Passive CPU cooling with highend gaming

[Gordon.C]

Hello,

I would like to ask if this passive cooler is sufficient for a Core i7 920 CPU

http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_page/product_page/cpu/ifx-14/product_cpu_cooler_ifx-14.html

I think I will be overclocking the CPU slightly so I am obviously concerned about its safety with this particular cooling system. (I am intending to play the most demanding games in terms of graphics that goes without mentioning)

Thank you for your opinions

 

[jonnyp11]

i really think this is just a terrible idea, if you are just looking for it to be quiet and still overclock, then get a water cooler and some silent fans for the radiator, that would barely make any noise and be 100x more powerful.

 

[claptonman]

A standard heatsink isn't that loud. And you could always replace the fans with quieter ones.

 

[Gun]

You don't have to get water cooling to overclock. That Cooler looks OK, never really heard of it to be honest. If you're not sure, I'd go with either an Arctic or a Noctua fan. I've heard really good things about both of them .

 

[The Chad]

A quiet fan with that will give you plenty of headway to overclock and it shouldn't make much noise at all.

 

[scottybo]

i use a thermaltake sonic tower with 2 120mm fans at low speed for my comp in the lounge, the gfx card makes more noise and the processor temps are super low as well

 

[voyagerfan99]

I wouldn't passively cool a CPU unless it was in an HTPC. You can get good coolers that are quiet. Look into the CoolerMaster Hyper N.

 

[jonnyp11]

I wouldn't passively cool a CPU unless it was in an HTPC. You can get good coolers that are quiet. Look into the CoolerMaster Hyper N.

i would passively cool anything above a Pentium, and would never consider it for an i7, especially when you want to overclock it too.

 

[xxmorpheus]

i really think this is just a terrible idea, if you are just looking for it to be quiet and still overclock, then get a water cooler and some silent fans for the radiator, that would barely make any noise and be 100x more powerful.

Common misconception about air cooling. My thermalright silver arrow outperforms almost all of those gimmicky closed loop loud water cooling solutions. And its quieter. A water loop for a CPU is gonna run you like 400 dollars. Thermalright silver arrow is 79.99...

 

[jonnyp11]

Common misconception about air cooling. My thermalright silver arrow outperforms almost all of those gimmicky closed loop loud water cooling solutions. And its quieter. A water loop for a CPU is gonna run you like 400 dollars. Thermalright silver arrow is 79.99...

i mean an h60 or something that costs like 60 and has a rebate too.

 

[FuryRosewood]

my suggestion if your going to high end game, is take a i7 s series and put a cooler of some kind on it (s series are low wattage, but typically are very close to the normal chips in performance)

 

[Kewl Munky]

Doesn't the TRUE actually outperform that one? I could be wrong but I recall seeing a review with a few heatsinks including both that thermaltake one (that's the one with the backside cooler too right?) and the TRUE and I remember the TRUE performing better.

 

[just a noob]

Speaking from personal experience, even undervolted and underclocked the 920 puts off enough heat to cause a thermal shutdown at idle with a TRUE 120

 

[scottybo]

i mean an h60 or something that costs like 60 and has a rebate too.

h60 is actually a fantastic cooler, especially when you consider the fact that its very easy to bolt a second fan to the other side of the radiator

 

[Gordon.C]

So its not a good idea to use this cooler without fans attached to it?

I mean I want the computer to be as quiet as possible without using water cooling which I simply dont have money for

 

[jonnyp11]

So its not a good idea to use this cooler without fans attached to it?

I mean I want the computer to be as quiet as possible without using water cooling which I simply dont have money for

water cooling is only about 60, i got a used h50 for 25 bucks.