DooMguy here, this take will be all about CPU Coolers. Not the most exciting topic in the world, but . . . It's time to get technical.
First things first, well take a look at the bog standard stock cooler. These fan + Heatsink combos have been the default for many systems just because the CPU comes with them.
While these stock coolers aren't anything the be thrilled about, they can get the job done. And can keep a CPU cool at stock speeds. They have a cheap no frills design and generally most gamers or anyone who needs to get more out of their system will replace them
It's worth noting that AMD finally had common sense and have now got the new wraith as their stock cooler. But at the end of the day a good after market cooler will always out-preform a stock cooler, always.
^ Have a look at these temps
Next we have passive/fan less CPU coolers
While these coolers aren't really designed to run at high temps at all the can be a good choice for a quiet/"silent" PC build for web browsing and general use, nothing too demanding. Their temps will be affected by case fans, without some fan cooling I don't seem them as a good option for long term sessions These CPU coolers are outdated now, so lets move onto to something a little more interesting
That there is the CR-95. This passive heatsink relies on coolant and heatpipes for it's cooling. No fan necessary but How does it stack up ?
^ This is the data from the CR-100 A running Prime 95 See for your self and have a look around the site
It seems that these coolers can keep their cool under pressure, they also require very little maintenance, but I doubt their ability to keep a CPU with a large overclock cool but, once again they're definitely something to consider if you want something quiet
Next we move onto the big, boys, the heavy weights. "tower coolers"
The first thing you'll notice is that these big boys are . . . well pretty big. The single tower coolers can fit on MATX boards inside a case, the dual towers are more or less meant for the ATX FF. To fit any tower on a ITX board you'd have to be a magician
First things first, most of these tower coolers aren't just standard heatsinks + fan. Most of them, Like the passive cooler above, have heat sinks. This is what sets them apart from stock coolers. They can have anything from 1 - 8 Direct contact heat pipes.
If you don't know what a heat pipe does take a look here. Or read my simple explanation. Basically inside the heatpipe there is a liquid coolant that draws the heat away from the CPU. They're similar the liquid coolers in that regard. In essence they're hybrid (Fan + Liquid) coolers if you want to think of them that way.
These coolers can be high end, they're able to deal with high temps and overclocking. They're favored by many and for good reason. They're affordable, and they provide a much better option then the stock cooler. They're also durable and easy to repair, if the fan stops working for whatever reason just put a new one on also it's possible to upgrade them by using a better fan on the heatsink or by improving the airflow of the case. Many people have removed the fan that came attached and replaced it with a noctua. (as you know it doesn't get much better then noctua)
They do have some cons to them, one being their size, another being clearance issue with RAM, if you want to get one of these, make sure the case is wide enough and RAM clearance won't be an issue
There have been some advancements in air cooling, take a look at the new Master Air Maker 8 (also view the temps there) featuring a vapour chamber design or the V8 (in the video below)
Both of those beautiful beasts are designed for OC
Last but not least with have liquid coolers
These coolers can come with a closed internal loop or a custom loop but I'll just focus on the closed loop here.
These cooler rely solely on coolant the draw heat from the CPU, it then travel through the radiator where it's dissipated. These coolers are what you'd see on high-end systems, they can handle high temps and high OC very well and are known to deliver stable temps
One of their main advantages is their flexibility, with the 120mm radiator you can mount it in multiple positions inside the case. They're fairly small and this makes them a good choice for high performance cooling inside an ITX case (Or you can even mount the radiator outside the case)
They might not be as expensive as you think they are (you can get one for as little as £35) but they will always have a higher price then entry level tower coolers. If you want to run at a high over clock this is the cooling solution for you, but if you're looking to run a minor overclock a tower cooler can do the job
Take a look here for the temps
These coolers really are capable of pushing a CPU to its limits, they can run CP at 4.0+ clock and beyond. They're really the top of the line, and on top of that they don't really need any maintenance
And that's a wrap (I was kinda rushing through things here, I'm really out of time, don't even have time for mentions) Anyway I hope you found something interesting, DooMguy out
P.S. Next Take is Overclocking
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Another great take!
You're spot on about tower coolers being a pita but i actually prefer them over most closed loops. I've had trouble building systems for friends with the pumps - which are so cheaply made. Honestly though, Im suing coolermaster for my idea they've nicked from 5 years ago 😂
s32.postimg.org/qk8ftgds5/20160520_030245.jpg
I've actually gone a step further and jerry rigged another 120mm fan right into the HDD bay (i use two SSD's which are tiny) basically got a windtunnel through the top of the case
s32.postimg.org/w9secanyd/20160520_031010.jpg
This gives me better temps than even high end closed loop systems. My next big upgrade willl be to a full custom loop i think if i can fit within my budget, although i'm undecided since this works and i'd rather potentially spend that on one of the dual core gfx cards.
I'm glad you like it, the only thing is. At this rate I'll run out of things to write about soon. I'll have to look at the picture another time, (filter is on at work). Did the pumps not work? I think that's one of the reasons why a custom loop is better then a closed loop because you can replace the parts if something goes wrong
If the pumps fail on a closed loop
media.giphy.com/media/l0O9yAMX9eg7AQlRm/giphy.gif
It really is game over
Sounds very nice, when I see a sexy looking PC it just makes my day better. So you're going with a large reservoir/radiator set up?
On some the pump's didn't work out of the box, on some others they failed within months of (admittedly heavy) use. Got sick and tired of RMA'ing them.
As for what i'm going to, i have no idea yet lol. Because if i do a custom loop, im going to do it properly and include the GPU and possibly even the RAM which means it won't be cheap as i'm sure you know. The haf-x can easily fit a thick 360mm radiator up top, and a smaller one on the rear. Either way though it won't be for another couple of years at least before upgrading - probably when 4k becomes more common in games.
damm. . . that's kind of off putting @front2back you might want to read that ^
At least there weren't any leaks though right?
I was actually thinking about that. Cooling more components with liquid, it does make a lot of sense. You might aswell go all the way if you want to go custom. Generally with PCs the DIY option always seems like a good way to go. Since you're willing to do all that have you ever done case modding?
It's a long way off then if you're waiting for three years. Even so remember what Shia says "don't let your dreams be dreams"
Nah there weren't any leaks thankfully, just the pumps either giving up the ghost or making some serious buzzing sounds. It could easily be my bad luck though since there are plenty of people who use them without trouble. Not done much modding outside of drilling extra mounting holes/cable runs, i dont want to pay good money for one just to chop it up lol.
I've always wanted to liquid cool a PC. I've seen videos of it online and it's insane
Go for it, they aren't that expensive for the entry level "all in one" coolers. But you still have to beware of leaks and be prepared to deal with the back plate
This is a cool take, man! :)
holy -
Site admin, ADMIN on my take. Ok, be calm DooMguy
https://i.imgur.com/svwKJn0.png
I'll just act normal
Thanks for reading, Diogo. Remember for all things tech (specifically PCs) stick with DooMguy, DooMguy will eventually do some security/virtualisation. After Overclocking I'm not really sure if it'd be worth covering more hardware
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