Do i need an Aftermarket cooler for i5-4690k

Evade97

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Oct 20, 2014
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This is my first build so still a noob but im guessing i need a better cooler for my i5-4690k if i'm going to overclock it at all? and if so any recommendation's for a good cooler? I'm not going to be going for any crazy OC's seeing as how its my first time.
 
Solution

The Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo that was mentioned will do you fine, provided your case is big enough. By the way what case do you have?

Really, the stock intel cooler is ok.
It will get noisy and will not cool as well as it should under load.
But, I think exotic cooling is not needed.
I have become a bit jaded on the subject of haswell cooling for overclocking.
How high you can OC is firstly determined by your luck in the bin lottery.
I had high expectations from the Devil's canyon parts and their better thermals.
I found out that the thermals really do not matter unless, perhaps, you are a competitive overclocker.
Haswell runs quite cool, that is, until you raise the voltage past 1.25v or so.
Once you go past 1.3v, then you really do need very good cooling to keep stress loads under say 85c.
But, the consensus is that voltages higher than 1.30 are not a good thing for 24/7 usage.
I have been unable to find any official Intel recommendation on what is a safe vcore limit.
If you are an enthusiast, you can go higher.
Even if you can handle the heat, how much do you really need that extra multiplier from say 4.4 to 4.6?
My thought is that it is better to use the exotic cooling funds for a quieter and less expensive air cooler.
I suggest at least a tower type air cooler like the $30 cm hyper212. It will cool decently and be quieter.
If your cooling budget is around $65, then look for a noctua or Phanteks cooler with 140mm fans.
I would avoid the all in one liquid coolers unless you have a small form factor case with limited cooler height available.
 
You can try OC with the stock HSF but you are unlikely to get much more than 200-300MHz extra.

As far as reasonably priced coolers that perform decently well go, the Hyper 212EVO is a safe default bet for cases and motherboard layouts that can accommodate it.
 

The Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo that was mentioned will do you fine, provided your case is big enough. By the way what case do you have?

 
Solution


well i dont have it all built yet but i will be using the White NZXT H440.
And i was looking at the hyper 212 evo before, i think i might go with that one. And if im correct the H440 comes with i believe 4 default fans so idk i will prolly end up putting in some modified noctua's (cause they are really ugly lol)
 

It should fit fine in that case.