Looking to purchase new fans and a new CPU cooler.

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riki2cool

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Jun 18, 2013
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Hello.

As the title suggests, I'm looking for a couple of fans for my new build, but I'm not sure which ones I should get. I've heard that the original Haswell CPU cooler isn't that great and I've been suggested to buy a new one too.

I got a Fractal Design R4 case which has a 120mm slot in front, a 120mm slot on the side and 2 120/140mm slots in the top. I'm planning on placing fans on the side and both of the top slots.

Fans that have been suggested to me:
Side: Scythe 120mm gentle typhoon
Top: be quiet! ShadowWings SW1 140mm Mid speed

Here's a picture of the case:
http://www.fractal-design.com/img_prod/FD-CA-DEF-R4-TI_2.jpg

And here are two pictures of my build:
http://i.imgur.com/8EhclBu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VJpexNR.jpg

My build:
2x ASUS GeForce GTX 680 2048MB DirectCUII
Intel i5 4670k
Corsair TX750 V2
Fractal Design R4 chassi
Z87-A Motherboard
2x 4GB Corsair Vengance CL9 1866Mhz RAM

[strike]As to the CPU Cooler I've been suggested a Noctua NH-D14, though I'm not really sure that it will fit on my MOBO.[/strike] Not compatible with my ram sticks.

I also got suggested a Cooler Master TX3 Evo which seems a bit smaller.
 
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Som3one

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Jun 13, 2013
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First of all, I have to admit I am a big fan of bequiet products and am becoming a fan of Corsair, too. So, my answer might be a bit biased. ;)

As for the case fans:
My personal favorites are be quiet silent wings and the Corsair AF series. IMO, bequiet fans are a bit more quiet but push less air. (Highly subjective statement here.) And both look really great.
A lot of people love their Noctua fans, too. Especially those NF-F12 seem to have a big fanbase. But I never tried one myself.
If you want some serious airflow in your case and don´t care too much for the noise, you might want to have a look at those Scythe and Thermaltake highspeed fans.


As for the CPU cooler:
The NH-D14 still seems to be one of the best air coolers out there. If you are willing to pay a little more, you might also have a look at the Phanteks PH-TC14PE or the bequiet Dark Rock 2 Pro.
The DR2P looks really awesome IMO and - depending on the review - even beats the Phanteks in both, performance and noise.
BUT you need to make sure it fits in your case and over your RAM. And by "fitting" I also mean that you need to be able to access all of the backplate´s screws which - for example - I couldn´t do with the DR2P without removing the motherboard.
If you don´t have the RAM clearany, you might also want to check out the be quiet Dark Rock 2 or Shadow Rock.
The DR2 performs only slightly less effective as his big brother but is smaller and cheaper.

And one last tip: I currently have the Prolimatech Genesis installed which outperformance even the mighty DR2P by a few degrees and also outperforms the Corsair H80i (or was it the NZXT x40?).
But keep in mind that it comes without any coolers (except for a few bundles). I currently got it running with two 140mm Silent Wings 2.
Also, keep in mind that you won´t be able to access your RAM at all when this thing is installed. But you only need to unscrew two screws to uninstall it.
 
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drewhoo

drewhoo

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Apr 5, 2012
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Cool case! I wish I had been smart enough to get that one when I bought my own case.

Here is the compatibility list for the NH-D14. Note that if your motherboard is very new (as all of the Haswell motherboards are) then it may not have been tested yet by Noctua. http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=compatibility_gen&products_id=34

I own the NH-D14 and can attest to its quality--not just in cooling performance but in support as well. They sell cheap adaptation kits when a new socket comes out so that you never have to buy another CPU cooler. And it keeps an i5-2500k @ 4.6Ghz under 70C while encoding video.

What are your requirements for the fans? If you don't care about noise, get this crazy Silverstone: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999344 (it only gets noisy once you exceed 1200 RPMs)

If I wanted a quiet case, I would just buy a bunch of Noctuas. They're expensive, but you cannot hear them--at all--when they operate at full (1200) RPM. And they come with a 6 year warranty.

How do you like the 680 CUII? I like that ASUS CUII line and am thinking of getting one.

Out of curiosity, what is your monitor setup?
 
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riki2cool

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Jun 18, 2013
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I checked the site, it seems like it's compatible with my Z87-A, but unfortunetly it doesn't seem to be compatible with my 2x 4GB Corsair Vengance CL9 1866Mhz ram sticks, for some reason. What should I get instead?

I cannot seem to find the silverstone fan on the site i order from, sadly enough.

I play at 2560x1600 which works fine with the 680's, but if you're planning on playing on lower resolutions it might be better to get a GTX 780 instead.
 
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drewhoo

drewhoo

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When I did the research for my CPU cooler purchase, a $50 Zalman model was my second choice. I think a lot of people were happy with cheap Cooler Master coolers as well, but I don't see a lot of evidence of serious overclocks (searching through reviews), and I saw some complaints about noise. If you want ~ 1000Mhz overclock, one of those might work well.

The biggest distinction is having the dual radiator design. Copper is cool, but even Noctua doesn't use a copper heat spreader, and the NH-D14 is arguably the best air cooler out there. Also check the thermal paste that comes with the cooler, as that can have a significant effect on performance. If a $30 cooler comes with $3 paste, you need to buy paste separately.
 
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Dark Lord of Tech

Dark Lord of Tech

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Aug 18, 2009
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NH-D14 is arguably the best air cooler out there < Phanteks PH-TC14PE is better , I own both. Noctua is a tad quieter though.

MX4 for paste.

FX8350 \ 5.1GHZ. \ 1.384 VOLTS

2013-04-01_18-13-33_963_zps3c011337.jpg


Phanteks PH-TC14PE with Scythe Slipstream 110 CFM fans attached.
 
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riki2cool

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Jun 18, 2013
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You sure it's not a bit too huge? It seems compatible with all socket 1150 MOBO'S, but I fear that the Ram sticks will block this one also.



Seems to take up the ram sticks aswell sadly enough.

You meant Arctic Cooling right?

 
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