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To obtain high results overclocking, a sufficiently efficient cooling system is required. In our review, we will look at several coolers different types in different price categories and choose best models for overclocking.
The temperature of the processor cores must remain at a sufficiently low level, with a decent margin up to the maximum TJMAX temperature, in order not only to protect the processor from overheating, but also to ensure high overclocking results.
As tests of various CPUs have shown, as the core temperature rises, power consumption also increases, while frequency scaling turns out to be worse than at low temperatures. It is no coincidence that many overclockers prefer to overclock the system on the balcony - in this case, it turns out to cool the central processor more efficiently.
However, too much heat can accumulate under the distributor, and even the best air cooler in the world will not have time to remove it. In such cases, extreme cooling or other measures are required.
The CPU core itself, at least for mainstream CPUs, is much smaller than the heat spreader (source: Intel)
This problem is well known for all Intel processors after the 2nd Generation Core called "Sandy Bridge". Particularly in the third and fourth generation "Ivy Bridge" and "Haswell", many users complained that Intel started using less efficient thermal paste under the heat spreader instead of higher heat transfer solder.
Due to these changes, the processors heated up more than their predecessors "Sandy Bridge" at the same clock frequency and VCore, at high frequencies the additional heating was 20-30 °C.
But with the Haswell Refresh generation, Intel decided to meet enthusiasts by introducing the "Devil's Canyon" processors, which improved the thermal transfer material (TIM) under the heat spreader, which improved temperatures by about 5 ° C. But for continuous work at high clock speeds, enthusiasts still prefer to remove the heat spreader and replace the TIM with liquid metal.
For some processors, heat does not have time to be removed from the die and accumulates under the heat spreader. Therefore, enthusiasts modify processors (
If the cooler (fan) on any PC device does not automatically accelerate to maximum speed, which leads to overheating, it makes sense to use the SpeedFan utility. This application allows you to set a constant speed of rotation of the screws or set it to change depending on the temperature read from the main sensors. The SpeedFan utility only works with coolers whose speed can be adjusted through the BIOS.
Brief description of SpeedFan
The program for overclocking SpeedFan coolers is distributed free of charge. It is suitable for changing the speed of fans installed on the video card, central processor, motherboard chipset. Before installing and running the utility, you must disable automatic adjustment in BIOS. If this condition is not met, the utility may incorrectly read information about the maximum possible speed of the propellers and will not be able to spin them up to the maximum level in a critical situation.
For example, if the BIOS locks the CPU cooler at 700 RPM during program startup, the SpeedFan application will assume this value as the maximum. When the CPU temperature rises, the PC fan will not overclock. This will force the computer to shut down or damage the CPU.
Installation and first start
The installation distribution kit should be downloaded only from the official resource of the software manufacturer. In any case, it is advisable to check the downloaded file for viruses. In general, the installation process is standard. In the first step, you will be asked to accept. In the second step, you will be able to select places to create shortcuts. On the third - set the directory for unpacking the utility files.
During the first run, the cooler overclocker will search for all available temperature sensors and fans. When this process is completed, a small help window will appear on the screen. If you don't want it to appear after every launch of the program, you need to check the only checkbox and click on "Close".
When the help window is closed, you will see the application's main tab. Initially, the program is set to English localization. To switch the interface language, do the following:
Click on "Configure" on the top left of the main window.
Go to the "Options" tab.
Select the desired language from the "Language" menu. Russian localization is already built into the utility.
Main window
The blocks of the main window show basic information. On the right is information about the temperature of the main components of the computer, such as GPU video card, chipset, central processing unit, HDD. In addition to real ones, the program for overclocking coolers will also show "garbage" here. To determine the indicators that you should not pay attention to, you need to use the AIDA64 utility. To do this, compare the performance in SpeedFan and AIDA64. If there are no values in the latter, then they do not need to be taken into account.
On the left is a list of cooler controllers. The list usually shows more fans than are installed in the computer. Some of them reflect the speed of real coolers. Others, as in the case of temperature data, contain "garbage". Incorrect data in blocks is the only minus of the utility, which goes into each new edition.
Determining the correspondence of sensors and coolers
At the bottom of the program are the propeller speed controls. Their names are "Speed01", "Speed02", etc. (in SpeedFan in Russian - "Fan1", "Fan2"). But before adjusting the speed, you first need to determine the correspondence between the regulators and coolers.
The easiest way to do this is on a desktop computer. Remove the left cover system block. Change the value of the first regulator by a few tens of percent. Observe which cooler starts spinning - faster or slower. Also write down or remember the line in the left block where the value changed.
For laptop users, the easiest way to determine the match is with the AIDA64 utility. At the same time, AIDA64 and the program for overclocking SpeedFan coolers should be running. After changing the value of one of the regulators in SpeedFan, trace in AIDA64, on the page of which device the fan speed indicator will change.
Setting
In order to change the names of sensors and speed indicators to understandable ones, click on the "Configuration" line. To do this, just select any element of the list, and then click on it with the left mouse button. Here, at the bottom of the tab, you can set the desired temperature of the device and critical.
If the component is heated to a critical level, the utility will automatically make the PC fan rotate at maximum speed. When the device cools down to the desired temperature, the cooler speed will be reduced. If filling out the form is difficult for you, and you do not understand what specific values \u200b\u200bmust be entered in these columns, read the instructions that came with the device or find the latest information on the equipment manufacturer's website.
After that, you should click on the "+" icon located next to the device name. In the drop-down list, leave only the checkboxes next to the fan that corresponds to this equipment. Any cooler (fan) can be renamed. To do this, go to the "Fans" tab.
If you want to set up automatic change of the cooler speed, switch to the "Speeds" tab. Highlight the desired fan. At the bottom of the window, enter the minimum and maximum speeds as a percentage. Never set a value equal to 100% as the upper limit, because the cooler will overclock itself to the maximum when it reaches the peak temperature indicated on the main settings tab. Once entered, check the box next to the text "Auto Edit".
Conclusion
The program for overclocking coolers on a SpeedFan computer will appeal to advanced users and overclockers. Everyone else will find it difficult. It will be difficult for an inexperienced user to establish correspondence between fans and sensors and understand all the parameters. In addition, the normal temperature of devices and the critical temperature is not always indicated on the manufacturers' websites and in the instructions.
To get high overclocking results, you need a sufficiently efficient cooling system. In our review, we will look at several coolers of different types in different price categories and choose the best models for overclocking.
The temperature of the processor cores must remain at a sufficiently low level, with a decent margin up to the maximum TJMAX temperature, in order not only to protect the processor from overheating, but also to ensure high overclocking results.
As tests of various CPUs have shown, as the core temperature rises, power consumption also increases, while frequency scaling turns out to be worse than at low temperatures. It is no coincidence that many overclockers prefer to overclock the system on the balcony - in this case, it turns out to cool the central processor more efficiently.
However, too much heat can accumulate under the distributor, and even the best air cooler in the world will not have time to remove it. In such cases, extreme cooling or other measures are required.
The CPU core itself, at least for mainstream CPUs, is much smaller than the heat spreader (source: Intel)
This problem is well known for all Intel processors after the 2nd Generation Core called "Sandy Bridge". Particularly in the third and fourth generation "Ivy Bridge" and "Haswell", many users complained that Intel started using less efficient thermal paste under the heat spreader instead of higher heat transfer solder.
Due to these changes, the processors heated up more than their predecessors "Sandy Bridge" at the same clock frequency and VCore, at high frequencies the additional heating was 20-30 °C.
But Intel, with the Haswell Refresh generation, decided to meet enthusiasts by introducing "Devil's Canyon" processors, which improved the thermal transfer material (TIM) under the heat spreader, which improved temperatures by about 5 ° C. But for continuous operation at high clock At frequencies, enthusiasts still prefer to remove the heat spreader and replace the TIM with liquid metal.
For some processors, heat does not have time to be removed from the die and accumulates under the heat spreader. Therefore, enthusiasts modify processors (
Requirements for modern processor coolers have long been settled. Firstly, this is the efficiency of heat dissipation, secondly, this, of course, is the minimum noise emitted by the fans, and thirdly, this is the price. Choosing the most efficient or the most "powerful" cooler is not a problem, it's much more difficult to choose the best cooler option based on the "price/performance" ratio. Today we will review and compare several CPU coolers from world-famous companies, such as: thermal right, SilverStone, Zalman, Scythe, Thermaltake, deepcool, Ice Hammer. And then, we will try to identify the "best of the best."
Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E Extreme
Silver Arrow SB- E needs no introduction, this is a well-known super-cooler from the company thermal right, which can rightly be considered a leader in its class. The version is " Extreme” is designed for large processors with high heat dissipation, such as the Intel i7 socket 2011.
ThermalrightSilverArrowSB-EExtreme has a two-section radiator of impressive dimensions, the mass of which is 800 grams. Eight heat pipes penetrate 51 plates in each section, the total area of which is about 11500 cm2. The cooler comes with two 140mm fans marked TR-TY143, the rotation speed of which is 600 - 2500 rpm. It is possible to install another additional fan on the cooler.
The cooler has a huge base made of nickel-plated copper, which is securely soldered to six millimeter heat pipes. The base of the cooler looks perfectly flat, which confirms the "mirror effect" on its surface.
thermal right Silver Arrow SB- E Extreme.
Cooler dimensions, mm | 155 x 104 x 163 |
Weight, gr. | 1140 (with fans) |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Nickel-plated aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | |
600 - 2500 rpm |
|
Compatibility | AMD Socket AM2/ AM2+/ AM3 |
SilverStone Heligon HE01
Heligon HE01 another representative of the family of super-coolers from the company SilverStone, which has a two-section radiator, which is typical for all modern coolers of this class. The first thing that catches your eye is, of course, the different thickness of the radiator sections. Radiator design Heligon HE01 similar to the one used in most super coolers. Six heat pipes distribute thermal energy in two sections, each of which has 47 aluminum plates with a total area of about 10900 cm2. Another distinguishing feature of the cooler is the presence of a massive 140 mm fan with an impressive thickness of 38 mm! This monster is able to provide a maximum airflow of 171 CFM at a rotation speed of 2000 rpm, but the noise from the fan can hardly be called comfortable.
6mm heatpipes penetrate the cooler's small base, which has a very flat surface. After processing the base, traces from the router remained, which are clearly visible and also tactilely felt. This, of course, can adversely affect the efficiency of heat dissipation.
Consider the main characteristics SilverStone Heligon HE01.
Cooler dimensions, mm | 160 x 140 x 119 |
Weight, gr. | 1150 (with fan) |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Nickel-plated aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Number of heat pipes pcs. and diameter mm. | |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | |
Fan speed, rpm | 500 - 2000 rpm |
Compatibility | Intel LGA 775/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366/ 2011 |
Zalman CNPS12X
Model CNPS12X this is another creation of engineers Zalman which has its own original design, which the company has been famous for since the days of "bowl-shaped" copper coolers. But if you put everything aside and look at Zalman CNPS12X on the other hand, we have a typical two-section cooler with a not very large heatsink dissipation area, which is 9600 cm2. Love for the cup shape does not leave the engineers Zalman not for a minute, which is probably why the radiator sections have a “designer” shape. The only thing that can be noted is that the cooler has three 120x120 mm fans at once, which, again, have their own “original” (non-removable) design. As a result, replacing the fan with a more productive or quieter one causes big problems.
The base is made using the technology of direct contact of heat pipes with the heat-distributing cover of the processor, designed to improve heat dissipation. In my opinion, the effectiveness of this technology is rather controversial. Although all six heat pipes are very tightly packed together, there are gaps between them that are very visible to the naked eye. There is no need to talk about a flat surface or a mirror effect here, since the base was not subjected to grinding.
Consider the main characteristics Zalman CNPS12X
Cooler dimensions, mm | 151 x 132 x 154 |
Weight, gr. | |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Nickel-plated aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Number of heat pipes pcs. and diameter mm. | |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | |
Fan speed, rpm | 250 - 1200 rpm |
Compatibility | Intel LGA 775/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366/ 2011 AMD Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3+/FM1 |
Zalman FX100 Cube
Zalman FX100 cube not like any of the previously reviewed coolers. This is not surprising, since the model FX100 cube positioned as a passive tower-type CPU cooler. Its appearance resembles a sort of massive "black cube", with an unusual and at the same time strict design. The cooler consists of six small heatsinks, which are interconnected by ten heat pipes. The outer four sections are connected between a system of eight heat pipes, each section has 19 aluminum plates, the distance between which is 4 mm. Two more small radiators are inside, they consist of 26 plates, the distance between which is less than half. The total scattering area is 5000 cm2. To improve efficiency, the cooler has a seat for a 92x92 mm fan between the internal radiators. However, the fan is not included for some reason.
Base FX100 cube the area is very small, thus the engineers Zalman hint to us that this cooler model is more suitable for processors with low heat dissipation. The quality of the surface treatment of the base does not cause any complaints. It has a very flat surface and a mirror effect, which in turn should have a positive effect on the efficiency of heat dissipation.
Consider the main characteristics ZalmanFX100 cube
Cooler dimensions, mm | 156 x 157 x 156 |
Weight, gr. | |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Nickel-plated aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | 128 (total) |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Number of heat pipes pcs. and diameter mm. | |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | is absent |
Compatibility | Intel LGA 775/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366/ 2011 AMD Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3+/FM1 |
Scythe Mugen 4
Cooler Series Mugen from a Japanese company Scythe has long been known to everyone and is not something new. Here is the updated model. Mugen 4, which replaced its brother, this is the same single-section cooler of 625 grams, which has undergone minor changes. Now, instead of four full-fledged sections, as in the cases with Mugen 3, we see a single radiator with minor divisions over the entire area. Thanks to this solution, the company's engineers Scythe managed to increase the scattering area, which is 7300 cm2. The cooler is equipped with one 120 mm fan, the rotation speed of which is 400-1400 rpm. It is noteworthy that the design of the fan blades is similar to the notorious models from the German company Be Quiet.
As for the foundation, there have been no fundamental changes. All the same six heat pipes are stacked and soldered to a copper base, which has a flat surface. The mirror effect is not fully present, but there is a small "ripple".
Consider the main characteristics Scythe Mugen 4
Cooler dimensions, mm | 130 x 88 x 156 |
Weight, gr. | |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Number of heat pipes pcs. and diameter mm. | |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | |
Fan speed, rpm | 400 - 1400 rpm |
Compatibility | Intel LGA 775/ 1156 /1155/ 1366/ 2011 AMD Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3+/FM1 |
Thermaltake Frio OCK
Updated Frio from company Thermaltake at first glance, it looks impressive, due to its dimensions, and most importantly, due to its plastic casing. Cooler Radiator Thermaltake Frio OCK It is divided into two parts, each of which is pierced by five heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm. Each section of the radiator consists of 45 plates with a total area of almost 6000 cm2. Most of the plastic casing is occupied by 140 mm fans, which have an unusual frame structure. There are two fans here, they are removable, but due to their design feature you can only use them with this cooler.
cooler base Thermaltake Frio OCK not very attractive. In addition to noticeable traces from the router on the surface of the base, during testing, an unevenness in the center was revealed. All this, of course, affected the results.
Consider the main characteristics Thermaltake Frio OCK
Cooler dimensions, mm | 143 x 137 x 158 |
Weight, gr. | |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Nickel-plated aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Number of heat pipes pcs. and diameter mm. | |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | |
Fan speed, rpm | 1200 - 2100 rpm |
Compatibility | AMD Socket AM2/ AM2+/ AM3+ |
DeepcoolGamerStormLucifer
Another creation from the company deepcool under the name GamerStormLucifer has a very massive radiator of an interesting shape, which resembles the wings of a butterfly or a “fallen angel”. Radiator design GamerStormLucifer somewhat similar to SilverStone HE02, it has 36 plates and six nickel-plated heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm. The fin spacing of the heatsink is 2.7 mm, which is an advantage when using a cooler with low-speed fans. The scattering area is 6800 cm2.
The cooler comes with a 140mm fan with interesting colors and markings. UV140 . This is a well-known fan from deepcool size 140x140x25 mm with anti-vibration coating around the entire frame.
Cooler base surface DeepcoolGamerStormLucifer processed perfectly. There are no complaints about it, the mirror effect is present throughout the area.
Consider the main characteristics DeepcoolGamerStormLucifer
Cooler dimensions, mm | 168 x 136 x 140 |
Weight, gr. | 893 (with fan) |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Nickel-plated aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Number of heat pipes pcs. and diameter mm. | |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | |
Fan speed, rpm | 700 - 1400 rpm |
Compatibility | Intel LGA 775/ 1156/ 1155/ 1366/ 2011 AMD Socket AM2+/ AM3+ |
Ice Hammer IH-THOR
IH-THOR this is another representative of the family of super-coolers from the company Ice Hammer. A large two-section radiator weighing almost 1 kg reminds us very much of the design COGAGE ARROW from thermal right. All the same two sections with equal thickness, between which there are a pair of 140 mm fans. However, the radiator IH-THOR 58 aluminum plates are located on six heat pipes, against 55 plates and four tubes in COGAGE ARROW. An increase in the number of radiator fins gave a dissipation area of 11500 cm2. The design of the fans included in the kit is also copied from TR-TY143 from the same company thermalright.
The exceptionally flat base is very well soldered at the points of contact with the heat pipes. The polished surface of the cooler base has a mirror effect.
Consider the main characteristics Ice Hammer IH-THOR
Cooler dimensions, mm | 164 x 147 x 123 |
Weight, gr. | |
Base material | Nickel-plated copper |
Radiator fin material | Nickel-plated aluminum |
Number of plates, pcs. | |
Heat pipe material | Nickel-plated copper |
Number of heat pipes pcs. and diameter mm. | |
Fan size mm., their number, pcs. | |
Fan speed, rpm | 900 - 1300 rpm |
Compatibility | Intel LGA 775/ 1156/ 1155/ 1366/ 2011 AMD Socket AM2+/ AM3+ |
Price
Having got to know all the participants better and having examined the features, I suggest you take a look at the retail price * of each model.
*the price of a particular model may differ depending on the region and the selected retail store.
Testing tools and methodology
Test system configuration:
- Processor: Inteli7-3930K(4.20GHz/HTon-1.260v);
- Thermal interface:ArcticCoolingMX-4;
- Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Formula;
- RAM: Corsair Dominator GT 2133MHz 4Gbx4;
- Video card: ASUSHD7970 DC2 TOP;
- Power supply: Corsair HX 650W.
Testing tools:
- Operating system: Windows 7 x64;
- CPU temperature monitor: RealTemp GT 3.70;
- CPU Test Software:LinX 0.6.4 AVX;
- CPU software:CPU-Z 1.62 x64;
- Reobas: Scythe Kaze Master II.
The frequency of the i7-3930K processor was increased to 4.2 GHz at a voltage of 1.260 V and active Hyper-Threading technology. With the help of the program LinX 0.6.4AVX 100% processor load was made in 10 cycles, with a total duration of ~ 10 minutes. Temperature measurement for each core was carried out using the program RealTemp GT 3.70. The temperature values given below are arithmetic averages for each mode. The coolers were tested in two modes with standard fans that were included in the package. First mode "quiet", the fan speed was 1000-1050 rpm, the second mode "maximum", the name itself suggests that the fan speed was the highest possible. Cooler Zalman FX100 cube in passive mode (“quiet”) and with a 90 mm fan installed Arctic Cooling F9 at 1500 rpm (“maximum”). The ambient temperature during testing was 26 aboutWith.
Test results
First, consider the temperature of the processor without load.
As you can see, almost all participants show similar results. Only one stands out, it's a passive cooler Zalman FX100 Cube, which is not surprising. The difference in temperature between the other coolers is 3-4 degrees.
Now let's look at the processor temperatures at 100% load.
Surprisingly, the leader this time turned out to be Heligon HE01 from company silverstone, which very adequately coped with the hot temper of the i7-3930K. The second place belongs to the updated Silver Arrow SB- E Extreme from the world famous thermal right, who lost only 1 degree to the leader. Well, third place went to DeepcoolGamerStormLucifer. Do not forget that the temperature value was taken for the final result in the "maximum" mode, in which the fan speed varies. Concerning Zalman FX100 cube, then here he failed miserably! Although you should not blame him for this, the destiny FX100 cube these are processors with a heat dissipation of no more than 80W, such as i5 . The temperature during testing reached 99 aboutWith, after which the testing had to be stopped, in order to avoid overheating of the processor.
Results
Well, today we have tested and found the best of the best among modern coolers. But that's not all, our editors have established three nominations among the participants in our today's testing.
So the nomination "Super Cooler" rightfully awarded Silver Arrow SB- E Extreme from company thermal right. Despite the fact that he lost only 1 degree Heligon HE01, the noise level emitted by the fans from thermal right was much smaller than from a 38 mm monster SilverStone. Thereby SilverArrowSB-EExtreme once again confirms its title of "Super-cooler" .
In the nomination "Golden mean" deservedly won DeepcoolGamerStormLucifer, which showed decent results in both fan modes. Wherein GamerStormLucifer costs much less than many other test participants.
Last nomination "Innovative Design" awarded to passive cooler Zalman FX100 cubes. Although he did not cope with the task, but still the company's engineers Zalman managed to develop an excellent passive cooler that can cool mid-range processors without any problems.
Also, all participants of our testing receive an honorary title "Participant of spring testing 2014"
The editors would like to express their gratitude to the companies silverstone,Zalman, Thermaltake, Deepcool, Ice Hammer, as well as an online store coolera. en, for providing cooler models for testing.
Long gone are the days when processors could be cooled passively, without coolers or even heatsinks - modern processors, except perhaps for Pentium and Celeron J-series, require at least active air cooling, and at most - water. And what is better for specific processors, we will consider in this article.
Processor heat dissipation
This is the most important parameter, it is worth paying attention to it in the first place. Find out the heat dissipation (TDP) of your Intel processor you can visit ark.intel.com, AMD - products.amd.com. Also, most coolers indicate how many watts they can take, and this figure should be more than the heat dissipation of the processor.
Processors with TDP up to 35W (Intel Core T-series or AMD Pro A-series)
Processors from Intel here are essentially mobile Intel Core - a fairly low native frequency, about 2.5-3 GHz, and a significant Turbo Boost up to 3.5-4 GHz. As a result, such processors are well suited for compact systems where it's hard to do good cooling, but relatively good performance is required. AMD, on the other hand, presents here the so-called APUs - that is, a processor with fairly powerful integrated graphics: an ideal solution for a multimedia PC. In both cases, the heat dissipation does not exceed 35 W, so here you can get by with the simplest cooler with an aluminum radiator without any heat pipes:
Processors with heat dissipation up to 50 W (Intel Celeron and Pentium G-series, Core i3)
These are simple dual-core processors, some of them have hyper-threading enabled. Frequencies can reach 4 GHz, but even in this case, the heat dissipation of 50 W is very excessive for them (not to mention the Celeron without hyperthreading at 3 GHz - there are 30 W of the eye). As a result, the same cooling system as in the previous case is enough - a simple aluminum radiator and a fan.
Processors with heat dissipation up to 65W (Intel Core i5 and i7, AMD Ryzen without index X)
The processors from Intel are all quad-core, some with hyper-threading. Frequencies can reach 4 GHz, but there is no overclocking. As a result, 65 W is a reasonable figure for them, and even under stress load, heat dissipation is unlikely to be higher. In the case of AMD, everything is somewhat better - processors have up to 8 cores, but the frequencies are low, 3-3.5 GHz, so such processors fit into a 65 W heat pack. However, they can overclock, so if you are interested in it, see the item with overclocked processors.
As a result, an ordinary heatsink with a simple fan is no longer suitable for such processors - it makes sense to take a tower cooler with 1-2 heat pipes and a 72-90 mm cooler, like this:
Processors with TDP up to 95W (Intel Core i5 and i7 with K index, AMD Ryzen with X index)
These processors are considered the top of the user segment - in the case of Intel, native frequencies can reach as much as 4.5 GHz, in the case of AMD - up to 4 GHz. Alas - in modern realities, an increase in frequency above 3.5-4 GHz leads to an avalanche-like increase in heat dissipation, therefore, at stock frequencies, the same i7-7700K is faster than the i7-7700 by only 10%, when the difference in heat dissipation is 30 W - almost half of the i7-7700 heat pack !
As a result, if you take such processors and will not overclock them, then you need to take already simple representatives of super-coolers, with 3-4 copper heat pipes and a 90-120 mm fan:
Processors with TDP up to 200W (overclocked processors, or Intel Core i7 and i9 X-series, AMR Ryzen Threadripper)
As I said above, every hundred megahertz above 4 GHz is given with a fight, and as a result, the i7-7700K at a frequency of 5 GHz can have heat dissipation as much as 150-170 watts. The heat dissipation of AMD Ryzen 7 under overclocking to 4-4.2 GHz on all cores can even go beyond the psychological bar of 200 watts. This also includes X-series processors from Intel (6-18-core processors) and 16-core processors from AMD - they have a heat dissipation of about 150 watts.
As a result, such processors require either a top-end super-cooler like this:
Or already a water cooling system, preferably with two coolers.
The nuances of choosing a cooler
So, with heat dissipation and appearance cooler sorted out, but there are some important nuances:
- Cooler Height: If you're getting a tower cooler, make sure it fits into the case. Otherwise, he simply will not allow the lid to close.
- Cooler dimensions: super-coolers can be so large that they will cover the first RAM slots and the PCI slot, so either take a cooler of a different shape, or take a motherboard where the RAM slots are far from the socket, and the first PCI slot has x1 speed.
- Cooler noise: coolers that look the same can make completely different noises, so if silence is important to you, you should look at the reviews and find out how much this or that cooler is noisy.
- Compatibility of the cooler with the socket: perhaps the most banal thing, but they forget about it - the cooler must have a mount for your processor socket, otherwise you will have to collective farm the mount yourself, which is not always possible to do.
- Cooler weight: super coolers often weigh more than a kilogram - such a load can cause deflection and failure motherboard. So if you have a heavy cooler - think about the fact that it needs to be additionally attached to the case in order to reduce the load on the motherboard.
- Place for a CBO radiator: if you want to take yourself a water cooling system, then make sure that there is room for it on the case.
- Use of liquid metal: if you decide to use liquid metal as a thermal interface, then choose a cooler with a non-aluminum base (otherwise it will corrode). Also, liquid metal conducts current - make sure that it does not get on the motherboard.
