deathofkai Posted December 20, 2011 Posted December 20, 2011 (edited) Hey, So,,,I've been trying to decide which aftermarket cooler would be the better option to go for with my new rig: Core i5 2500k 4Gbx2 Corsair Vengeance DDR1600 Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 Gigabyte GV-N570OC-I31 (GTX570) CM Storm Enforcer CM eXtreme Power Plus 700w And the 2 I've decided on are the title-mentioned Coolers, the Thermaltake SpinQ VT or the Zalman CNPS9900 Max. Unfortunately, the reviews on this site (among others) use different CPU's, the Thernaltake the i5 750 and the Zalman the i7 920. So, I've decided to ask those slightly more knowledgeable than me for help. Any thoughts on which Coolers would keep those unwanted temps down (the best)?! MUCH APPRECIATED P.S. I plan on using the Antec Formula 7 nano diamond thermal compound/paste in conjunction with the Cooler, Edited December 20, 2011 by deathofkai Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyDeath Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 I have owned the Zalman before, so I can tell you it is a good heatsink. In terms of cooling, for your i5-2500K you ought to be able to do a decent overclock on it, my guess is 4.7 GHz (depending on your chip). I don't know that much about the Enforcer's dimensions, but be sure to check that it will fit alright. Also, be warned, it is a real pain in the butt to install. It uses a custom slanted hex-wrench that is very awkward, and getting the backplate mounted was kind of annoying... but I will say for AMD CPU's its even harder... so be glad you are using Intel. I can't speak about the SpinQ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjj226_Angel Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 Spin Q. No contest. I would like you to recosider and go with the NZXT havock though. Either way, they are still better than the zalman if you want performance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_Capitan Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 Why are those your only two choices? What is your budget, and what are you hoping to overclock your CPU to, and what will you want your max temps to be? Do you care about noise? Lot of factors to consider. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
d6bmg Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 Extended option:: think about Noctua-D14. And there are many better coolers in the price range of the mentioned two coolers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonerboy779 Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 P.S. I plan on using the Antec Formula 7 nano diamond thermal compound/paste in conjunction with the Cooler, Unless you have it lying around and still fresh don't bother whatever TIM that comes with the cooler when applied right will work perfectly fine and you wont get magic cooling from that TIM. And to echo Capi, is there no other coolers on offer? Can you post a link to where you a buying from? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathofkai Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 Buying direct from suppliers... The only Brands they do, in that department, are Coolermaster, Gigabyte, Thermaltake, Zalman, Thermalright and Corsair. I can most likely source other brands online, though. Here are some links to the reviews I've found thus far: Zalman CNPS9900 Max: h**p://www.legitreviews.com/article/1468/6/ h**p://www.guru3d.com/article/zalman-cnps-9900-max-review/9 Thermaltake SpinQ VT: h**p://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/thermaltake_spinq_vt/4.htm h**p://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermaltake_spinq_vt-xigmatek_balder_6.html#sect1 Those were the reviews still open in my browser I did check out other reviews and they're relatively similar... Seeing as I specifically went for the UD3 M/B, I do plan on overclocking to around 4.7GHz. The main reason I went for these 2 are for their looks and generally good performance, usually only a 2 to 3.C diff between the lowest temp. Seems the Noctua would always be the lowest -_- but I hate the brown fan (I mean...REALLY NOW) and the tower heatsink design. YES YES, I'm one of those...those people who would sacrifice a small atom of performance for something that suits me:) P.S. Thanks for all the help so far, and the fast replies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonerboy779 Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 Have you seen the OCC review on the plantechs cooler? It takes out the noctura as king and comes in white, orange, blue and red. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjj226_Angel Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 Buying direct from suppliers... The only Brands they do, in that department, are Coolermaster, Gigabyte, Thermaltake, Zalman, Thermalright and Corsair. I can most likely source other brands online, though. Here are some links to the reviews I've found thus far: Zalman CNPS9900 Max: h**p://www.legitreviews.com/article/1468/6/ h**p://www.guru3d.com/article/zalman-cnps-9900-max-review/9 Thermaltake SpinQ VT: h**p://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/thermaltake_spinq_vt/4.htm h**p://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermaltake_spinq_vt-xigmatek_balder_6.html#sect1 Those were the reviews still open in my browser I did check out other reviews and they're relatively similar... Seeing as I specifically went for the UD3 M/B, I do plan on overclocking to around 4.7GHz. The main reason I went for these 2 are for their looks and generally good performance, usually only a 2 to 3.C diff between the lowest temp. Seems the Noctua would always be the lowest -_- but I hate the brown fan (I mean...REALLY NOW) and the tower heatsink design. YES YES, I'm one of those...those people who would sacrifice a small atom of performance for something that suits me:) P.S. Thanks for all the help so far, and the fast replies. Go with the cooler master V6 then. Some have been able to achieve a 5ghz overclock on it with prime 95 temps of about 83C. It keeps the aesthetic value you are looking for and would go together with your case very well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathofkai Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 (edited) Here's another one of my faults...way too many people have either the V6 or V8, which is understandable as they're great coolers, but I've noticed that the Tt SpinQ still manages to keep 2 to 5.C cooler... V6 was one of my first choices, then I discovered the V8, then, then, then... Thanks for the suggestion, though, mucho appreciated:) Here's someone with some feedback, with the same CPU and Tt SpinQ Cooler: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/314933-28-2500k-gaming-spinq-temperatures ....P.S. Any thoughts on the Thermaltake Frio in comparison? Edited December 21, 2011 by deathofkai Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjj226_Angel Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 I mean basically if it is ONLY between the SpinQ and the Zalman, go with the SpinQ. I have seen it the other way around with temps regarding the V6 GT. You have to be sure you aren't comparing the temps the the original V6, otherwise you would have temperature issues. I think this nonsense about looks really comes down to personal preference. If you like a particular cooler, then get it. You will have a better opinion of what you want in your build than we would. When a company makes an air cooler, it is sort of like making a bowl of cereal. How can you possibly mess it up?? Air coolers have been around so long that really any air cooler 40 bucks an above can overclock any CPU with fairly decent results and can more than likely get your i5 to 4.7 ghz. Heck, even the Hyper 212+ can overclock the i5 2500K a fair amount. Sitting here and comparing coolers for someone like you who is looking for more of an artistic appeal than a performance boost is really a waste for time for you. For instance, I think the SpinQ looks hideous and would never have it inside my case, and I really like the coolermaster V6 GT. Since both coolers overclock the same the only problem would be our personal preference. I, nor anyone else can recommend to you a cooler that appeals to you because its YOUR personal preference, and I can not change your likes and dislikes (because I am not your wife ). (anyone who did not laugh at that joke needs help) Basically, you like what you like. The SpinQ will get you to your desired overclock, and if you like the look then get it. Just because it is not THE best choice in coolers, does not mean that it isn't YOUR best choice for coolers. So get what ever puts a smile on your face and enjoy it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathofkai Posted December 22, 2011 Posted December 22, 2011 Fortunately, I'm not a fool, so I wouldn't sacrifice performance for looks, I always find a way to satisfy both needs. 70%+ for performance and around 30% for personal preference. My question was not, which cooler do you guys like and think would suit me, but rather, which cooler of the 2 is more effective keeping in mind that I have a 2500k CPU. As I've mentioned before, the 'benched' reviews and info I've uncovered thus far seem to bench diff CPUs. I had some more time to look into the 2 coolers and found newegg.com with customer feedback (don't know why I never though of it before), although, unfortunately, they don't sell the SpinQ. So, if anyone else wants to give my "which of the Tt SpinQ VT and Zalman cooler is most effective with a i5 2500k" question? @Stonerboy779 can't find anything on the site for "plantech"?! Even thinking of the V8 now if anyone has any thoughts?! or better yet... WHAT DO YOU GUYS RECOMMEND AND WHY? ( remember, you're competing for Miss World 2012) Thanks for the feedback thus far guys:) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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