Which CPU cooler should I choose?

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

Hi, I am building a computer, but I am not very good with fans and CPU coolers. I have a pre-built computer from Alienware (x51 r2) and am planning on taking all of the components inside its current computer case that my PC came in, and putting them in the NZXT s340 case, as the way the case is built I cannot easily take out parts and replace them. Since the s340 case size is very different, I will need to get a new CPU cooler fan for my CPU. As I mentioned, I am not good with fans and CPU coolers so this is a very difficult process for me. I don't know whether I need a 120mm cooler or a 280mm one. Clearly one is better than the other as they are completely different sizes. I've seen a lot of people use 120mm coolers, but I've seen a few videos on builds with the s340 case and they had their CPUs hooked up to the 280mm one. The two I'm deciding between are the Corsair Hydro Series h80i GT 120mm CPU cooler and the Corsair Hydro Series H110i GTX CPU cooler. Which one do I need?

My current CPU is the Intel i7-4770, but I am planning to eventually upgrade to the i7-4790k.

Xanthic · Feb 20, 2016

I just bought the Corsair H55 and I am very pleased with it! I used to run 60c+ on max load, but now it's under 45! It's a very good Water cooler, and it's pretty straight forward to install. Takes maybe 30 minutes if you're fast enough. I would get the Corsair H55.

Edit: The 120MM fan is good enough if you have a 120MM back fan(Standard). Seriously, go with the Corsair H55! You will be pleased!

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

Xanthic :

But what I am confused about is what the difference between a 280mm fan and a 120mm fan is. Is one better than the other, or is it case specific.

Xanthic · Feb 20, 2016

Sorry, but i'm not really sure about that. I will take a guess by saying 280mm is for 280mm RAD's. 120mm is pretty good, and you may as well go with that.

barto · Feb 20, 2016

If we can halt on the cooler questions just for a second, why are you going to buy a 4790k when you already have a 4770?

The motherboard in the x51 r2 is an H87 which have locked multipliers for Intel K CPUs. There's no difference in performance between the two CPU either.

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

Xanthic :

barto :

fair point, but I'd still like to know whether to get a 120mm or 280mm CPU cooler for my s340 case.

Xanthic · Feb 20, 2016

If you're talking about the back fan, get a 120mm, that's like in all cases. If you're talking somewhere else, you need to have 280mm to install it.

I would say just go with 120mm, I would assume it doesn't make much of a difference.

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

Xanthic :

I'm still confused though, what are 280mm CPU coolers for then? Is there a reason they're double the size? Cause I have yet to see someone with the s340 case and not use a 280mm CPU cooler.

Xanthic · Feb 20, 2016

280MM fan's are normally used to put on 280MM RAD's to water cool your PC. You don't need that unless you have a giant water cooling setup.

jossrik · Feb 20, 2016

The difference between a 120mm radiator and a 280mm radiator (2X140mm) is surface area. The more surface area, the easier it is to cool the coolant in the loop. Be warned though, you can't get below ambient, and in your case, with a prebuilt, you can't do much with the CPU, so the cheaper cooler will perform the same as the more expensive one. I like to be as low with my temps as I can with a decent overclock, but you can't overclock, at least not yet. I would pick something like the H80 where you get a thick radiator (more surface area) with 120mm fans for decent airflow and noise. The 280 will be quieter, and if you could get your CPU hot, it would cool more efficiently.

barto · Feb 20, 2016

Andrew_C1 :

280mm coolers are dual fan 140mm coolers. Examples: Corsair H110 or NZXT Kraken. Do you not need one of these coolers and that's because:
A. Your case only supports a single top 120mm or 140mm fan.
B. You're not overclocking.

If you want a better CPU cooler because Intel stock fans that's fine. But you don't have to spend an arm and a leg for it. A $20-30 cooler is more than enough.

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

barto :

Andrew_C1 :

280mm coolers are dual fan 140mm coolers. Examples: Corsair H110 or NZXT Kraken. Do you not need one of these coolers and that's because:
A. Your case only supports a single top 120mm or 140mm fan.
B. You're not overclocking.

If you want a better CPU cooler because Intel stock fans that's fine. But you don't have to spend an arm and a leg for it. A $20-30 cooler is more than enough.

I thought the s340 supported 2 120 or 140mm fans. One on the back and one on the top.

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

jossrik :

Well now I have two questions, what is overclocking (heard that word a billion times but still haven't figured out what it means), and how come I can't do it/what do I need to be able to do that?

Xanthic · Feb 20, 2016

Overclocking is when you speed up your CPU speed. For example, my CPU is running at 3.4Ghz. If I were to overclock, I can overclock to 4.2Ghz. That basically means it runs faster, but your hardware get's run out faster. You need a unlocked processor to overclock.

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

barto :

So basically if I were to get the 4790k, I would need to get a better motherboard for it to make a difference, because I can if that's what I need to do to be able to overclock. Would the ASUS Z170 Deluxe LGA1151 Motherboard work for overclocking?

barto · Feb 20, 2016

Andrew_C1 :

Well the top and the back only house single fan mounts. You could install the 280mm on the front like below:

280mm fans:

Again this isn't necessary for your configuration. This would only be needed when overclocking. You could simply install two fans in the front if you want to draw in airflow and exhaust out the top and back.

Overclocking is manually increasing the speed of a component. Most processor have TurboBoost which increases the CPU speed automatically (read the specs about Performance: http://ark.intel.com/products/75122/Intel-Core-i7-4770-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz). Overclocking would be setting the speed to 4.3 all the time.

However, to overclock, you must have a Z motherboard and an Intel K CPU. For example Z97 and the i5-4690k. You have neither.

Andrew_C1 · Feb 20, 2016

barto :

Sorry for replying so much I know I must be taking up a lot of your time, but again, I really am not good with fans and have a long way to go before I am as good with computers as 99% of the people on this website, including you, are. So if I eventually want to be able to overclock it will be a good idea to get the h110i? Also on the overclocking topic, the ASUS Z170 Deluxe LGA1151 Motherboard will work with the 4790k CPU so that I can overclock, correct? Back to the fans, with the CPU cooler in the front I can just install regular 120mm fans in the back and that will cool my whole computer? Again, REALLY bad with fans.

barto · Feb 20, 2016

Andrew_C1 :

It's ok. It seems you're making a big deal over fans though. Maybe I'm over simplifying it but they are just fans. They push/pull air. Some are better than others but it comes down to what is needed and you don't need that many fans or water cooling. In my opinion, buying a H110 would be a huge waste of cash. Just get a EVO 212 or Cryorig H7 or even some cheaper Cooler Master T3 or T4.

I'm going to play the "teach a man to fish" move here. Here is PC Part Picker: http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/. You can select components and find out compatibility with other components. I'll give you a few hints: Sockets, Pins and Chipsets. Pay attention to those and you'll soon realize how compatibility works.

I also want to give you some advice about upgrading to a new motherboard and CPU. Don't unless it's necessary. Overclocking doesn't yield big results for gaming but it does help applications outside of gaming (video rendering, compression, 3D modeling etc). You could blow $500 and gain merely 10-15% boost (on a good day).

Another thing, if you buy a new motherboard and CPU, you're going to have to buy a new OS key. The OS that came with the board (from Alienware/Dell), is tied to the board and is non transferable. IMO, you should wait a few years before buying hardware again.

Which CPU cooler should I choose?

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