Best CPU Cooler for Q6600?

[Nikolai]

Hey Guys,
Im slowly narrowing down my choices, and Id like to narrow down the CPU Cooler suitable for the rig Im building which you can see in my signature.

Does anyone have recommendations for Cooling the Q6600 processor? Which CPU Cooler would be best for this job?

Id like to add that aesthetic considerations on the cooler are important as i dont want some ugly cooler to ruin the look of things!! also im not keen on the cost/maintenance/hassell of water cooling.

im not planning on overclocking, so if looks can be compromised for quality then im willing!

thanks guys

[Yellowhello]

Here are the one's that I'd recommend:

Coolermaster GeminII; best air cooler IMO on the market. Cools your motherboard as well. You have to buy you own fans for it, though, and I really hate the mounting system. HL's review: HardwareLogic - Cooler Master GeminII CPU Cooler Review

Zalman CNPS 9700; Has gotten very good reviews. HL review: HardwareLogic - Zalman CNPS9700 LED CPU Cooler Review

Thermaltake Big Typhoon VX: Very good air cooler as well. HL's review: HardwareLogic - Thermaltake Big Typhoon CL-P0114 CPU Cooler Review

Have you considered water cooling?

[Nikolai]

yeh i have considered water cooling but since this is my first pc build i want to avoid the hassle and extra cost, plus maintenance of water cooling ....
ill check out those other cpu coolers .... do core 2 quads get significantly hotter then other processors?

[Yellowhello]

I do believe quad core CPU's get hotter than the dual cores, but having never owned a quad-core myself, I can't say for sure...

[Capper]

A Quad will run significantly warmer than a Dual Core if for no other reason than they are basically nothing more than two dual cores under the same IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader).

Those three are good recommendations, with the CNPS9700 being my top choice, and the TT Big Typhoon also added to the list.

As to water cooling, be very careful, as most water blocks cannot handle Quads....most are at their limits with todays Dual Core processors, the new Quads quickly overwhelm them.

[Nikolai]

The thing that makes me hesitant about the CNPS9700 is that it didnt get the greatest review by HL HardwareLogic - Zalman CNPS9700 LED CPU Cooler Review

Is it going to perform better then the Thermaltake CL-P0401?

[Yellowhello]

Originally Posted by Nikolai

The thing that makes me hesitant about the CNPS9700 is that it didnt get the greatest review by HL HardwareLogic - Zalman CNPS9700 LED CPU Cooler Review

That is true, but in the review it said it

trailed both the Thermaltake Big Typhoon and Cooler Master Gemin II

...SO take your pick of the GeminII or the Big Typhoon if you don't like the Zalman. I had a GeminII in the past, and it preformed pretty close to my current water cooling system (maybe 5-7C higher) with the added bonus of cooling your northbridge I think it's passively cooled on that board) , which will help if you are planning to OC that machine. The only thing I don't like about the GeminII is it's mounting system. I stripped a screw while remounting it, and that's why I have this water cooling system now.

[Nikolai]

The only thing that concerns me about the coolers you listed was it might be a bit of overkill seeing as I'm not going to overclock ... and they all look like really bulky coolers that might be a hassle to work around .... have any of you found this?
you would know better then me on this, tell me if im wrong ...

what do you think about the CL-P0401? is its cooling ability comparable?

[Yellowhello]

Don't know about the Thermaltake but...

The GeminII is a real hassle to work around. I had a fair bit of trouble making it fit in my mid-sized case. There is no way you would be able to do anything to your RAM with the GeminII already installed. And on top of that, you have to take your motherboard out to take the GeminII off. So yes, the GeminII is a really hassle, but makes up for it in cooling ability.

You know what? If you aren't going to overclock, you might as well stick with the stock cooling. In THIS review, HL got it to go to 3.0GHz with stock...

[Dread]

I love my Zalman 9700's.