I'm looking at building a new PC soon with a Fractal Design Define Mini case and was wondering what are people's recommendations for a CPU cooler in this case? I'm planning to possibly do some over clocking in future but primarily I'm looking for one that would be quiet.

So far I'm leaning towards a Scythe Mugen 3 CPU cooler but still not certain. Looking at the specifications the height is very near the limit of what the case can take. Any advice and/or suggestions would be appreciated.

I'd say the Scythe Mugen 3 is the best compromise between price, acoustics, performance and compatibility. I have very good experience with PWM fans from Scythe (use the fan of the Mugen 2). They can be run to as low as 300 rpm (i.e. silent) with proper PWM-control.

Thanks Kuzzia.

Ok, I guess the question is now does anyone have any experiences installing a Scythe Mugen 3 in a Fractal Design Define Mini?

While I haven't done it myself there are people running with the combination just fine. Depending on the CPU there might be worth looking at some even less expensive coolers as well, but the Mugen 3 would at least be an excellent overall choice with the Define Mini.

I have a Scythe Mugen 2 (I think the Mugen 3 has similar dimensions) in a Define Mini. It works fine, and doesn't touch the foam on the side. (though depending on where your motherboard has the CPU socket, you might need to remove the extra foam that covers the side vent)

Thanks guys for the advice and help.

I'm planning a Ivy Bridge build, so was just doing some research in advance. I'll post back here when I eventually build it.

lhopitalified could you tell me which motherboard you have? It'll give me a better idea of the CPU socket positioning that works best (I prefer not to remove the side vent foam unless really necessary).

Sure, I'm using an Asus P8P67-m board (Rev. B3, though I doubt that affects placement in any way).

EDIT: Some info from the Fractal Rep:


It could be that there is overlap along the horizontal plane of the motherboard between the side vent and my cooler, but that there's just enough clearance (Mugen 2 is 158mm tall, I believe). If so, 2mm of clearance could be iffy since there's probably variation between motherboards wrt mounting height of the cooler.

Thanks lhopitalified. When I get round to starting my build I'll post back here with my experiences.

I recommend the Thermalright MR-02 Macho. It's the same price as the Mugen 3 and the difference in performance is almost negligible, if you already bought the Mugen you should keep it. I had Scythe coolers in the past and didn't like the mounting mechanism much, Thermalright always worked perfectly that's why I recommend them over Scythe.

To throw in my 2 cents, I would have considered the Thermalright Macho if it had been out when I built my current machine.

The height (162mm) might be of concern. It'd be good to see if anyone has paired that cooler with the Define Mini yet.

I would be inclined to possibly give the ThermalRight MH-02 Macho a try. Having installed a Mugen 2 previously, I agree with you regarding the awkwardness of the mounting mechanism and it would be nicer to have something easier to install.

Would contact between Moduvent foam and the very tops of the heatsink be a serious issue? Anyone know how hot the tips of the heatpipes get?

Given official spec of CPU cooler height of Define Mini is 160mm, HR-02 Macho may not be a viable choice for you.
You may need to look for other solutions.

http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&prod=58
"Supports CPU coolers with height of ca 160mm", quoted from Fractal official website.

The tips of the heatpipes don't get so hot, there is a temperature gradient between the bottom and the top of a heatsink.
The heatpipes and fins are a lot hotter in the bottom part. As they transfer heat, they become less hot and less effective.
That's the dirty secret of heatpipe heatsinks, if it would be possible to distribute the heat more evenly we would see a ~50% boost.

Finally got my Ivy Bridge PC sorted out with the following parts:

Fractal Design Define Mini
Scythe Mugen 3
Intel Core i5 3570k
Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 motherboard
Antec EarthWatts 550W Platinum

Despite my concerns over the height of the Scythe Mugen 3 it all fits in ok without any problems. It's nice to see Scythe have improved the installation over the Mugen 2, which was a pain for me.

If anyone has any questions about the build, feel free to ask.

I'm curious to hear what the clearance is. How much room is there to spare?

I didn't have any problems putting the side panel on which was a worry putting it together but looking at the side panel and space available, it definitely seems like it's at the limit of what you could put in there.

If I have a chance I'll try and see if I can get some measurements.