Hyper 212+ or V8 (core i5 3570)

[ajchavez91]

Hello people, these last days i've been trying to decide wether to buy a hyper 212+ or a V8 to replace the stock cooler that comes with my ivy bridge core i5 3570. the main reason for this is that temps are a little too warm for my taste (not saying they're dangerously hot, but cooler is better). With Aida64 stress test, my core temps reach 78-80C, and when i'm gaming they reach 70C-72 (when emulating with PCSX2 or Dolphin they reach 75-76C though), I already know those temps are not dangerous, but they're just too warm for my taste and i want my processor to last me a long time and get some peace of mind.

I'm gonna be at stock speeds, that's why i bought the non "k" version and i mostly play emulated games with dolphin or PCSX2, which stresses the processor a little bit more than playing PC games and i don't wanna be playing while worrying too much about my temps. So the question is:

at stock speeds, which one should i go for? Hyper 212+ or V8? how many degrees would i lose with either one of them? i only got those 2 choices so don't suggest any other, please.

Also, the contact plate on the Hyper 212+ has some gaps between the copper heat pipes and the alluminum, how much (approximately) would be the difference in temps between filling those gaps and not filling them with thermal compound? would 2 fans on the hyper 212+ be better or just one?

AND PLEASE, don't give me short answers like "Hyper 212+ FTW" or "V8 FTW" or anything like that. Give me some reasons and opinions based either on experience or knowledge, thank you.

Thanks beforehand for the answers.

 

[steddora]

Hyper 212, 2 fans provide a little boost, 2 higher quality fans make a big difference and always fill the gaps, flatten with credit card and apply paste as normal afterwards.

For stock, the single fan will be more than enough. The stock clocks will heat up a stock HSF pretty good as you know, the Hyper 212, you'll see quite a notable drop.

I also suggest reading about voltage offset. Even though you're running stock and aren't overclocking you may be able to drop the voltage a bit and drop the temperatures even more. My 2600k at stock would run up to about 1.27v whereas it's completely stable at 1.1v at stock clock. I was able to set the voltage offset to I think -0.090 and get under 1.2v at full load and dropped the temperature by at least 10C under full load. Just food for thought if you're interested in cooling it even more.

"AND PLEASE, don't give me short answers like "Hyper 212+ FTW" or "V8 FTW" or anything like that. Give me some reasons and opinions based either on experience or knowledge, thank you. "

I used the 212 stock and with my two fans on it. There's a notable difference and I wouldn't go back to any stock HSF. I switched from a Zalman 9500A and saw 7C drops on load temperatures. The Hyper212 is cheap and very efficient. While I'm browsing/idling my processor clocks down to 1600mhz and runs at 0.9v. I literally have my fans OFF on the cooler right now.

 

[ajchavez91]

Thank you very much for your answer, i've been reading about always filling the gaps on the 212+, but i was just curious about how much would be the difference between filling them or not filling them. 2-3C maybe? or would it be like 6-7C which is a little bit high when it comes to temperature?

And yeah, stock heats up a stock HSF pretty fast, specially when you're emulating (MGS2 and MSG3 are kind of a processor hogs), that's why i don't get that peace of mind i want while playing and feels like i'm obsessed 'cause i really want to take care of this processor, lmao.

Anyways, i'll definitely fill the gaps to get the lowest temp possible. I'll start reading about voltage offset, might take some time taking into account that i don't really like messing around with that kind of things... lol.

Could i expect temps between 60-65C under Aida64's stress test with the 212+?

 

[steddora]

I'd hope! And yes, the filling of gaps can safe a LOT of temperature. Depends on the size of the gaps really.

Just for your information, with Prime 95 and IntelBurnTest I get the following temperatures.

4.4Ghz clock speed with a -0.040v Voltage offset

Prime95 = 57C max temperature at 1.26v
IntelBurnTest = 63C Max at 1.27v

IntelBurnTest will heat up your CPU hotter than anything you could ever practically do to stress the CPU. IntelBurnTest is basically the single best test for thermal properties of a CPU. I'm not exactly stock as I have a pair of high CFM Silverstone FM121's on my 212. But you can expect temperatures of normal stress tests like Aida's and the like within that range.

Oh I forgot, your 3570k will run a little hotter as Ivy Bridge processors do by nature. However, you'll still see excellent drops in temperature over the stock heatsink. Just apply the thermal paste properly and enjoy the profit. Some might say the 212 is overkill for something running stock, but at $20 after rebate through Newegg, you can't go wrong.

 

[ajchavez91]

Wow those are nice temps man!

One more thing, my processor is the non "K" version, meaning it's not unlocked, i wanted something as stable as possible, so, about the voltage offset you mentioned, could i still do it if i feel confident enough?

Yeah, i read about that too, ivy bridge runs hotter by nature (kind of a fail, if you ask me, 'cause smaller architecture should mean lower temps, right?) but not extremely hotter at least, lol. And yes, i'd prefer overkill over anything else. Better to have more than necessary than having less than necessary.

You've been really helpful, you saved me from spending $65 on the V8 (price in my country) which would be a waste of money for stock speeds. I might actually buy the extra fan for the 212+ with rest of the money, just to get some extra cooling, lol.

Thank you very much. I'll leave the discussion open for at least 1 day in case i have any question i could ask you.

 

[steddora]

Yeah, voltage offset only controls the voltage variable that goes to the chip. It's controlled by the VID in the chip, but you can manually adjust it. If you adjust it into the negatives it will drop the overall voltages and cause lower temperatures. If you drop it too far you can cause instability and blue screens and/or lockups. If you over volt it is when you're going to have issues with heat/degridation.

These CPU's run between 0.8v to 1.2v on a normal basis depending on load, you could actually adjust it to run say 0.75 to 1.15v or so. Biggest thing I found when undervolting at stock isn't the stability during full load but the stability from full load back to idle. Once it would idle down the voltage would be too low for the processor and cause a blue screen. However like I said I did manage to get it pretty far on my system, 2600k/P67 Extreme 6, before it was a problem. It's not necessary at all and you don't need/have to do it. I like low temperatures and undervolting can easily drop temperatures even further. You still will have to test for stability, just without the worry of too much voltage or heat rolling through your CPU like us overclocking nuts.