Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 or CM Hyper 212 plus

with due credit to the Gaia, hyper 212+ should be the choice as its proven itself... and its more than enough even if you wish to OC your 550 BE... ensure you have a decent air circulation in your case as its critical for any cooler to perform...

Overclocking is certainly in my plans, I have an Antec Three Hundred case with 2 x 120mm intake, 1 x 120mm and 1 x 140mm exaust, so air circulation isn't an issue. And you are right, i was leaning slightly toward the 212+ beacuse of it's reputation. I've been digging around other forums and reviews and the 212+ always comes recomended not because of its performance, but because it just simply works, and has proven it countless times. However, i'm still not sold just yet, i would like to hear opinions from someone who has tried the Gaia, and of course, ideally, someone who tried both.

I choose the Gaia due to that fact that it will allow cross flow orientation on AMD chips. the 212 will be an updraft configuration blowing hot air into the PSU if your case puts that at the top. My only criticism of the Gaia is with the direct touch heat pipe configuration, it is not a completely smooth base, there are gaps between the heat pipe and where it intersects with the rest of the base. Enough that you can get a fingernail to catch on them. I sanded it down significantly although I didn't completely eliminate the gaps, and I didn't see any temperature difference so it might not be as big a deal as I think.

Also, if you bought stupidly tall Ram like i did (OCZ reaper) there might be some clearance issues with the cooler. I have my Gaia in cross flow orientation and the fan hangs over the first RAM slot. I had to use slots 2 and 4 for my OCZ. When I want to upgrade to 8GB I will have to find RAM with with no heat sinks or very very short ones. I am considering taking off the huge heat pipe of my current ram.

I have an Antec 300 case, so the supply is on the bottom, and there's a huge 140mm exaust on top so the 212+ upward configuration is not problem, however a cross flow orientation does blow some air on the vrm's which is a good thing, so points for the Gaia.

How is the direct touch heat pipe configuration on the 212+ as opposed to the Gaia? better or worse?

I don't have any experience on the 212 but, the height of the cooler will cause the air to blow above the VRM. On my current motherboard, GA-890GPA-UD3H, I am having issues with VRM and NB temps. They are approaching 71C with the Gaia so I will most likely have to attach a small fan to the NB.

I've also been trying to decide between these two coolers for a while now. As far as I've seen the 212Plus can be configured either down-up or front-back airflow. Now though, Ive seen this XIGMATEK HDT-S1284F 120mm HYPRO Bearing CPU Cooler which can also be mounted either way and is cheaper than the 212Plus, plus gets all good reviews about performance and low noise. Using this Antec 300 Illusion we both have the down-up airflow seems a better option with the 140mm pushing way more air out the top, and mostly out the window in my case.

I would choose a 212+ over a Gaia if i planned on any decent overclocks.
The 212+ has a much larger mass to dissipate heat.
The Gaia is an excellent choice as an upgrade from stock hsf.
It's narrow(50mm)which is great for dimm intrusion and it's quiet.
Otherwise here's the best $40 or so coolers imo.
All of them have quieter fans then a 212+ and outperform it cooling wise.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submi...
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks