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What CPU cooler should I buy for my upcoming build?

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I had been looking at Corsair Hydro Series H100, H105 and H110 but there appears to be compatibility issues with my case (Carbide 500R). As well as this they're quite expensive and while I'm not scared of a leak, I don't know how long you can use an all-in-one liquid solution (I've had my current heatsink for 3+ years)

I would like to over clock when I get my i7 4770K as it'll be in an editing/gaming build. Assuming I can get as high as 4.5Ghz, would I NEED to get an all in one cooler as good as the H110, would I bet alright with the H75 for example? Or are there air coolers that can outperform the H100/105/110 for significantly less money?
 

FreedomEclipse

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H100 & H105 should fit - H110i wont as its 140mm, In theory. since the loop is a closed loop theres no where for the liquid inside to evaporate - You could probably use it a lot longer than 3 years without any problems unless the pump/motor decides that its had enough and kicks the bukket or the tubing doesnt spring a leak.
 
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H100 & H105 should fit - H110i wont as its 140mm, In theory. since the loop is a closed loop theres no where for the liquid inside to evaporate - You could probably use it a lot longer than 3 years without any problems unless the pump/motor decides that its had enough and kicks the bukket or the tubing doesnt spring a leak.

Yeah as far as I know you can fit the H100 at the top under the lid and have the fans inside, and with the H105 you can fit the radiator inside and the fans under the lid (H100 - push, H105 - pull right?)

Okay so that answers the longevity question, but in terms of value I don't wanna drop £85+ on a cooler and it can get matched by a £40 air cooler :(
I want the all in one liquid cooling because I don't like working with heatsinks though. But is the H100/100i/105/110 miles ahead of the cheaper Hydro series? enough to warrant the £30-40 price difference?
 

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I think OCuK occasionally sells refurbed H100/H100i's for around £40-50. I know of a few people who picked up a refurb and never heard back from them meaning that they still must be running and in good condition. You know how some customers are - they dont leave satisfactory feedback if everythings working but their quick to leave negative feedback as soon as something goes wrong.

If you dont want to splash the cash then going for a refurb would be a decent enough idea - you still get the 1year warranty as far as i know, Maybe even longer but id have to look that up to clarify.
 
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I think OCuK occasionally sells refurbed H100/H100i's for around £40-50. I know of a few people who picked up a refurb and never heard back from them meaning that they still must be running and in good condition. You know how some customers are - they dont leave satisfactory feedback if everythings working but their quick to leave negative feedback as soon as something goes wrong.

If you dont want to splash the cash then going for a refurb would be a decent enough idea - you still get the 1year warranty as far as i know, Maybe even longer but id have to look that up to clarify.

That's a good shout. I don't mind spending the 80-90 pounds on it as long it's not like 3 degrees cooler than the £50 entry level cooler that wouldn't have any compatibility issues whatsoever :(
I don't buying a refurbed h100 though, are the warranties manufacturer or OcUK?
 

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the warranty was with OcUK afaik, but OCuK have improved since they got taken over by CaseKing.de

Unfortunately OCuK dont have any refurbs in stock at the moment, they're not even listed currently, Aria also has a few refurbs to sell every so often too but only once in a while. I think the UK only gets a small batch of refurbed units back, most of it seems to go to newegg. When i hear of refurbs going, they tend to sell out very quickly due to the limited stock.

Nothing wrong with the H100/H100i

as an alternative if a Antec Kúhler H2O 1220 is also worth considering and might be a few quid cheaper. the newer Antec coolers like the 1250 arent bad but then they arent great either. at least you can swap out the fans on the 1220 for something different.

I owned an Antec 920 for almost 2 years before i got a H80i and it always worked flawlessly. Antec's software for it can be a little ugly though..... Its like being back in 05' or 07' with the way their interface looks....
 

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To get a 4770k up to 4.5, you're going to need to get the best cooler you can because temps are going to be horrible, most likely.

Mine with custom water was hitting 90*C+ at 4.4 (stress test temp), til I delidded.
 

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Haswell (and Ivy) needs to be delidded if real overclocking is the target. That crappy TIM (and 0.06mm space between the core die and IHS on Haswell CPU's) are the problems what causes them to run so damn hot. A 100€/$ AIO watercooler isn't the solution for that.

Delid the CPU if you're going to overclock it much. There goes the warranty, but hey, how many of you had broken a CPU (without insane OC voltages)?
 
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Haswell (and Ivy) needs to be delidded if real overclocking is the target. That crappy TIM (and 0.06mm space between the core die and IHS on Haswell CPU's) are the problems what causes them to run so damn hot. A 100€/$ AIO watercooler isn't the solution for that.

Delid the CPU if you're going to overclock it much. There goes the warranty, but hey, how many of you had broken a CPU (without insane OC voltages)?

nah that ain't something I'm interested in. As I'm gonna build in June/July maybe some of the Haswell refresh CPUs would appeal to me, apparently those will fix the TIM problem you were talking about. If something better than the 4770K becomes available and the Z97 boards are the same price as Z87 ones I'll pick them up. I heard the Z97 boards would support future sockets as well
 
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nah that ain't something I'm interested in. As I'm gonna build in June/July maybe some of the Haswell refresh CPUs would appeal to me, apparently those will fix the TIM problem you were talking about. If something better than the 4770K becomes available and the Z97 boards are the same price as Z87 ones I'll pick them up. I heard the Z97 boards would support future sockets as well

Yeah you dont NEED to delid like everyone makes it seem. It all depends on how good your chip us. People are able to get 4.6-4.7 on lidded chips.

Temps are not entirely the issue for these things either. But also quality of the chip, silicon quality of the die, etc.
 

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nah that ain't something I'm interested in. As I'm gonna build in June/July maybe some of the Haswell refresh CPUs would appeal to me, apparently those will fix the TIM problem you were talking about. If something better than the 4770K becomes available and the Z97 boards are the same price as Z87 ones I'll pick them up. I heard the Z97 boards would support future sockets as well
Nah, just get an used 2500K/3570K ;)
 
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Nah, just get an used 2500K/3570K ;)
I'm building my desktop for editing and gaming and rendering takes soooo long for me with my current cpu I think the 4770k/4790k will actually be worth the money
 
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I've been looking into AIO water cooling setups too. are you set on Corsair? If not there are many other great choices. I've looking at the Swiftech H220, NZXT Kraken X60, or the Cooler Master Glacer 240L. But even with air coolers like the new Noctua NH-D15 that will be out soon and the Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 3 are great choices also. These 2 air coolers will be quieter and match the cooling performance of the Corsair AIO products. Another question to ask yourself is, do you plan on watercooling your GPU also and need an AIO that can be expanded?
 
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I've been looking into AIO water cooling setups too. are you set on Corsair? If not there are many other great choices. I've looking at the Swiftech H220, NZXT Kraken X60, or the Cooler Master Glacer 240L. But even with air coolers like the new Noctua NH-D15 that will be out soon and the Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 3 are great choices also. These 2 air coolers will be quieter and match the cooling performance of the Corsair AIO products. Another question to ask yourself is, do you plan on watercooling your GPU also and need an AIO that can be expanded?

Whatever works best for the money man, doesn't have to be corsair, I just know that the h110 will fit in the 500r I've got now and the 750D I might be purchasing.
Uhh don't think I'd be needing one that can be expanded but I wouldn't be opposed to it if it's not wildly expensive
 
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What is your price range? There are so many options under $150. Read lots of reviews. Decide if rock bottom temps are your thing or you want quiet? Most of the time its either or. This was the reason I wanted to go with the Swiftech H220. It's pretty quiet and it has good cooling.

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/51...-drive-ii-cpu-water-cooler-review/index8.html

I just did a search and the review I found showed the H220 at 2 degrees cooler than a H60, doesn't sound right. I know the H110 is the best Corsair AIO they offer and they offer compensation if their pumps are faulty and fry your equipment. Gonna look at the Kraken and Cooler Master offerings, but I don't really want a big heatsink type thing. I'm not a stickler for sound but the dual rad Corsair AIOs outperform that massive Noctua heatsink (DH-14 or something like that) using the same fans
 
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I think I've decided on either the Scythe Ashura or the Be Quiet Dark Rock 3. Both come close to the H110 at full load and quite and £50 or £40 cheaper respectively. anyone knows any coolers better than these around that price? Not rhetorical, I hope there are!
 

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Well, Thermalright HR-02 Macho rev.a isn't bad either. I had previously an Antec 620 AIO cooler and now I have Macho, and this outperforms the Antec easily. Also much quieter.
 
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Well, Thermalright HR-02 Macho rev.a isn't bad either. I had previously an Antec 620 AIO cooler and now I have Macho, and this outperforms the Antec easily. Also much quieter.

gonna check out reviews, price definitely looks good. Looks kinda big though so I'll see what reviews are saying about RAM clearance. I don't pal on buying RAM with giant fins anyway
 
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