Do I have enough cooling in this rig (gaming)? :/

[gameranew22]

Hola, so I've been blazing it up on these forums lately about a ton of stuff on my build(in progress) but so far I haven't had any hard-and-fast answers about whether or not I need to add other fans/cooling systems to my setup. If I do need extra cooling equipment, what should I get (I'm looking for most cost-effective and this system doesn't have to be silent though that would be coolio too)?

I've posted the specs below and I am looking to eventually overclock the CPU at some point. Thanks!


COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811119233
$59.99

XFX P1-650X-CAH9 650W ATX12V v2.2 / ESP12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power ...
Item #: N82E16817207007
$88.99

HIS IceQ X Turbo H687QNT1G2M Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ...
Item #: N82E16814161369
$199.99

Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
Item #: N82E16820145345
Memory
$84.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822136284
$84.99

Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Item #: N82E16827135204
$19.99

Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820148441
Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
$119.99

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
Item #: N82E16819115072
$219.99

ASROCK P67 Extreme 4 B3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157229

 

[internetlad]

As a rule, so long as you keep it clean, and aren't overclocking, stock is almost always fine. There are some things that will factor in, such as ambient room temperature and if you keep it in an enclosed case, but almost as a rule if you're running it stock, it will be fine at stock.

PC components are tougher than you might think when it comes to heat, this doesn't mean run out and cook them but they're designed to handle it.

OC'ing is a whole other kettle of fish. If you decide you're OC'ing then your cooler will be a big part of how far you can push your rig.

On really low end machines I find you don't even need the rear case fan (pcs without video cards usually) and let the exhaust from the PSU do all the work.

 

[gameranew22]

For my build and assuming I'm going to OC to maybe 4.5 or higher, what fan would you recommend that would work with my PSU and fit in my case? I know that's asking a lot, but any help is appreciated!

 

[king_maliken]

Well if your looking to OC at one point, you will need a better cooler for your CPU. But other than that, it will be touch and go, since I've never worked with that case. But if I were you, I'd go with an antec 300, very good airflow with that case.

 

[geofelt]

With your budget, I would include an aftermarket cpu cooler. It will let your cpu run cooler and quieter under load. Your OC can go higher and easier.
Most any with a 120mm fan will do the job. The cm hyper21i is popular, but the price has gone up.
How about the Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 120mm for $30?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082

I would start with the stock fans, and see how you do. It is easy to add a fan later, but I suspect that it will not be necessary.

 

[internetlad]

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-CNPS9900LED-Ultra-Quiet-Cooler/dp/B001P1B7B4/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1308612181&sr=1-8

cheap, solid copper and good quality. I'd get one if i didn't already have a HS.

An OC to 4.5 is ambitious. Assuming your chip can handle it, it has been achieved on air but that's about the highest i've heard that's been reached with air, you might be looking at a liquid cooled system if you're expecting it to go that high.

 

[gameranew22]

Yeah, I just randomly did a search for OC'ing a 2500k and something popped up with a guide to get to 4.5, but that's a little crazy.

How high do you think I could push this chip without breaking it/limiting it's effective lifespan?

 

[internetlad]

depends on the chip. There are certainly factors you can introduce (higher voltage, too much heat, working the chip all day by running folding@home) that will shorten the life span, but it depends entirely on the chip.

You can't OC every chip you get (although it's less likely to get a dud nowadays since the tech is at such a comfortable level for the average consumer) and you certainly can't expect any chip you're buying to reach a preset number. That said you should be able to squeeze 10 percent out of the chip fairly easily, and 20 percent with a bit of skill/time/luck should be achievable.

 

[king_maliken]

4.5GHz on a 2500k is very achievable, would be a little hot on a air cooled system though, maybe an H70 would do it idk. I always recommend proper cooling, hence full WC systems.

 

[0ozee]

I would suggest a cm hyper 212 for cpu cooling, cheap and very good

 

[king_maliken]

The Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 for $30 easily beats the CM hyper 212. Cheaper and even better cooling.

 

[geofelt]

1) For gaming, 4.0 is about as good as you need. Most every 2500K will do that without increasing voltages.
Perhaps half will do 4.5 with decent cooling and increased voltages. But.. why bother?

2) If you do not increase voltages, you are safe. The cpu will be long obsolete before it fails.

3) Keep everything on auto, and gradually increase the multiplier. That's the easy and safe way to OC.

4) Dont bother with ram tuning. It won't make a bit of difference in your FPS. Leave it all on auto.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

With your budget, I would include an aftermarket cpu cooler. It will let your cpu run cooler and quieter under load. Your OC can go higher and easier.
Most any with a 120mm fan will do the job. The cm hyper21i is popular, but the price has gone up.
How about the Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 120mm for $30?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082

I would start with the stock fans, and see how you do. It is easy to add a fan later, but I suspect that it will not be necessary.

most of you guys have tunnel vision for newegg

check this out 30$ for the hyper 212 plus: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002G1YPH0/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&qid=1308877418&sr=1-1&condition=new

or this cooler the scythe mugen 3 which is 53$ shipped: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185168&cm_re=scythe_mugen-_-35-185-168-_-Product

 

[mjmjpfaff]

The Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 for $30 easily beats the CM hyper 212. Cheaper and even better cooling.

no it doesnt: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lga-1156-heatsink,2535-14.html vs http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-cooler-heatsink-roundup,2788-9.html

the cooler master wins by 1 degree Celsius