to OCF
To get a custom cooler for your cpu you need to look at the processor socket. The i7 960 is a LGA 1366 cpu socket so you need a LGA 1366 cooler. A lot of coolers are multi-platform and can be used on a variety of cpu sockets and if you chose a universal socket cooler make sure LGA 1366 is a compatible platform.
When looking at coolers the only spec that MUST match up in order for it to work is the cpu socket, but the world of cooling is a vast and diverse one so there are a lot of things to be considered when picking out a cooler that is right for you.
When it comes to cooling a general rule of thumb is going to be "Performance Vs. Noise". What this means is basically high performer coolers generally give you hearing loss while the quieter coolers only yield mediocre performance. I haven't found a high performing cooler that is also quiet
and easy to install yet, if one exists.
When evaluating various heatsink and fan coolers here are the specs to consider:
[1] What is the CFM (cubic feet per minute) of the fan?** This is the amount of air (measured in cubic feet) that the fan can push in a single minute. CFM is directly proportionate to dBA (noise level) so higher CFM means more noise.
[2] What is the static pressure (the ability of the fan to push air around obstacles) of the fan?** A lot of heatsinks use aluminums fins and you want a fan to have a decent static pressure so it can push a greater volume of air through those fins. A lot of websites won't mention the static pressure of the included fan with the heatsink so you might have to do some independent research on the fan itself. Nmb-mat panaflos are pretty damn good.
[3] What is the dBA of the fan?** This is the noise level and 19-35 dBA is generally quiet. Higher performing coolers will have higher dBA.
[4] What is the height of the heatsink? Some of the higher performers are some pretty big puppies (i.e. the megahalem) so always make sure you have the needed clearance inside your case before purchasing any heatsink and fan. If needed refer to your case manual (or lookup your case online) to see how much space you have to play with inside your case for when you install your cooler.
**Some heatsinks can be purchased without an included fan giving you more freedom of choice to find a fan you like to use with the heatsink. Even if you find a heatsink with a design you like and it is made out of good material, but the included fan is crap this is fine as well. Just find a better fan with matching dimensions and when you install the heatsink swap out the crap included fan with the better fan you chose.
Now for installation.
Some coolers hook right onto the nodes on the cpu retension bracket on your motherboard (the easier to install ones) and others require a bolt through system. A bolt through system is when you have to completely disassemble your computer, remove your motherboard from the case, and more than likely swap out the cpu retension bracket/heatsink mount plates on your motherboard. The majority of high performing coolers I have seen use a bolt through system.
Say you find one that is quiet, but it doesn't offer a lot of performance. Does the performance yielded justify or balance out the noise level? Or maybe you find one which offers good performance and it's quiet, but it requires a bolt through system. Is this worth it to you? On the other hand you might find one that offers satisfactory performance and is easy to install, but it's loud as sin. That last example would be easy to remedy since all you have to do is find a better fan and swap it out with the included one as I mentioned before.
As you can see selecting a cooler may not be as easy as it would seem and you have to balance out these different factors to decide what will best fit your needs.
You have to be especially thorough in research and careful when making your selection if the cooler is going to be for overclocking. 3.2 to 4 GHz may not seem like it's a big leap, but trust me when I say it is a pretty hefty jump. You might get to 4 GHz with minimal effort (depending upon your motherboard/bios), but keeping it at 4 GHz stable is a whole different story...
I'm not too knowledgeable on overclocking Intels (I'm AMD), but if juicing one of those chips is anything similar to hyping up an AMD then you may have to play with the cpu voltage core (vcore) amongst other things. Messing with the vcore also means your processor pumping out more heat, so yea, you're going to want a good cooler. You might have to compromise on noise to get the performance you need to keep your processor stable when overclocked.
I can't really make any recommendations because I can't justify what performance you're looking for, how big or small you need the heatsink to be, what is acceptable noise to you and does it justify the performance. Only you can decide what's best for you in the end, but as long as you have a general idea of what to look for and do the appropriate research then you should be fine.
Before doing anything though I recommend cruising through the forums and looking up posts made by people whom are overclocking the i7 960 processor. Check into how much they're overclocking and what cooling systems they are using to keep their cpus stable. If they don't mention what their cooling solution in any of their posts then just ask them. Chances are they will be friendly and tell you their setup. This info should better help guide you into finding a cooling solution which will work for you.
Good luck and hope all works out well for you.
