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Best Cpu Cooler for around 200$

Tags:
  • Heatsinks
  • Cooling
  • CPUs
  • Processors
  • Overclocking
Last response: in Overclocking
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March 18, 2007 4:57:10 AM

Hey


Im looking for something to tame my hot processor.

right now im running it on the zalman 9700 air cooler


im looking for the best cooling for around 200$


doesnt matter if its air or water(since air cooling and near 200 bones nowadays)


The only thing is i have never owned a watercooling system, but i have built computers for many years so i doubt it'd be anything i can't handle...



I would appreciate any feedback! thanks!!!!

More about : cpu cooler 200

March 18, 2007 5:22:00 AM

From most of what I have read as far as air cooling goes this is top of the hill it is even tied or a little better than the Tuniq Tower 120. The only draw back is it is sold with no fan so you have to pick up your own. Just check out the review here on anandtech.com

http://anandtech.com/casecooling/showdoc.aspx?i=2943

And if you note in the review they test it with no case fans running, so if you add that in you might be able to get better cooling performance.
March 18, 2007 5:27:03 AM

Yeah try the Tuniq Tower 120 or Ultra 120, if it's still too hot them try the Monsoon TEC cooler for around $100.
Related resources
March 18, 2007 5:29:19 AM

doesnt sound too bad at all , but how about water cooling?

would it be worth getting into?
March 18, 2007 7:22:58 AM

Yeah, water cooling is worth it, but not on a $200 budget. Just get a TEC like Chuckshissle suggested, a much better buy then getting a cheap water system.


EDIT: Just noticed something. Sorry for this, but I cant resist.

w 00 t y w 00 t ! 2 000 !

Just did the math, it took me 80 days even to get my first 1000 posts, for my 2nd 1000 it took me 78 days, so im shooting for 76 days to get my 3rd 1000. June 1st here I come!
March 18, 2007 7:59:44 AM

Thanks. I figured out that if I keep going with this -2 days every 1000 posts ill have to make 1000 posts every 2 days when and if I hit 40,000
March 18, 2007 8:09:52 AM

Lol, I got a screen shot before I made that post.
March 18, 2007 12:45:43 PM

Yep, I had a cheap water cooling system and it's not worth it at all. Well it does a little bit better than air but not that much. $250 will get you and good setup for cpu water cooling like that from Swiftech H20-220 kit.
March 20, 2007 3:10:55 AM

Good air setup can beat crappy water setups.

But to get good water you will have to spend and a fair bit of time.

If the kid has a thin budget I would tend to stick to air, if he can spend a little more, swiftec makes nice stuff.
March 20, 2007 3:45:49 AM

What is your processor btw? Oh and dont go all out with the spaces coz it takes up too much room.
March 20, 2007 7:41:33 AM

Check my video below for my water cooling setup.

Cost: around $350 when I bought it.
March 20, 2007 11:54:16 PM

For $200??? How about a TEC cooler?
March 21, 2007 8:23:01 AM

I also have a Zalman 9700, and that is about the best performing air cooler you can get. I am OCng my E6600 to 3.2GHz with temps at max load keeping below 60C.
March 21, 2007 10:03:51 AM

The Noctua and TT are better.
March 21, 2007 12:02:27 PM

Quote:
The Noctua and TT are better.


Duh!
March 21, 2007 12:11:29 PM

Yeah, so far we know the Tuniq and Ultra120+ are better, but 3rd place for the 9700 isn't bad. It's a good cooler. Since that's what the OP already has, they should make sure to note that they can expect a few degrees better with the best air cooler available, but not necessarily anything paradigm-shifting.

$200 is a dead zone for CPU cooling. Good air costs less than $100, while good water starts above $300. The "between" TEC solutions aren't performing as well as the best air, so what's the price premium for?

I would say if you want to experiment, spend the $200 on a TEC plate and controller, and sandwitch that behind your 9700. You may have to take precautions against condensation if your cooling is effective enough to get you below room temperature, so look into what that involves. It's a big goopy mess, but some people think it's worthwhile.
March 21, 2007 12:50:19 PM

Eh, 4th.

Thermalright Ultra 120+
Tuniq Tower 120
Thermalright Ultra 120
Zalman 9700
March 21, 2007 1:01:22 PM

Right. I wasn't counting the two Ultra's.

My point was if the OP already has one of the better air coolers, then better gains might be had by sticking with it and testing out a TEC. Then again, when I look at Anand's charts, I see the 9700 is good at stock speed, but as power rises it seems to become overwhelmed and loses ground to the better coolers. In that case, the extra thermal load of the TEC might make a strong argument for switching to the Ultra120+.
March 21, 2007 2:04:05 PM

1) How hot is hot? What are your temps? Idle/load for cpu and case.
Is there really a problem that needs to be solved?

2) Verify that the heat sink is mounted squarely with quality material. Arctic silver 5 is very good. This insures that the heat generated by the cpu is getting efficiently transferred to the cooler. The best coolers are only marginally better than the 9700; it's probably better to spend $200 elsewhere.

3) The case temperature limits what the cpu cooler is capable of. To get the case temperatures down, you need to get the heat out of the case. More/larger/faster fans will do this.

4) What is the VGA card? This is usually the biggest contributor to heat in the case. Does the vga cooler exhaust the heat out the back directly? If not, get an aftermarket vga cooler that does. Arctic silencer makes several.

5) Is the airflow in your case clean? Are your cables routed cleanly? Post some pics. Also, do you have some intake filters that might need cleaning?

---good luck---
March 21, 2007 2:38:51 PM

Quote:
Eh, 4th.

Thermalright Ultra 120+
Tuniq Tower 120
Thermalright Ultra 120
Zalman 9700


Does the Scythe Ninja with a fan beat the Zalman 9700?
March 21, 2007 6:02:32 PM

Quote:
Get a Swiftech Apogee GT, Danger Den Mag II pump, DD Maze5 gpu block, Black Ice radiator (I am using 2 120 stealth x-flows), and whatever reservoir floats your boat.

dangerden
DD Mag II that is in stock and the price is not jacked up
Swiftech Apogee GT on sale $5 off



Actually man that sounds like a great set-up, i haven't used water cooling yet, but im definitely know idiot. I've worked on computers for ever and i have a very, very strong understanding of how to set one up.




But yes as for my case i have the Thermaltake Kandalf The aluminum one.
The 250mm side fan window kit.
120mm fan rear
120mm fan front
92mm Top
80mm rear.
zalman 9700

cables are nicely tucked away and sleeved.

i will take pics after i get off work and let you guys know.


Here are my specs also.


x6800 @ 3.5ghrz( i want 3.8 but its too hot!)

4gbs OCZ platnium pc2 6400

Evga 680i Mobo

320gb Seagate PR HD

BFG 8800 gtx

x-fi xtreme music sound card

coolmax CTG 850w powersupply
March 21, 2007 6:52:05 PM

Quote:
Eh, 4th.

Thermalright Ultra 120+
Tuniq Tower 120
Thermalright Ultra 120
Zalman 9700


Does the Scythe Ninja with a fan beat the Zalman 9700?

I have seen various reviews showing the Scythe Ninja beating a Zalman 9700 in Temps and Noise:

here is one:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/core_2_cpu_cooler_r...
March 22, 2007 12:29:22 AM

Ok both the Scythe Ninja and Scythe infinity beat the Zalman 9700. The Thermaltake Big Typhoon also beats it, that makes Zalman 9700 7th place

Thermalright Ultra 120+
Tuniq Tower 120
Thermalright Ultra 120
Scythe Ninja
Scythe Infinity
Thermaltake Big Typhoon
Zalman 9700
March 22, 2007 3:07:50 AM

that cool it talks big talk and it looks nice is it really that good at such a cheap price!?!?

kuz if it is hell ill buy two for my other rig.
March 22, 2007 4:15:08 AM

Quote:

EDIT: Just noticed something. Sorry for this, but I cant resist.

w 00 t y w 00 t ! 2 000 !

Just did the math, it took me 80 days even to get my first 1000 posts, for my 2nd 1000 it took me 78 days, so im shooting for 76 days to get my 3rd 1000. June 1st here I come!



thats not bad :p ...

anyways i think the Tuniq Tower 120 is a good deal for around 100$
March 22, 2007 4:47:27 AM

Quote:
I also have a Zalman 9700, and that is about the best performing air cooler you can get. I am OCng my E6600 to 3.2GHz with temps at max load keeping below 60C.


Objection your honor

review of various coolers (including Tuniq Tower, Zalman 9700, etc)

Object all you want but I've been testing many of the coolers that Anand reported on and have seen significantly different results. For example, on all three of my systems (4400+ and two Opty 170s OC'ed to 2.6 and 2.8 currently) , the Ultra 120 runs on the order of 2-3C warmer than the Tuniq or the 9700 under load. My Tuniq and 9700 are within 1C of each other when running dual prime. Numerous individuals and experienced reviewers have seen similar results. I have not yet laid my grubby paws on an Ultra Plus but plan to ASAP. I hope it turns out to be the excellent performer that Anand reported but will not be surprised if it's a bit differerent just because their other results look off a bit.

Bottom line: I think Rich made a good call. The 9700 is a very strong performer for high heat CPUs. The Ultra is still my overall favorite and I'm anxious to get an Ultra Plus.
March 22, 2007 5:24:34 AM

Quote:
Eh, 4th.

Thermalright Ultra 120+
Tuniq Tower 120
Thermalright Ultra 120
Zalman 9700


Does the Scythe Ninja with a fan beat the Zalman 9700?

I have seen various reviews showing the Scythe Ninja beating a Zalman 9700 in Temps and Noise:

here is one:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/core_2_cpu_cooler_r...

That blows my mind. Those results are so far off what I and others have seen, it just doesn't make sense. Neither my Ninja nor Ninja Plus can beat my 9700 even with a high flow fan on the Ninjas. And I'm not the only person to report an Infinity running warmer than a Ninja. In terms of noise, those numbers show the same relative order to what I've measured but my SPLs for the louder models are lower.
March 22, 2007 7:24:12 AM

Makes you wonder if advertising $$$$ have an affect on reviews dosen't it? I sincerely hope not.
March 22, 2007 8:18:57 AM

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/03/21/lga775_heatsink_group_test_mar07/8.html

not sure how much help this is going to be for you but this was posted last night at bit tech.

but my opinion is you go for a decent WC system (i am)

ive currently got
xspc passive reservoir (very nice)
xspc 2x120 Rad
mcp655 pump
and two more rads (one range rover and the other a moto cross rad)

im not sure what block im going to opt for as im waiting to see if agena is any good but cant wait to get it running.
March 23, 2007 2:38:50 AM

Quote:
Makes you wonder if advertising $$$$ have an affect on reviews dosen't it? I sincerely hope not.


I guess that's a possibility. I also wonder about variability in production. I have two Tuniqs and they consistently vary 2 to 3C under load when run on the same CPU.
March 23, 2007 2:51:41 AM

Heh, I get that much variation each time I re-seat the same HSF on my CPU. I might need some work on my TIM application, but I find thermal performance variation believable.
March 23, 2007 7:57:48 AM

Based on the variation reported in this thread I would prefer if it was advertising $ talking vs. variation in manufacturing
March 23, 2007 8:48:31 AM

Wow, I've never seen so much hair splitting :p 

The bottom line is, replacing his air cooler with another is going to yield minimal improvements. But maybe two degrees and 100Mhz is worth it to some. :\

But anyway, to the OP, how hot is "too hot"?

Others have gotten to 3.8 with your exact cooler; even the Anand link obtains 3.83 at a reasonable 40 degree. It could be other factors.
March 23, 2007 10:48:22 PM

Quote:
Heh, I get that much variation each time I re-seat the same HSF on my CPU. I might need some work on my TIM application, but I find thermal performance variation believable.


I get excellent reproducibility as long as I don't switch TIM. Last year, I pulled the Zalman 9500 off of my old P4 box a total of four times, then monitored temps as a function of time during the TIM cure. To my surprise, the plots overlaid within 1C. God, I must have been bored stiff.
April 6, 2007 11:27:47 PM

Man, what can I tell you ?You have one of the best CPU cooler ever made.
Consider Thermaltake Big Typhoon as well.
!