question about case fans and cpu heatsink

[mpj]

Hey all, I'm sure this has been covered before but I was unable to find a post that had the information that i'm seeking. I'm a new member here and was told about the site through a friend and have been reading quite a bit lately trying to take in as much information as possible.

 

I've recently just built my first pc and was looking to add some extra cooling to it among other things. I've been researching case fans and can't seem to come to a conclusion with which i'd like to go with. I have a cooler master 690 case and i'm trying to decide which fans to go with for some extra cooling. I'm looking for either 120mm or 140mm fans that are going to perform well (noise isn't a concern) that also do not have a LED.

 

Also I'd like to pick up an aftermarket cpu heatsink, but i'm also unsure as to which one I should choose. I'm not familiar with what will and will not fit in my case, or which is a better choice for my current platform. I have a phenom II x4 965 (125w deneb) that is currently operating at around 34c idle and upwards of 47c while gaming. I dont have any plans to start overclocking but would like to aim towards something that will run nice and cool incase i decide to learn in the future.

 

My initial plans for my pc were all budget based as I was eager to build something although my hours at work were cut due to the economy, but now things have changed and i'm getting more hours then i can handle and decided its time to spend some of my hard earned cash! So basically i'd like to focus on cooling first before I start adding in other hardware that I wasn't initially able to afford.

 

Thanks in advance for your time and help, and sorry if this post seemed a bit dragged out!

[supermep]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

 

For your CPU cooler should do you well.

 

As to finding good case fans without leds you're going to be limited.

 

I would suggest a large 200 MM fan on the top of the case, then a 120 MM in the back and if you can at least one 120 MM to blow over the harddrives.

 

Antec make the best case fans IMHO. They aren't very loud and provide great cooling!

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000573&IsNodeId=1&Description=case%20fans&name=Case%20Fans

 

Here's a link to go straight to the case fans at Newegg.com.

 

Hope this helps!

[bschmidt71]

i personally enjoy Noctua fans. they are quiet (28-30 dB or so) and are generally 80-90% of the performance (45-50 cfm) of much louder but "top" performing fans. (note: i never use the low noise adapters on these as the noise at 12V is mostly non-existant, and the performance tends to drop more than i care for)

 

but, if noise is not an issue (and i mean really not an issue - as these suckers can get pretty noisy) you might want to look at 36mm (deep) fans (rather than the more traditional 25mm). many have 100+ cfm, but also generate over 50 dB noise.

 

hope this helps!!

[malmsteenisgod]

If you find case fans that you want that do have LED's you could simply cut the wires leading to the LED's. It won't have any affect on the functionality of the fan.

[supermep]

If you find case fans that you want that do have LED's you could simply cut the wires leading to the LED's. It won't have any affect on the functionality of the fan.

This is very true...Might go about doing that for a few of mine. They all have lights and its a bit of overkill xD

[mpj]

Thanks for the helpful info! I was actually thinking about cutting the LED wires but wasnt sure as to if that was a good idea or not. I currently have 3x120mm fans in the case (stock ones that came with it), that are front intake and rear/side exhaust. I didnt want to do any modifications to the case, but if memory serves i believe there are room for 7 fans, and the 2 side and top mounts are able to hold 140mm fans. I was actually debating between xigmatech, noctua, and zaward 140mm fans but was leaning toward picking up 4 of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233037 I was also going to grab an 80mm fan for the backside of my mobo (case is setup for it and I want to fill it!).

 

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835233029

 

For your CPU cooler should do you well.

 

I definitely like this and will strongly consider it as I am also researching some other products as well. I just wonder if it will clear my ram. Also i'm not sure on which thermal paste to go with? I used the stock paste that came with my oem heatsink on my current setup.

[redtigerdragon]

I was also going to grab an 80mm fan for the backside of my mobo (case is setup for it and I want to fill it!).

 

Make sure you realize that it fits an 80x15mm fan and not an 80x25mm fan! Made that mistake...

[redtigerdragon]

also, you should check out scythe fans for teh case fans, they make 140mm case fans that fit 120mm screw slots. I put those on my 690.

 

Here they are.

[mpj]

Make sure you realize that it fits an 80x15mm fan and not an 80x25mm fan! Made that mistake...

 

Hey thanks for the heads up! I'd probably end up doing the same thing if you didnt say anything.

[PaNewb]

http://www.corsair.com/products/a70/default.aspx

Cant be beat bro, best bang for you buck, direct touch copper, two 120mm fans.