Weekend Open Forum: Do you use a custom cooler?

Matthew DeCarlo

Posts: 5,271   +104

A decade ago, custom heatsinks and liquid cooling solutions were all the rage among techies. While overclockers and other such performance junkies still commonly purchase aftermarket coolers, they seem less popular among your average system builder these days. Today's processors are more power efficient than ever and they ship with adequate air coolers, while full blown liquid cooling loops are generally more hassle than they're worth for most power users.

Considering the interest expressed in Sandia's rotating heatsink concept, we're wondering how many of you use custom coolers. My Thermaltake Tai-Chi shipped with internal liquid cooling when I bought it in 2005, but I eventually scrapped that for the Thermalright Ultra-120, and that was later shelved in favor of the Core i5-750's stock HSF. As always, you're welcome to flaunt your rig in the comments and feel free to use our gallery if you need an image host.

**Image via Desktopped.com.

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Nothing much to flaunt, but I'm running an i5-760 @ 4.0Ghz with a Thermaltake Frio, Idling at 30 Celcius now :)
 
I got the cheapest Noctua heatsink I could find, and it made the CPU run a good 20 degrees (Celsius) cooler than the stock heatsink, so I'm very happy.
 
I have, in the past, tried to use such aftermarket heatsinks. But the only reason that I would use one now would be for audio concerns -- not for cooling per se. If the stock sink works without causing undue noise, then I'll stick with it. Otherwise, I'll get something that promises about 10-20 dB -- period.

:)
 
I've found that the stock Intel HSFs tend to spike quickly in the summer months. That said, I usually replace them with a step up unit, but not the top of the line, since all my machines are very mainstream, and not OC'ed.

It's comical to watch my i3-530 temps pretty much mimic room temperature, with a CM Hyper 212 as the cooler. This rig, in a CM Storm "Scout", is very quiet.

I stuffed an earlier 86 watt Intel cooler on my Pent Dual Core E2200. (65 watt TDP CPU) There's a lot more metal in the earlier HSF.

Believe it or not my eMachines T-5026 (Prescott P-4) has a better than stock cooling solution from the factory. (It's based on a CM "X-Dream" with a 92mm PWM fan and custom side duct. But, the blasted thing still carries a 50c idle through much of the year.

(Really hot days I turn it off, and use something else). I'm toying with the idea of stuffing these guts in a CM "Elite 335" case. But I fear "Old E", might feel violated by this, and give up the ghost on me. (The "Elite 335" has 120mm front & rear fans, which I suppose would help quite a bit with the temps, any thoughts)?
 
Running a Core i7 920 at stock speeds with a Thermalright Ultra 120 and a 120mm fan. Idles at about 35 - 36 celcius.
 
I have an i5 2600k with the regular HSF packaged with the processor. Idles at 32-35c in a room that ranges in the low 80s-f. No problems. It's in a huge case that has three case fans. Not presently OC'd.
 
I'm running on stock with AMD's C&Q active I'm not really a performance junkie although I stressed my computer overclocking it a couple of months ago, I have installed a CoolerMaster Hyper TX2, nothing too fancy but it keeps the proc really really cool!
 
Definitely, always the best...Noctua NH-D14. Not sure why the idle temps matter but 30c on a warm day. lower otherwise. Phenom2x6 Oc'd to 4.0 Ddr3@ 2000 CH4 mobo.
 
When I got an H50 for my i7 920, I moved my Cooler Master V8 onto my Athlon, which was a great case of overkill.

When my i7 computer locked up last week I took it completely apart, and then reassembled it (putting the stock cooler on instead of the H50) and there is a huge difference.

I used to run the 920 at 3.8 Ghz, and it idled at high 30s. Now with the stock cooler, at stock speed, it idles mid 40s. Definitely going to put the H50 back on it ASAP.
 
I have an i5-2500k @ 4.0Ghz with a H70, and it idles around 38-40 Celsius in a room that’s about 7-10 degrees cooler then that. I'm quite happy with my set up :)
 
For me, it's all about noise. I bought an oversized heatsink for lga775 (3Ghz dual core processor) and fitted an ultra quiet 12" case fan to it. Even under load the cooling is so good the fan doesn't turn at over 750rpm. PSU is fanless ST40NF so my desktop is virtually silent.
 
Installed a Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 when I upgraded my system, only remaining components before the upgrade are the motherboard, cpu and memory. Running an AMD Phenom II X4 @ 3.0 GHz. Unfortunately I didn't record the cpu temp when it was running with the stock cooler. Very quiet and my system runs pretty good.
 
I bought a Noctua NH-D14 and a Thermalright Silver Arrow to compare and contrast. I ended up using the Silver Arrow with 3 140mm fans (push) on my 4.3Ghz 1100T. The only negative review I saw was Tom over at O3D.
He apparently had a problem with two of them, so I tried to break mine. Upon coming home last week and it was 27C in the house. I upped the Vcore to 1.55v and I could only OCCT it to a top temp of 56C. (thats the CPU temp, not the lower reading core temp) The thing is silent, and a diffusing monstrosity.....and it sure is purty!


http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/7919/silverarrowtriplefan.jpg
 
Thermaltake FRIO OCK - proud owner of one of the only 2 piece's in India.

I was on a AMD Phenom II X6 1010T - but that was overkill for me - so sold it and back to my Core 2 Quad Q6600
Idle temp - 35
Load - 55
 
As of right now I'm still using a Zalman CNPS 9900NT heatsink fan on my gaming rig, though I am currently compiling all the parts for a fully liquid cooled system.

Right now I have everything but 2x Aqua Computer aquagraFX GTX460 blocks, and the 18 Bitspower Shining Silver compression fittings I need.

Parts I do have are:
1x HWLabs Black Ice SR-1 360
1x HWLabs Black Ice SR-1 240
2x D5 pumps (Bitspower mod tops to come in the future)
1x Aqua Computer Kryos XT cpu block
2x Bitspower 150 water tank z
10x 120mm Sharkoon Silent Eagle fans
 
im running an i5 2500k @ 4.6Ghz with an Corsair H50 with 2 100 cfm noctua fans. All that while running at a cool 35 C in an antec 900 case.
 
"Do you use a custom cooler?"

Yes.
Everytime.
No exceptions.

If only there were some use for the stock heatsink fans- a tech version of a foodbank or Goodwill. I'd love to know that the godawful bifurcated pieces of Intel engineering are being cherished by remote tribes in New Guinea or Indiana as fertility fetishes or decorative headwear ornamentation. At least the older heatsinks can be put to some awesome uses
 
I've got a un-named tower cooler with a 120mm fan and that keeps my current Core2Quad Q6600 happy at around 28-32'C idle, and under 40'C under load when gaming etc.

My planned AMD build will use my H50 water cooler, which is currently sat in the box next to the CPU. Just need the motherboard and I can build it! :)
 
Zalman 9700 with a phenom 2 X3 720 BE. I have it on a 24/7 overclock of 3.5 but I've had it as high as 4. It runs between 45c-50c depending on the weather(hot and humid in my area).
 
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