Whats the best CPU Cooler?

[BuBzXXL]

I have $100 to spend on a CPU Cooler for my I5-3570K what should I buy?

Do not suggest the noctua coolers! I want something with similar performance but, without that ugly color!!

Thanks, BuBz

 

[pezonator]

Will you be overclocking? Do you want water cooling? Why not a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO?

 

[slomo4sho]

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

 

[BuBzXXL]

Will you be overclocking? Do you want water cooling? Why not a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO?

Nope, not overclocking. I'm mainly just buying it for looks. IMO I think the stock cpu cooler looks weak. I'll probably just get a H60

 

[pezonator]

Fair enough. The 212 EVO is around $60 cheaper than the H60 and does almost the same job. But if price / performance is irrelevant to you, go ahead

 

[InvalidError]

In terms of esthetics, I like Intel's stock orb-style HSF design.

Functionally though, the finned section needs to be a little taller, the fan needs a taller shroud to fully channel air from blade tops through the heatsink and the retention mechanism sucks since stiff plastics slowly deform over time which eventually causes loss of contact force.

While the 212 +/EVO look ok from the side and have outstanding performance for the price, there isn't much to see when looking down on it... at a glance, the only thing that comes to (my) mind is "ah, a non-stock cooler" rather than any thought about what it looks like.

Since I build my PCs window-less, I have never paid much attention to how HSF look as long as they do a much better job than stock HSF.