Best mid Case/Cooler for quiet i7 2600K OC at about 5Ghz?

[john2in3]

I am looking for suggestions on the best best combination of a case and cooler for an i7 2600K OC'd to 5 Ghz (or as close to that as I can get). This is for video so there will be lots of heat- most cores and threads will be used most of the time with applications that implement multithreading. I don't want it to sound like a cyclone either so a solution that is quiet is preferred.

I am looking for something off the rack, not a custimized water block.

I am open to air and water. I have noticed that some of the big water coolers don't fit in the case so easy (like the Corsair Hydro H100). And some of the big air coolers also have a tough time fitting cases. That is why I would also like to know what case you would recommend for the cooler- midsize case like the Haf 912 or Corsair 600T (which now comes with fans on the side panel).

Anyway, let me know what you recommend.

 

[pbcranium202]

Air wise, Prolimatech Megahelms is fanless and performs quite well. The Noctua NH-D14 is pretty quiet even for having fans. Both are top of the line air coolers.

Water kit wise, the Antec Kuhler systm seems to be top dog. BUT, most people say that it performs no better than top of the line air.

CM HAF X or HAF 932 Advanced both are pretty quiet and have lots of room and great air flow if you don't mind full towers. But if you truly want mid-tower, anything in the HAF series is going to be good. They're a very solidly built line.

 

[jameseboy]

As for coolers, ive never used water, but ive heard the H50 and H70 from corsair arent worth the money and are equal, if not beaten by some high end coolers. As for mid cases, the antec 300 is a relatively good case for the price, has a good number of fans also, if you like coolermaster, the haf series is good, as is the CM690 range

 

[GoD_tattoo]

I can say a Megahalems fits quite well in an Antec 300. Great case, great price, and the Mega with push/pull is there with the best of them.

I can say a Noctua is a great choice as well. They are super quiet.

 

[john2in3]

Thanks. I went to the computer store and checked out the cases, I did not like the looks of the CM HAF cases and the Antec 300 and a lot of other Antecs were not in stock. So I got a Corsair 600T which, because it now has a new side panel which accepts fans, should not be that bad from a cooling perspective. Let me just say that you have to look at cases in person, as the photos online don't really tell the whole story.

And wow, those full size cases are HUGE! No way I would want one of those in my office, although I will be using about 5-6 HDDs in the case midsize cases will hold this many.

Thanks for the options. I'll check out the coolers- its large air coolers vs. smaller water coolers (and big radiators)...interesting.

 

[Conumdrum]

You might want to upgrade the fans in the case. Your planning to push LOTS of hot air due to the HD's being stressed during the encoding, and that nice warm air over the CPU cooler.

And you wanting to push the CPU a lot. What about a kit for watercooling that is better than the tiny 120mm coolers out there? It's not custom. It's a pre-selected kit of good parts. It still means you have to assemble it, undersatnd the long term maintenance, and how to set up and blled it.

But it's not rocket science.

Your asking a lot here, going past the normal user area. You want performance but don't want to buy/understand you got a LOTTA heat to remove, and hope for a BIG overclock.

 

[john2in3]

Your asking a lot here, going past the normal user area. You want performance but don't want to buy/understand you got a LOTTA heat to remove, and hope for a BIG overclock.

OK, I will then have to reduce my performance goals. I do not seek to be on the edge of performance, just in the middle "normal user area" with an off the shelf product. I am willing to learn and experiment, but not now as I am making my 1st build. I will try that with my 2nd build coming up with ivory bridge, not this build.

When you look around here because its a bunch of experts, it is as if everyone just cranks up their processors to like +150% without trying. It is actually more difficult than that and I will experiment with the OC and heat on this build, special hardware on the next.

 

[grumperfish]

OK, I will then have to reduce my performance goals. I do not seek to be on the edge of performance, just in the middle "normal user area" with an off the shelf product. I am willing to learn and experiment, but not now as I am making my 1st build. I will try that with my 2nd build coming up with ivory bridge, not this build.

In that case go with high-end air, as the difference between a Noctua D-14/Megahalems/HR-02 will be negligible when compared against a consumer water kit.

When you look around here because its a bunch of experts, it is as if everyone just cranks up their processors to like +150% without trying. It is actually more difficult than that and I will experiment with the OC and heat on this build, special hardware on the next.

Most of the 'experts' around here have either been doing it for years so they have an experience baseline to draw on & know most of the tricks, or there's alot of trial & error involved and you wait awhile to update your signature after a rebuild until you're sure you've hit stability. Also there are benchers who go for extreme overclocks, but that's not a 24/7 thing.

 

[Knufire]

If you wanted quiet, you should have gotten a Fractal Design Define R3 .

There is quite a bit of difference temperature-wise between completely passive and extremely low airflow. For that reason, I'd go with an NH-D14 (extremely quiet stock fans) over the HR-02.

Sandy Bridge runs cool though. Any mid-high end heatsink with a Gentle Typhoon on it will be fine. Fans make the noise, not the heatsink.

 

[woboy]

The HR-02 has been released with fan(s) as the "Macho" . If the price is as indicated it would be a good choice.

 

[grumperfish]

The HR-02 has been released with fan(s) as the "Macho" . If the price is as indicated it would be a good choice.

It's supposed to come in at ~$45 including a fan.
The copper heatpipes are not nickel plated (although the base is), and it doesn't include the long-neck screwdriver for securing it to the baseplate, so you'd need to bring your own tools. It'd be a pretty good deal assuming it stays in that price range, as it'd be somewhat more expensive than a 212+, but much cheaper than the D-14.

 

[woboy]

Anyone know the diameter of the screwdriver opening?, or the length needed? It does seem a foolish omission.

 

[Conumdrum]

Well, any phillips with a blade of 5.5" would be fine since the HS is 5.5 inches tall, so from the top of the screw to the top of the heatsink is going to be less than 5.5". I figured that out by looking at the product page. You can too.

Common sense?

Not really an ommission, we do have to have tools to do this stuff, you buy what you need.

And two of the screws you do with tiny hands and fight with it. No holes. And my TR experiances is there is a thumbnut that you tighten from the top. Not sure, no pics of the inner goodies.

 

[grumperfish]

Not really an ommission, we do have to have tools to do this stuff, you buy what you need.

Exactly, when you consider that a big part in the reduction in price is that they aren't shipping the screwdriver (the one shipped with the HR-02 is actually pretty decent). The screwdriver's a standard philip's head, it just needs to be 5-6".

And two of the screws you do with tiny hands and fight with it. No holes. And my TR experiances is there is a thumbnut that you tighten from the top. Not sure, no pics of the inner goodies.

With the HR-02 they included a wrench for the large tension thumbnut, but they supposedly changed a few things with the Macho, and it looks like they removed the top screw:

http://tinyurl.com/3d4cyqq

 

[Conumdrum]

Ohh, so only two screws for the actual HS. Thanks, now I know.

'Preciate it.

 

[woboy]

Finding longer phillips is not as easy as it once was, at least not without losing any cost benefits. But your tool box may vary.

 

[muddocktor]

One thing about the long Phillips screwdriver purchase though, is that they come in very handy for other uses inside your computer besides that 1 heatsink. I have a Klein #2 Phillips screwdriver that is 7 inches long from the bottom of the handle to the tip that I use more than the shorter Phillips screwdrivers when working on computers. It's so nice to have the handle outside of the case when tightening something down inside the case.