Best CPU cooler for C2Q Q9550

lee-gamer

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Well I'll be getting my Q9550 as from next week.
Well I want to know what is the best CPU cooler for it that is aesthetic and also very efficient than Intel HSF.
A Cooler with LED will be fine..
I'm thinking of the Thermaltake Max Orb

I have no plan to overclock the latter as I believe it is enough powerful for any game around.

So any ideas or shold I stick to the Intel ugly HSF!!!
 

modtech

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Max Orb sucks donkey ****. Get a TRUE(thermalright ultra extreme), Noctua NH-U12P or a Xigmatech HDT-S1283 with the optional mounting kit.
 
Depends if you want cooling capacity or aesthetics. Me, I'll swap the ability to move a couple extra cubic feet of air quietly over LED's any day.

If you are not going to OC, it won't matter what you use. OTOH, you may want to rethink your thoughts. Upper end video cards seem to bottleneck somewhere around 3.2 GHz.

The TRUE/S-Flex SFF21 fan is an excellent compromise between cooling air and noise. The Xig is very, very nearly as good and with the backing plate, it is about 2/3's the cost of a TRUE.
 

lee-gamer

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I think the CPU can possibly bottleneck my graphic card since I have the 4870 + Asus P5Q-E which is totally ready for C2Q.
I tried to overclock an E4600 on the mobo but the overclocking fails even if I raise the FSB to 1 MHzwhilst keeping all the other thing on Auto.
I tried by locking the RAM so that it doesn't down clock or overclock but no success.

This why I have no plan to overclock the Q9550. I don't want to take any risk and increase global warming.

I hear a lot about the Xigmatek thingy.
It is one of the best out there.

Well since I'm such a pair of Corsair XMS2 DDR 2 RAM with DHX there may be problems to fit the later of any other CPU cooler.

 
Oh and ignore any of that bottlenecking nonsenseat 3.2, he's confused with cpu limits if anything at all, not the same thing.

Well, what would you call it? I replaced an E6600 with a Q6600. Using my 8800 GTS and 3DMark for benchmarking, I get a linear increase in frame rates from 2.4 GHz to 3.2 GHz. I get a small increase at 3.3 GHz. After that, frame rates are pretty much level to 3.6 GHz. This would seem to indicate that below about 3.3 GHz, the CPU is the limiting factor. Above 3.3 GHz, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

I suspect, but haven't tested, that new cards will the same or higher frequency as a limiting factor.

Now, please tell me where my confusion is.
 

lee-gamer

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I really don't know about these things, as as long as my games run smoothly well. I don't care to overclock the latter to get some more FPS.

Presently I can run Crysis at High settings on XP with a E4600 + 4870+ 2GB RAM. So what the use of overclocking to have insane FPS which don't really help out in the game...

My question in on a CPU cooler for Q9550!
 

lee-gamer

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In my area all these are not sold.
I buy all what I need on Ebay.

The Zalman CNPS9700 is interesting but a bit too pricy
The Zerotherm is much interesting.

The case I'm suing is an XPider II.
It's the best I found here since I can't ordered one online.
The case is a bit tight as thee are just about 2mm between the 4870 power cable and the hard disc. It was just.
The problem came form the 4870 power cable which are laid at the end of the card if it was side ways it will be better..

Well I'm gonna search for these coolers by now.
Hope they are available on Ebay for worldwide shipping.
Thanks guys these really help out.
 

dragonsprayer

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orb is not so good

9550 is a 1333 part and if you mobo can not go past 400fsb you do not need such a great cooler

depends on the mobo

#1 xigmetk

#2 zerotherm

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/250728-28-xigmateck-thermalright-120mm-plastic-forgot

o boy thats me!
 

dragonsprayer

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well, the xigmatek whilst good, i ain't too sure how pretty it would be considered.

Looking at your config, and that your mobo is C2Q ready, i would say that you should perhaps consider overclocking as you would not need to push your mobo or ram over it's rated speeds. They both are capable of a base clock of 400mhz.

If you run your ram and fsb at 400 your cpu would go to 3.4ghz with a slight voltage adjustment and a good cpu cooler will keep the temps well within reason.

Oh and ignore any of that bottlenecking nonsenseat 3.2, he's confused with cpu limits if anything at all, not the same thing.

Still, with 3.4 so within reach, why not try it, i have, no problems here.

dude how you get to be a master?

lol!

he read my post months ago! i am such a joker when i have not slept - o boy buidling systems all night gets me all post-y


bottle neck?

zig is pretty! photo time!
http://s329.photobucket.com/albums/l373/warpedsystems/?action=view&current=wszmgm-26.jpg

oops zero therm

double opps no photo - here we go
wszmgm-26.jpg
 
I still like the AC Freezer 7 Pro (and Cooler Master Hyper TX2) a lot as a good performing, reasonably priced replacement for the stock intel HSF.
They maybe missing the aesthetic appeal and LED the OP seems to be want.

Chenbro Xpider II review Just looking at your case I'd guess that a 92mm sized cooler is probably the best bet.
box3small.jpg

 

lee-gamer

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Since the casing has a see-through window that is why I prefer to have a cooler with LED that way It will be easier to know if the latter is functioning well as before when I had a Pentium D when the temperature was down the fan repeatedly stop.

I searched for the Zerotherm on Ebay but wasn't successful.

So a cooler with a 92mm will do the thingy!!!

Here are some pic of my PC...

Computer2008004.jpg


Computer2008012.jpg
 

dragonsprayer

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cut a hole next to the psu on the top then take all the wires out the back and back in side to make it look pretty if you got a window

cut a hole at the bottom and you brint in usb and front panel wires if you got them and if the usb are the bottom of the mobo they usually are

 

lee-gamer

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I have arranged the wires a bit.
Now it's more good to look at.
The cables for USB and front panel are properly fixed at the bottom.
It's just the cables next to the fan that cause problems.
There is no other place when I can put them.
I have also removed the Sound Card....to give more air to the 4870 which run hot.
But I'm planing to have an X-fi card using PCI-e x1.
Oh! Man! A PC is a real money eater!

Well the only upgrade that i will do for now is a new CPU cooler.
Then I can have some extra RAM though not necessity.
Well I'll also need a 64 bit OS for using the extra RAM.

It's merely about $200 upgrade again....
 

dragonsprayer

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stock cooler is fine if

1) it is a copper core the heavy ones with early cpu's new ones have usesless lite aluminum

2) dual core is under 3.4ghz it can be higher under 1.45v

3) quad is under 2.8ghz

artic freezer is cheap and it is crap but it is better then stock

zerotherm and xigmek with fans and rebates are under $30 and the best value

thermalright will set you back $80+ when factor in a good fan





well if you want to practice and cut the holes with dremel or hole saw make sure you do not let any metal savings into the system box!!!!!

you can do this by taping around the hole area to be cut and flipping up side down so the shavings fall down

you really should cut the holes with case empty, sometimes we do it with the psu alread in but we vacuum out the case really well to get the dust too - remember the dust has metal and cutting tool fragments and they are metal which can short the system

or just bundle them up with some zips and call it day!

happy new year!
 

lee-gamer

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I'll see to it guys.
I just hate the Intel CPU cooler.
How come they such a thing....

I also hate the push pins.
Perhaps a cooler with other retention system will better as the push pins seemed too fragile.
I really don't mine removing the motherboard as It's I who put everything in place.
 
Ahhhhhhhhhhh so we're back at the Thermaltake MaxOrb Ex again.
Well this thread has gone from "Best CPU cooler for C2Q Q9550" to "Cooler that will look Best in my Case"
Which is OK if that is what you want.
Thermaltake MaxOrb Ex review @ FrostyTech
Also in the same style Zalman CNPS8700 LED review @ FrostyTech

You can see those cooler fall into the middle of the pack in cooling performance. Thats not an issue if you're not interested in being able to get near a near Overclock on your Q9550.
Thermaltake MaxOrb Ex and CNPS8700 LED will let you OC - just not as high as some of the others mentioned before.

icon2.gif
Have you thought about buying your CPU cooler for performance.....and then adding Case Mods (like Cold Cathode, LED or Meteor lights) to enhance the look of the case? Case Lighting mods and more Case Lighting mods


 

lee-gamer

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Among all these the Noctua NH-U12P seemed to be the best....
I have to search for it to know how it looks like.

The Zalman 9700 LED seemed very interesting too as well.

But since all the latter has been tested on an overclock CPU then the result will be totally different for the Q9550 because I'll be using it at stock level and also it will run cooler because of the 45nm fabrication.....

So maybe a drop of at least 5 C can be expected o even more on all these results....

As I already mention I'm searching for a performance product but with eye-candy.

The SpinQ is indeed very impressive for both as I don't want to overclock my Q9550 for the time being.
Maybe when my rig will be somewhat outdated as I'm not planning to upgrade the CPU for at least 2 years.

Then Maybe I'll got for an Intel i7 which will probably be a lot cheaper by then....

Thanks guys!!!

happy New Year 2009.
All the best.....
 

lee-gamer

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So at least the CPU will run cooler with the 45nm.
The Zalman is indeed interesting but priced about $10 more.
Well if it has support for i7 then it's a good deal for the future.

My other favourite is the Thermaltake Max Orb Ex which I think run cooler than the Spin Q.