CPU cooling/Liquid Cooling

**DJ Ms. White** · 02-24-11, 10:20 AM

So, I'm finally getting close to building my first PC. I'm only about 4-5 months away. I'm currently investigating CPU cooling since, from what I know about physics, the cooler the processor the better it runs.

I realize a lot of this depends on the cooling of the case, so I'm open to suggestions on that as well. I'm looking at full towers since they seem to have better air flow, cooling, and cable management, and a lot have the option for liquid cooling. I'll be gaming with headphones so noise is not really an issue.

Is it better to have a heat sink or a fan/heatsink? I've heard the Megahelem is nice, but it's just a heatsink.

Is there a good liquid cooling system out there for i7 (yes I will be using all cores for physics simulations, Heavy)? I probably won't be overclocking as I'm not comfortable doing that on my first PC.

I'll probably think of other questions later.

**HeavyG** · 02-24-11, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by DJ Mr. White

(yes I will be using all cores for physics simulations, Heavy)

Yea, yea, yea...

You are right. There are benefits to the Core i7. I am rebuilding my HTPC in about a month, and I am considering swapping out the Core i5-760 for a Core i7-870 as I have been encoding more and more video/audio lately, and hyperthreading makes a HUGE difference in that regard.

So for your system... If you are not overclocking, then you really shouldn't need any sort of aftermarket cooling solution. The stock heat sink/fan that comes with the Intel chips should keep them quite cool, even when going into turbo boost mode.

That being said... if overclocking is out, noise isn't an issue, then the only thing left to consider is styling. The stock Intel coolers are just ugly compared to some of the badass air coolers, such as the Cooler Master V6 and V8 (both popular air coolers that add some style to your cooling solution.

I really wouldn't recommend a water cooling setup unless you are looking to do some serious overclocking. They are expensive and simply not necessary. You could look into a Corsair H50 or H70 water cooler for your CPU only as they are more affordable. I just liked the way it looked and how much extra room it gave me. When I had the Hyper 212 Plus, it was very close to my memory (touching it), not allowing it to cool efficiently.

Gumby has the Corsair Graphite 600T, which is a mid tower case... but it is one bad ass mid tower. Personally, I prefer Cooler Master cases, but I really can't get over how well Corsair did on the design of this case. From styling to cable management, it is top notch. This isn't a full tower, but I am not sure you will need one if you aren't loading it with water cooling equipment and fans for overclocking.

Graphite Series

**FireAtWill** · 02-24-11, 11:09 AM

I have loved my cooler on my i7920!!!

Seriously... For $25 it is a steal and keeps my CPU nice and cool...

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper N 520 RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Intel Core i7 compatible

Cooler Master Hyper N520 | Overclockers Online

**DJ Ms. White** · 02-24-11, 11:34 AM

Hmmm...the case looks nice, but 2 fans seems a little light. What temps would it run at? The eventual plan is to have either a 570 or a 580 in for games, a 280 for physics in games, and the i7 for when I want to run some simulations. The hard drive will be a SSD (the 128GB corsair one) as I love my current Samsung SSD so that will run cool.

**FireAtWill** · 02-24-11, 01:32 PM

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

I have the 900 Black and like it a lot.

**Sawemoff** · 02-24-11, 01:42 PM

I went pretty cheap and got a Cogage true spirit (cogage is a subdivision of a larger cooler company, cant remember who), anyways, it was cheap <30$ and it performs awesome. There are some reviews out there that show it performing almost better than the megahelem. Its something to consider. Side note, it is a very tall cooler and a smaller case may have concerns of it fitting.

just some numbers - my I7 920 is OC at 3.6 Ghz. Im running 42C idle, <65 load.

**BigHub** · 02-24-11, 02:08 PM

Psssh...

I have the Antec 900 II case and currently installed the Corsair H50 water cooler on my AMD Quad-Core..

24 degrees Celsius @ idle and 37 degrees Celsius @ full load.

The Corsair H50 is also pretty easy on the pocket book, never have to flush or replace liquids, and simple to install.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

**Sawemoff** · 02-24-11, 02:18 PM

30$ more than what I have and my temps are never in a range thats concerning. Sure it feels great to have a frozen CPU but does it really benefit you that much? Not really. its only an issue when your temps get outside of the accepted thermal range for that processor.

**DJ Ms. White** · 02-24-11, 02:25 PM

It doesn't seem like there are many options for LGA 1366 system though as far as water cooling goes. Hmmm...

I also already have an Antec 900. It's way too cramped with two big cards in there.