Which CPU Fan to get for quad core

[bigstrickler]

I was wondering which CPU fan would be best for me...I'm getting a Quad Core Q6600 and dont plan to overclock it but I do a lot of gamming. One warning, for some reason I always seem to have the most trouble putting fans on, I once broke a CPU putting on a hefty fan...Any tips on which fan to get and also how to put a fan on...yes i do follow the instructions...

 

[JBDan]

What kind of heatsink will you be using? Budget? Noise? I would go with a 120mm cooler fan option. The Yate Loon BB's for the budget conscious. Quiet, cheap, decent CFM's.

 

[bigstrickler]

wait do you buy a heatsink and a fan? sorry i've only built one computer before and it was a long time ago with my friend who is a lot better at this than i am...i'm looking for a fan thats cheap and quiet but will keep the core cool enough when heavily gaming, with all these new games having crazy requirements

 

[JBDan]

Well with your new (you getting it retail?) Q6600 comes with Intels stock HSF. It's not bad actually, especially since your not going to OC, just too noisy for me. The stock will be fine for you, BUT if you might wanna OC in the future and you want less noise and cooler running temps then an aftermarket HSF is the way to go. Maybe Ninja+ for ~$34 or AC's Freezer for ~$25 are good quiet coolers for a good price.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Good point, Dan. If he's not going to over-clock, a cheaper heatpipe cooler may be just the thing. If he is, then he'll determine which cooler he can buy (for more $$) offering the lowest thermal resistance.

It is still possible to "mod" the stock cooler for use with an over-sized fan (reducing noise and increasing CFMs.) But if one were to take the time to do that, he/she might just as well purchase an aftermarket heatpipe cooler.

It may have been said already, but some mid- to high-end heatpipe coolers come with their own fan, while others don't. But fans are pretty cheap these days, for between $5 and $25.

 

[bigstrickler]

how about artic silver+stock fan?

 

[4x4expy]

The stock fan should be fine for the Q6600 at stock speed. It is afterall approved by Intel. I would follow the advice above and clean off the stock mounting "goop" that Intel has put on the heatsink, and replace with a little AS5. As for after market coolers, there are alot of good choices. I went with the cheap but still popular Freezer 7 Pro. There are better alternatives for sure, but at $20 that I paid, it's a bargain. I replaced the stock paste with AS5 and tried to align the flow of the heatsink fan properly with my intake and exhaust case fans for proper airflow. My Q6600 is at 3.2ghz, idles at ~32c and runs ~55c under load, and is nearly silent. It's all I need unless I want to push this CPU a lot harder.