Current HSF top dogs

[drew and not u]

Back when I bought My Thermalright XP-120 it was the cream of the crop CPU cooler. Now that almost a year has past it seems like there have been a bevvy of new cooling solutions released which draw much more attention then this old bohemoth.

Essentially I'd like to know what Air cooling solution is now considered the best of the best and how that unit would compare to my XP120.

[fps justin]

People say the BT is better but harder to install.

[gvblake22]

Believe it or not, the XP-120 is still a great heatsink. The other top dogs would include:
Thermalright XP-90c (basically just an all copper version of the XP-90)
Thermalright SI-120 (just a more compatable version of the XP-120)
Thermaltake Big Typhoon
Scythe Ninja
Zalman CNPS9500

[fps justin]

they need an si-120c

[Capper]

Thermalright is still top dog in my opinion, the XP-90C is a great choice, as is the always popular XP-120.
Scythe is another company that should be mentioned when it comes to high quality cooling solutions.
Yet another option is Vapochill's Micro Extreme Edition. although it didn't get a lot of press, i've found the performance to be awesome, and quite competitive with the top of the line coolers from other companies.

[drew and not u]

Originally Posted by gvblake22

Believe it or not, the XP-120 is still a great heatsink. The other top dogs would include:
Thermalright XP-90c (basically just an all copper version of the XP-90)
Thermalright SI-120 (just a more compatable version of the XP-120)
Thermaltake Big Typhoon
Scythe Ninja
Zalman CNPS9500

So probably not worth upgrading at this point as my temps are still reasonable (42 idle / 56 full load)? And the vapochill micro was one solution that I had been seriously considering since it's debut.
thanks guys!

[gvblake22]

Your temps seem a little high. What fan do you have on your XP-120? A better upgrade might be to get a better fan rather than a whole new heatsink. Maybe look into the ventilation in your case too and make sure everything is set up good.

[drew and not u]

Originally Posted by gvblake22

Your temps seem a little high. What fan do you have on your XP-120? A better upgrade might be to get a better fan rather than a whole new heatsink. Maybe look into the ventilation in your case too and make sure everything is set up good.

I have a Thermaltake thunderblades 120mm fan that came witjh a fan controller (which I don't use as I leave it maxed). It stays at about 2500rpm. My case ventilation is pretty good I believe, I have two 120MM fans sucking in from the front, a 90mm fan blowing in from the top (which I know goes against common sense but did in fact lower the CPU temp 1-2C). I have a 120mm fan in my psu, obviously blowing out, and one 90 and on 120mm fan each blowing out of the back. What I don't like is this:


The CPU fan blows into the HS, but the exhaust fan is right next to it. I worry that this is creating a vortex which is reducing the air flow efficiency to both the CPU and exhaust fans. Waht do you think. Does the picture even make sense?

ps. also just realized this should probably be moved to the cooling thread ><

[Tyreal]

The Top Dogs on the market right now:
Scythe Ninja and Scythe Ninja Plus
Thermalright XP-90C
Thermalright XP-120
TR SI-120
Thermaltake Big Typhoon

If i think of more i'll post them.

I have to disagree that the Zalman CNPS9500 is not a "top dog". The performance could be plenty better. If your looking for silence then yes, but im assuming that were looking for the best performance.

For most of those coolers you will need a seperate fan. I would recommond getting a panaflo and not a delta (THEY ARE SO LOUD. Most people would say they can handle it...but the word loud is underestimating it). I will post some other fans and my thoughts on them later.

[Capper]

The problem with the Zalmans is their performance does not make them a high end cooling solution.... and their price really negates any benefit as a "quiet" cooler. If quiet is your goal, you can spend about $20 less on a Thermaltake than the Zalman, or simply use the stock cooling.
Considering the price you pay for a Zalman, why not just get a good "high end" cooler like a Thermalright or Vapochill and outfit it with a high flow/low noise fan?