Just killed my cpu heatsink

Funkosapien · Mar 13, 2014

To oversimplify this post, just killed my cpu heatsink bracket that holds the heatsink and the fan together, I got an i7 3770k sitting on an Asus Sabertooth Z77, cash on hand is $170, though I would prefer to go as close to $100 as possible due to other things I gotta do this week, but if necessary can stretch to $250-$300. I need someone who actually knows what they are talking about in regards to the subject of cpu heatsinks to say 'for something that'll do the job you'll spend about this much, to overclock spend about this much, don't spend under this much, avoid these brands, you want these brands'. Thank you in advance.

Optional read :

Need a rough price on how much a new CPU fan/heatsink will set me back, need price guesstimates from someone who actually knows what they are talking about both for general use and for overclocking, I don't require model names cause I'm gonna get whatevers in the shop tomorrow, I just need to know what sorta price point I should be weighing up. I run a clan and can't really be away from the lads for long, well I can, I just don't like to be. I'm sorta thinking of just opting for the bare minimum option which I'm *hoping* will be closer to the $100 mark? Comparable to to the stock cooler is enough to keep me happy, that being said I probably can stretch up to $250-$300 if there is a convincing enough reason.

had the system for around about a year I'd guess, did a pretty good job with placing dust filters around most of the openings and was first time busting it open except for installing new video card and ram (was surprisingly little dust for a couple months let alone a year), and therefore first time messing with heatsink which needed a clean, needed to separate the heatsink from the fan to clean inbetween it, which I did fine, I just simply got frustrated while getting em back together and next thing ya know I snapped part of it. Was a bit of a crappy design anyway, having to remove the entire heatsink just to clean under the fan, that and using oversized clips that are on the edge of snapping just to remove.

Now I'm a beer half full kinda person, so I'm gonna use this as an excuse to have a pint, if there's any left not against mailing a can to anyone willing to help =D. Will be heading into the shop first thing tomorrow, may even get them to install it to save me having to buy more isopropyl alcohol to clean the cpu with.

rehed21 · Mar 13, 2014

Heatsink/fan average around $40 USD. Thermal paste around $10.

Someone Somewhere · Mar 13, 2014

Bare minimum option (still a good cooler) is a CM Hyper 212Evo, for ~$30. It doesn't cost much to get a fan, some fins, and a couple of heatpipes and stick them all together.

I'd be looking at a Noctua NH-D14, Phanteks PH-TC14PE, or Thermalright Silver Arrow. Should set you back about $80.

There's little point in getting a closed loop cooler; they tend to cost more for the same performance as a decent air cooler. Custom loop water cooler won't be ready tomorrow...

What was the old cooler? Can you just clip/glue the fan back on?

EDIT: Basically all new coolers will come with perfectly good paste. No need to buy extra.

Funkosapien · Mar 13, 2014

Wow this is much cheaper than I was anticipating, though when I think about it, last time I was having a chat about it it was to a buddy who's an overclocking fiend and tends towards the more expensive end of the market.

The old cooler was the stock intel one that came with the CPU, nothing fancy but it did the job, still though will be opting for one that attaches the fan with screws rather than oversized clips that require too much bending.

HOLY CRAP IM BURNING SOMETHING

Someone Somewhere · Mar 13, 2014

CM Hyper 212 Evo will still be a big step up, then. ~$30.

Most aftermarket coolers use metal clips to attach the fan to the heatsink, and are what's known as a 'tower' cooler. The fan blows sideways, instead of down.

Newegg and Amazon should sell you overnight/one-day shipping for a few dollars extra, or you can buy something locally.

Funkosapien · Mar 13, 2014

That was close, nearly burnt my pizza D:

And aye I probably could jimmy it back together but I was concerned the heatsink might become misaligned and not have proper contact with the cpu, or might have one side with too much paste or 'something'. And aye I'm pretty sure I still got a heap of thermal paste, I'm just missing the isopropyl alcohol to clean off the old stuff.

It was a pretty shoite heatsink, but it did the job :
cdn.overclock.net/0/0b/500x1000px-LL-0b3ae521_Picture59.jpeg
Snapped the bit of plastic between the 4 stands trying to bend it to fit the heatsink back in past the clips at the bottom of the stands.

And nar I'm on first name basis with local computer shop, lovely people they are, I like to support local business when I can.

So what your saying is I could get the pedastal room fan from the other side of the room and it'd probably do a better job than the one I got stock?

And no one took up the offer of that pint? Must not be any aussies except for me then =p, oh well, more for me =D.

Someone Somewhere · Mar 13, 2014

Hah, no. Not your room fan.

I mean that the fan mounts like this:

Funkosapien · Mar 14, 2014

Wow, and I thought the last one was a poorly designed piece of crap, it was top heavy and poorly balanced so 1% off dead center or off balance and it'd tip causing a need to reapply thermal paste so its not full of air holes, mechanism that fix to the mobo that 'didn't quite fit' despite the industry wide size standards and I doubt my mobo that cost twice the price it needed to mismeasured, bolts I had to do up with pliers cause the provided tool overlapped with the case, needing to be able to see and work on both sides of the mobo with absolute precision simultaniously despite only having one head to see with, the fidgitiest dodgiest attachment mechanism for the fan to the heatsink physically possible, to be able to remove one of my ram sticks I have to remove the heatsink because it blocks the way that was the only way it actually fit too cause it kept leaning on my mobo the other 3 ways, etc.

Whoever designed that heatsink is the son of a thousand fathers, all of them dandy boys like him, may he marry a whore and get a venereal disease from a goat. I hate him and everyone who ever knew him.

Funkosapien · Mar 14, 2014

greeeeeat, turned it on, it said cpu fan error, it then kept turning off and on again, did I kill something?

If I did I'm not sure what I'm more upset about, the concept of paying for a new cpu or having to try and mess with reattaching that piece of crap heatsink again.

My Mobo has red lights on it when it turns on, thats not good is it... I'm scared, hold me ._.

Funkosapien · Mar 14, 2014

ok so the red lights on my mobo that tells me what is broken lit up on cpu, gpu and... one of the other ones, cant remember what it was, all lit up, even then it was just black screening and continually resetting.

Decided to have a nap, shake hangover a bit and lose some of the frustration, come at it with a clear head, reapplied the thermal paste and heatsink and clicked the reset button on my motherboard, seems to be working fine now.

Looks as though the extra $100 I spent on my mobo that I didn't really have to (asus sabertooth z77) just payed for itself literally 10 times over. =D

Ok so we're off brown alert stations, back down to blue alert, excuse me while I go change my underpants.

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