I need a goddamn good cooler...

[Shawn221]

Hey, I want to put this argument within myself to an end. I am a first time builder but I think I've educated myself pretty well in the arts. I first chose the Hyper 212 EVO to go with my FX-8350 as it has a good reputation. I went for a slightly more expensive, quieter option: ARCTIC Cooling A30. Now, I see that there are even more options. To get it out of the way, I need a good heatsink/fan (watercooling is fine too [closed loop]) that is substantially powerful (for mild OCing) and very, very quiet. The quiet factor is more important but I don't want to sacrifice too much power for noise levels. I looked into watercooling like the H100i and others like it but based on the opinion I'm getting, a lot of cheaper fan-based options are quieter and certain ones are more powerful. I do tons of gaming and even though it is frowned upon, I do leave my computer on all of the time due to running a small MineCraft server in the background. So, to sum it all up, I need quiet, powerful, and (if possible) good looking. Thanks for the help in advance.

My budget is anywhere from 0-70 USD

P.S. Sorry for the long post 😀

 

[RaisingTheBarHD]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608024

best air cooler on the marker, best performance you are going to get unless you get into custom cooling. if you want good looking swap out the fans for some corsair performance ones
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/phanteks-cpu-cooler-phtc12dxbk
that one is also good little cheaper but if you can afford the noctua you wont be upset

 

[Tradesman1]

You picked right the first time, the Hyper 212 EVO, plays right on a par with a H100, nice and quiet

 

[Shawn221]

You picked right the first time, the Hyper 212 EVO, plays right on a par with a H100, nice and quiet

And how much will a second fan help on this heatsink? Also, if it helps a lot adding a second fan, should I get 2 aftermarket ones and replace the stock one? Finally, if all of this is good, which fan(s) should I get?

 

[Tradesman1]

Stock fan is good, for a second fan pulling off the HS about any 120mm will work, I try and match it up as close as possible to the stock fan, if you already have a good exhaust fan back there in the case no real need for it, it will help cool a couple degrees or so

 

[cmi86]

i knocked about 5 c. off my load temps by adding a second fan to my 212 evo.

 

[Tradesman1]

That could well be, my case (a HAF) has an exhaust right behind and I have a fan on it, also have a biggie blowing down from the top that sweeps over the CPU, thank's for the info 😉

 

[Calculatron]

Out of curiousity, what was wrong with the A30 Freezer?

Or are you just curious and exploring the other roads that could have been taken?

 

[Shawn221]

Out of curiousity, what was wrong with the A30 Freezer?

Or are you just curious and exploring the other roads that could have been taken?

Well after more research I figured this out:

The Freezer is more expensive and quieter but slightly less powerful. The Hyper 212 EVO is still very quiet and is more powerful and cheaper. It's just a better value...

 

[Tradesman1]

Yes, think you'd definitely be happier with the EVO

 

[Calculatron]

Well after more research I figured this out:

The Freezer is more expensive and quieter but slightly less powerful. The Hyper 212 EVO is still very quiet and is more powerful and cheaper. It's just a better value...

Definitely not going to argue that; the EVO is tough to beat in its cost-performance ratio. The only reason I threw down money for an A30 Freezer was because I managed to snag it on-sale for $30. I'm not sure I would have paid the full $50 asking pricing. That is not to say that it is a bad cooler, because it is not, especially in terms of acoustics.

If you still have the A30 Freezer when you get your EVO, would you mind posting some results? More data to the knowledge pool is always great. Particularly if you also tried the EVO's fan on the A30 Freezer's heatsink.

 

[Tradesman1]

Well after more research I figured this out:

The Freezer is more expensive and quieter but slightly less powerful. The Hyper 212 EVO is still very quiet and is more powerful and cheaper. It's just a better value...

Definitely not going to argue that; the EVO is tough to beat in its cost-performance ratio. The only reason I threw down money for an A30 Freezer was because I managed to snag it on-sale for $30. I'm not sure I would have paid the full $50 asking pricing. That is not to say that it is a bad cooler, because it is not, especially in terms of acoustics.

If you still have the A30 Freezer when you get your EVO, would you mind posting some results? More data to the knowledge pool is always great. Particularly if you also tried the EVO's fan on the A30 Freezer's heatsink.

________________________

+1 Always need info, makes everybody's life easier 😉

 

[PA Systems]

I'd appreciate some explanations, if possible, from some more experienced components buyers. I've noticed that Newegg has be up and down with the price on the EVO. I like the EVO in lots of ways but for the suspicious rollercoastering of the price. That scenario seems to apply to a number of Cooler Master air coolers where the prices of some have gone up or down by $10 within a weeks time. Other brands are discounted at a greater level. Right now Newegg has a promo code on only SOME of Cooler Masters products including only one low end air cooler and a water cooler, with the rest being cases or PSUs. How does all this work? I've searched for other sources but they are either more expensive or if the online retailer, such as Tiger Direct or Provantage is offering a lower price, it's ruined by the shipping charges. Is there something fishy going on at Newegg or is there some pricing strategy at Cooler Master?

 

[Calculatron]

Perhaps both. Newegg is not above listing the actual price as higher than what it usually is, but then "cutting" the price back down to what it should be. That is what they are doing to Enermax's ETS-T40 cooler right now. ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835214023 ) Amazon does stuff like this all the time; it's a marketing gimmick.

Other than just the rules of supply and demand, with the ebb and flow of the market, that is all the input I have.

 

[Meoricin]

That could well be, my case (a HAF) has an exhaust right behind and I have a fan on it, also have a biggie blowing down from the top that sweeps over the CPU, thank's for the info 😉

The top fan should really be exhaust.

 

[Tradesman1]

And then things run hotter, using back and lower side as exhaust

 

[toostrike]

The Evo is a great cooler. Follow my tips in this thread to help with installation. This is going to sound silly, but if your using push and pull, double and triple check your configuration. Sometimes its easy to set up the fans in the wrong direction. I did this one time not paying close attention, after taking my evo off the motherboard for a bath. Compressed air works, but some dust really clings to those fins.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1775460/tighten-212-am3-board.html