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Cooler for my Alienware...

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JDawggS316

Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Location
US
Just wondering if anyone knows a good CPU cooler for my Core i7 in my Alienware. I'm looking for something that wont require be to take the motherboard out or something that requires a back support bracket.
 
Hey JDawg,

My advice is to do the job right and opt for an after-market cooler that utilizes a backplate; the large cooling area of the i7 requires adequate force to create an effective contact patch.

The TRUE+Yate with the i7 mount would be my suggestion.

If you really do not want take 30 minutes to do the job right, then just forget about buying a new cooler and set that stocker to 100%. Most after-market coolers worth their money use backplates.

Good luck,

Bryan d
 
Man this guy is seriously going to kick himself in the butt when he does that. He'll take th time to tear out the motherboard, have to basically tear the PC down to all of it's components, will probably get interested and take the CPU out, and by that time he'll have realized he rebuilt his PC... and realized he could have built his own PC for less ...

and then he'll cry himself to sleep that night. Trust me, I did the same thing the way back when. :)
 
Alienware looks pretty, that's all. A much better PC could be built for far less money. But best of luck with your computer... oh and I agree with the cooler choice.
 
Oh believe me, I've built plenty of PC's myself. The last one I built was destroyed by The UPS Store so I was a little disheartened and went with my Alienware, which has turned out to be great...With a warraty! lol
 
But dont all components have warranty if you just buy them from a retailer? At least all my components do... :p
 
I do agree with all of you about custom builds.

I think I bought my Alienware as a form of rage after putting a month or two into building a liquid cooled high-end PC to only have it destroyed by The UPS Store :bang head

But I would like to put in an aftermarket cooler and idealy would want the TRUE 1366 socket cooler.

But taking everything out of the case is not something I'm NOT (edit) really looking forward to as Alienware did their own wire management etc.

It would be a pain in the butt.

Any other suggestions for a cooler with no backplate?
 
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I hate to say this, but any good cooler will require the mobo to be taken out. I know it's not easy, but thats the way it is. Any good cooler also uses screws to hold the HS down, so no matter what the Mobo has to come out.
 
Does the motherboard have to be removed in your Alienware? Some cases do have a cutout portion of the motherboard tray under the CPU socket. If yours is one of these, groovy.

If not, you are severely limited to upgrading the cooler. Without a backplate for the screws to mount into, your cooler is going to be limited to plastic expansion pins. Like a stock Intel 775 cooler.

On that note, Scythe has a work around which may suit your requirements.

Just keep in mind that you will be mounting a heavy HSF with little plastic tabs, and should only one fail, you aren't cooling your CPU anymore...
 
Good point, I'll go a head and see if it has a cutout on the back for upgrading the CPU cooler.

Let's hope.
 
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