After market cooler for am2+ socket

[xPandaPanda]

hi
i need a good after market cooler for my AMD Phenom II X4 920 2.8GHz.
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103472)

Its socket is an AM2+ so im thinking about getting the XIGMATEK Dark Knight (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029)

is that a good pick, i will do a minor overclock as to keep the life span of the machine decently long. if i do get that cooler, would i need the retention bracket?
or should i get a different CPU cooler.
EDIT: crap... just came into realization that is indeed the wrong sub-forum place to ask. could a mod move this for me? i dont want to create 2 topics.

 

[irkjab]

The dark knight has had excellent reviews for cooling core 2 quads and core i7 procs at least.
I don't think you need the retention bracket for amd motherboards. It comes with the backplate for intel mobos though.

 

[fullmetall]

Yes +1 on the zigmatek dark knight s1283v + get Arctic Silver 5 thermal Compound

or Arctic cooling mx-2 thermal compound

 

[david8115]

i think you just get the normal s-1283, better cooler, looks less appealing as the dark knight

 

[irkjab]

Actually, the dark knight comes with a higher rpm fan, which makes for better cooling.
That said, I have the normal S-1283, and its fine as well.

 

[xthekidx]

The original cools better. Check out frostytech reviews, the the DK gets about 0.5-1C warmer than the original.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2333&page=5

 

[xthekidx]

Here is another excellent cooler that you should check out, at a great deal at $32:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093&Tpk=scythe%20mugen%202
Unfortunately frostytech hasn't done a review on it so its tough to say how it stacks up against all the other coolers out there, but in some more limited comparisons (of just a few coolers) the Scythe Mugen 2 performs extremely well, especially if you stick 2 fans on it. Its right up there with the S1283 and TRUE...for $32.

 

[gkay09]

+1 for the original Xig...

 

[Helloworld_98]

or you could get an IFX-14 + IFX-10 with two fans, it would weigh like 1KG but you'd get 4 or 5c less than a U-120 eXtreme.

 

[evongugg]

There are some higher rated. Not a bad choice though.

Top 5 heatsinks:

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

 

[fullmetall]

If you get the Original Xigmatek s-1283, make sure you buy the brackets that are seperate from it, those push pins that come with it are a pain in the arse. There a struggle and feels like your going to break the board just getting it on there.

+ they vibrate out of place occasionally if you ever decide to put it in the car and take it somewhere.

 

[xthekidx]

If you get the Original Xigmatek s-1283, make sure you buy the brackets that are seperate from it, those push pins that come with it are a pain in the arse. There a struggle and feels like your going to break the board just getting it on there.

+ they vibrate out of place occasionally if you ever decide to put it in the car and take it somewhere.

AM2+ doesn't allow a backplate, you have to use the pins.

 

[jb2zero0six5]

so us AM2+ socket users have better luck with this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004

 

[xthekidx]

That isn't a bad cooler either. Any of the coolers; Scythe Mugen 2, S1283, CCTF are all first rate and will all perform just as well as the other, maybe half a degree difference.