[StormX2]

Im kicking around some ideas to replace my wifes rig

one of which is a decent 1366 option with an i7 950 processor.

But I will need a Cooler to go with it

can anyone recommend one around $50 that will do a good job keeping the i7 950 cool?

or alternatively, if I decide to go with a i5 2500k/3570k build instead, one that would also work for that as well with that budget

Thank you

 

[victorzamora]

Honestly? No need to spend $50 unless you want to. CM Hyper 212+ does a fantastic job. If you're willing to spend $50, get one of those and two fans optimized for HS/Rad application. I'd recommend a couple Noctua NFF12's to go with it. Some good TIM to wrap it up.

 

[sidewu]

as stated by victor, the CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ Evo does an excellent job for about $30 on sale. I personally wouldn't buy anything more expensive on air since they would be about the same temperature. The CM Evo comes with thermal paste in the box so you don't need to buy extra.

The CM Evo will also work with lots of sockets, the 1366, 1155 and 2011 are covered.

 

[Elohim]

The Thermalright True Spirit 140 or Thermalright HR-02 Macho are arguably the best coolers in that price range...

 

[StormX2]

well start arguing lol

spending Less is Better for me, but I dont want to worry about temps. May or may not overclock it.

wont have a need to right away though

 

[Elohim]

Well they are ~10$ more expensive than the 212 , but also better and quieter, so it ultimately depends on what you want to spend

 

[ADHDadditiv]

Well, the Xigmatek Dark Knight is, according to Logan from http://teksyndicate.com it is as good as the H100, now it probably isnt quite that good in a non-tempurature controlled room, but it should still be amazing. And its only about $46

 

[Elohim]

I dont believe that. It's the same old Xigmatek 1283 Balder with powder coating.

 

[StormX2]

I would hazard a guess that the powder coating would only impede the heat transfer. cannot imagine it performing better than a non painted cooler

 

[ADHDadditiv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elohim

I dont believe that. It's the same old Xigmatek 1283 Balder with powder coating.

I'm going based off Logan's tests, he does know what he's doing so Im not accusing him of lying, but I don't think it will be the same in real world tests, I would say its closer to the H80 based on his results in the climate controlled office on a bench rig.

 

[sidewu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormX2

I would hazard a guess that the powder coating would only impede the heat transfer. cannot imagine it performing better than a non painted cooler

I don't think a power coated air cooler can be on the same level of a H100.

 

[GREG MISO]

Check out the nzxt havik 140. No one ever mentions it but it performs on par with the nhd14 and the other dual tower coolers. TinyTomLogan Even gave it cooler of the year.

 

[StormX2]

nzxt havik 140 seems just a tad pricey

Im not worried about the TIM, the stuff that came with my sig rigs Noctua is pretty good and I have a tube a Shin Etsu somewhere , just warm it up a little bit and id be golden.

 

[GREG MISO]

I have also had very good experiences with the havik 120 too. I just wish more people would recommend the 140 as it is really good for such a good price. Good luck and good day

-Greg

 

[Belial]

Evo is a rip-off, get the Hyper 212+ instead. The xigmatek gaiai is $19 on sale right now too.

Dont pay more than $20 for low end cooling
$20-40 for midrange
$40-70 for high end

You can find nh-d14s for around $50 on ebay and h100s for around $60 but that's probably way more than you need. Check the OCN market too, I paid $30 for my nzxt havik 140. The similarly performing v6gt was just $29 on newegg.

 

[Elohim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GREG MISO

TinyTomLogan Even gave it cooler of the year.

Although it's a great cooler and definately deserves a mention, TInyTomLogan's cooler tests are awful...

@ADHDadditiv

I have no idea who Logan is and whether he knows what he's doing or not, i'm just saying that it's exactly the same design Xigmatek released 4 years ago with the Balder, wich was a decent mid-range cooler. A faulty H100 would make more sense to me than the Xigmatek being one of the best Heatsinks all of a sudden....

 

[sidewu]

The NZXT Havik 140 is basically a 212+ Evo with a dual fan for double the price.

 

[GREG MISO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidewu

The NZXT Havik 140 is basically a 212+ Evo with a dual fan for double the price.

No it is not. The heatsink is much bigger and has more larger heatpipes.

:edit The havik 140 has 6 6mm heatpipes and the 212+ evo has 4. The heatsink on the 212 is the same height and width as a 120mm fan while the havik is much bigger than a 120mm fan.

 

[Elohim]

http://www.nansgaminggear.net/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1818

I'd get the True Spirit 140, it performas absolutely awesome for the money and comes with one of the best 140mm fans:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/picture/?src=/images/coolers/coolermaster-hyper-pwm-412-deepcool-gammaxx-400/zchart_diagr_big.png
(http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/coolermaster-hyper-pwm-412-deepcool-gammaxx-400_7.html#sect1)
just look at the performance compared to all the more expensive coolers, and the low noise output
Quote:

Originally Posted by sidewu

The NZXT Havik 140 is basically a 212+ Evo with a dual fan for double the price.

lol, and a Bugatti is just a more expensive version of a Prius

 

[StormX2]

argue performance?

find some benchies to show your side of the story