Hi,

I now have a home built AMD pc which came with a Foxconn AMD Certified CPU Cooler (AKA Stock cooler).

I overclock my Athlon II X2 255 from 3.1 to 3.8...

Now here is the problem. The temps sit at 45c with the Stock cooler but 36c with an Aywun A10 (or something) BUT HERE ARE THE PROBLEMS:

Stock cooler good side: quiet, small, mobo controlled fan.
Stock cooler Bad side: Hot, small, not much to look at.

AYWUN A-10 good side: Big to look at, keeps cpu cool
AYWUN A-10 bad side: Under load gets loud, big (maybe restricts airflow) have to use fan controller to keep quiet.



So my fellow overclockers which do you reccomend i use?

45C isn't bad. I don't know about yours but my computer shuts down at 75C. Intense gaming might increase it by 10-15 degrees but you'd still be "safe" or as safe as you can be for that much overclocking. Typically the more efficient coolers are larger and can be noiser although 120 mm fans don't typically have to run as fast. Off course those are on larger heat sinks. I'm not sure how to answer your question other than to say it's personal preference.

OK thanks, i found out its actually a A1-V4 with an 80mm fan and the heatsink size is roughly the size of the fan too. Both the fans are controlled by fan controllers. Just a question but but the aywun heatsink sits on the cpu with the fan pointing towards the drive bays... meanwhile the stock sits like normal... does this restrict airflow?

I don't really know a lot about heat sink design.

Nieriro.. that looks like a noctua nh-d14... very nice.


Nostaw. Firstly, you can point the fan any way you want. I'd remove and turn the fan around by either switching the actual fan, or by switching the entire heatsink around. Pumping hoit air into your case is bad.

2nd I'd switch out the fans for quality fans... Find quieter fans, though you have 80mm which trend to run faster to get the same air flow.

I think turning your fans to exhuast out the back should be your 1st thing, as it'll cool better so you can run slower and quieter.

Is you 45C load or idle?