What CPU cooler for an i5-3550

[kriswoj]

I'm likely going to be getting an i5-3550 OEM on an ATX mobo soon and will be needing a CPU cooler. I've got no idea where to go here.

Everything will be run at stock, no overclocking, and it will be in a InWin mana 136 case, which will have 2x 120mm fans on the side panel, 2 on top, 2 at the front and 1 on the back.

I would like as quiet as possible, but also decent at its job.

Budget would be up to about £20.


Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[kriswoj]

Additional info - for it to fit in the case the fan can be no larger than about 12.5cm from the mobo, otherwise it will touch the side wall fan.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

Just buy retail...get the heatsink/fan free...

All the best Brett

 

[Tman450]

Hi

Just buy retail...get the heatsink/fan free...

All the best Brett

If you aren't planning to do any overclocking an and are running Ivy Bridge, the stock cooler hould do just fine.

but since you said noise is an issue, you could probably take the stock HSF and switch out the stock fan with a High-performance quiet fan, maybe add your own thermal paste too.


If you don't want do do any work, purchase any reputable HSF. Hyper 212 EVO comes to mind.

 

[kriswoj]

I got an OEM CPU, so no stock fan or heat sink with it (as far as I am aware) which is why I'm after the full CPU cooler.

The 212 evo is too tall for my case based on dimensions I've read and what I've measured, otherwise from everything I've read that would be what I'd go for.

Currently the ones I'm looking at are all low profile:
Cooler Master Vortex (£17)
Phantek PH-TC90LS (£24)
Zalman CNPS8000B (£22)
Cooler Master GeminII M4 (£22)
Scythe Shuriken CPU Cooler Rev.B SCSK-1100 (£26)

The cooler masterss and the zalman I think have had the better reviews, so am leaning towards one of those, unless someone comes in with other info or experience?

 

[Tman450]

I got an OEM CPU, so no stock fan or heat sink with it (as far as I am aware) which is why I'm after the full CPU cooler.

The 212 evo is too tall for my case based on dimensions I've read and what I've measured, otherwise from everything I've read that would be what I'd go for.

Currently the ones I'm looking at are all low profile:
Cooler Master Vortex (£17)
Phantek PH-TC90LS (£24)
Zalman CNPS8000B (£22)
Cooler Master GeminII M4 (£22)
Scythe Shuriken CPU Cooler Rev.B SCSK-1100 (£26)

The cooler masterss and the zalman I think have had the better reviews, so am leaning towards one of those, unless someone comes in with other info or experience?

I would go with a variant of the Cooler Master GeminII, based on its reviews. I would go for the GeminII S524, it has 5 heatpipes vs. GeminII M4's 4, has a better fan, and better reviews.

although, i heard some complaints that it was wide. might conflict with your top fans. probably not an issue with your PCI or RAM, you said you had an ATX mobo.

look up GeminII variants on the store where you want to buy it from.

Best of Luck!

 

[kriswoj]

That geminii s524 is a little more expensive than I would have liked, but I possibly would have ordered it if I could find ANYWHERE in the UK that sells it!

Amazon have it, kind of, as it says "usually shipped within 1 to 3 months"!!

So if the Geminii series are decent, given that I'm not overclocking, then maybe the M4 will be good enough for my needs?

I've remeasure the clearance in my case, and I may be able to get up to about 14cm tall coolers in there.

 

[kriswoj]

Well, all those suggestions I gave, due to my remeasurement giving me a few cm more space than I thought, I've decided to go for an Arctic Freezer 13. It has had really good reviews on the whole, and while not an OCing cooler, it is good enough for standard use, which is what I'll be using it for.

The cost of that cooler (£20.70) and the OEM 3550 cpu (£133.34), is basically the same as the retail CPU would have cost me anywhere else (£153). So think this has worked out well!

 

[Tman450]

Well, all those suggestions I gave, due to my remeasurement giving me a few cm more space than I thought, I've decided to go for an Arctic Freezer 13. It has had really good reviews on the whole, and while not an OCing cooler, it is good enough for standard use, which is what I'll be using it for.

The cost of that cooler (£20.70) and the OEM 3550 cpu (£133.34), is basically the same as the retail CPU would have cost me anywhere else (£153). So think this has worked out well!

alright, best of luck to you!