How to find out if the cooler will fit the processor. How to choose a cooling system for your processor

Long gone are the days when processors could be cooled passively, without coolers or even radiators - modern processors, except perhaps the Pentium and Celeron J-lines, require at least an active air cooling, and at most - water. And we will look at what is best for specific processors in this article.

Processor heat dissipation

This is the most important parameter, you should pay attention to it first of all. You can find out the thermal dissipation (TDP) of your Intel processor on the website ark.intel.com, AMD - products.amd.com. Most coolers also indicate how many watts they can dissipate, and this figure should be greater than the heat dissipation of the processor.

Processors with heat dissipation up to 35 W ( Intel Core T-series or AMD Pro A-series)

Processors from Intel here represent essentially mobile Intel Core - a fairly low native frequency, about 2.5-3 GHz, and significant Turbo Boost up to 3.5-4 GHz. As a result, such processors are well suited for compact systems where it's hard to do good cooling, but you need relatively good performance. AMD here presents the so-called APUs - that is, a processor with fairly powerful integrated graphics: an ideal solution for a multimedia PC. In both cases, the heat release does not exceed 35 W, so here you can get by with the simplest cooler with an aluminum radiator without any heat pipes:

Processors with heat dissipation up to 50 W ( Intel Celeron and Pentium G-lines, Core i3)

These are simple dual-core processors, some of which have hyperthreading enabled. Frequencies can reach 4 GHz, but even in this case, the heat dissipation of 50 W is very excessive for them (not to mention the Celeron without hyperthreading with a frequency of 3 GHz - there are 30 W of the eye). As a result, the same cooling system as in the previous case will suffice - a simple aluminum radiator and fan.

Processors with heat dissipation up to 65 W (Intel Core i5 and i7, AMD Ryzen without X index)

The Intel processors here are all quad-core, some with hyper-threading. Frequencies can reach 4 GHz, but there is no overclocking. As a result, 65 W is a reasonable figure for them, and even under a stressful load the heat dissipation is unlikely to be higher. In the case of AMD, everything is somewhat better - the processors have up to 8 cores, but the frequencies are low, 3-3.5 GHz, so such processors fit into a thermal package of 65 W. However, they can be overclocked, so if you are interested in it, see the item with overclocked processors.

As a result, for such processors a regular radiator with a simple fan will no longer be suitable - it makes sense to take a tower cooler with 1-2 heat pipes and a 72-90 mm cooler, like this:

Processors with thermal output up to 95 W (Intel Core i5 and i7 with index K, AMD Ryzen with index X)

These processors are considered the top of the user segment - in the case of Intel, native frequencies can reach as much as 4.5 GHz, in the case of AMD - up to 4 GHz. Alas - in modern realities An increase in frequency above 3.5-4 GHz leads to an avalanche-like increase in heat dissipation, so at stock frequencies the same i7-7700K is faster than the i7-7700 by only 10%, when the difference in heat dissipation is 30 W - almost half of the thermal package of the i7-7700!

As a result, if you take such processors and do not overclock them, then you need to take simple representatives of super-coolers, with 3-4 copper heat pipes and a 90-120 mm fan:

Processors with TDP up to 200 W (overclocked processors, or Intel lines Core i7 and i9 X-series, AMR Ryzen Threadripper)

As I said above, every hundred megahertz above 4 GHz is given with a fight, and as a result, the i7-7700K at a frequency of 5 GHz can have a heat dissipation of as much as 150-170 W. The heat dissipation of AMD Ryzen 7 when overclocked to 4-4.2 GHz on all cores can even go beyond the psychological level of 200 W. This also includes X-line processors from Intel (6-18 core processors) and 16 core processors from AMD - they have a heat dissipation of about 150 W.

As a result, such processors require either a top-end super cooler like this:

Or a water cooling system, preferably with two coolers.

Nuances of choosing a cooler

So, with heat generation and appearance We sorted out the cooler, but some important nuances remain:

• Cooler height: if you take a tower cooler, make sure that it fits into the case. Otherwise, it will simply not allow the lid to close.
• Cooler dimensions: super coolers can be so large that they will overlap the first RAM slots and the PCI slot, so either take a cooler of a different shape, or take a motherboard where the RAM slots are far from the socket, and the first PCI slot has x1 speed.
• Cooler noise: coolers that look identical can make completely different noises, so if silence is important to you, you should look at reviews and find out how loud a particular cooler is.
• Compatibility of the cooler with the socket: perhaps the most banal thing, but they forget about it - the cooler must have a mount for your processor socket, otherwise you will have to make the mount yourself, which is not always possible to do.
• Cooler weight: super coolers often weigh more than a kilogram - such a load can cause sagging and failure of the motherboard. So if you have a heavy cooler, think about the fact that it needs to be additionally attached to the case in order to reduce the load on the motherboard.
• Space for the SVO radiator: if you want to get a water cooling system, then make sure that there is space on the case for it.
• Using liquid metal: If you decide to use liquid metal as a thermal interface, then choose a cooler with a base that is not made of aluminum (otherwise it will corrode). Liquid metal also conducts current - make sure that it does not get on the motherboard.

Nowadays it is very difficult to imagine life without the use of computers and various gadgets, because with their help almost everything is available to us. For some it is entertainment, for others it is a way of communication, for others it is a place to work and earn good money. If there is demand, it means there is progress, today is the most average personal computer has the performance that prestigious institutions dreamed of just a few years ago. Yes, we ourselves notice that every year newer and more powerful computers are born.

U high power There is a huge disadvantage - heat generation. If the load on the processor is high enough, it consumes more electricity, and therefore highlights large number heat. And heat is a problem, because its excess leads to system malfunctions, and frequent and prolonged overheating of the processor can lead to rapid failure of the latter, since the processor requires constant cooling, especially if you load it heavily or overclock it. That is why the cooler has become almost the most important part of a computer, although not the most expensive.

How to choose a good cooler for a computer based on parameters (4 important points)

Listed above are the most basic aspects, knowledge of which is necessary when purchasing a cooler. We can only advise that when purchasing a cooler, you touch its blades: they should not have any play, and they should also spin easily. We must not forget about the material from which the cooling radiator was made; it is best if it is aluminum.

To achieve high overclocking results, you need a sufficiently powerful cooling system. In our review we will look at several coolers different types in different price categories and choose best models for overclocking.

The temperature of the processor cores must remain at a sufficiently low level, with a decent margin up to the maximum temperature TJMAX, in order not only to protect the processor from overheating, but also to ensure high overclocking results.

As tests of various CPUs have shown, as core temperatures increase, power consumption also increases, while frequency scaling turns out to be worse than with low temperatures. It is no coincidence that many overclockers prefer to overclock the system on the balcony - in this case it is possible to cool it more efficiently CPU.

However, too much heat may accumulate under the distributor, and even the best air cooler in the world will not have time to remove it. In such cases, extreme cooling or other measures are required.

The CPU core itself, at least in mainstream CPUs, is much smaller than the heat spreader (source: Intel)

This problem is well known to everyone. Intel processors after 2nd generation Core called " Sandy Bridge". In particular, the third and fourth generation "Ivy Bridge" and "Haswell", many users complained that Intel began using less than efficient thermal paste under the heat spreader instead of higher heat transfer solder.

Due to these changes, the processors became hotter than their "Sandy Bridge" predecessors at the same clock speed and VCore, at high frequencies additional heating was 20-30 °C.

But Intel, with the Haswell Refresh generation, decided to meet the enthusiasts halfway by introducing "Devil's Canyon" processors, which featured improved thermal transfer material (TIM) under the heat spreader, which improved temperatures by about 5 °C. But for long work at high clock speeds Enthusiasts still prefer to remove the heat spreader and replace the TIM with liquid metal.

For some processors, heat does not have time to be removed from the chip and accumulates under the heat spreader. Therefore, enthusiasts modify processors (

Any computer enthusiast, and there are a majority of them on our site, should know– What parameters should you pay attention to when choosing a cooler for and how do these small turntables differ from each other? Is it worth buying a tower cooler or is the boxed version enough? WITHIs it worth installing “dropsy” and what is Power Dissipation?I will try to answer all these questions today.

So, when they come to the store to choose a little spinning comrade for their processor, many users’ eyes begin to run wild. And this is not surprising; today the market offers a huge number of models at a wide variety of prices. Conventionally, coolers can be divided into three categories.

Boxed and heatpipe-less coolers

The most simple models on the market, consisting of an aluminum plate with fins and a fan attached to them. Almost every processor model has two versions for sale.

First - BOX version(hence the name of boxed coolers), which includes the processor itself and a simple cooler without heat pipes included.

Second version - OEM, which includes a bare processor. By the way, boxed versions usually have a much longer warranty on the product, but that’s not what we’re talking about today.

(BOX cooler DEEPCOOL THETA 9 for CPU Intel Pentium G4560)

As we see, in in this case the price is slightly different, but it differs precisely because of the cooler included and the extended warranty.

And the first question that I am often asked is: Is it worth taking BOX version Or should I buy the turntable separately? It all depends on the price and purpose of your PC. In this case, the difference is 1250 rubles, which is quite noticeable. I recommend taking the boxed version of the processor if the difference does not exceed 400-500 rubles. Plus, a bonus in the form of a big guarantee is never superfluous. As for the purpose of your computer, everything is simple, if your gaming or workstation from the entry-level and mid-price segment, then the boxed version will be quite enough for you. If your system is closer to the top options or if it will be overclocked (during overclocking, the amount of heat generated by the processor due to increased voltage on the stone increases greatly!), then you need to buy a more advanced fan model separately. The advantages of boxed coolers include low price and compactness. The downside is that they are not suitable for powerful machines and, due to their small size, they are often quite noisy. So we've sorted out the boxes, let's move on to the next category of turntables.

Liquid cooling systems or, more simply put, “dropsy”

They consist of a copper base that is installed on the processor cover, a small pump that circulates water, a pair of tubes and a radiator with fans.

The next question I’m asked regarding cooling is: is it worth installing “dropsy”? I’ll answer right away that no. If you analyze all the pros and cons of these systems and compare them with the pros and cons of tower coolers, it becomes clear that the latter are much more advisable to buy.

Tower coolers with heat pipes

The next category of processor cooling is just tower coolers with heat pipes. They consist of a copper or aluminum base, from which several heat pipes extend, to which a radiator is in turn attached. And the cooler is already attached to the radiator.

If you compare them with water cooling systems, the first thing that catches your eye is the price. Dropsy is always much more expensive. This is the first reason why I don't recommend using them. Yes, they run a little quieter and cool a little better, but is it worth the double overpayment? Everyone decides for themselves. The second reason is the complexity of operation and mandatory additional care. For regular user Checking the pump and water pipes daily is an extra hemorrhoid. In general, the final decision is yours, but I outlined my position.

CPU cooler options

So, after you have decided on the choice of cooling type, you can move on to the parameters on which the final choice will be based a certain model. The first thing to look at is the type of sockets supported. Almost any online store has this characteristic. If not, then you know where to look - the manufacturer’s website. I will analyze everything using the example of my processor (i5 6400) and my cooler (DeepCool Gammaxx 400).

My stone has 1151 sockets, so the cooler should be installed on the same socket.

Let's go further and look at the size of the turntable. It should fit into the housing in such a way that the side cover of the housing closes smoothly. By the way, I am often asked whether it is worth closing the case completely or leaving it open. Definitely needs to be closed! If the case is open, the air flow inside the system is disrupted and the cooling of the components becomes worse. Also, dust penetrates inside more easily, and dust, along with high temperature(I will never get tired of saying this) – the main evil computer hardware! I'm getting off topic a little, let's get back to the height of the pinwheel. The specifications for any case indicate the maximum possible height of the processor cooler,

and the characteristics of the cooler include its height, length and width. I think it will not be difficult for anyone to compare these data.

The next very important parameter is power dissipation. The processor specifications always indicate the amount of heat generated by the processor itself.

It is heat dissipation that is the sworn enemy of our cooler and it is with this that it fights every day to ensure stable work our pebble. In general, the cooler must be able to dissipate all the heat generated by the processor. To do this, look at the power dissipation column indicated in the characteristics of the turntable.

But under no circumstances choose a cooler with a power dissipation equal to the heat dissipation of the processor. The thing is that cooler developers very often overestimate this parameter, so I recommend buying a cooler with a small margin. And if you are going to overclock your processor, then feel free to multiply the TDP of the processor by 2 and get real heat dissipation. Of course, the amount of heat during overclocking depends on the degree of overclocking itself, but in any case, always take a cooler with a small margin.

Next, be sure to look at the size of the fan. If you read my last article about, then you already know the main rule when choosing cooling. The more blades, the better. The thing is that small fans, in order to cope with the same amount of air, need to spin much faster than large ones. And the faster the cooler spins, the more noise it makes and, as a rule, wears out faster. Therefore, I advise you not to look at the parameter showing fan revolutions per minute at all. It’s more accurate to look, but make your choice based more on the size of the turntable. For example, a 120 mm turntable with 1200 rpm will be many times quieter and more efficient than an 80 mm turntable with 2400 rpm.

The next, no less important parameter is the maximum air flow.

The quieter the fan, the better.

The heat dissipation of the processor is one of the main parameters that you should pay attention to when assembling a computer. The CPU is the key component on which the entire system depends. If it overheats, a forced cooling mode will begin, which results in skipped clock cycles, that is, problems with computer performance. When the processor cannot cool down even in this way, it begins to automatically turn off so as not to fail completely. It’s probably not worth talking about the dangers of abruptly shutting down a computer, especially when it happens in emergency mode of the central processor.

For the CPU to save permissible temperature, he needs additional cooling. This is why it is important to choose the right CPU cooler. There are many nuances that you need to pay attention to when selecting a processor fan, and it is also important not to forget about the main parameters when choosing it.

Why change the cooler that comes included?

On sale you can find central processors in OEM and BOX configurations. In terms of performance, there are no differences between these versions of the CPU of the same model, and they differ only in the configuration. The OEM version represents only the central processor itself, while the BOX package includes a cooler.

Many users who do not have much experience in assembling a computer may have the impression that ideal solution is to purchase a BOX processor package, but this is not always the case. The coolers that come with the processor are most often of mediocre quality, and they are not capable of providing cooling for the “stone” when it is used. high load. That is, if the CPU is purchased in office computer, where he will not be faced with tasks more difficult than working with a browser and text editor, then there will be no problems with cooling the processor with the cooler from the BOX package. But if you plan to use the “stone” in games and other resource-intensive applications, then you need to worry about buying a more powerful cooler.

Modern processors consist of more than 500 million transistors, each of which heats up during operation. Due to the small area of ​​the CPU, such serious heat cannot be dissipated on its own, and an additional cooler is required to remove it. The more complex tasks a processor faces, the more efficient cooling is required.

How to choose the right CPU cooler

The most important thing when choosing a cooler is to match it to the characteristics of the processor. Obviously, the more powerful the processor, the more heat it generates under high load. Accordingly, it needs more cooling. The heat dissipation parameter of a processor is usually designated TDP, and it is measured in Watts. When paying attention to the heat dissipation of the processor, we must not forget that the models also differ from each other in the type of socket. Now let’s look at the selection for each of the parameters in a little more detail.

CPU socket

The socket is the processor size, and it is designated: AM3+, 1150, 2011-3 and other combinations of letters and numbers. Manufacturers try to standardize CPUs into certain sizes, but due to changes in production technology over time, there are already about a dozen of them available. Socket is the size of the connector on motherboard, where the “stone” itself is inserted.

Thus, when choosing a cooler for a processor, you should initially find out the processor model and check on the Internet on the manufacturer’s website what size it is made in. Coolers often fit into several sockets due to the versatility of the mounts.

CPU heat dissipation

Having decided on the standard size, you need to look at the heat dissipation of the processor. You can find out information about the TDP parameter of a particular processor on the manufacturer’s official website.

When selecting a cooler based on heat dissipation parameters for a specific processor model, everything is somewhat more complicated. The fact is that in online stores and on various websites it is quite rare to find accurate information about what processor TDP a particular cooler is suitable for. However, well-known manufacturers of processor fans, for example, Noctua, are not shy about providing such information.

If information about specific model The cooler could not be found, you can use the data from the table below. Please note that the information in it is very approximate, and it is better to choose a fan option for the processor “with a reserve”.

How to choose a quality cooler

Having selected cooler models based on processor parameters, there will still be dozens, or even hundreds of fan options that can be purchased. In such a situation, you should look at the reviews about the quality of a particular cooler left by their owners. But it’s better to independently eliminate the least quality ones from the available options by evaluating the fans according to the following parameters.

Cooler base

The area that the cooler touches the processor plays a role important role when cooling. Since the dimensions of the “stone” are fixed, it is almost impossible to increase this contact area. At the same time, some cooler manufacturers, in search of innovation, partially remove heat pipes from the base of the fan. Because of this, the contact area and efficiency of the cooler are reduced.

It is also important that the base is made without various patterns. It should be copper polished to a mirror finish. Before purchasing, you must inspect the cooler to ensure that there are no cuts, unevenness or other defects on its base.

Please note: In most cases, the base of the cooler is made of copper. This material is budget-friendly and efficient in terms of heat transfer. There are aluminum options, but they are much less efficient. In this case, copper can be coated with nickel, which is why it acquires a silver color.

Heat pipes

On almost every modern cooler you can see several heat pipes, whereas previously they were not used. The fact is that with the increase in processor power and the increase in heat generation, the existing cooling standards were no longer sufficient, and manufacturers decided to use a proven option - installing heat-conducting tubes.

The copper tube is filled with liquid and sealed on both sides. When heated, the liquid heats up and turns into a gaseous state. The gas moves to the other side of the tube and thereby removes heat. The steam then cools, turns back into water and returns to the base of the tube. IN computer coolers the process is approximately the same, except that there is also a porous material inside, which is necessary for the liquid to return back, even when the tubes are located in a horizontal position.

When choosing a cooler for a processor, you need to pay attention to how many tubes are installed. They do not differ much in their properties, depending on the size, so quantity becomes the main criterion. The minimum allowable amount for cooling a modern powerful processor is 3-4 tubes, but the more, the better.

Radiator

From the base of the cooler, heat transfers to the radiator, which consists of dozens of plates mounted on heat pipes.

The radiator can be of any shape, but it is important to remember some rules that distinguish good option from bad:

• The larger the radiator area, the better;
• The plates should be thin, but in large quantities;
• It is better when the radiator is made of copper.

Since the radiator on the cooler is partially visible in open computer, some companies are trying to fulfill it in the best possible way from a design point of view. It can be of different colors, shapes, plates are made at unusual angles of inclination. If the above rules are followed, then design decisions have little effect on the quality of the cooler.

Fan

Some time ago, in pursuit of quiet computer operation, manufacturers did everything to abandon the active cooling element, that is, the cooler itself. However, a radiator without a heat dissipation element cannot handle powerful processors, and fans in the processor cooler have not yet been abandoned.

When choosing a fan, you need to pay attention to its size, and accordingly, the size of the blades. Coolers with larger blades are not only more efficient at removing heat from the radiator, but they are also quieter. There is a misconception that significantly speed is more important rotation of the cooler, but this is not the case. Speed ​​is an important parameter, but the diameter of the fan itself is more important. If you install a cooler with a small blade diameter in your computer, but high speed rotation, such a PC will make a lot of noise even when performing “office tasks”.

Also, when choosing a cooler, you need to pay attention to the type of bearing on which the fan is mounted. On sale you can find options made on rolling bearings (Ball Bearing) or sliding bearings (Slide Bearing). Rolling bearings perform better because they make less noise and have a longer service life.

How to install a cooler on a processor

Having chosen the right cooler, there should be no problems with its installation. Using special fasteners, the fan is installed on top of the processor inserted into the grooves of the socket. Most often it comes with a cooler detailed instructions according to its installation, which allows us to understand in general terms the principle of operation of the fastening mechanism.

It is important before installing the cooler. It is necessary to eliminate irregularities between the base of the cooler and the processor, for maximum gear heat. Without thermal paste, the processor will not be able to work for a long time, so neglecting this step is prohibited.