A good CPU cooler for a Mini ITX gaming case?

Trustdesa

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Nov 2, 2013
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Hi lovely people, I have nearly finished my Mini ITX gaming rig and I shall post picture and info as it really rocks!

Case: Cooler Master 120 Elite
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z87N-WIFI
CPU: Intel Core i5 4570
RAM: Corsair Vengeance
PSU:Zalman ZM500-GS 500W ATX

I am currently using the standard cooler out of the box however I would like something quieter and with better performance. There is not a massive amount of space between the CPU and PSU but it is a fair space and using a cooler with a side fan is not ideal as I have got my R9 270X and those massive memory blocks.


Also to prove that I was rushing assembling my rig I put the PSU facing toward the CPU which doesn't help keeping its fan going slower as it sucks air from the case outside, even if it is build quite smartly having the circuit mounted upside down inside the PSU.

Open to suggestions :)

 


Here is a good low profile cooler: http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=37&lng=en

Yogi

 

DonnyTechMaster

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Dec 29, 2013
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I went with the Gelid Slim Hero which set me back about $40. Under load I get stable temps of about 130F. It never really goes over that temp either. I also cant hear it at all and it looks pretty cool too. If you decide on this one, just be sure to make sure that ram clearance isn't a problem for you. If you have really tall ram module it may not fit in your case.

-Im also using an AMD CPU which run hotter than Intel generally. The cooler still fits Intel sockets though.
 

Trustdesa

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Unfortunately I bought high profile RAM modules, however I will take the heat-sink off, DDR3 never get hot unless overclocked... just marketing really.

Is your rig a MiniITX? I just don't want the cooler to run over the graphic card slot.

 

DonnyTechMaster

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Yes, its a mini itx. I got an asrock fm2 a88x motherboard for it.