Need a good CPU cooler for Mid Tower Case

[jasonboom]

I've gone ahead and purchased new parts for my gaming rig. I was a bit silly about some of the cost, but I bought what I wanted. I purchased a CoolerMaster V8 for the core i7 1366 socket. What I didn't realize was how tall this thing would be. It stands 158mm tall. Yikes! I bought a mid-tower case -- the AZZA Fantom 900 -- that sports a side fan. The fan will unfortunately impede the installation of the V8, so I'm stuck either getting a full size tower or a different CPU cooler. I'm thinking the latter.

Does anyone have a good socket 1366 CPU cooler to recommend? If anyone is interested here's the full build.

Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield
AZZA Fantom 900 Black Japanese SECC Steel/Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
AZZA Dynamo 850 850W ATX & EPS 12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
SAPPHIRE 100290SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Eyefinity
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Here is a link to a recent Tom's Hardware article with useful information about 10 popular cpu heatsinks:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lga-1156-heatsink,2535.html

I know the article states Intel LGA 1156 heatsinks but just about all of them are also compatible with Intel LGA 1366 cpu's

Here is a link to a very good web site with more useful information about cpu heatsinks that will help you make an informed decision:

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

You can use the Google embedded search feature at the web site to find more information about heatsinks for specific cpu sockets.

Currently the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is the best value for the money. In the USA it can usually be found on sale for $29.99.

 

[saaiello]

Well that pretty much rules out any tower cooler with 120mm fan.

Check this bad boy out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608019

It is super quiet and I have read a cple great reveiws for it but you will have to make sure it fits because it is wide.

 

[jasonboom]

Thanks for the advice, Johnny. I had read the frostytech article, but most were for 775 sockets. You did lead me to the Tom's article which is great. Thanks.

I love that Noctua. That's slick. I'm going to have to measure to make sure it won't be impeded by the memory.

Is it OK that I'll install the stock CPU cooler and then replace a week later with an aftermarket one? It won't screw up the paste or anything, right?

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Just about all of the 775 socket heatsinks are also available for the new Intel Core i3/i5/i7 series sockets. I have an original CM Hyper 212 rather than the newer 212+. Recently I purchased an adapter for a few dollars that will allow me to install it in my new Intel Core i7 860 system. I just want to see what it can do in a newer system. I did the same thing with my original Thermalright Ultra 120. Both heatsinks can still hold their own against newer models.

When you remove the stock cpu heatsink you will have to remove the old thermal compound from the heatsink and cpu; clean both surfaces; and reapply new thermal compound. You can use inexpensive alcohol purchased at a local pharmacy to remove compound and clean the surfaces. Follow the manufacturer's instruction for applying the new thermal compound.

BTW - You'll need a case that is more than 8 inches wide if you want to install a tall tower style heatsink and a case fan on the side panel. The minimum is close to 8 inches with no fan on the side panel.