Recommend a quiet CPU cooler

[pdV6]

My PC is loud. Very loud.
The CPU cooler is the worst culprit (there are other sources of noise that I'm working on, but this is the biggy).

The design of the case is such that the rear exhaust fan is mounted in a duct perpendicular to the rear of the case, so that the fan sucks air hot air from above the CPU and out of the back of the case.

This is A Good Thing, but unfortunately means there's not enough headroom above the CPU for one of those large passive coolers.

So, what I'm looking for is a "traditional" active CPU cooler that's not much, if any, bigger than a bog standard one.

Any ideas?

Oh, its a socket A m/b it has to fit (currently running an Athlon XP 2400+)

[pdV6]

NE1?

[charlie sprout]

www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Zalman_121.html perhaps?

[malman]

or same link as above but go up one level and look at the aksa socket a types. They do some low profile all copper versions to. I run one of these with the 80mm fans and it pretty quiet

[pdV6]

Cheers.

Like the look of the Zalman gear, but they look like a bit of a fiddle to install retrospectively!

[brumster]

The Zalmans are great coolers for high-end chips and overclockers, but just to quiten down a PC? Come on, £20+? I think not...

I find the OEM HSF's tend to be the best in terms of noise (and often performance too). How about a Zalman Fan-Mate on your existing setup?

www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_2813.html

[john_p]

Get the Zalman. It's silent. The best way to get it quiet is to have a larger diameter fan, which spins slower. The Zalmans have adjustable speed as well so you can run it as quiet as you need.

[docevi1]

the problem with the zalmans is that dust gets in between the fins and it's a bugger to clean! I ran one on my old machine and won't get another personally as the temperatures weren't that low and it wasn't that quiet either.

Got a Hyper6 in my new box (huge thing that won't fit in your box) and thats ace

[brumster]

Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT need to spend upwards of £25 to have a quiet PC (well, CPU fan). I've built absolutely loads of PCs, AMDs and Intels, with the stock coolers and they're absolutely bloody fine. Not loud at all. Even then, most of the modern motherboards (Abit in particular) can control the fan speed in direct relation to CPU temperature, so even better... although I'm not advising you change your motherboard, of course :]

[MarkoTVR]

The CoolerMaster that came with my 'Retail boxed' AMD Athlon64 is very good, nice and quiet.

Perhaps give that make a try?

[arcturus]

I use the Zalmin Flower cooler in my Athlon setup and it is much quieter and a little cooler running than the stock fan that came with the original box. Not too difficult to fit at all.