Im building a new computer (first time) and Im going with an E6400, on an Asus board... I want to get a CPU fan, but I have no idea what to get. Some are too heavy, some dont push enough air, some are just crap... can someone help me choose one?
The ThermalRight SI-128, Zalman CNPS9500-Cu, and the ThermalTake Big Typhoon are good.
The E6400 doesn't produce much heat, so you shouldn't have to worry. Maxiumum PC's latest issue was on their Dream Machine and they had a Core 2 Duo X6800 Extreme and they used the Zalman CNPS9500-Cu, and the temps were so low that even when they unplugged the heatsink fan and let it run passively for hours, the temperature only rose 3C.
Awesome, thanks alot. Im just really nervous with this because this is gonna be the first PC I build and its also going to be the first time Im gonna be OCing a system as well - so I really dont want anything to go wrong. Im gonna have 2 120mm Thermaltake Smart Fans (front and back), with that CPU fan. I hope its enough to keep the system cool.
It should. Just remember to calm down, no need to get nervous. Sure, I'm sure you're excited, as most are when they build their very first computer. It should be fine.
It takes the heat from the base, it goes into the heatpipes and the heatpipes carry it to the fins. Heatpipes are basically hollow metal tubes that have liquid in them, and they carry the heat up as it gets hotter, since heat is dense compared to cold. When the heat comes to the fins, it relies on the fan to carry the heat away. The SI-128 needs a fan, as ThermalRight heatsinks don't provide a fan. I would suggest buying a cheap Yate-Loon, Delta Tri-Blade, Panasonic Panaflo or Sanyo Denki.
Since Core 2 doesn't run too hot, you don't need to worry about a high-speed fan. A medium speed should be fine for what you're using.
Is there a such thing as an air filter for the case fan? Something to put over the front opening of the tower to filter out the air the front fan is pulling in - minimize the amount of dust getting into the system.
Is there a such thing as an air filter for the case fan? Something to put over the front opening of the tower to filter out the air the front fan is pulling in - minimize the amount of dust getting into the system.