Thermolab Baram, best cooler for i7 1366?

[gearmonkey]

On onto the next part of my pc upgrade and I'm hoping you guys can help me with my next cooler purchase.

I'm considering the Thermolab Baram CPU Cooler which is finally available in the US. If you havent heard of or seend one before, its linked below:
http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/thermolab-baram-universal-cpu-cooler.html

I first read about it at FrostyTech and its ranked in the top 5. Anyways, I am torn between the Baram and the Prolimatech Megahalems CPU Cooler which I hear is better than the TRUE. Which do you think is best for the Intel i7 1366?

Thanks!

 

[r_manic]

Better than the true? You seem pretty sold on the Thermolab cooler, so what's making you consider the FrostyTech? 😛

 

[leo2kp]

I think you will get decent results from either one. I have the Thermalright Ultra 120 True Black - lapped - with a 120mm Cooler Master 109CFM fan, and I have my i7 920 OC to 3.6GHz. I idle at around 26C. So the Thermalright is also a very good HS.

 

[gearmonkey]

Those are great temps leo2kp. I hear the TRUE has a concave base that is intentionally done by Thermalright. Why do you lap the heatsink flat and go against how it was designed? THe obvious answer is performance but it just seems odd that undoing something Thermalright did would make it work better.

 

[barmaley]

Speaking of Thermalright. Have considered Thermalright IFX-14 ? You can google it and see that it offers great performance, however at a higher price.

 

[Superhal]

Here's a buyer's guide:
http://forums.amd.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=100223&enterthread=y

The TRUE is a great performer, but it's overpriced and you have to buy the fan separately. The big advantage of the TRUE on Intel boards is that it is bolted in, not pushpin or AM2 clip, giving it better pressure and thus contact.

I haven't looked at the other two you mentioned, but the king of value/performance is the core contact freezer. I have one on a Phenom I and idle with cool n quiet is 0-1C. It comes with both a fan and fan speed control, about a $15 value compared with the TRUE, and the total price is under $40.

The IFX is cool, but I haven't seen it on sale, ever. Installation is also a pain, and they sell the backplate heatsink separately. Also, it's incredibly (last I checked) overpriced at ~120 without a fan.