Hi I'm putting together a HTPC and need a decent low profile cooler for the cpu but have no idea where to start. Would really like it to be as quiet as possible too. Intel Core i7 860 2.80G s1156 Gigabyte P55M-UD2 Mobo OrigenAE S10V Micro-ATX HTPC Case Any recommendations gratefully received.
Dimensions of case are w:435mm x d:390mm x h:115mm (inc feet) but not actually sure of the internal clearance once the mobo is in as I've only just ordered the case and it hasn't arrived. Guess I could leave ordering the cooler till later but now i've started ordering I'd like to get it all if possible. I was thinking of this: Scythe Kozuti Low Profile CPU Cooler, SCKZT-1000
I'm using a Prolimatech Samuel 17. Another couple of options for you are Noctua NH-L9i and Thermalright AXP-100.
Silverstone do a range of low profile coolers, I've looked at them but don't know if they're any good..!
How about the new Thermalright AXP-100 They are being sold on pre-order for £36.98. AXP-100 measures 121.1x105.47x44.15mm + 14mm fan = 58.15mm Heatsink base is offset approx 40/60 and can be mounted to accordingly for clearance.
@doyll that's a nice looking cooler - i might have to look into it for my has mitx system but I've order the Scythe Shuriken for the htpc. Too many things on pre-order at the minute ... patience is not a strong point lol.
@halfinched I hear you. I'm waiting on a big box of goodies... 2 weeks now. Even slow boat from China should be showing up by now.
That's a 95W TDP CPU... cooling that with a low profile cooler is going to be an absolute pain. Expect a noisy fan or a very hot cpu. The Kozuti is rated for a 65W CPU max. It simply won't have the power to cool an i7 860. I doubt that the shuriken would be much better for a high TDP CPU. I have the Shuriken Big in my current HTPC rig and for the 35W TDP CPU it's great, but it struggled with the i3 530 I used to use. It was quiet, sure, but the CPU would never drop below 65 degrees and could hit 80 when under any load (and that was having underclocked it down to 2.4GHz from 2.93GHz) using the Antec Fusion Black I still have. It dropped a bit if I removed the case lid but obviously that wasn't a permanent solution. It's got similar cooler clearance to your case, no more than 120mm. My current setup doesn't go above 35 degrees under load, CPU at stock. It may work, but I can see your build being either extremely noisy or you'll have a very hot CPU. I would suggest the recently reviewed shadow rock pro, which does a much better job on the i530 I have, though I think it requires a bigger case than the one you have (140mm clearance if I remember correctly). It depends on what your intended use of your HTPC build is, but I'd strongly suggest underclocking and/or deactivating cores if you want to use that case and cooler combination, or use a bigger case and cooler. Otherwise I can see that it'll likely run very noisily or very hot.
Make sure what ever you get allows enough clearance for your ram. The cooler I got for my HTPC wouldn't allow my dominator ram to fit in at the same time as it overhang too much.
How about a Phanteks PH-TC90LS? They look to be pretty dinky and, from this review, look capable of cooling a 95w 2500k to 70 ish degrees under Prime95 load. Pretty cheap too as an added bonus!
Phanteks has a good rep for quality products. Haven't used one but it's a good cooler for what it's intended for.
hmm was thinking i might need a fan for the nas cpu so i guess i might have to push the shuriken into that if the cpu is overheating or the fan is going ballistic... forgot all about the tdp ratings.
out of interest how can you tell which fans cool which processors as the scythe shuriken on scan says it will fit the socket and do i7's all speeds but thewelshbrummie seems to think it won't cool the processor... can't find any specs that say exactly what tdp the coolers will ... cool...
Kozuti 40mm Super-Lowprofile CPU-Cooler Kozuti Compact fan developed for use in Multimedia PC (HTPC). With the installation of a 80 x 80 x 10mm sized PWM fan positioned below the fins, the total height of the cooler has been reduced significantly. Recommended for processors up to 65 Watt TDP. Usage up to 95 Watt TDP only with maximum rpm! http://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/cpu-cooler/kozuti-cooler.html