# Need New Computer Fan.



## SecondSight (Mar 28, 2008)

Hey, recently I have realised the CPU cooler that came with my pc just isnt good enouth... first thing is the noise, its very loud and can be distracting when playing games. It also doesnt seem to be able to cool down my computer parts even when it is spinning at its max speed.


My Pc started with;

Built in graphics
4GB ram
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33GHz 
and a 250 watt power supply.

Since i have added an overclocked radeon 4870 1 GB and a 550 watt power supply.

Since adding these the fan doesnt seem capable of keeping the pc at a stable lower temp.

I need your guys help on which CPU fan to get that is quiet but also very good at keeping my whole pc cool. Thanks in advance ray: ray:


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

There's a lot of choices when it comes to cpu cooling. It also will depend on the size of your case, whether or not you overclock, how much your cpu gets stressed, and, of course, budget. 

Something like the Zalman CNPS10X Quiet would probably suit your purposes, if it fits in your case. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/198972


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## SecondSight (Mar 28, 2008)

Well I dont have an exact budget but most I could go to is about £40.

Would the cooler you linked to me work better than the stock cooler that came with the pc, When i first bought the pc it was about £250.


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Generally the stock cooler will do an adequate job, but can get noisy when stressed. That's often why people get aftermarket units, aside from lowered temperatures, you also get lowered noise levels. With the 10X, Zalman has several different units with varying performance in heat and sound. This one is designed for low noise, hence the name. There are plenty of others out there which are near silent as well. 
I've use the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro for a nice quiet budget unit. It's not for large overclocks, but does an admirable job with noise. Been around for a time though, not newish like the Zalman, but you will like the price.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176157

edit - these are tower style heatsinks, they may not fit into a small form factor case, but aren't real huge like some, you don't see size compatability issues real often. As long as you have a mid-tower case or larger.


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## SecondSight (Mar 28, 2008)

When buying a cpu fan what are the main specs i should be looking at? How can I know how much noise there is and how the performance is? 

Thanks for all the help btw xD


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Well, often they'll give a db rating, though the manufacturer's will also fudge those somewhat. It'll be for the slowest the fan will turn under power, or somesuch, not normal fan speeds. Arctic Cooling is well known for quiet fans. I have a few of the video card coolers, you basically can't hear them. Not like cranking up the stock fan, those sound like turbo-charged vacuums, yet the AC unit is nice and silent. And I'm grateful for that when running [email protected] with 100% gpu usage by the graphics card. Very few aftermarket units will be as loud as the stock. Hmm, looked at spcr, they think it's too loud at full speed. Could be that I have too many other fans running for an accurate assessment. The review is from 2005.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article285-page1.html 

So, I looked at the frostytech top heatsinks for noise and perfomance list. On the quiet side, it's full speed fan noise, and they have the stock in at number 5, I find that a tad odd. I've used the Scythe Zipang and the Katana II from that list, the first was quiet, the second loud. 
http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm You'll find a ton of reviews around that site.

Have to run, will keep a few thoughts in mind, and look for some links in the UK.


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