Cpu Cooler worth it?

[iduhfuse]

Hey guys! My comp has the stock cooler for an i3 Cpu. I want to get a Cooler Master V6 cpu cooler with Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound. My current temp on the Cpu is about 40C Idle and 68C Full Load. I want to know if it will drop my temps on the cpu at least 10C or more as I can only get to 3.4ghz on my i3 530. Though, will that be high enough to power the new upcoming games in November meaning I don't need this cooler? (BF3, Skyrim, etc). Also, this thing weighs a ton! 800Grams = 1.7 Lbs. Will it break my mobo? or Will it mount fine if I decide to get it?

Oh, almost forgot, Will it fit into my Cooler Master Elite 310 case?

-Thanks

 

[geofelt]

1) Your temperatures are nominal and not a problem.

2) An aftermarket cooler with a slow turning 120mm fan will do a better job of cooling, and be quieter. But it does not have to be expensive. $30 should get you a Xigmatek Gaia
or a CM hyper 212. They are 160mm tall, and wil fit most any case. I don't think the cm v6 is worth it. You will probably be able to OC a bit higher if you need to. I don'tthink a 10c drop with any cooler is possible, particularly if your ambient temperatures are warm.

3) We are not usually limited by the cpu in games, compared to the graphics card. Why not wait and see if you have a problem with a new game? Then you will be better able to assess your options.

4) For a preview, To help clarify your options, run these two tests:

a) Run your games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
If your FPS drops significantly, it is an indicator that your cpu is the limiting factor, and a cpu upgrade is in order.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system, and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.

 

[iduhfuse]

Dude your freaking insane. I'm totally amazed how well somebody answered that. Thanks a lot. (had no idea bout the power options thing) haha.

btw my setup is:

Core i3 530 3.4ghz
Mushkin Enhanced 4GB (2GBx2) 1333mhz
Gtx 560 OC
Gigabyte H55M-UD2H
Thermaltake 500Watt PSU with 43 amps combined on 12V rail.

Think any bottlenecks there??

 

[geofelt]

Looks balanced to me.
What is your problem?

 

[iduhfuse]

so I did what you said about changing the maximum processor state to %60 and I ran the GTA IV benchmark and I saw no fps loss but it did read 73% usage from the benchmark on the cpu?

 

[geofelt]

so I did what you said about changing the maximum processor state to %60 and I ran the GTA IV benchmark and I saw no fps loss but it did read 73% usage from the benchmark on the cpu?

That tells me that your cpu is fine.
If you want more fps, then look first to the graphics card.

Other games might perform differently.

 

[iduhfuse]

Best answer selected by iduhfuse.