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Resolved Question

Best CPU fan please...

May 8, 2012 2:03PM PDT

I am buying a new computer very soon. I don't intend to overclock...at this time. Some gaming and movie watching. It IS my entertainment centre. Is it worth buying a Noctua 12 performance CPU cooler? I saw a video on Youtube by an experienced builder who said the stock Intel fan will outlast any other fan and anything else is a waste of money. Is this true? Regards Lucid Oldie

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Best Answer

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Why wait
May 8, 2012 11:55PM PDT

This is a now decision as you will benefit from any better cooling from the git. i suggest that only you know what you plan to do, OC or not. Gaming and basic operation will demand you have at the mimium and anytime you go above that, have better. I mention this as once you play and get by you'll try to get the best from your system as it is and that may do but any stress or over-temp situation can quickly degrade the components and all the the devices present until the weakest link is found. Thus, I suggest you build the best system you can and get what's needed for now and not later. If later is a short time, maybe OK then. You take from there what's best for you. A stock cpu fan does well for stock situations but you already suggest gaming, OC and possible movie watching(prolonged activity) and that means you want a decent system to start off with. Of course, if you can cool the entire PC with additional or yet other cooling methods then take that into account.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Thanks Willy
May 10, 2012 6:32PM PDT

I'll stick with the stock cooler on my soon to be new i5 3450, as I have no intention of overclocking and reports from other buyers say the fan noise is minimal.

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I'm very happy with my CoolerMaster
May 18, 2012 10:50AM PDT

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO works very good for me, see what i've got:
#ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN
#I5-2500K
#GSKILL SNIPER 1600 4GB X 2
#SENTEY SPD850-SS
#COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 EVO
#VGA GEFORCE GIGABYTE GT430
#WD CAVIAR BLUE 500GB+160GB
#SENTEY CYCLONE GS-7000

It's excellent when you look cost/performance, the I5-2500K works in idle at 26°C (78.8°F) and full loaded at 39°C (102.2°F), you have bigger but not necessarily better, a very good option it's the Corsair Hydro Series H100

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Answer
That may be true.
May 8, 2012 2:15PM PDT

I've had Intel fans last a decade. It's very bizarre to see some server we put in service so long ago.
Bob