CPU cooler under 135mm high

ninja 12

I recently upgraded from an AMD FX6300 to an AMD Ryzen 2600X

Slight issue is that the stock cooler is pretty rubbish (Wraith Spire) and the air flow in my case isn't the best (Silverstone LC16) and it's getting a bit toasty :pac:

Anyway , the cooler that I was previously using does not fit with the AM4 mounting holes .It's a Xigmatek Loki and has been performing perfectly with my previous CPU .


I would have no hesitation buying a new Xigmatek cooler but can't find them for sale - this one - TYR SD964B


The maximum height for a CPU cooler in my case is 135mm so I was looking at my options .

Alpenföhn Sella

Thermalright TRUE Spirit 90 Direct

SilverStone SST-AR02-V2


SilverStone SST-AR08-V2


They're all pretty similar - three heatpipes with a 92mm fan .

Budget is about 40 euros including postage .



The Alpenföhn Sella is the cheapest by a long mile and rated for 130w , the thermalright rated for 120w, not sure about the Silverstones .


Currently tied between the Sella and Thermalright .



I'd love to say feck it and buy something like the Alpenföhn Atlas and AM4 bracket , but it pushes way over budget

Any other options or advice ?

Thanks

K.O.Kiki

Arctic Freezer 13 or DeepCool Gammaxx 400.

ninja 12

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Arctic Freezer 13 or DeepCool Gammaxx 400.

Thanks .

I've ruled out the Arctic Freezer as it faces sideways using the AMD mounting bracket .


I'm aiming for a cooler that directs the air towards the rear case fans .

I really don't like the AMD Wraith Spire that came with the CPU as it blows the hot air down onto the board .


See the pics below -

First two with the old board and Xigmatek Loki , the last pic with the new board and Ryzen 2600X .

1


2


3



The DeepCool Gammaxx 400 is too tall but the DeepCool Gammaxx 300 should fit .


I was also looking at the Cooler Master H410 / 411 / 412 but they're listed at 136.5 mm high . Silverstone say max height for cooler is 135 but I'm not sure if there's much leeway .

K.O.Kiki

I'd try changing the fan airflow first.

ninja 12

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I'd try changing the fan airflow first.

Hi ,


I added a 92mm fan at the front of the case and it didn't make much of a difference .

I'll add a fan to the intake you've highlighted tomorrow and see how it goes .


In the meantime I've been experimenting .


I ran the assassins creed origins benchmark several times in a row and the air coming from the rear fans (2x 80mm golf fans ) was pretty warm .


took the case lid off and the CPU heatsink didn't feel too warm even though it was saying it was over 60 degrees .


The vrm heatsink below the rear io shield was a bit warm but not too warm to keep a finger on it , and hw monitor said 60 degrees .


However I've come up with a theory as to why it's so warm it the case -


1,
The graphics card (GTX 960 ITX version) is now able to work at full speed .
I'm guessing it was bottlenecked by the FX 6300 before as now the back of it is boiling hot .

Previously in AC Origins , all cores of the FX were maxed out and the GPU usage was well below 100% ( cant remember exactly )
Now the CPU isn't at 100% any more but the GPU is .

It never used to run this hot before , so basically the graphics card is really the source of most of the heat in the case .

2,
The graphics card is one slot nearer to the CPU than it was in the last motherboard .

It's now in the slot nearest the CPU .


3,
The two points above combined with a top down stock AMD cooler instead of a tower type cooler means that the air over the motherboard isn't being pushed back towards the rear case fans like it used to with the Xigmatek I had been running .


Hopefully a tower type cooler (under 135mm) blowing the air towards the rear of the case will help airflow .


I found this -
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/thermalright-130mm-tower-cooler.8610/

It looks like Thermalright have a new cooler coming out soon that'll suit me perfectly (depending on price )


Sorry for all the rambling

K.O.Kiki

I'm not surprised the front fan did nothing - there's barely any slots for it to intake air AND it hits those cages straight away!

Take one of your rear 80mm fans & swap it to the side for now, see if that helps.

ninja 12

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I'm not surprised the front fan did nothing - there's barely any slots for it to intake air AND it hits those cages straight away!

Take one of your rear 80mm fans & swap it to the side for now, see if that helps.

There's vents inside the cutout where the drive cage is missing .

I put an empty drive cage in with the fan in it ( its the only way of attaching a fan to the front )


I'll stick a fan on the side intake tomorrow and see how it goes .

ninja 12

I've also replaced all the PCI slot covers with vented ones , to help air get to the GPU fan

TerrorFirmer

Also, at a basic level, are you overthinking all of this? Obviously a GPU at 100% will generate more heat, but CPU temps of 60c+ are entirely, completely normal on stock coolers and nothing whatsoever to be worried about unless it's the actual noise levels that are bothering you.

No matter how good your setup is, the air will be warm, as heat will always be generated. It's just a matter of how it is dispersed.

I also agree with KO's diagram of improvements that can be made, though overall, I see no reason at all for any concern.

I'm currently using a W3530 from 2010, a 130w CPU, and it's normal for it to be at 70-80c under load....but it also is nothing to be worried about as it's par for the course in a normal setup in this context.

ninja 12

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Also, at a basic level, are you overthinking all of this?

Obviously a GPU at 100% will generate more heat, but CPU temps of 60c+ are entirely, completely normal on stock coolers and nothing whatsoever to be worried about unless it's the actual noise levels that are bothering you.

Haha , yeah I am probably over thinking it , but why change the habit of a lifetime

Noise is a bit of a concern , it's in my sitting room and is used for watching TV using MediaPortal .

I don't mind the fan noise when playing games though ,the fan noise is drowned out by the amp and speakers

I just don't like all 5 motherboard temp sensors showing 40-50 degrees when idle and 55-70 when gaming

I'll experiment with more fans tomorrow .

K.O.Kiki

If you truly want low noise, get Be Quiet or Noctua fans.