----Best cpu cooler for no more than $60.---

[silvertounge]

Just as the the title states, I'm looking for the best cpu cooler I can get for around $60 or cheaper.

I am currently looking at these two.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055
Coolermaster V8: Seems like everyone's talking about this one.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106123
Thermaltake SpinQ Performance: I saw this CPU cooler running on many very high end, $2,000-$3,000 computers at quakecon.
Quakecon= Big computer convention.

The coolermaster is looking like probably the best bet right now, and the Termaltake SpinQ just looks awsome, haha. But once again, it's all about which cpu cooler cools the best.

I will be running a AMD Phenom ll X3 Processor. It's the 95watt black design, so I plan on overclocking as much as possible!
I have the Antec 900 case, so the size of the cooler shouldn't be a problem.
Please feel free to look up the two cpu coolers I've listed and give your opinions on them, and please give any recommendation on cpu coolers other than these two.


The best cooler for around $60 is what I'm looking for. Thanks.

 

[huntsman]

my first choise was the core contact cooler but my store did not have them and they had the titan and also it was on sale for 39 bucks so with tax it came up to 43 everything which is why i went with it. Also i was debating on the scythe mugen 2 but eh, or the xigmatek s1283.

 

[silvertounge]

I don't have nice pc stores around me, and online the only price I could find the Titan online for was like $51 and 10$ tax. Newegg's got the Core contact cooler for $40 and then a $15 mail in rebate off of that.

 

[huntsman]

yeah go with the core contact freezer then for sure. yeah im kinda lucky i got microcenter, tigerdirect, and frys electronics near by

 

[silvertounge]

Have you heard/had any experience with the coolermaster, i think it's coolermaster, Hyper 212.?

Reviews say they got pretty impressive results with it also, and it's just about the same price.

 

[huntsman]

nope, but go on frostytech.com and see what they say bout it, but overshocked used the core contact freezer and it sure did a good job with his overclocked cpus.

 

[silvertounge]

I actually just checked out frostytech again, and it appears the core contact cooler is cooling slightly better than the Hyper 212.

 

[silvertounge]

So pretty much the question now is, can anyone find a better cooler than the core contact, for under $60? Excluding the Ultra 120 discussed earlier, which is about
$70 I believe.

 

[huntsman]

just go with the core contact its ur best bet for good money. i have my titan fan at 50% lowest idle temp is 27c while on 100% it was 26c, but i love the quietness, ima go pick up 2 silenx xtrema 120mm fans as i need one for the side and the 300 antec fan on the back barely blows anything out at low setting.

 

[silvertounge]

I was actually looking back into the Thermalright Ultra 120 Plus, but yeah. It's definitely looking like the core contact cpu cooler is the way to go.

 

[silvertounge]

I read on a few reviews that people were actually filling in the "creases/cracks" on the bottom of the core contact cooler with Artic Silver and then actually going over that and putting the regular amount in the center of it. Have any of you who have actually used this heatsink done the same thing? Is it really not smooth, and has places you are able to fill in, or is completely smooth on the bottom as all heatsinks are?

 

[Shadow703793]

^Use this method for DHT coolers: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/252942-29-some-notes-applying-thermal-paste-xigmatek

 

[silvertounge]

Thank you. I'm not completely sure what "lapping" means, but I got the base idea that I do need to fill in the cracks, and then put 3 lines across it. I am assuming Artic Silver 5 would be fine for filling in those cracks?

 

[Shadow703793]

^Lapping: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/252168-29-heatsink-lapping-guides

AS5 is fine, but I prefer MX2 and Shin-Etsu. AS5 is old. (I still use AS5 because I have like 10 3.5gram tubes left :lol: )

 

[silvertounge]

Wow Overschocked. 4.53Ghz with the core contact freezer. I'm liking that!! What are your temperatures like under load?

 

[silvertounge]

Oh and Shadow, the Sunbeam Core Contact freeze comes with "TX-2" thermal paste. Is that what you were referring to? I might as well ask now also, is this "TX-2" past better than Artic Silver 5?

 

[silvertounge]

Never mind shadow. I actually just found the MX-2 you were referring to on new egg =]

 

[Shadow703793]

^ Here is a good review of TIM: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=232141

Results:

 

[silvertounge]

Thanks, I'll take a look at it now.

 

[silvertounge]

That was an awesome review on TIM! Thanks Sniper. The Indigo extreme averaged 3 degrees cooler. That's pretty big when you are talking about paste.

 

[silvertounge]

Don't think I'm going to want to spend another $8 on more thermal past those for a few degrees XD. Maybe if I get into some serious, serious overclocking later. For now though, I think I'll be able to overclock my Phenom ll X3 720 pretty high with the core contact cooler =]

 

[huntsman]

yep you should be to get some good overclocking going on, i was gonna give my 550 a go to try and get it to 4ghz but schools starting soon and just dont feel like wasting my 2 days, playing with the pc to get it stable so for now it sits at stock speeds both the cpu and graphic card 🙁

but good luck to you with yur overclocking and let us know how it turns out

 

[silvertounge]

Certainly! Hoping for 3.5-4Ghz

 

[silvertounge]

More than likely I'm going to make my purchase this evening. I'd like to ask for opinions once again on the Sunbeam Core Contact freezer vs. the Cooler Master 212.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
vs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065&Tpk=coolermaster%20212

 

[huntsman]

core contact freezer

 

[TexasRattleSnake]

get the 3R System BOSS 2..frostytech now puts it as the best AMD cooler! Its certainly from the same OEM as the Core Contact Freezer, but with a much more even base (heat pipe direct touch coolers usually have uneven base) compared to the Core Contact, plus it has one more heatpipe. Frosty hasn't yet published the review, but here's one comparing it to some others..
http://www.rwlabs.com/article.php?cat=&id=148&pagenumber=6