Which cpu fan?

[madswimmer]

ok well im getting a AMD Phenom II 955 BE(3.2Ghz) and am planning on overclocking to around 3.8 which i was told was pretty easy and safe on it. I was wondering about which cpu fan i shoud get that would be sufficient for this.
i dont have to much to spend so try and keep it around 20-30

 

[Conumdrum]

Are you meaning a fan or a heatsink and fan combo?

HS
Heatsink
CPU cooler are other terms we use.

At that LOW price point for a HS your best bet is to stay stock for now till you save a bit more $, like $15-30 more. Otherwise your going to end up with crap something about equal to the stock cooler.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Are you getting just the cpu (OEM) or the retail version? The retail version comes with a heatsink and fan.

If you are just getting the cpu then here is a link to a very good web site with a lot of useful information about cpu heatsinks and fans:

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

You can use the embedded search feature to find information about cpu heatsinks and fans for specific cpu sockets.

 

[madswimmer]

retail so ill have the one that comes with it, any idea if i could oc a bit on that?

 

[tkgclimb]

Wouldn't do it, you can get some pretty good quality cheap heatsink.

LIke the core contact or the xgimeteic HDT series

 

[madswimmer]

hows the katana3?

 

[dirtdiver]

You can overclock a bit on stock cooling, however expect your temps to rise.

If you see them rise drastically, you should back it down until you can (as stated earlier) save a bit more cash.

Zalman, Tuniq, and Xigmatek are decent brands. I prefer 120mm coolers if you have the space! Things to look for are heatpipes (if they are present, if so how many pipes) and fan size. I prefer to run HDT as mentioned, which means your heat pipes run directly across your CPU for maximum cooling potential. 120mm fans ensure greatest possible airflow.

I run the Xigmatek Dark Knight, got it on newegg for 44 bucks--free shipping & as a bonus got some free SATA cables.

Good luck!

 

[madswimmer]

a cpu HS and fan that fits a am2+ will fit am3, right?

 

[madswimmer]

How bout these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185096
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207006

 

[tkgclimb]

a cpu HS and fan that fits a am2+ will fit am3, right?

Yes, And as for the HSF's you suggested (though I haven't used them myself) people say the mugen and the Core contact freezer are good (Get the 120mm version if it will fit). As for the katana i don't know, but it could be great. Go to frostytech.com for deeper reviews of almost any cooler.

 

[knotknut]

This is with an Artic Cooling Freezer7 Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

 

[tkgclimb]

I like your temp 3 and temp [0]

 

[kokin]

This is with the PII 955 and a Scythe Mugen 2 on an Antec 902 case:

@stock settings/idle/case fans on low/normal room temp:

@undervolted/underclocked/idle/case fans on high/cold room:

@max voltage/900mhz OC/idle/case fans on high/cold room:

As you can see, having a cold room with case fans blowing hard makes a big difference, so consider getting a case with good airflow as well.