Please advise me on a CPU cooler (Low Profile)

[Hitt0r]

I'm going to replace the stoc intel cpu fan on my Intel G3258 as its slight 'whurring' noise gets on my nerves a bit as it's overclocked to 4.2Ghz (overkill for a HTPC i know!)

The most important factor for me is near silent operation... they are all going to be better than the intel stoc fan at cooling so cooling performance is not as important. I have a 70mm gap and have narrowed it down to these:

Raijintek Pallas £26.76
SilverStone Argon AR06 £25.99
Zalman CNPS8900 £32.77
Noctua NH-L12 £47.81

Would love your thoughts on the above or any alternatives which would recommend.

[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

When you say you have a 70mm gap, would the cooler come up against a solid case surface or a vented surface? If the former, then you'll want 10mm or so clearance between any cooler fan and the side so it can breathe.

[quest_for_silence]

I have a 70mm gap

Which is the actual enclosure?

or any alternatives which would recommend.

According to latest SPCR charts, the best contenders seem the Noctua NH-L12 with just the bottom fan (less clearance, more expensive, the best CPU cooling with a single 120mm fan) and the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B (more clearance with stock fan, probably less expensive, probably a tad better at mobo cooling than the L12 with any single stock fan).

[Hitt0r]

Hi,

It's a top down vented surface. I have the Silverstone ML05 Case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnfs_3DjJM8

[Hitt0r]

Sorry for another post i cant edit my other post until its approved.

The Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B and the Noctua cost £42/48.

Which is the best out of the other 3? i just want a very quiet CPU fan as the intel one makes an awful noise when the CPU ramps up.

[ggumdol]

I have been using "Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B" in two of my computers for a couple of years. The CPUs are i3-4130 and i5-3450. They are reasonably quiet if not completely up to 900-1000 rpms. To the best of my knowledge, it is "the" best available option at the moment for HTPCs. I think that it is worth investing some money into a decent cooler because recent sockets (e.g., 1155, 1150, 1151) share the same cooler dimension.

Sorry for another post i cant edit my other post until its approved.

The Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.B and the Noctua cost £42/48.

Which is the best out of the other 3? i just want a very quiet CPU fan as the intel one makes an awful noise when the CPU ramps up.

[Fire-Flare]

Seconding the Big Shuriken vote, I used one in my parents' HTPC build.

[baii]

Considering the price, I would get the pallas. £20 can buy you a few different fan to replace the stock one "if" the stock one have some odd ball sound.

[quest_for_silence]

Considering the price, I would get the pallas.

Do you know for sure it's effective?

[lodestar]

This review is fairly positive. And at the relatively low price of around £30 it is probably worth the gamble.

[quest_for_silence]

This review is fairly positive.

Unfortunately such a review doesn't worth a iota.

[xan_user]

FWIW i have a low profile coolermaster that SPCR said was crap. I added 4 strips of foam between the fan and cooler, to eliminate fan vibration, and its does just as good as my shuriken @ $10 less.

[quest_for_silence]

FWIW i have a low profile coolermaster that SPCR said was crap. I added 4 strips of foam between the fan and cooler, to eliminate fan vibration, and its does just as good as my shuriken @ $10 less.

Are you referring to the M4 and the original 100mm Shuriken?