Large CPU Fan with Heatsink Really Necessary?

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Barns

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Nov 26, 2010
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I have built my own system and all is working fine but I was planning to add some more RAM, even though I doubt it's strictly necessary, but the last two slots sit right under the side fan on the heat sink of my CoolerMaster X6 CPU cooler and it really doesn't look like there's enough clearance to fit two more sticks of RAM.

Is it really necessary to have the huge aftermarket CPU cooler or is a standard CPU cooler OK? Alternatively, the side fan is removable so would it be OK just to have the basic unit with the heat sink and just remove the fan since the case has side, top and rear fans...?

The CPU didn't come with a fan of it's own so I'll have to buy a standard low-profile one. I don't overclock or anything but do play games at high settings.

Setup:
Windows 8.1 64-bit
Rampage IV Extreme Motherboard
Intel i7-3820 @ 3.6GHz
GeForce GTX770
24 GB DDR3 RAM

If any more details are necessary then please say.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Solution
bonie
there's nothing wrong in using the stock cooler provided by intel or AMD provided that you did not over clock your CPU and you have a decent air flow to your case. however you will experience high temps and CPU throthling during intense gaming. and as for the removing the fan your heat sink i would not recommend doing so since no fans is directly blowing away the heat from the heat pipes to the aluminum fins (just like passive cooling) it is not recommended for a highend CPU like yours.
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bonie

bonie

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i have a deepcool ice blade pro CPU cooler with a gigabyte B85M-HD3 mobo. my ram sticks is sittings exactly at the buttom of the CPU cooler. BTW my ram sticks is G. skill RIPJAWS X. just make sure that you 36 to 40 MM clearance from the surface of the cooler to the edge where it possibly overlapped.
 
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Barns

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I know I don't strictly NEED any more RAM but I've got eight slots and I want to use eight slots just for fun since RAM is very cheap these days.

What I was asking was if I really needed a huge aftermarket CPU cooler or whether a standard low-profile fan was enough on such a rig?

The cooler I have has the heat sink sitting flush on the CPU and the fan to the side of it so the fan blows heat away from the fins rather than from the CPU to the fins. So since the case has side, rear and top fans which would suck hot air away from the fins, could I just remove the fan since it's the only bit that hangs over the RAM slots?

I was thinking I'd maybe just try it and measure CPU temperature with EVGA but a lot of sites say you can overheat and blow your CPU in seconds without a fan. Whether that's strictly true or not I don't know!
 
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bonie

bonie

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Mar 15, 2013
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there's nothing wrong in using the stock cooler provided by intel or AMD provided that you did not over clock your CPU and you have a decent air flow to your case. however you will experience high temps and CPU throthling during intense gaming. and as for the removing the fan your heat sink i would not recommend doing so since no fans is directly blowing away the heat from the heat pipes to the aluminum fins (just like passive cooling) it is not recommended for a highend CPU like yours.
 
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Barns

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The CPU didn't come with a stock CPU cooler so I thought that was Intel's way of saying "You really do have to use a huge aftermarket cooler on this CPU" so I bought the huge X6. Hence the question of whether it really is strictly necessary or not.

I think I'll just look for a slimmer CPU cooler if I decide to go ahead with spending hundreds of dollars on a 8x8GB 64GB set of RAM. I'm sure it will make some difference since I do usually have 5-10 things going on at the same time on my PC!

Thanks for all the information everyone.

 
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