I am building a pc with an EVGA 680i A1 type motherboard and probably one of those upcoming 45nm processors in January. I was wondering what would be best to cool it with (I am planning to overclock a bit). Some of the cooling solutions I saw interfere a bit with the intricate heatsinks of the mobo, but I want something which will fit on that motherboard. I also want something pretty quiet, since my family will also be using this PC. Also, what sort of case should I buy to house all of this. I was looking at the Antec 900, Thermaltake Tsunami, Antec P190, among others. Which would be best, esp for a large, efficient and quiet heatsink? Thanks.
What case?
- Thread starter cyborg939
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Rory Buszka
Partition Master
Thanks for stopping by.
I think that for silence, you'd actually be hard-pressed to beat the Antec P182. I know that option wasn't on your list, but it was designed from the ground-up for silence, with input from the gentleman who runs SilentPCReview.com. It's a fantastic case, and very stylish. Rob loves his. For a silent heatsink, there's almost no better choice than the OCZ Vindicator. Make sure you choose a motherboard that has extensive fan control options - the ability to disable the CPU fan when it's not required would be very nice. Most current Gigabyte motherboards support this.
So, why not the P190? Too many fans = too much noise. You won't need that many fans, anyhow, unless you're trying for a max. overclock on air cooling.
I think that for silence, you'd actually be hard-pressed to beat the Antec P182. I know that option wasn't on your list, but it was designed from the ground-up for silence, with input from the gentleman who runs SilentPCReview.com. It's a fantastic case, and very stylish. Rob loves his. For a silent heatsink, there's almost no better choice than the OCZ Vindicator. Make sure you choose a motherboard that has extensive fan control options - the ability to disable the CPU fan when it's not required would be very nice. Most current Gigabyte motherboards support this.
So, why not the P190? Too many fans = too much noise. You won't need that many fans, anyhow, unless you're trying for a max. overclock on air cooling.
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NicePants42
Partition Master
I agree with Rory on the P182. The OCZ Vindicator or the Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120 would be good choices for cooling - I think OCZ sells a vindicator mouse also.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find a current-generation motherboard that doesn't allow CPU fan speed control.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find a current-generation motherboard that doesn't allow CPU fan speed control.
Tech-Daddy
Tech Monkey
The new Coolermaster 690 has been getting a lot of praise from system builders lately. Roomy and well thought out.
Also, it is a bit more aggressive in the styling department, but the Tagan/A+ El Diablo case features a 360mm fan on the side and a 240mm intake on the front. Relatively quiet, and more airflow than you can shake a stick at!
Also, it is a bit more aggressive in the styling department, but the Tagan/A+ El Diablo case features a 360mm fan on the side and a 240mm intake on the front. Relatively quiet, and more airflow than you can shake a stick at!
Rory Buszka
Partition Master
If you like the look of it, then okay, but it's not as feature-rich as the Antec P182 or Cooler Master 690 cases.
Rory Buszka
Partition Master
Yeah, a Vindicator or a Tuniq Tower would fit. Personally, I'd go with the Vindicator cooler, since it's easy to replace the fan, or swap it with a different one if you're feeling adventurous. The sound damping of the P182 damps some of the noise, but it can't make a noisy CPU or graphics card cooler quiet. The AcoustiCase 340 case that I reviewed recently, however, was able to absorb most of the noise produced by a noisy little eVGA GPU cooler, though it wasn't quite silent.
Also, the build quality on NZXT's cases, while better than a lot of el-cheapo stuff, can't match Antec's build quality.
Also, the build quality on NZXT's cases, while better than a lot of el-cheapo stuff, can't match Antec's build quality.
sbrehm72255
Tech Monkey
I'll have to disagree with you on that statement, I have both, a Antec P180 and a NZXT (Adamas) and I'd say that the NZXT build quality is as good if not better than the Antec case, But that's just my opinion. Just to know just which one I like better, the Antec is back in the box and the wifes rig is installed in the NZXT, it cools much better than the Antes and the noise levels are about the same when using the same fans.
