Cooler for OC i7 4930k

[dsgjk]

Hey,
Im looking for newer cooler to my Zalman CNPS 12x (I will use my old Zalman in other PC, thats the reason for upgrade) for i7 4930k on Asus X79 Deluxe. Ive got normal-profile RAM modules so even wider cooler is okay and big case (Tt Chaser MK-I) so height should not be problem.
Yet Ive found these coolers:
NZXT X31
Noctua NH-U14S (U12S)
Noctua NH-D15 (S)
beQuiet! Dark Rock (Pro)
Which one do you think is the best one or is there any better piece for similar price? Thank you very much.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Pick the D15 over the U14 or U12, and eliminate the latter two. They'll "work" for an IB-E chip, but not for OC'ing it. Believe it or not -- I think the D15 will exceed the NZXT X31 in performance. I say that because the D15 will underperform an EKWB Predator AiO cooler (dual-fan, 240mm radiator) by about 6C on a comparison test-bed. Maybe the AiO NZXT and the D15 are neck-and-neck. And Maybe you don't want the case space encumbered by fins and pipes.

The Dark Rock gets good notice here.

Take a look at this, then find two or so comprehensive comparison reviews to see how the Dark Rock compares to it or to dual-fan water-cooling AiOs. But the ThermalRight outperforms the D15 by between 1 and 2C in temperature abatement.

If your 4930K and X79 chipset were current generation releases, I'd tell you to invest in a watercooling kit or customize-able AiO. But for two or three generations behind, I'd cut my costs and get the best air-cooler. It also depends on your choice of a case and airflow strategy.

Basically, if an AiO outperforms a heatpipe cooler by only 5C, you have to ask yourself if water is worth the trouble. If you want to do "extreme" overclocking that doesn't need liquid nitrogen, you can find a watercooling kit for a few Franklins or simply pick your own parts. But then you'll have to assemble and test it, and your case preference will need to accommodate it.

 

[dsgjk]

Thank you, so most likely I will go with D15S instead of D15, I have one free NF-A15 fan in storage that I will put on it. (BTW D15 vs D15S only difference is 2 vs 1 fan in package right?)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Thank you, so most likely I will go with D15S instead of D15, I have one free NF-A15 fan in storage that I will put on it. (BTW D15 vs D15S only difference is 2 vs 1 fan in package right?)

Yes I think that's right. But you should get the spare set of fan clips included, and then pick a second fan as you might choose. The NH-D15 without fans weighs in at 980 gm. My Macho weighs 920. Not much of a difference there. Your average fan weighs maybe 200 gm. And I wouldn't worry much about any of it. But a lot of the torque on the motherboard mounts would come from the fans.

I have a D14 in the machine I "gave" to my elderly Moms. Those dual-tower Noctuas are definitely bulky and add a dimension of slight inconvenience when fiddling with your hardware. But I always choose a cooler that does well for its thermal resistance or conductivity. Those other factors don't matter to me, or matter very little.

Even so, the design of the LG Macho is compact for a cooler of that size and effectiveness. It leaves all the memory slots exposed on its forward intake side.

All things being equal, if this is for application to the 4930K processor, you should be reasonably satisfied. You should be able to overclock it, but I don't know how much. But a lot of folks have used the D15 for socket-2011 processors.