Need some help finding a decent air-cooler.

[Synomenon]

I'm looking for a good air cooler to replace my Corsair H70. Just got an Asus Rampage IV Gene to replace the board in the pic.:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=...&postcount=786


I need a good air cooler that I can install two fans on (push/pull) w/o blocking any of my RAM slots AND still having the fans facing / blowing upwards towards the exhaust of the case (SilverStone FT03). It's going to be cooling a 3960X or 3930K.

I'm looking at the Xigmatek Prime SD1484, but it might be too big once I put 2x 120mm or 140mm fans on it.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Rampage IV Gene:

[Mr.Scott]

Not gonna happen. Any straight air cooler that's better than a H70 is gonna be huge with 2 fans on it. That's most of the reason people are migrating towards the AIO coolers.
TT Frio is about as compact as I can think of right now for a decent air solution.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835106150

[Nagoshi]

My 212+'s fan wouldnt clear standard-height RAM, so you'd need either low-profile RAM, a cooler whose fins begins higher than most coolers, or low-profile fans. Or, install the fans higher on the cooler as to clear the RAM sticks, but you lose some fan area on the heatsink... and it is not possible with all coolers.

Only other thing I can think about, install your outsidemost fan on your H70 outside the case with a fan grill, so you dont lose the push/pull. Its not the prettiest solution, but it seems like the top area of your case is sort of covered anyway.

[mimart7]

My Ripjaws, just barely fit under the fan. I had to install my ram first, then the fan. If you have the T1 version of your ram, forget about a large hsf with 2 fans.

[Synomenon]

The air-cooler doesn't have to be as good as the H70. It just needs to be able to cool a 3930k or 3960x.

So with my setup, there's no heatsink that will work w/o blocking the RAM?

[mimart7]

the Fro Mr. Scott pointed out, may work. You'll have to check the dimensions of the Frio, and find out how room you have to work with in your case. The 3930k, and the 3960x can run hot. Intel is selling an AIO kit, but there better one's on the market, like the H80, and H100. Why do you want to replace your H70?

Additional Comment:

Nvm, just took a look at your case, and you have a really tight fit.

[Synomenon]

Are the Corsair H60 or Antec Kuhler 620 good enough for a 3930K or 3960X? I could mount the radiator right up against the case wall and have the top fan on the outside (other side of the fan opening on the top). With that config., the whole assembly might clear the RAM.

This is the same system with a Corsair H60:

[0v32Clocke2]

I just installed a Silver Arrow cooler over my Corsair Vengeance RAM sticks. The lowest two fins on the RAM side hit the top of the closest stick, however, if you bend up a fin or two on that side, you can squeeze it in there. Both 140mm fans are on the back side of each fin stack. It is a HUGE cooler but it just fits inside my Lian-Li mid tower. The cooling efficiency is phenomenal. Used to game around 62C and now it busts out around 47C max. I can hardly hear the cooler at all.


Lian Li Case / ASUS 990X EVO MB / AMD FX-8120 / 16G Corsair Vengeance / Radeon HD 6950 IceQ X Turbo 2GB / Intel 120G SSD / 850W Raidmax / Thermalright Silver Arrow cooler / Blue LED light strip / Win7 64bit

[Granger]

The Noctua NH-C14 will work, but the airflow won't be in the direction you want it to be.

I had one in before going to water, they can be run on push/pull with a fan on each side, but they work just as well with only one fan (which is how its running at the moment on my old rig)
Clearence was tight, but taking off the bottom fan is quite easy if you need access to the ram sticks.