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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Overclocking > Heatsinks & Air Cooling > Choosing a Cooler for CPU

Choosing a Cooler for CPU

Forum Overclocking : Heatsinks & Air Cooling Choosing a Cooler for CPU

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Hey .
Its the second time im asking this here because i wasnt quite sure with the awnsers i got.
i need a cpu cooler for my Core i3 540 for overclocking.
i live in israel so the prices are very wierd.
i have a few options to choose from .
here they are and the price in nis [new israeli shekel- the money here]
1. Crosair A70 for 195 nis
2. Cooler Master 212 + for 150 nis.
3.Scythe Mugen 3 for 230 nis .
4.Thermalright True Spirit for 185 nis.

3.7nis worth 1USD.

By my understanding from reviews i read that the Crosair A70 is only about 5-2 degrees warmar then the
Nocuta NH-D14 [which costs 320nis]
and its cheaper then most of the coolers here. and yet preforms the best by my knowdlge.
so should i buy it?
or go for another cooler?

Reply to wickreD
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are you sure? because ive seen benchmarks that show the A70 as the best of all of these.

Reply to wickreD

hyper 212+ evo is good and sure

Reply to henydiah

but is it better then the a70?
i dont mind the price because its allmost the same

Reply to wickreD

All those coolers are excellent btw and more the capable of cooling an i3 540.
I personally own an A70 and a 212+.
A70 - 2 fans included = temps are slightly better then 212+ and it's quieter.(with line resistors used)
212+ - excellent price/performance ratio = fan moderately loud- plays nice with most ram kits
Scythe Mugen 3 - better temps then 212+ and quiet fan - big and only recommended with low profile ram kits
Thermalright True Spirit - excellent temps and quiet fan - works well with majority of ram kits
Really can't lose with any of these.
If you can source an Evo it's better then the 212+ and its replacement.
The 212+ will be discontinued very soon from what i can tell.
I live in Canada and most retailers have it on clearance for @ $20.


Message edited by davcon on 01-02-2012 at 04:06:53 PM
Reply to davcon

All those are good cooler, but the Mugen 3 is a little expensive compare with the others. My options will be Hyper 212+ or Thermalright in 2nd place, but keep in mind that high profile RAM won't work with Hyper 212+ fan in push mode.

------------------------------ Installing the CM Hyper 212+
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Reply to saint19

i dont care about the price.. the diffrences are very small
which one cools the best because when im overclocking i dont want the temps to limit me.
or should i got for a cooler that is not listed here?

Reply to wickreD

If the price isn't a problem, look for the Noctua NH-D14 or Thermalright Silver Arrow than are the top coolers. Be sure that RAM isn't a problem


Message edited by saint19 on 01-02-2012 at 04:22:38 PM
------------------------------ Installing the CM Hyper 212+
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Reply to saint19

What ram kit do you have and how many dimms are filled?
I've installed Ripjaws(41mm tall) 4 sticks no problem with the 212+ and A70.
All on 1156 platforms.
Just requires you to slide up the push fan a smidgen.


Message edited by davcon on 01-02-2012 at 04:31:20 PM
Reply to davcon

im using very basic ram [kingston 2x2gb no heatsink on them they are very short]

Reply to wickreD

Very short = Low profile I think, it looks like this one in size? http://www.bjorn3d.com/Material/re [...] 8GB/10.jpg

------------------------------ Installing the CM Hyper 212+
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Reply to saint19

wickreD wrote :

im using very basic ram [kingston 2x2gb no heatsink on them they are very short]


No worries then!
Top end air-coolers won't be required to cool a 73W i3 btw.
Any of the 4 you've listed will do just fine.

Reply to davcon

davcon wrote :

No worries then!
Top end air-coolers won't be required to cool a 73W i3 btw.
Any of the 4 you've listed will do just fine.



Agree, any of those should do an excellent job or a mid range like Megahalems or Titan Fenrir but I'm not sure if those support that socket.

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Reply to saint19

so my overclocking wouldnt be limited by any of these coolers?
by means of tempertures.
and my ram is shorter then the one saint showed.


Message edited by wickreD on 01-03-2012 at 07:44:15 PM
Reply to wickreD

you arre good to go with any cooler, the ram will not be a problem

------------------------------ Installing the CM Hyper 212+
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Reply to saint19

wickreD wrote :

so should i go for the a70?


I own 3 coolers a 212+,A70,and a Thermalright.
I like all of them.
i3 550 - 212+ = moderately loud fan mid 30's db
i5 760 - A70 = slightly quieter then 212+ with 2 fans using the in-line resistors
i7 860 - MUX-120 = dead quiet fans under 20db.added another for push/pull
Thermalright TS or Mugen are the best of that lot imo.
Both have nice quiet fans included.


Message edited by davcon on 01-07-2012 at 09:54:04 PM
Reply to davcon

allright ill go for the a70

Reply to wickreD
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