fixing in the rubber accessories, which also is another 92mm fan can be mounted on the radiator. Even the thermal compound is Loki in a small but sufficient amount for multiple use, with. The included fan is a 92mm model with PWM pins made by Xigmatek.

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Xigmatek Aegir - $59.99

The Aegir comes to a weight of around 670 grams and has the compact for a tower cooler but dimensions of 120x120x25mm. Compatibility problems should therefore be largely excluded. Aegir was designed for two 120mm cooling fan, which only belongs to a package. Xigmatek relies on an in-house fan, the Blackline series with 4-pin PWM connector. He usually has a range between 1,000 and 2,200 rpm / min at a maximum of 150 Airflow m³ / h.

Xigmatek is a volume of 30.1 dB (A). In addition, four white LEDs provide visual highlights first, with those of Aegir is provided not exactly abundant. Even the heat pipe ends were not covered or sleeved the fan cable.
The processing in our sample makes this an impeccable impression also is included, except for the lack of a second fan, consistent. Besides a brief guide to find thermal grease, mounting kit for AMD Socket (754, 939, 940, AM2, AM2 + and AM3) and Intel (775, 1156, 1366), as well as rubber dampers, which serve simultaneously as a support of the fans, in the package.

Zalman CNPS9900 MAX - $65 to $70

This model is an extension of the well-known cooler ZALMAN CNPS9900 LED , which we already had the privilege of testing in our lab. Let us try to understand what lies behind the mysterious end of MAX in the name of an improved cooler. Let's start with the packaging and delivery. ZALMAN CNPS9900 MAX comes in a familiar processor cooler ZALMAN cardboard box with plastic window in the middle. It can, though not completely, but, nevertheless, to consider the cooling system without removing it from its packaging. Besides the model name, the front side of the box informs us about the presence of 135-mm fan with blue LED.

Just note that the cooler ZALMAN CNPS9900 MAX comes in two varieties: with blue and red LED fan, so that the Moderators and users with transparent panels on the body will be able to choose the most suitable option for them. To us also got a copy in blue. It's all right in the box Zalman CNPS 9900 MAX and informative. The obverse and reverse sides are listed and illustrated with cooler design features, and in one of the sides there was a place for a list of product specifications. Zalman CNPS 9900 MAX is a ready-cooling system CPU, which consists of a radiator with heat pipes and fans. Divided into two sections in the first 9900th, here and far cooler lost housing. Apparently, it is not so improved the efficiency of the cooler, so the manufacturer took the opportunity to simplify the design, and simultaneously reduce its mass. And the look on this cooling system, in my opinion, was the winner.