CPU LGA775 Cooler

[Lutfij]

Hey there,

i hav an intel Q9550 which i'd want to mildly overclock. Will i need an aftermarket cooler or am i fine with the stock intel 45nm cooler?

thanx

 

[mi1ez]

depends how far you push it. For a mild OC at stock voltages, you may be able to stick with stock.

Try it, run prime95, and watch your temperatures. TJMAX is 71.4C. Try to keep below 60C

 

[jsc]

If you are only going to push the CPU to a 10% - 20% overclock, you can probably get away with using the stock cooler. For anything more than that you will need better cooling. Here are three under $50 heatsinks that are pretty popular:
Sunbeam
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Xigmatec Dark Knight
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

I've added this one, because it is starting to get really popular:
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

They all require a somewhat different approach to applying thermal compound.
Suggestions for applying thermal compound:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=5

 

[Lutfij]

Best answer selected by Lutfij.