Picking a heatsink for i5-2500K @ 4.5GHz

[lodestar]

So much choice.... so little time. There is a web report of the MUX-120 holding a 4.3Ghz overclocked 2600K core temps to 60C with a single fan. I think that was with stock voltage. On that basis a push-pull setup with the fans you have should be absolutely fine. The pressure vault fixing that the MUX-120 is now equipped with is I suspect contributing to its apparently stellar performance.

[fumino]

your going to want to be careful with the thermalright pressure vault mount. the amount of pressure it can put on a cpu has been known to damage sockets.

[lodestar]

The pressure vault offers a choice of pressures between 40 and 70 lbs, which can be set using the supplied wrench. So if you are in anyway concerned about possible socket damage it can be left at the 40 lb setting. Thermalright describe the 40 lb setting as stock, so there is no need to set the pressure higher but the option is there. I am not convinced that socket damage is a real risk with this system. Even the conventional fixing systems put quite a pressure on the CPU - I guess the fact that the pressure is distributed over the heat spreader must help reduce the risk of possible damage.

[quest_for_silence]

Or am I just flailing now?

Maybe.

Just as a very personal thought, with such a cooler CPU (as any Sandy Bridge is) even a cheap ($21) Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus will suffice, at large.

Prolimatech is sort of spin off of Thermalright, it may worth some consideration (the Armageddon or the Genesis should easily clear the Ripjaws, providing they clear without issues those tall Corsair THX/Dominator).

[figment]

Holy crap. How did I miss the Armageddon? That's exactly the sort of heatsink I was looking for.

Must go read reviews...

EDIT: Crap. Why do they have to use non-standard fan clips? The TRs and other manufacturers use clips that can take a variety of fans. The Armageddon doesn't even work with all fans. Unfortunate. Still. Good call sir.

[ame]

I have recently finished a third build using 2600K and I can confirm this chip just doesn't get hot. On this third build I used Coolermaster hyper 212 plus. To my suprise idle temps are 29-30 load temps (4.3 ghz 1.28V) are in the low 60s. This is about the same performance I'm seeing using Termright Ultra Extreme (rev1) from a cooler that costs about $25 less.

[figment]

I've heard a number of people mention that. I still have some concern as I'll be overclocking and my current quad core runs hotter-than-normal in the same location. Last night I realized that I already have the motherboard and RAM, so I did some measurements. Going just by the measurements, it suggests that a cooler would need to have 38mm of clearance from the CPU contact surface to the lowest fin/fan in order to be compatible with Ripjaws X.

The Archon has 42mm of clearance on the heatsink, but the fan protrudes another 6mm below the bottom fin, making it interfere slightly. The Venomous-X is shockingly close. It may or may not work depending on how the fans are clipped to the heat sink.

The MUX-120, however, has plenty of clearance. Sure, it doesn't have the Archon's performance, but it doesn't seem Sandy Bridge really needs it. There are loads of people using the Hyper 212+, and from everything I've seen, the MUX-120 consistently outperforms it.

[quest_for_silence]

The Archon has 42mm of clearance on the heatsink, but the fan protrudes another 6mm below the bottom fin, making it interfere slightly.

This guesswork is groundless: the Archon is designed right for tall RAM heatspreaders, so, unless you're using miniITX (where YMMV), it will never interfere with any DIMM socket (the fan will be at least 1.0cm far from it).

The MUX-120, however, has plenty of clearance. Sure, it doesn't have the Archon's performance, but it doesn't seem Sandy Bridge really needs it.

The MUX is in itself 3mm deeper than the Archon, to be fair (so it should give you equal or worse clearance).

At anyway, I would tend to think that you're right and that the much more capable Archon could not give any noticeable perfomance advantage on a Sandy Bridge CPU, even if oc'ed.

There are loads of people using the Hyper 212+, and from everything I've seen, the MUX-120 consistently outperforms it.

The original MUX-120 was a mediocre cooler for the price, somehow about on par with the venerable, original Ultra-120, somehow an 1156 variant of the much cheaper Cogage True Spirit.

The new Pressure Vault (which I've bought for my HR-01) is a good catch, and you can probably expect from the new MUX a performance comparable to the Hyper 212+, possibly edging it by a margin of 1-4°C depending on fan speed (we always think to low noise operation, don't we?), if we may infer anything from current SPCR cooling charts. However, on such a cool CPU we may expect even no difference at all.

On the other hand, the MUX-120 usually (I mean, apart any possible deal) costs twice the Hyper 212+.
If its TR fan should turn out to be a good one (but it has a somewhat too much high minimum speed), that difference would be smaller, providing that the CM deserves a Slipstream PWM to be quiet, for a somewhat better quality product.
Otherwise, you would spend twice for a very good mounting mechanism and a mediocre cooler. IMO, of course.

[figment]

This guesswork is groundless: the Archon is designed right for tall RAM heatspreaders, so, unless you're using miniITX (where YMMV), it will never interfere with any DIMM socket (the fan will be at least 1.0cm far from it).

I would have expected the same thing, but the P67 motherboards aren't laid out like the 1366 and 1156 boards. It appears the RAM slots are closer to the socket. I've been talking with someone who has an ASUS P8P67 and the Archon. He's pretty clear that the fan on the Archon overhangs the first RAM slot and I had him measure the distance from the PCB to the bottom edge of the fan in its default location: He got 37mm with 2-3mm of play in vertical placement of the fan. Ripjaws-X are 40mm high.

It's not guesswork. It's based on real world measurements from people who are physically holding the items in question.

The Archon was designed for tall heat spreaders in 1366 and 1156 motherboards. 1155 motherboards are slightly different.

The MUX is in itself 3mm deeper than the Archon, to be fair (so it should give you equal or worse clearance).

Not according to Thermalright. Both are 53mm deep. Okay, the MUX is 53.44mm. See the diagrams here and here. More importantly, note that the MUX has an additional 4mm of vertical clearance to the fin stack and no adjustment for fans, since 120mm fans do not hang below the bottom fin. This would mean that the MUX-120 would clear Ripjaws X by 4-8mm, even if it totally overhung the first RAM slot.

The original MUX-120 was a mediocre cooler for the price, somehow about on par with the venerable, original Ultra-120, somehow an 1156 variant of the much cheaper Cogage True Spirit.

Indeed. The MUX-120 is essentially a True Spirit with a better finish on the contact surface of the heatpipes and the TR pressure vault. SPCRs own testing shows that the True Spirit outperforms the Hyper 212+, especially at lower fan speeds. The Hyper 212 would have an advantage for hotter CPUs with its greater surface area, but that wouldn't be Sandy Bridge. Instead, my concerns are over the overall heat within the box and keeping the CPU cool with minimal noise. Other sites have shown the MUX/True Spirit outperforming the Hyper 212 by a greater margin when looking at at CPUs like the i5-760, which is closer to the i7-2600k than the i7-965 Extreme that SPCR used.

On the other hand, the MUX-120 usually (I mean, apart any possible deal) costs twice the Hyper 212+.
...Otherwise, you would spend twice for a very good mounting mechanism and a mediocre cooler. IMO, of course.

Understood. The reality I'm looking at isn't so lopsided. I'm finding prices for the Hyper 212+ at $35 with shipping, the MUX-120 is $50 with shipping. So, the difference is just $15, and even then, the Hyper 212+ still slightly interferes with the first RAM slot (photo proof).

If I wanted to be super economical, I could just run the stock heat sink and still hit 4.4GHz. $35 will get me the Hyper 212+, 4.5GHz (which is as high as I'll go), and much less noise. $50 will get me the MUX and reduce worries over installation while providing slightly better performance. $60 (effectively) will get me the Archon, which is probably the highest performance I'd actually notice.

[quest_for_silence]

Not according to Thermalright.

Before write down my previous post, I've looked just at Thermalright specs pages, and they give a 58mm depth for the MUX, and a 55mm one for the Archon (never looked at the diaphgrams).

Other sites have shown the MUX/True Spirit outperforming the Hyper 212 by a greater margin when looking at at CPUs like the i5-760, which is closer to the i7-2600k than the i7-965 Extreme that SPCR used.

When numbers matter, it's often a good thing to provide some references, just in order to let not us talk about thin air.
There aren't so many sites I trust, particularly when there are too much wide differences: just for example, according to THG the MUX is almost one of the best heatsinks around, but here THG technical credibility is just slightly better than Silvio Berlusconi's moral one.

the Hyper 212+ still slightly interferes with the first RAM slot (photo proof).

Take also note that I don't know what happens with that fan bracket version, but surely the fan clip version of the 212+ has the ability to slide upside its fan by several mm without issues, if in case.

$35 will get me the Hyper 212+, 4.5GHz (which is as high as I'll go), and much less noise. $50 will get me the MUX and reduce worries over installation while providing slightly better performance.

I don't completely understand how the MUX can really reduce worries over installation: I've installed both the CM and the TR UPV, and even if you have to work upside-down with the CM, everything goes fine (I hope the UPV performs better, but I cannot compare). To be fair, I was already accustomed to the CM mounting "style", as I own also a Gemini IIS which has a similar mounting plate (IMO better than the 212+'s one).

Rather, as the Prolimatech Red Vortex 140mm performed so good in the recent SPCR Genesis review, I wouldn't forget neither the Armageddon just for its metal clips, nor the Genesis itself (by the SPCR photos, it surely clears the Ripjaws).

[figment]

Before write down my previous post, I've looked just at Thermalright specs pages, and they give a 58mm depth for the MUX, and a 55mm one for the Archon (never looked at the diaphgrams).

Good point. The typed specs for the MUX say its 58mm deep, but the schematic shows 53mm. Judging from other photos, I'd trust the 53mm version. Confusing though.

There aren't so many sites I trust, particularly when there are too much wide differences: just for example, according to THG the MUX is almost one of the best heatsinks around

Yes, but theres no note on what their "default" fan is. It's hard to really find numbers on the MUX-120, as it never was a flagship cooler. I've been trying to compare temps assuming similar performance to the Ultra 120 and True Spirit.

Take also note that I don't know what happens with that fan bracket version, but surely the fan clip version of the 212+ has the ability to slide upside its fan by several mm without issues, if in case.

I think the new clip does, too, but it pushes the fan out a millimeter or two. People have said they've got it working, though the fan is off-center. Definitely not a deal breaker.

I don't completely understand how the MUX can really reduce worries over installation:

The Hyper 212+ is a direct-touch heat sink with a less polished surface. The MUX-120 uses the more polished surface of current TR designs along with the better mounting bracket (a value judgment, to be fair). It's not really that the MUX is easier to mount, but that there are fewer things that can go wrong or that need to be planned for.

Rather, as the Prolimatech Red Vortex 140mm performed so good in the recent SPCR Genesis review, I wouldn't forget neither the Armageddon just for its metal clips, nor the Genesis itself (by the SPCR photos, it surely clears the Ripjaws).

I'm actually looking into those, but was annoyed by the restrictive fan mounting with the Armageddon, since there weren't many good 140mm fans with 140mm mounts. The Red Vortex might change that.

[Garak]

I take it that you have found some info that confirms that an Archon can fit in the 650D? I ask because the best I've been able to find (with Corsair refusing to offer any official specs) is that a Thermalright HR-02 (160mm) will fit, being such a wide case I could assume that the Archon will fit, but I'd prefer some kind of confirmation.

[figment]

Yes, the Archon will fit in a 650D.

However, the fan on the Archon will interfere with tall heatspreaders on the first RAM socket in most P67 boards. You can only move the fan up so far before it hits the side panel of most ~9" wide cases. If you're not using RAM with tall heatspreaders (Corsair Vengeance, G.SKILL Ripjaws/Ripjaws X), or if you're not going to use all four sockets, then there is no problem.

[figment]

Just a post-install update:

I bought the MUX-120 Black (only a little more, and a guarantee of more recent manufacture and good quality base finish) and after waiting for it to arrive, cleaned and installed it in about 20 minutes. I used IC Diamond for the TIM. It was even thicker than I expected, but between its viscosity and the pressure of the heatsink, I didn't have any of the issues of heatsink movement or rotation that others reported with the MUX, TRUE, and Archon. The clearance to the side panel was less than I expected, but it easily fit and was well clear of the heatspreaders on my RAM. All things considered: it was the easiest heatsink installation I've had, short of a stock install.

But what about the performance?

Well, I have no complaints at all. I managed to push the i7-2600K to 4.5GHz without any issue. It completed a couple runs of IBT (I was sleepy) without error. Idle temperatures were between 33-38C (1.6GHz at ~1.0v). Load (IBT-High) temperatures were 64-69C (4.5GHz at ~1.31v). Ambient was 23C. Case interior reported 27C. It takes about 10-12 seconds for temperatures to drop from 65C to 35C when load is removed.

Now, I don't doubt that the Archon or Megahalems or Silver Arrow could turn in similar or better temps. And I wouldn't be shocked if the Hyper 212+ could get similar temps. However, from what I can see, the MUX-120 is more than capable of handling 24/7 overclocks on Sandy Bridge. Of course, I've got some help from a good motherboard and PSU that let me run with really low voltages.

[justice99]

But what about the performance?

Well, I have no complaints at all. I managed to push the i7-2600K to 4.5GHz without any issue. It completed a couple runs of IBT (I was sleepy) without error. Idle temperatures were between 33-38C (1.6GHz at ~1.0v). Load (IBT-High) temperatures were 64-69C (4.5GHz at ~1.31v). Ambient was 23C. Case interior reported 27C. It takes about 10-12 seconds for temperatures to drop from 65C to 35C when load is removed.

i would like to ask a question, at idle (1500mhz), i have the same temps as you, and the heatskin fan run at 90rpm (0%).
I decided to overclock my i5 2500k to 4.5ghz, and people in this forum told me to disable intel turbo boost because of instability.

So if i oc my cpu to 4.5ghz, at idle (4500mhz) my temps are between 45 and 51 degres with fan at 600rpm.
Someone told me that with a push-pull setup, temp will decrease by 2degres, which is useless...

I would like to know if you havent any problem of stability with Intel Turbo Boost on, if for example when you are gaming, the increase/decrase of cpu clock cause lag.

Best regards.