Is an aftermarket CPU cooler necessary for an non overclocked cpu ?

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Abilash 4d1

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I am using an Intel i5-2320K. I am thinking of buying cooler master 212 evo for my CPU.Is the stock cooler enough or is an aftermarket cooler necessary?

I will not be overclocking my cpu anytime sooner
 
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spdragoo

spdragoo

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Unless you're having heat issues that aren't solved by replacing/reapplying thermal paste, or by adding additional case fans to your case, you don't need an aftermarket cooler for a CPU running at stock speeds (with the exception perhaps of AMD's FX-9xxx series, which are OC'd out of the box anyway).

Now, if you're consistently running at higher temps when idling (i.e. 50C or so), & consistently running even higher when gaming or in other high-performance applications (i.e. hitting 70C or higher), even after checking your thermal paste & maxing out your case fans, then you might want to get an aftermarket cooler -- not liquid-cooling, though, a nice air cooler would be more than fine.
 
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pjstar30

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Necessary ....no. Recommended ..... absolutely. Especially if you're planning on having the computer for several years, you will save yourself trouble down the road by getting a good aftermarket cooling fan and some good thermal compound like Arctic Silver 5 now. Fans have a tendency to get dusty and slow down over the years even if you dust your system meticulously, which most people don't. Just about any aftermarket cooling fan is likely going to have higher RPMs and CFMs than the stock cooler and therefore this "slow down" is less likely to affect your CPU temps down to an unsafe point.
 
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MeteorsRaining

MeteorsRaining

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Granted, having an aftermarket cooler will be quieter and maybe even cooler, but this:

"Especially if you're planning on having the computer for several years, you will save yourself trouble down the road by getting a good aftermarket cooling fan and some good thermal compound like Arctic Silver 5 now."

is NOT correct. Stock coolers (which are present in countless OEM systems) do the job just fine for as long as the PC is practically functional.
 
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pjstar30

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OEM systems are generally sold to businesses and casual PC users so they are never really pushed even close to their limits. Someone that is building their own machine is more than likely not a casual user. Besides, aftermarket coolers are inexpensive so why not add that extra layer of security and be comfortable knowing that you can play the most demanding games or use the most demanding video rendering software/hardware without pushing your CPU temps to the point that your performance starts to degrade?

 
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MeteorsRaining

MeteorsRaining

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Many, many OEM users are very serious about their work and want stability more than anything else (for prolonged hours of work without unwanted crashes). Even stress testing doesn't make temps go crazy with stock cooler. Again, af coolers do lower temps, and maybe the noise, but this:

"you can play the most demanding games or use the most demanding video rendering software/hardware without pushing your CPU temps to the point that your performance starts to degrade"

is NOT correct. As said earlier, the stock cooler will manage it just fine. And if they get dusty over time, so can be the af coolers. You should realise in terms of volume most of the PCs at home are OEM and in many regions (including mine) more than 5 years of age, which's normal for a PC (in that region).
 
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pjstar30

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I'm going to call BS on this as you have provided no proof to backup this statement.

Again, the OEM PC users out there are not typically pushing their system to the limit and those that are will find their computer will become sluggish much sooner with an OEM cooling fan/heatsink than with an aftermarket unit.

I could understand maybe questioning whether or not to buy an aftermarket cooler if they were hundreds of dollar or even half that but they're not. They're actually so inexpensive that anyone building their own PC shouldn't even need to ask that question. An aftermarket cooler should be an automatic item on everyone's list of parts you will need when planning to build your next system.
 
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timeconsumer

timeconsumer

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I agree with MR here. I run a stock cooler and under prime95 load I don't break 69c on any core, most of my cores don't go above 65c. I've used stock coolers on long-term builds for years without trouble, and I ride computers hard. I also have used aftermarket coolers on overclocking builds with similar results.

Would I use a stock cooler on a FX 9590? No way. An entry level i3 or i5? All day.
 
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pjstar30

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It's thought processes like that which leave people without a working computer when their stock cooler does fail on them and they don't have the cash to replace their CPU. 1 day without a working computer is 1 day too many for me.

Aftermarket coolers are cheap insurance, plain and simple. You may not always need insurance but when you do, you're glad you have it. Don't cut corners unnecessarily.
 
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MeteorsRaining

MeteorsRaining

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There sadly is a big world outside the DIY market. Having used a now-secondary C2D build for 7 years, with a stock cooler which never was cleaned, for hours (or days at stretch), without any issues, I'm quite sure the performance doesn't degrade. How do you push a system to it's limits?

Prime95, done.

Hours of video encoding, done.

Days of usage, done, alot.

Heavy multitasking, been doing for years.

Anyways, as per the original question:

"I am using an Intel i5-2320K. I am thinking of buying cooler master 212 evo for my CPU.Is the stock cooler enough or is an aftermarket cooler necessary?

I will not be overclocking my cpu anytime sooner"

No, OP, af cooler is completely optional.
 
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pjstar30

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I already said this in my original reply to the OP. It is not necessary, is optional, but is also highly recommended. My original reply to the OP was simply listing some food for thought to help him make an educated, well informed, decision. The nice thing about recommendations is that you can either take it or leave it. It's completely up to you.
 
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