Fan selection for Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme

[Ararat]

Hi all, I'm assembling a new rig with an E7200, and was planning to use the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 (clearly planning a substantial overclock), however, this cooler has dissapeared from Australian stores (after being out of stock for quite a while) and now look like having to buy the TRUE instead (in all honesty, I may have anyway, as the Xigmatek doesn't enjoy the same price advantage here ($50 vs $65, excluding fan of course).

So on to my main question, which fan should I go with? The store I'm looking at buying from has the heatsink bundled with a Scythe SY1225SL12VBL 120mm Blue LED fan with VR fan control (what is VR, and how is it different from PWM?) for $20 extra, but they also have the Arctic Cooling 120mm PWM fan on special for $9.60.

The main specs that I can find for the fans are that at max speed, the Arctic Cooling pushes 56.3CFM @ 24.5dBA, while the Scythe moves a maximum of 66CFM @ 32dBA. Now the noise cost doesn't seem worth it to me for what looks a minor gain in airflow, but how would this affect temps?

Thanks.

 

[Andrius]

VR = voltage regulation/regulator
This means you set the rpm of the fan with the voltage (3pin connector). You get bracket with a rpm regulator with the Scythe fan AFAIK.
PWM fans are regulated by a seperate signal (hence the 4 pin connector).

I have a Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F (1600rpm) fan on my TRUE. It's inaudiable at 1200rpm (regulated). My Q6600 at 3.0GHz is always (even prime95 load) below 55C.

Since you only have a dualcore I would go with the cheaper fan. Temperatures will be a bit higher but I run my S-FLEX at 1200rpm and it's not a drastic change (3-5C at prime load).

 

[Ararat]

Thanks, I'll get the Arctic Cooling, noise is more important to me anyway.

Does anyone know if the fan clips come supplied with the heatsink, or they need to be purchased seperately? (They're like $9, for what must be about 2c worth of metal).

 

[Andrius]

2 clips come with the TRUE.
Make sure you can mount the fan you are getting with them. It has to have "open" screw holes.

Arctic fans have some scary designs.

 

[Ararat]

Already purchased, so too late to change the fan. If it doesn't have these 'open' screw holes of which to speak, then at worst, it's $9.60 lost, and a have a bonus fan I can use in a case somewhere.

Thank you for all your help, it's my first Thermalright, so not used to having to select and mount a fan. Should be simple enough though.

 

[Evilonigiri]

Hey, you could always improvise or something. You don't need to use the fan clips.

 

[Andrius]

You can always use zipties or some plain wire(like that used to wrap cables) to mount it, it just doesn't look as nice. The accessories kit for the TRUE is quite nice. You even get sillicone washers for the fan. I'm waiting for the black edition to put on a Rampage Formula. I hope they release it soon.