Noctua nh-d14 VS se2011 VS H80

I would go with the normal unit. It will come with a couple of speed reducing adapters that will make the cooler virtually silent.
At stock speed you can probably use even the slowest setting.
I think you could easily overclock the 2600K some without a problem.
I prefer the constant drone of a set speed anyway. It seems less obtrusive than a constantly fluctuating speed of a pwm fan.

Hi there, thank you for your reply.

That's great to know! How far do you think a typical 2600k would go and be stable?

I don't really want to be having to open the case and changing different cables every time i need more or less performance for the fans, so using the adapters probably isn't my first choice  

Also when you say the fan speed would be fluctuating constantly, would this really be the case as it would typically change with the type of activity being performed so when browsing the web etc it would be running pure silent; but when performance is needed the fans would be able to ramp up and provide the necessary fan speeds at a slightly elevated sound level.

Also am i correct in saying that the Noctua NH-D14 is better than a H80 and more on par with a H100?


Thanks

I think a 2600K would be ok at 4.0-4.4 depending your you luck with the particular chip quality.

A 2600K will still operate up to a very hot temperature, near 100c before it will throtle down to protect itself from damage.
You will only get there with a stress test, or perhaps folding, but not in normal usage.
I set my fans to a low and quiet speed for normal activities, and leave it there. As cpu usage goes up, yes, the temperature will rise. But so what? It is never to anything close to a dangerous level.

Your cooling with the noctua in a decently well ventilated case will be as good as any all in one liquid cooler, including the H100.
The reason is that the liquid coolers want you to mount the radiator so that it draws in fresh air to help the cpu cooler, but that hot air is dumped into the case where it heats up your graphics card. By decently well ventilated, I mean at least two 120mm intake fans, and an equivalent unobstructed output area to permit free airflow.

Thanks for these super fast replies.

But still if i wanted to do some rendering then it would require more fan power to move more air to keep it cool. I don't really want to leave it running slowly as my temps will be higher, and i like my temps to be as low as possible  

Saying that, are the fans noticeable on the normal one at the constant speed? Because as mentioned, the rig needs to be as quite as possible.

Thanks

It's not that big of a deal, Noctua Fans are VERY quiet, especially bigger ones like the 120mm and 140mm on the NH-D14.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1242737/h80-replacement-fans
In this thread they replace the fans and achieve good results.
-Bruce

Yeah, i could just go ahead and replace the fans but over on the corsair forum there are lots of poeple complaining that when they changed the fans from the stock ones; the internal fan controller of the H80 "broke" and no longer worked.

They have also said that the fans that are supplied with the unit are the only ones which will work with the unit according to the admins/mods on the forum that i have spoken to.


One last thing, i don't really want to have to go out spend more money on fans when i could just sell the H80 and purchase a Noctua unit with silent fans already attached  

There is always some sort of a trade off between noise and cooling.
It is an equation that only YOU can resolve.
Once you start down the quiet computing road, you will never find the end.
A good place to start is www.silentpcreview.com
Here is a link to their recommended cpu coolers:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks

What case are you using?
That too can make a big difference.

I'll check those sites out, thanks.

Im using a Fractal Design R3 Case with noise dampening foam.