Which CPU cooler is best for my rig?

[Emile Fadel]

First up. This is the basics of my setup.

NZXT phantom 410 mid tower
Asus maximus VI hero mobo
Intel i5 4670k
Corsair vengeance low profile 2x4gb ram
Asus radeon R9 280x matrix platinum 3gb
2x120mm front fans, 2x140mm top fans, 1x120mm rear fans, and 140mm side fan

Now, i am looking at three cpu coolers. First of all i want to know is it even possible for the Noctua NH-D14 to fit into my rig? If it is then i would like to know which cooler will be most effective out of the following:

Noctua NH-U14S
Noctua NH-D14 (If it even fits)
Corsair H100i

Side note : if i do go with the H100i obviously ill be getting rid of the other 2x140mm top fans and installing the fans that come with the rad up there.

 

[jimthenagual]

The phantom 410 can take upto 170mm and the NH-D14 is 160mm so you're good according to this review.

But I'll put my two cents in about the H100i. Some like closed loop cooling, others are against it. For me, the reason I like it is that it performs on par with the big fans you are looking at, while at the same time it looks good. If you install one of the big noctua fans, you may was well say good bye to your side window because it will be filled with the view of the beige noctua. With the H100i, you can really make the insides look good.

The H100i on the downside makes more noise than the noctua, so what I've done is switched to Corsair's quiet series of fans. I still maintain good temps at a mild 4.4Ghz, and I haven't tried higher. Temps max at around 75c right now on stress tests, and around 60c while gaming.

Hope this helps.

 

[Emile Fadel]

The phantom 410 can take upto 170mm and the NH-D14 is 160mm so you're good according to this review.

But I'll put my two cents in about the H100i. Some like closed loop cooling, others are against it. For me, the reason I like it is that it performs on par with the big fans you are looking at, while at the same time it looks good. If you install one of the big noctua fans, you may was well say good bye to your side window because it will be filled with the view of the beige noctua. With the H100i, you can really make the insides look good.

The H100i on the downside makes more noise than the noctua, so what I've done is switched to Corsair's quiet series of fans. I still maintain good temps at a mild 4.4Ghz, and I haven't tried higher. Temps max at around 75c right now on stress tests, and around 60c while gaming.

Hope this helps.

That review was quite informative. And from what i got from it even with a 140mm side fan the NH-D14 still fits... Awesome! How do i know which fans are compatible with the H100i? (if i wanted to replace the stock ones)

 

[jimthenagual]

How do i know which fans are compatible with the H100i? (if i wanted to replace the stock ones)

Pretty much any 120mm case fan will work, but ideally you want ones that have high static pressure. I went with these. They come with different colors of rings as well, to match your other parts. Red, blue or white.

 

[Emile Fadel]

How do i know which fans are compatible with the H100i? (if i wanted to replace the stock ones)

Pretty much any 120mm case fan will work, but ideally you want ones that have high static pressure. I went with these. They come with different colors of rings as well, to match your other parts. Red, blue or white.

Thanks for the info. Now ill just hope others come to this thread and give me some more opinions on the other cpu coolers