Need CPU Cooler recommendations

[J. Silva]

Hi, everybody, i just bought a new PC: a) P IV 3.00 Ghz.; b) Asus P5RD1-V Motherboard; c) Maxtor 250 gb. hard-drive; d) Antec PlusView 1000 AMG Case; e) LC-Power 480 w. Power Supply; f) Hercules Fortissimo IV Sound Card; g) 1024 mb. Kingston Memory; h) no graphics card, motherboard already has one (Ati Radeon XPress 200); i) Conceptronic Sattelite Card PC TV-SAT. The power supply is very quiet, but the cpu cooler is far too noisy. I only want the PC to surf the internet and audio editing and dvd-authoring with Adobe Audition 1.5 and DVD-Lab Pro. No gaming at all. But i'm considering on buying another hard-drive, internal or external (maybe external). Considering all this, what cpu cooler do you recommend. My options are limited to Artic Cooling and Thermaltake. Nevertheless, i may consider ordering through the internet if you can be that persuasive, if you know what i mean. No overclocking needed here so my budget is only € 30.

Thanks evrybody,

J Silva

[Cobra]

Arctic Cooling HSFs are usually very good. I'd go for them.

[redwudz]

Thermaltake has a few low noise coolers. Look for low fan speed, ~2500 RPM or so. Check the noise (db) comparisons, the amount of air it moves. A Larger size fan usually means lower noise, also.

And check your CPU temps, usually listed in BIOS when you start up. If it's running hot with a stock cooler, you may have to be more particular in the choice of the new cooler.

[rallynavvie]

Arctic Cooling HSFs are usually very good. I'd go for them.

Good lord, not if they still build them like the ones they used to fit to OEM Athlons. The ones with the slim 60mm fans? Those were the worst HSFs ever. Sure they cooled OK but they made this high-pitched whistling noise that you could hear throughout the house. Just thinking about it makes me angry

I replaced those with Thermalright SK-7s with low-speed Panaflow 80mm fans on them. This was on my Athlon MP board. Those were quiet and very efficient.

I now use Swiftech heatsinks, the ones with the big copper slab with all the pins sticking out of it. I use the same Panaflow 80mm fans but stepped up to medium-speed versions since I had planned on overclocking this one. For non-overclocked systems you could use the Vantec Stealth 80mm fans or the Panaflow low-speeds. In fact you could even overclock with that setup if you wanted to.

Why are you limiting yourself to two manufacturers? The Swiftech HSFs will be right on the upper edge of your budget with a fan, though I can't recommend any UK dealers. I got mine from Sidewinder Computers:
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/

[Bob W]

here is what I use on my P4 3.4GHz http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=318835&pfp=BROWSE

Very quiet and my cpu temp dropped a good 15 deg/c.

[Soopafresh]

Those Prescott P4s (which I'll bet you have) are scortchers. I've never seen a CPU run so hot. Get a decent hunk of metal and a large diameter (80-90mm) fan so you'll still run quietly. So much better to have a quiet system.

[MJA]

Arctic Silver 5 Paste + Zalman HSF


http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=50001647&Subcategory=&descr...xPrice=&ATTR1=

[bmiller]

Zalman.

[dwill123]

I've got a P4 3.2E running on an ASUS P4P800-E. I replaced the stock cooler with a Theralright XP-90 w\a Panaflo 92x25mm fan. This is the best cooling combination I've ever had. Only under a real load does it go above a CPU temperature of 33C. Very, very quiet. Check it out: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/thxpforforin.html.

[jagabo]

Thermaltake SonicTower is silent and cools very well if you have room for it. You can add a 120mm fan between the towers if you want additional cooling.