Intel i7-930@3.3GHz on GA X58A-UD3R: Mugen2 or Kabuto?

[PeterN]

Dear All,

Could you please help me to decide regarding the CPU cooler for my PC (see in configuration in the topic name)?

The goals are:
- get silent PC for the low and medium load (let's say, web browsing and work in Photoshop in a non-batch mode), I have a boxed cooler now and it is a bit loud in night even when idle but keeps the CPU temperature about 40-42C when idle and up to 60-62C loaded;
- possibility to slightly overclock the CPU, let's say up to 3.3GHz, max 3.6 without substantial increase of the noise level and temperature;
- if possible - cooler could be installed without dismounting the motherboard from the PC case.

The PC case is Cooler Master Centurion.

As far as I understood from the tests, the coolers have similar noise level and cooling capability, right?

Please help me to choose .

Another idea - some people suggest me to look to the Noctua NH-U12P SE2 - tests show that it is a bit more loud, more expensive and have similar or slightly better cooling power with Mugen 2, so I believe it is not the choice or it has other benefits?

Thanks .

[Oli]

Go for Mugen 2 or Yasya for i7 CPUs. I will not discuss Noctua products here - sorry for that.

If you think of top blowing cooler then you should take a look at Grand Kama Cross instead of Kabuto - but it is fairly large.

[PeterN]

Originally Posted by Oli

Go for Mugen 2 or Yasya for i7 CPUs. I will not discuss Noctua products here - sorry for that.

If you think of top blowing cooler then you should take a look at Grand Kama Cross instead of Kabuto - but it is fairly large.

Thanks for the feedback .
Yasya looks quite noisy, see the low rpm data at Scythe Yasya | Hardware.Info Nederland or the data for the high speed (at the same link).

The Grand Kama Cross cooler looks impressive but IMHO doesn't impress enough with the results: Test: Scythe Grand Kama Cross CPU-Kühler (Seite 5) - 01.02.2010 - ComputerBase
Unfortunately I did not find the noise level comparison for this cooler.

Why isn't the Kabuto cooler a good choice for i7? Not powerful enough?
I'll stay with Mugen2 if it is so.

[Oli]

For me GKC is the top of the line product of Top Blowers. So if you find GKC not powerful enough i wouldn't choose Kabuto either. My opinion.

Keep in mind that Yasya allows high flexibility in fan regulation. Nevertheless - as I am a fan of the rather simple but great Slipstream PWM fan on Mugen 2 I'd go for this product.

I am using two Slipstream PWM as push & pull on my Mugen 1 and they do are perfect job (running at 250 rpm when my system is idle and PWM set to silent in Asus BIOS).

[PeterN]

Oli, thank you very much for your opinion.
So my favorite choice now is Mugen 2 (I hope that it isn't because I just started this topic in the Mugen forum ). I hope it could maintain the same low rpm on my GA board with yours. It should be really silent.

But still I would appreciate a lot all other inputs. Anyhow, I plan to deal with the new cooler installation on the next weekend only .

[PeterN]

Heh, just received my Mugen 2 rev.B.
It is a quite large thing, I would say :-).

I heard that the thermal interface grease provided with the cooler is not very good.
I have some Arctic MX-2 grease - is it better that the Mugen's one?

Thanks.

[Oli]

I'd use the MX2 - this is also my preferred thermal grease at the moment for non-lapped CPUs and Arctic Creamique for lapped CPU heatspreaders.