Best Cooler for Core i7

eggyuk

Member
Vista Pro
I'm looking at OC'ing my new Core i7 920 at some point in the future. Nothing too drastic, maybe up to 3-3.2Ghz.

What cooler would you guys recommend for it. I don't want to break the bank. Or is it just worth sticking with the stock cooler.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe
    Memory
    4GB OCZ PC-6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire HD4850 Toxic Edition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SM2493HW
    Hard Drives
    500GB Seagate, 160GB Seagate
    PSU
    Corsair HX520W
    Case
    Antec P182 Gunmetal Grey
well.. when you say you dont' want to break the bank, how much you looking to spend.

if you want one of the best coolers, that's not overpriced. I'd get the Xigmatek S-1283 with the 1366 Mounting bracket Gear, otherwise it's for LGA 775, but you can get all the 1366 stuff you need to mount it on that board.

Or, if you want to spend a little extra, and get one of the best coolers money can buy.. and ensure that you wont ever need another cooler, and that you can hit 3.8 Ghz. I'd get the Thermalright Ultra Xtreme 120.. also known as the TRUE cooler.. it's the best. I have it and love it. Get some high speed fans for it, and enjoy it. Also you need the 1366 mounting gear for that as well.

Good Luck
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Q9650 E0 4.0 GHz @1.304v
    Motherboard
    eVGA 750i FTW
    Memory
    2x2GB Corsair Dominator PC2-8500C5D
    Graphics Card(s)
    eVGA/MSI GTX 260 SLI
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    X-Fi XtremeGamer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung T240 & 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200 & 1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Cuda 500GB 32mb Cache SATA 7200.(11) + 500GB Seagate Cuda External eSATA, USB, FW400
    PSU
    PC P&C 750w Silencer PSU
    Case
    CoolerMaster HAF 932 (Water-Cooled)
    Cooling
    Plenty of Fans, and a few 230mm Fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech G11
    Mouse
    Logitech MX-518
    Other Info
    ASUS 20x Optical, Bose Companion 3, ATH-AD500 Cans :), Patriot Xporter 16GB Flash Drive (Very Fast), & Sandisk Micro 8GB.

    Nikon D40 DSLR with 18-105mm VR & 55-200mm VR
Stick to the stock cooler for a while as there is not a lot of choice for i7 coolers atm.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Workstation
    Manufacturer/Model
    doofenshmirtz evil incorporated
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    Ryzen 9 5950X
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    Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
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    Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO Black 64GB (4x16GB) 3600MHz AMD Ryzen Tuned DDR4
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    ASUS AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB ROG Strix LC OC
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    Creative
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    3 x27" Dell U2724D & 1 x 34" Dell U3415W
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    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe Solid State
    Drive
    PSU
    1500W ThermalTake Toughpower
    Case
    ThermalTake Level 10 GT
    Cooling
    Enermax Liqtech 240
    Keyboard
    Surface Ergonomic.
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance MX
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    350 Mb/s
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    WinTV NovaTD
    HP CP1515n Color Laser
    Sony BD-5300S-0B Blu-ray Writer
    Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
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  • Operating System
    windows 10
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    Surface Pro 3
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    1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost)
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    4GB
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    Intel HD Graphics 4400
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    12" Multi Touch
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    2160 x 144
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    128GB
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    Logitech
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    yes
    Internet Speed
    350 Mb/s
Well I was thinking around £30 bracket. Am I right in thinking that most coolers just use brackets to make s775 coolers fit s1366 boards? Are there any disadvantages to this?
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe
    Memory
    4GB OCZ PC-6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire HD4850 Toxic Edition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SM2493HW
    Hard Drives
    500GB Seagate, 160GB Seagate
    PSU
    Corsair HX520W
    Case
    Antec P182 Gunmetal Grey

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Build
    CPU
    E6750 @ 3.6GHz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte P35 DS3
    Memory
    4GB 8500C5D
    Graphics Card(s)
    POV GTX285
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" Widescreen LG
    Screen Resolution
    1400x900
    Hard Drives
    2 x WD 500G
    PSU
    Coolermaster Silent Pro 700M
    Case
    Antec 900
    Cooling
    Tuniq Tower 120 LFB
    Keyboard
    Logitech EX110
    Mouse
    Logitech MX400
    Other Info
    Graphics Driver - 190.38

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Core 2 DUO E8400 @ 3.6 ghz (1600 mhz FSB)
    Motherboard
    (XFX) NVIDIA nForce 680i LT SLI
    Memory
    4 GB RAM (Crucial Ballistix 4 x 1 GB DDR2/PC2 6400 @ 960 mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    (EVGA) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 C216 - 55nm @ 684/1476/1190
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    Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 (PCI)
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    Acer X223W
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    1680 x 1050
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    Western Digital Caviar 320 GB SATA - 7200 RPM 3.0 GB/s
    PSU
    COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro 650W - 57A on the +12v line
    Case
    Antec 300
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 PRO
    Keyboard
    Unknown IBM Wired
    Mouse
    Unknown Logitech Wired
    Internet Speed
    20 mbps download/5 mbps upload
    Other Info
    2x 120mm blue LED front intake fans, 1x 120mm blue LED side intake fan, 1x 140mm blue LED top exhaust fan, 1x 120mm blue LED rear exhaust fan
Synthe Ninja 2 SCNJ-2000 is also a great alternative to the Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme. I have read several test/review's and these are currently the best 2 on the market!
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Elite 9000 Series/m9040n
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz 1333MHz FSB
    Motherboard
    Asus IPIBL-LA (Berkeley-GL8E)
    Memory
    8GB 800MHz DDR2 5-5-5-15 by G.Skill
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA Nvidia 512MB DDR3 9800 GTX+ Superclocked Edition
    Sound Card
    Realtek (built-in) ALC888S HD 7.1
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung HLN567W 56" DLP
    Hard Drives
    (2) WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3Gb/s in RAID 0
    PSU
    PC Power and Cooling PPCS500D 500W
    Case
    HP Media Center Edition
    Cooling
    Thermaltake
    Keyboard
    Adesso WKB-3000UB 2.4GHz Wireless w/Optical Trackball
    Internet Speed
    FIOS 20MB down/5MB up
    Other Info
    Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1600 MCE ATSC/NTSC/FM (*QAM)
V10 is designed from a discreet motherboard and seriously don't know where the hell you will find one. U120 seems like a excellent choice but honestly I performs similiarly to HyperN520.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    i7 965
    Motherboard
    Asus Rampage II Extreme
    Memory
    Corsair TR3X6G1333C9 x 2
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GTX295 SLI
    Sound Card
    SB X-Fi MB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung Syncmaster T240
    Screen Resolution
    1900x1200
    Hard Drives
    2x1TB Western Digital Black (Raid 0), 150GB WD Raptor
    PSU
    1200W Thermaltake Toughpower
    Case
    Lian Li PC80P
    Cooling
    Chassis - 3 Front 140mm, Top 140mm, Rear 140mm
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Revolution
    Other Info
    Fold up beast by me :-)
The thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme is what I use for my i940.
AnandTech: Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme: Is More Better?
It still ranks in the top and costs less. The V8 and V10 are just pritty cases over elements...makes them too big for popular cases and most with side fans.
Running one of these 120's with two fans Like I do gives you unbeatable cooling specs and I am able to use a side 120mm fan in my Antec 1200. Not seen is the cable tie I have attached to the chassis roof to the sink. I just couldn't let all that weight pull on the motherboard/CPU especially since I move my box around from time to time.
Picasa Web Albums - [email protected] - my pc

Depends if you want the bling of appearance or simple practical use. It also weighs alot less.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Me / Mine
    CPU
    i7 940
    Motherboard
    Asus P6T6 Revolution
    Memory
    Corsair Domminator TR3X6G1600C8D (12gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 295GTX quad sli
    Sound Card
    on board...
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 3007
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    HP SAS Raid 0
    WD Caviar Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    Corsair hx1000
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme
    Keyboard
    Merc Stealth/Logitech G15
    Mouse
    Logitech Trackman
    Internet Speed
    Cable
    Other Info
    my box http://picasaweb.google.com/JeffnWM/MyPc#5309736044267819458
Great wiring job.
Hey, which version of the Corsair did you get? The 1.6Ghz from the Qvl's?
How are those 295's performing? :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    i7 965
    Motherboard
    Asus Rampage II Extreme
    Memory
    Corsair TR3X6G1333C9 x 2
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GTX295 SLI
    Sound Card
    SB X-Fi MB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung Syncmaster T240
    Screen Resolution
    1900x1200
    Hard Drives
    2x1TB Western Digital Black (Raid 0), 150GB WD Raptor
    PSU
    1200W Thermaltake Toughpower
    Case
    Lian Li PC80P
    Cooling
    Chassis - 3 Front 140mm, Top 140mm, Rear 140mm
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Revolution
    Other Info
    Fold up beast by me :-)
the TR3X6G1600C8D
the 295's are very sweet...seems I play AoC all the time and it's not even dx10 yet so go figure.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Me / Mine
    CPU
    i7 940
    Motherboard
    Asus P6T6 Revolution
    Memory
    Corsair Domminator TR3X6G1600C8D (12gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 295GTX quad sli
    Sound Card
    on board...
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 3007
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    HP SAS Raid 0
    WD Caviar Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    Corsair hx1000
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme
    Keyboard
    Merc Stealth/Logitech G15
    Mouse
    Logitech Trackman
    Internet Speed
    Cable
    Other Info
    my box http://picasaweb.google.com/JeffnWM/MyPc#5309736044267819458

I agree. Skip the V8 however, the Thermalright Ultra-120 EXTREME beats it. The V10 looks the best to me, however I don't know how the upcoming V12 is. The V10 is $140, but it looks promising.

Thermalright Ultra-120 EXTREME
Thermalright Ultra-120 EXTREME Black Anniversary Edition
Thermalright Ultra-120 EXTREME Copper Edition

I'd like one of those True Copper ones but I'm so scared my PC would become a lightning rod!
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Me / Mine
    CPU
    i7 940
    Motherboard
    Asus P6T6 Revolution
    Memory
    Corsair Domminator TR3X6G1600C8D (12gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 295GTX quad sli
    Sound Card
    on board...
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 3007
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    HP SAS Raid 0
    WD Caviar Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    Corsair hx1000
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme
    Keyboard
    Merc Stealth/Logitech G15
    Mouse
    Logitech Trackman
    Internet Speed
    Cable
    Other Info
    my box http://picasaweb.google.com/JeffnWM/MyPc#5309736044267819458
I'd like one of those True Copper ones but I'm so scared my PC would become a lightning rod!

Have you read how heavy it is? 1.9KG of copper hanging off of your motherboard! :shock:
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Build
    CPU
    E6750 @ 3.6GHz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte P35 DS3
    Memory
    4GB 8500C5D
    Graphics Card(s)
    POV GTX285
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" Widescreen LG
    Screen Resolution
    1400x900
    Hard Drives
    2 x WD 500G
    PSU
    Coolermaster Silent Pro 700M
    Case
    Antec 900
    Cooling
    Tuniq Tower 120 LFB
    Keyboard
    Logitech EX110
    Mouse
    Logitech MX400
    Other Info
    Graphics Driver - 190.38

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Me / Mine
    CPU
    i7 940
    Motherboard
    Asus P6T6 Revolution
    Memory
    Corsair Domminator TR3X6G1600C8D (12gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 295GTX quad sli
    Sound Card
    on board...
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 3007
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    HP SAS Raid 0
    WD Caviar Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    Corsair hx1000
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme
    Keyboard
    Merc Stealth/Logitech G15
    Mouse
    Logitech Trackman
    Internet Speed
    Cable
    Other Info
    my box http://picasaweb.google.com/JeffnWM/MyPc#5309736044267819458
Stick to the stock cooler for a while as there is not a lot of choice for i7 coolers atm.

I agree with the above...
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Q6600
    Motherboard
    ASUS P5K MBoard.
    Memory
    4G OCZ PC2 8500 Platinum
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 8800GTS Vid Card
    Hard Drives
    500G Seagate SATA
    200G Seagate SATA
    100G WD Caviar SATA
    80G WD Caviar IDE
    PSU
    OCZ Elite 800W PSU
    Case
    RaidMax Smilodon Case
    Other Info
    Lite-On dual layer DVD burner X 2
    Dos 6.2;Win2K;XP; &
    Vista Ultimate 64Bit.
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