Best Heatsink for 2600K (Silent + Cooling)

[jimdoe]

Which is the best Heatsink for the 2600K (not overclocking) in terms for Silent, and Cooling?

[cmthomson]

Lots of good choices. Depends on your needs for size and price.

If you have a big case, I like the Megahalems because of its simple and effective mounting system, paired with a quiet 120mm PWM fan.

[kuzzia]

Reputable brands for making CPU heatsinks at SPCR: Thermalright, Noctua, Scythe, Prolimatech. I guess "best" heatsink in terms of quietness is thermal performance at a certain noise level. Currently, many heatsinks offer comparable performance. Just take a look at some of the latest reviews.

BUT! a 2600k at stock speed really doesn't run that hot. You can easily keep it cool without using some of the heaviest & biggest heatsinks which can weigh more than 1 kg! For quietness, you should focus on the fan since the difference between the best heatsink and an adequate heatsink with the same fan may only be 5 degrees celsius. Take a look at this page for example:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1171-page6.html

The temp increase for Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C is 43 C, while it's 48 C for the budget Cooler Master Hyper 212+.

A good advice would be to buy a good heatsink which is bundled to a good stock fan. That way, you don't have to look for aftermarked fans.

[jimdoe]

Would a fanless HR-02, be sufficient for a 2600K(non overclocked)?

This build looks susccesful with a HR-02 passively cooled 2600K.

[cmthomson]

Would a fanless HR-02, be sufficient for a 2600K(non overclocked)? This build looks susccesful with a HR-02 passively cooled 2600K.

Sure, an HR-02 with a case fan nearby will cool a stock 2600K. But why would you spend so much on an unlocked CPU and not at least moderately overclock? 40-42x clocking doesn't even need voltage or cooling adjustment...

[jimdoe]

2600, 2600K, all the same to me.

I will buy the 2600, and save the $30 (which will go towards my heatsink).