Asrock Z77 Mini ITX CPU Cooler for OCing

[UCLAco2016]

The motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157312&Tpk=asrock%20z77%20mini%20itx

I'm not new to building computers, but I'm new to overclocking. I want to try and overclock my 3570k to 4.5ghz when I build my rig. I was planning on buying a Hyper 212 evo, but I found out that a lot of cpu coolers don't fit in this motherboard unless you don't have a graphics card. Which kind of made me have buyers remorse for not getting the asus z77 mini itx, but I got free RAM with mine and saved $50 so I'll get over it lol. Anyway I can't find the exact list but basically every "good" air cooler is incompatible with it. So Iwill probably have to go with water cooling, which I know nothing about. The only 2 water coolers I know are thecorsair h60 and the h80 lol.

 

[amuffin]

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/page-277215_29_100.html
http://itxler.blogspot.co.at/2012/09/mini-itx.html

 

[geofelt]

What you can do is somewhat determined by the room available in your case.
What case are you using?

If you were using a large enough case, I suspect you could use the evo if you oriented the cooler parallel to the graphics card.
Even then 4.5 is not guaranteed; chips have different limits.

But more likely, you will be using a smaller ITX case where you may want to use a low profile downdraft cooler.
Such coolers are somewhat less efficient, but should still get you past 4.0.

In a small form factor case, a liquid cooler makes more sense than usual.
But, you will need to be careful with how you position the radiator.
My suggestion would be to find a forum where they discuss builds using the specific case you have in mind.
There is a lengthy one on the lian li pc-Q08 at hardforum for example:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1481013

 

[UCLAco2016]

What you can do is somewhat determined by the room available in your case.
What case are you using?

If you were using a large enough case, I suspect you could use the evo if you oriented the cooler parallel to the graphics card.
Even then 4.5 is not guaranteed; chips have different limits.

But more likely, you will be using a smaller ITX case where you may want to use a low profile downdraft cooler.
Such coolers are somewhat less efficient, but should still get you past 4.0.

In a small form factor case, a liquid cooler makes more sense than usual.
But, you will need to be careful with how you position the radiator.
My suggestion would be to find a forum where they discuss builds using the specific case you have in mind.
There is a lengthy one on the lian li pc-Q08 at hardforum for example:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1481013

I'll be using a bitfenix prodigy. I'm going to buy some low profile ram later, but I got 8gb of corsair vengeance for free with my motherboard.

 

[geofelt]

The bitfenix prodigy is a nice case, but it is a bit large for a ITX case. 9.84" x 15.91" x 14.13"
It is actually about the same size the silverstone TJ-08E M-ATX case which is 15.16" x 8.27" x 14.72"

The problem with the asrock ITX motherboard is that the cpu socket is placed close to the graphics card slot. That is sufficient for the stock intel cooler, but many tower type coolers like the evo will interfere if they are oriented to send air towards the rear.

One solution would be to orient the cooler to the side. This is only slightly less efficient and would be an acceptable cooling solution.
Your high vengeance heat spreaders may interfere, but they can be easily removed. 1.5v ram actually does not need any heat spreaders at all.
Google will show you how. I see no need to replace the ram.

Most of the all-in-one liquid coolers will also do the job. I would orient the radiator so that it exhausts towards the top of the case.
Drawing in fresh air is the usual recommendation for maximum cpu cooling. But that leaves heat in the case where it will hurt graphics card cooling.
Here is one review roundup of some such coolers:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6530/closing-the-loop-contained-liquidcoolers-from-corsair-and-nzxt-compared

I would not get caught up in finding the maximum cooling solution.
That is usually accompanied by higher noise.

 

[geofelt]

The bitfenix prodigy is a nice case, but it is a bit large for a ITX case. 9.84" x 15.91" x 14.13"
It is actually about the same size the silverstone TJ-08E M-ATX case which is 15.16" x 8.27" x 14.72"

The problem with the asrock ITX motherboard is that the cpu socket is placed close to the graphics card slot. That is sufficient for the stock intel cooler, but many tower type coolers like the evo will interfere if they are oriented to send air towards the rear.

One solution would be to orient the cooler to the side. This is only slightly less efficient and would be an acceptable cooling solution.
Your high vengeance heat spreaders may interfere, but they can be easily removed. 1.5v ram actually does not need any heat spreaders at all.
Google will show you how. I see no need to replace the ram.

Most of the all-in-one liquid coolers will also do the job. I would orient the radiator so that it exhausts towards the top of the case.
Drawing in fresh air is the usual recommendation for maximum cpu cooling. But that leaves heat in the case where it will hurt graphics card cooling.
Here is one review roundup of some such coolers:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6530/closing-the-loop-contained-liquidcoolers-from-corsair-and-nzxt-compared

I would not get caught up in finding the maximum cooling solution.
That is usually accompanied by higher noise.

 

[amuffin]

An H100 can fit inside of the Bitfenix Prodigy.

That would be the most "optimal" setup for your case.

Class of 2016 for UCLA? That's pretty cool, I'd like to go to Berkeley after 2016 (when I graduate highschool).

 

[kitsunestarwind]

For the record u can probably fit a Hyper 212+ on that mainboard with a Graphics card into a Prodigy BUT
the cooler has to be sideways with the fan on the opposite side from the GPU
thats how i did it in my Prodigy with my asrock board (i have the less featured asrock ITX board then that one)