Air cooling options for my i7...Input plz

[xthekidx]

I have an i7 920 with stock cooler with the Asus P6T mobo in Coolermaster 690 case.

I want to get a better cooler and do a milder OC (thinking like 3.2-3.4 ghz or so...)

SO I am looking for some suggestions for a good HSF that will fit in this case. A lot of the reviews I have read say that many of the LGA 1366 aftermarket coolers are large and may not fit into most Midtower cases. Coolermaster has a picture of a V8 mounted in the 690 chassis, but it has red LEDs which will clash with the blue in the case.

So does anyone have any suggestions for me? Will the TRUE work in this setup?

Thanks

xthekidx

 

[Akebono 98]

I was curious myself, because I have a Xigmatek 1283 on LGA775 in the CM-690. Seeing as I really like the case, when I go i7 I would likely keep it. Therefore, I just took the measurements of my Xigmatek and comparing the dimensions of the LGA 775 Xigmatek with the 1366 TRUE, we get dimensions of:

Xigmatek: 120 x 50 x 159 (millimetres)

vs.

TRUE 1366: 133 x 38 x 156

With the largest dimension on the end being the cooler height. Seeing as the TRUE is 3 mm shy of the Xigmatek, I would say that it fits. Assuming, of course, that the height of the top of the CPU heatspreader on the i7 is comparable to LGA775. However, there is space between the top of the cooler and the side panel, so on balance I would think that it's OK. If you happen to have a second side fan above the CPU, then you'll have to move it to the roof.

And who are you trying to kid, nobody does a "mild" OC when using the TRUE! :lol:

Btw, Xigmatek is coming out with a heatsink for the LGA 1366 called "Thor's Hammer": link. If the 1283 is any indication, then this one should probably be good.

 

[xthekidx]

Thanks for the link, I wasn't even aware of that cooler coming out. Do you by chance know when it will be available?

RE the TRUE: I could probably go with the Zalman 9700 for my OC (or probably the stock HSF for that matter). But I really want my CPU to last a while and don't want to necessarily push it to its limit, so I'm looking at getting the best HSF possible to get my temps down as much as possible.

Anyone else have any ideas for a good HSF to go with this setup? Or any other new coolers that are coming out that I am not aware of?

 

[Akebono 98]

Unfortunately, don't know when Thor's Hammer will be out. TweakTown says that it's only a "paper launch" so far, so I suspect that they're building up inventory right now. Sure looks awesome, though.

RE the TRUE: I just thought it would be funny to kid the kid about the TRUE! But I hear you on keeping things sane--i7's a big investment...

There's also the Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 out right now, with a 158mm height so that should also work.

TRUE is best when lapped (because the base is not smooth), and graysky has 2 stickied threads in the Overclocking forum about lapping the Q6600 and the TRUE, if you want to read up on it.

And if you're really hardcore, this IC Diamond 7 Carat thermal compound is apparently the best there is, although it's supposed to be a bit difficult to use from what I've been told.

 

[xthekidx]

Thanks akebono. You always seem to have very sound advice for everyone on these forums. I can't remember where I saw it, but I was reading an article that previewed Thor's Hammer which said it was tentatively scheduled to be released end of February.

 

[Akebono 98]

Many thanks, xthekidx... You've not been too shabby yourself!

 

[Akebono 98]

Recently came across the Scythe Mugen 2, which looks a lot like the Ninja on steroids.

Also this Zalman CNPS 9900.

Let's hope to see a high-end shootout soon!

 

[wiz1]

I got the Coolermaster V8, it was in stock I may not oc but I wanted to put in a good cooler when I built it, rather than pulling the board out later. From what I am reading the stock cooler is suspect for mounting to the board anyway.