Question Mid-range air cooler advice?

[shimapan0139]

Sorry in advance for the long ramble-ish post. I am looking to replace my stock intel cooler because the noise has been driving me crazy for like 3 years now. It is like they try to make them as loud as possible lol. But I tend to overthink my purchases and this is no exception, so I'm hoping I can get some input from those with experience in these matters, as this is my first aftermarket heatsink..

I'm currently hovering on 2 options: Thermalright PA120 or Scythe Mugen 5S/rev.c. PA120 definitely seems like better value, but watching some videos on YT of the stock fan, it seems like it could get kinda loud especially with 2 fans. Seems to have an annoying resonance around 800rpm as well, and the middle fan is probably a nightmare to keep clean. The WS-120 fan on the Mugen 5S seems very quiet at lower rpms, albeit with a kind of 'ticking' to it, but it is also $17 more and not dual tower.. Also I'm not sure if the Mugen 5S or 5 rev.c would be better/quieter? Couldnt find video of the kaze Flex II fan, just the original, which seemed a bit louder.. But I think the rev.c is a bit newer..
But with the PA120 I might be able to spin both fans lower rpm for overall lower noise than the Mugen..?

Both of these are total overkill for my 65w cpu but I'd like to spin the fans as low as possible, also I plan to upgrade one of these days so doesn't make sense to go for a cheapo cooler especially since air coolers last basically forever. Are there perhaps any other better options I might be overlooking? Ideal price range is ~$55 or less. Quiet fan is a must since I do recording and such, and my tower is only a couple feet away from me. Also I don't like liquid cooling, too many points of failure.

Notes: Case clearance is 160mm. RAM is <40mm above the board, 35-ish. But with my kit I have to use the slot closest to the cpu so I'm worried about a tight fit - one of the reasons I like these 2 coolers is the cutouts on the bottom fins.. These can be mounted in any orientation on LGA1151 right?


Also I see that many of the cheaper coolers have direct-touch heat pipes whereas the ones I am considering don't. Why is this? Is it just a gimmick or does it actually make a difference? It certainly seems more efficient but if it is why do many of the more expensive coolers not have it?

 

[CountMike]

Sorry in advance for the long ramble-ish post. I am looking to replace my stock intel cooler because the noise has been driving me crazy for like 3 years now. It is like they try to make them as loud as possible lol. But I tend to overthink my purchases and this is no exception, so I'm hoping I can get some input from those with experience in these matters, as this is my first aftermarket heatsink..

I'm currently hovering on 2 options: Thermalright PA120 or Scythe Mugen 5S/rev.c. PA120 definitely seems like better value, but watching some videos on YT of the stock fan, it seems like it could get kinda loud especially with 2 fans. Seems to have an annoying resonance around 800rpm as well, and the middle fan is probably a nightmare to keep clean. The WS-120 fan on the Mugen 5S seems very quiet at lower rpms, albeit with a kind of 'ticking' to it, but it is also $17 more and not dual tower.. Also I'm not sure if the Mugen 5S or 5 rev.c would be better/quieter? Couldnt find video of the kaze Flex II fan, just the original, which seemed a bit louder.. But I think the rev.c is a bit newer..
But with the PA120 I might be able to spin both fans lower rpm for overall lower noise than the Mugen..?

Both of these are total overkill for my 65w cpu but I'd like to spin the fans as low as possible, also I plan to upgrade one of these days so doesn't make sense to go for a cheapo cooler especially since air coolers last basically forever. Are there perhaps any other better options I might be overlooking? Ideal price range is ~$55 or less. Quiet fan is a must since I do recording and such, and my tower is only a couple feet away from me. Also I don't like liquid cooling, too many points of failure.

Notes: Case clearance is 160mm. RAM is <40mm above the board, 35-ish. But with my kit I have to use the slot closest to the cpu so I'm worried about a tight fit - one of the reasons I like these 2 coolers is the cutouts on the bottom fins.. These can be mounted in any orientation on LGA1151 right?


Also I see that many of the cheaper coolers have direct-touch heat pipes whereas the ones I am considering don't. Why is this? Is it just a gimmick or does it actually make a difference? It certainly seems more efficient but if it is why do many of the more expensive coolers not have it?

You really have to match it with CPU, it's not same cooling a 4 core or 8 core. Some processors are inherently hotter than others,

 

[shimapan0139]

You really have to match it with CPU, it's not same cooling a 4 core or 8 core. Some processors are inherently hotter than others,

Well, this isn't too helpful at all since I already know this, that is why I said I know its overkill but my main desire is quiet and also being able to use it on future upgrade. I wouldn't be upgrading to anything too powerful though, I'm currently running an i5-8400, I will probably bump up to something with a bit more cores in the future but nothing too powerful/expensive, regardless I was just hoping someone would have input on what would be a good cooler for this situation. Specifically I am concerned with the fan noise at regular (web browsing, light games etc) levels. But I see now I probably won't get any real answer on such a winded post so I will just figure it out myself. In any case, thanks for at least replying.

 

[Eximo]

You can always get a cooler you like the look of and replace the fan with a known quantity.

Thermalright has been really dropping their prices lately. And the heatsinks seems fine, just not sure how good the fans are.

 

[Lafong]

Tough to recommend because we don't know exactly how sensitive you are to temps.

You mention "quiet" a few times, so I'm assuming you are rather sensitive to noise. Maybe you are willing to accept more heat if quieter? It's a continuum and we don't know where you are on it.

Deep Cool is said to have some decent coolers at relatively low price, but I don't know about their noise.

A hard limit at say under 60 restricts you quite a bit.

I've used a 60 dollar Noctua U9S for a long time with zero regrets. Very quiet. I think 125mm tall. No RAM clearance issues by deliberate design decision per Intel specs...it doesn't overhang RAM slots at all.

 

[GarrettL]

I own a PA 120 on a 5800x3d and have no issues with the heat sink that require the fans to spin up to max RPM other than Cinebench23. There is no noise issue with general use and gaming.

 

[shimapan0139]

Lafong

I'm not entirely worried about temps but they are a consideration. I mean I used to use a cheap laptop for gaming and I pushed that cpu to 80+ for years with no ill effect.. Like I could deal with some noise if I was doing some really cpu-intensive work, but I'm more concerned with general noise, like if I will hear it from 3ft away while at 30% cpu doing a recording or something. On average I am using about ~20% of my i5-8400 and my stock fan keeps me around 35c (very good airflow in this case) this goes up to around 50% and 55c running emulators, its just that the noise is maddening. And I am planning to get further into various stuff like AI art with all my free time so I want to plan for future needs as well. I plan to eventually get more into gaming as well, but if I can play something like dota2 on max settings I will be happy, not really a AAA gamer..

I might just be overthinking this all though. Realistically any aftermarket cooler is going to be leagues better than the nightmare that is my stock intel. The thing is like a jet engine anytime I do anything more than light web browsing

GarrettL

This is reassuring, because I'm really leaning to the PA120. How far away is your tower?

 

[geofelt]

Once you go down the path of quiet computing, there seems to be no end to it.

Noise from a cooler comes primarily from the rpm that the fan needs to turn at.
The stock cooler has a 92mm fan that spins up quite high and be comes noisy.
There are some good coolers out there that use a 120mm fan like the Noctua NH-U12. The fan is of exceptional quality, and you are supplied with a low noise adapter if you want to use one.
They are not cheap at $92:
https://www.newegg.com/p/13C-0005-002S3?Item=9SIAXE5JEH5324

For $7 more, consider the NH-D15s at $99:
https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nh-d15s/p/N82E16835608072?Item=9SIAADY44C6096&quicklink=true
It uses a slow turning 140mm fan that is very quiet.
The twin towers have a large heat exchange area so a fast fan is not needed.
I highly recommend it as a long term buy.
The cooling capability is comparable to a 240/280 size aio
It needs only 160mm. and will clear most tall ram.
Do not confuse with the NH-D15 which is taller and may have ram clearance issues.
Yes, you can go cheaper, but you can not get better.

 

[CountMike]

Well, this isn't too helpful at all since I already know this, that is why I said I know its overkill but my main desire is quiet and also being able to use it on future upgrade. I wouldn't be upgrading to anything too powerful though, I'm currently running an i5-8400, I will probably bump up to something with a bit more cores in the future but nothing too powerful/expensive, regardless I was just hoping someone would have input on what would be a good cooler for this situation. Specifically I am concerned with the fan noise at regular (web browsing, light games etc) levels. But I see now I probably won't get any real answer on such a winded post so I will just figure it out myself. In any case, thanks for at least replying.

What do you mean by "not helpful" ? CPU cooler's main function is to cool CPU so it's tied to CPU as first consideration.

 

[geofelt]

If your stock cooler seems abnormally loud, consider the possibility that it has come loose and is no longer effective.
That will cause the fan to spin up and get noisy.
Under normal desktop conditions, it should not be noisy.
In the event that you may want to try remounting it, here are my canned instructions to read through:
----------------how to mount the stock Intel cooler--------------

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.
If properly mounted, you should expect temperatures at idle to be 10-15c. over ambient.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow,(clockwise)
and pulled up as far as they can go.
Take the time to play with the pushpin mechanism until you know how they work.
Orient the 4 pins so that they are exactly over the motherboard holes.
If one is out of place, you will damage the pins which are delicate.
Push down on a DIAGONAL pair of pins at the same time. Then the other pair.
When you push down on the top black pins, it expands the white plastic pins to fix the cooler in place.
If you do them one at a time, you will not get the cooler on straight.
Lastly, look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pins are equally through the motherboard, and that the cooler is on firmly.
This last step must be done, which is why the motherboard should be out of the case to do the job. Or you need a case with a opening that lets you see the pins.
It is possible to mount the cooler with the motherboard mounted in the case, but you can then never be certain that the push pins are inserted properly
unless you can verify that the pins are through the motherboard and locked.

If you should need to remove the cooler, first run the cpu to heat it up and soften the paste before shutting down and powering off the pc. That makes it easy to unstick the old cooler.
Turn the pins counter clockwise to unlock them.
You will need to clean off the old paste and reapply new if you ever take the cooler off.
Clean off old paste with alcohol and a lint free paper like a coffee filter.
Apply new paste sparingly. A small rice sized drop in the center will spread our under heat and pressure.

It is hard to use too little.
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