Which CPU cooler would be best for my i7-7700k, no-oc and maximum cooler height about 160mm.

[rahul.damani25]

I am currently using i5-7500 + gtx 1080 + 16gb RAM. I know my CPU shouldn't have been paired with this high end GPU but since I was getting a good price I went with it. Now I plan on getting i7-7700k and after researching a bit I came across a few CPU air coolers and selected some - Deepcool GAMAX 400, CM Hyper 212 turbo, Cryorig H7, MSI silver black frostr and Noctua U9S.
Please help me select the best among these. Also, shoud I even upgrade, since I won't overclock anyways with my mobo b250m-ds3h.

 

[J_E_D_70]

Cryorig is great.

But what’s you resolution and refresh rate? At 60hz that CPU should be fine.

 

[azaran]

Another vote for the Cryorig H7 as well as the Noctua U9s. Solid cooling, easy install, good mounting design and no RAM interference.

The Deepcool is a decent cooler but I dislike the clip design mounting system they use. That's a personal bias, so your mileage may vary.

The CM Hyper 212 turbo is just a Hyper 212 with a second fan, so while a good cooler it will overhang the 4th RAM slot. So if you intend on filling that slot you'll need plan ahead and use low profile RAM like the Corsair LPX.

The MSI looks like a decent cooler, tho I haven't seen reviews on it. It has a good TDP (if the spec sheet is accurate), a solid if not overly complicated mounting system, and doesn't interfere with RAM slots. So you wouldn't be limited in RAM choices.

The Nocua U9s is the smallest of the bunch but performs similar to the H7 within a few degrees. It has a very robust mounting system and like the H7 has no RAM slot interference. My one concern with this cooler is because it is a 92mm fan system, it may be louder than the H7.

 

[geofelt]

Among your choices, I like the quality of noctua.

That said, the best budget cooler out there is relatively unknown.
It is the scythe kotetsu for $35,
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13C-0004-00005
I installed one in my son's pc and it is effective and particularly quiet.
Here is a review:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1391-page1.html

Read the review to the end, it bests others such as the hyper212 and noctua

 

[rahul.damani25]

Cryorig is great.

But what’s you resolution and refresh rate? At 60hz that CPU should be fine.

I am using a 144Hz monitor at 1080P. But just to future proof, I am thinking to upgrade to i7-7700k. That said, I have played a lot of games on my current setup with no lags or sluttering whatsoever. Even Battlefield 1, GTA V, Tomb Raider etc. all run well enough with above 80fps at max settings.

Still I need opinion on should I upgrade now, since I can't really upgrade to 8th gen yet.

 

[rahul.damani25]

Another vote for the Cryorig H7 as well as the Noctua U9s. Solid cooling, easy install, good mounting design and no RAM interference.

The Deepcool is a decent cooler but I dislike the clip design mounting system they use. That's a personal bias, so your mileage may vary.

The CM Hyper 212 turbo is just a Hyper 212 with a second fan, so while a good cooler it will overhang the 4th RAM slot. So if you intend on filling that slot you'll need plan ahead and use low profile RAM like the Corsair LPX.

The MSI looks like a decent cooler, tho I haven't seen reviews on it. It has a good TDP (if the spec sheet is accurate), a solid if not overly complicated mounting system, and doesn't interfere with RAM slots. So you wouldn't be limited in RAM choices.

The Nocua U9s is the smallest of the bunch but performs similar to the H7 within a few degrees. It has a very robust mounting system and like the H7 has no RAM slot interference. My one concern with this cooler is because it is a 92mm fan system, it may be louder than the H7.

I checked and found on some places that both H7 and U9s would be very silent, especially Noctua has good reviews for being silent in all form factors.
As for Hyper 212 Turbo, I am on a budget build, so I only have 4 RAM slots on right of CPU so I don't think this one would overhang my slots.
Also, are 120mm coolers any better than 90mm ones, apart from noise levels. I mean 3-4C difference is manageable but 90mm ones do offer decent looks and compatibility. Please add your thoughts as well.

 

[rahul.damani25]

Among your choices, I like the quality of noctua.

That said, the best budget cooler out there is relatively unknown.
It is the scythe kotetsu for $35,
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13C-0004-00005
I installed one in my son's pc and it is effective and particularly quiet.
Here is a review:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1391-page1.html

Read the review to the end, it bests others such as the hyper212 and noctua

I wanted to give Scythe coolers a try but unfortunately they are not available in India. The ones I mentioned are some of the brands that are available here, which too are costly compared to other countries.

 

[rahul.damani25]

UPDATE : I found that U12S would also be compatible with my case, so how does it sit with all other coolers I mentioned ?

 

[azaran]

Another vote for the Cryorig H7 as well as the Noctua U9s. Solid cooling, easy install, good mounting design and no RAM interference.

The Deepcool is a decent cooler but I dislike the clip design mounting system they use. That's a personal bias, so your mileage may vary.

The CM Hyper 212 turbo is just a Hyper 212 with a second fan, so while a good cooler it will overhang the 4th RAM slot. So if you intend on filling that slot you'll need plan ahead and use low profile RAM like the Corsair LPX.

The MSI looks like a decent cooler, tho I haven't seen reviews on it. It has a good TDP (if the spec sheet is accurate), a solid if not overly complicated mounting system, and doesn't interfere with RAM slots. So you wouldn't be limited in RAM choices.

The Nocua U9s is the smallest of the bunch but performs similar to the H7 within a few degrees. It has a very robust mounting system and like the H7 has no RAM slot interference. My one concern with this cooler is because it is a 92mm fan system, it may be louder than the H7.

I checked and found on some places that both H7 and U9s would be very silent, especially Noctua has good reviews for being silent in all form factors.
As for Hyper 212 Turbo, I am on a budget build, so I only have 4 RAM slots on right of CPU so I don't think this one would overhang my slots.
Also, are 120mm coolers any better than 90mm ones, apart from noise levels. I mean 3-4C difference is manageable but 90mm ones do offer decent looks and compatibility. Please add your thoughts as well.

For the Hyper 212, it's going to overhang on the side your ram is on. It's just the nature of the design. As long as you keep your RAM to low profile you'll be ok, but with as many choices as are out there I dont see the reason to unless you REALLY prefer that cooler for some reason.

As for fan size and the coolers, it's all down to the fan, how much air it moves and how much noise it makes. Noctua is known for their excellent fans since they build them, so being a quiet running fan doesn't surprise me. Every fan is different so you'd want to look at the specs and reviews for each and determine if the noise/cooling ratio is where you want it for your build.

 

[geofelt]

UPDATE : I found that U12S would also be compatible with my case, so how does it sit with all other coolers I mentioned ?

The Noctua U12s is an outstanding cooler.
It is quiet, effective, and comes with added low noise adapters.
I have used one before and the mounting system is very easy.
The s variants have been redesigned to clear tall ram.
Perhaps more importantly, the redesign offset the cooler a touch to avoid conflicts with gpu backplates mounted in the first pcie x16 slot.

 

[rahul.damani25]

Another vote for the Cryorig H7 as well as the Noctua U9s. Solid cooling, easy install, good mounting design and no RAM interference.

The Deepcool is a decent cooler but I dislike the clip design mounting system they use. That's a personal bias, so your mileage may vary.

The CM Hyper 212 turbo is just a Hyper 212 with a second fan, so while a good cooler it will overhang the 4th RAM slot. So if you intend on filling that slot you'll need plan ahead and use low profile RAM like the Corsair LPX.

The MSI looks like a decent cooler, tho I haven't seen reviews on it. It has a good TDP (if the spec sheet is accurate), a solid if not overly complicated mounting system, and doesn't interfere with RAM slots. So you wouldn't be limited in RAM choices.

The Nocua U9s is the smallest of the bunch but performs similar to the H7 within a few degrees. It has a very robust mounting system and like the H7 has no RAM slot interference. My one concern with this cooler is because it is a 92mm fan system, it may be louder than the H7.

I checked and found on some places that both H7 and U9s would be very silent, especially Noctua has good reviews for being silent in all form factors.
As for Hyper 212 Turbo, I am on a budget build, so I only have 4 RAM slots on right of CPU so I don't think this one would overhang my slots.
Also, are 120mm coolers any better than 90mm ones, apart from noise levels. I mean 3-4C difference is manageable but 90mm ones do offer decent looks and compatibility. Please add your thoughts as well.

For the Hyper 212, it's going to overhang on the side your ram is on. It's just the nature of the design. As long as you keep your RAM to low profile you'll be ok, but with as many choices as are out there I dont see the reason to unless you REALLY prefer that cooler for some reason.

As for fan size and the coolers, it's all down to the fan, how much air it moves and how much noise it makes. Noctua is known for their excellent fans since they build them, so being a quiet running fan doesn't surprise me. Every fan is different so you'd want to look at the specs and reviews for each and determine if the noise/cooling ratio is where you want it for your build.

Fan noise is not my concern as such, all these coolers will be relatively quiet anyway. As for thermals, I have heard that 7700k get pretty hot many times even though I won't be overclocking it. That is why I am looking for a good cooler that can keep it down atleast on stock. Noctua seems to be a better option among all but it doesn't have the looks that would go with my build. But I guess I have to sacrifice in some way or other. I guess I would go with Noctua U12S then. Thanks.

 

[rahul.damani25]

UPDATE : I found that U12S would also be compatible with my case, so how does it sit with all other coolers I mentioned ?

The Noctua U12s is an outstanding cooler.
It is quiet, effective, and comes with added low noise adapters.
I have used one before and the mounting system is very easy.
The s variants have been redesigned to clear tall ram.
Perhaps more importantly, the redesign offset the cooler a touch to avoid conflicts with gpu backplates mounted in the first pcie x16 slot.

Thanks, I would go with this one without giving second thoughts. My only problem with this is that its color doesn't goes with my build at all, but it seems I would have to sacrifice that and get the most out of air cooling I can with this.

 

[azaran]

Another vote for the Cryorig H7 as well as the Noctua U9s. Solid cooling, easy install, good mounting design and no RAM interference.

The Deepcool is a decent cooler but I dislike the clip design mounting system they use. That's a personal bias, so your mileage may vary.

The CM Hyper 212 turbo is just a Hyper 212 with a second fan, so while a good cooler it will overhang the 4th RAM slot. So if you intend on filling that slot you'll need plan ahead and use low profile RAM like the Corsair LPX.

The MSI looks like a decent cooler, tho I haven't seen reviews on it. It has a good TDP (if the spec sheet is accurate), a solid if not overly complicated mounting system, and doesn't interfere with RAM slots. So you wouldn't be limited in RAM choices.

The Nocua U9s is the smallest of the bunch but performs similar to the H7 within a few degrees. It has a very robust mounting system and like the H7 has no RAM slot interference. My one concern with this cooler is because it is a 92mm fan system, it may be louder than the H7.

I checked and found on some places that both H7 and U9s would be very silent, especially Noctua has good reviews for being silent in all form factors.
As for Hyper 212 Turbo, I am on a budget build, so I only have 4 RAM slots on right of CPU so I don't think this one would overhang my slots.
Also, are 120mm coolers any better than 90mm ones, apart from noise levels. I mean 3-4C difference is manageable but 90mm ones do offer decent looks and compatibility. Please add your thoughts as well.

For the Hyper 212, it's going to overhang on the side your ram is on. It's just the nature of the design. As long as you keep your RAM to low profile you'll be ok, but with as many choices as are out there I dont see the reason to unless you REALLY prefer that cooler for some reason.

As for fan size and the coolers, it's all down to the fan, how much air it moves and how much noise it makes. Noctua is known for their excellent fans since they build them, so being a quiet running fan doesn't surprise me. Every fan is different so you'd want to look at the specs and reviews for each and determine if the noise/cooling ratio is where you want it for your build.

Fan noise is not my concern as such, all these coolers will be relatively quiet anyway. As for thermals, I have heard that 7700k get pretty hot many times even though I won't be overclocking it. That is why I am looking for a good cooler that can keep it down atleast on stock. Noctua seems to be a better option among all but it doesn't have the looks that would go with my build. But I guess I have to sacrifice in some way or other. I guess I would go with Noctua U12S then. Thanks.

Unfortunately Noctua focuses more on cooling and less on aesthetics. I love their stuff but unless you're going for a sand camo look, the fans never match anyones build. Worth it in the long run tho.

 

[rahul.damani25]

Another vote for the Cryorig H7 as well as the Noctua U9s. Solid cooling, easy install, good mounting design and no RAM interference.

The Deepcool is a decent cooler but I dislike the clip design mounting system they use. That's a personal bias, so your mileage may vary.

The CM Hyper 212 turbo is just a Hyper 212 with a second fan, so while a good cooler it will overhang the 4th RAM slot. So if you intend on filling that slot you'll need plan ahead and use low profile RAM like the Corsair LPX.

The MSI looks like a decent cooler, tho I haven't seen reviews on it. It has a good TDP (if the spec sheet is accurate), a solid if not overly complicated mounting system, and doesn't interfere with RAM slots. So you wouldn't be limited in RAM choices.

The Nocua U9s is the smallest of the bunch but performs similar to the H7 within a few degrees. It has a very robust mounting system and like the H7 has no RAM slot interference. My one concern with this cooler is because it is a 92mm fan system, it may be louder than the H7.

I checked and found on some places that both H7 and U9s would be very silent, especially Noctua has good reviews for being silent in all form factors.
As for Hyper 212 Turbo, I am on a budget build, so I only have 4 RAM slots on right of CPU so I don't think this one would overhang my slots.
Also, are 120mm coolers any better than 90mm ones, apart from noise levels. I mean 3-4C difference is manageable but 90mm ones do offer decent looks and compatibility. Please add your thoughts as well.

For the Hyper 212, it's going to overhang on the side your ram is on. It's just the nature of the design. As long as you keep your RAM to low profile you'll be ok, but with as many choices as are out there I dont see the reason to unless you REALLY prefer that cooler for some reason.

As for fan size and the coolers, it's all down to the fan, how much air it moves and how much noise it makes. Noctua is known for their excellent fans since they build them, so being a quiet running fan doesn't surprise me. Every fan is different so you'd want to look at the specs and reviews for each and determine if the noise/cooling ratio is where you want it for your build.

Fan noise is not my concern as such, all these coolers will be relatively quiet anyway. As for thermals, I have heard that 7700k get pretty hot many times even though I won't be overclocking it. That is why I am looking for a good cooler that can keep it down atleast on stock. Noctua seems to be a better option among all but it doesn't have the looks that would go with my build. But I guess I have to sacrifice in some way or other. I guess I would go with Noctua U12S then. Thanks.

Unfortunately Noctua focuses more on cooling and less on aesthetics. I love their stuff but unless you're going for a sand camo look, the fans never match anyones build. Worth it in the long run tho.

Correct, but I think from pure performance point, Noctua is holding the market as of now. And in real world, temp. will matter more than looks. I am going with NH-U12S then.

 

[geofelt]

Good plan. "pretty is as pretty does"