ok decided on a q9550 cpu and asus rampage formula motherboard. With Corsair Dominator memory.

whos got the best cpu cooler for this setup.

i was looking at the thermaltake duo orb but doesnt looks like it would clear the memory.

i would rather recommand something along the lines of tt 120 extreme, tuniq, zalman 9xxx
but your choice is good as well
are you planning on overclocking?

no, not really planning to oc bu still nice to have the option if i decide to.
ive got an older rig thats got the exos 2 water cooling unit.

maybe i should water cool this new rig.
not raelly up to speed on whats available for water cooling now...

the exos is a good unit. you got it, use it. i think that would be a great idea.
take some pics

Id say a good and cheap cooler is the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 CPU Cooler

http://www.crazypc.com/products/xigmatek-hdt-s1283-50850.html

Id say a good and cheap cooler is the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 CPU Cooler.Its almost on par with the Ultra 120 Extreme
http://www.crazypc.com/products/xigmatek-hdt-s1283-50850.html

how is the thermaltake v1 cooler?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1683510610...ltake%20v1

or the Zalman 9700?

I have the exos 2 on an older box and am going to leave it there.

Is it worth going to water cooling now, or are alot of air coolers these days pretty close to water temps?

Would it be better to buy an external water cooling setup or put together something?
I only have experience with the external exos 2 so im kinda new to building your own custom kit.

Also look into the OCZ Vendetta 2 as it's supposed to be one of the best coolers out there, I've already ordered it.

the good air coolers come pretty close to water, within 5-10 degrees.
a self build (good) will usually out perform any ready made unit.
the koolance units are pretty decent and i heard only good stuff from the TT big water units,
even thou any DIY water cooler fanatic will tell you TT is crap.

http://www.thinkcomputers.org/index.php?x=reviews&id=821

http://tinyurl.com/6jrs77

edit: external units only if they are actice cooling

i like those coolmaster cooler too, they were supposed to be released last month but i don't see them anywhere yet for retail

http://www.dvhardware.net/article24416.html

http://www.coolermaster.com/products/product.php?act=detail&id=5279

the zalman 9700 would also be a good choice
i am very happy with the thermalright 120 ultra, 120 extreme and 90 ultra
all work and perform very well

could anyone help me out in setting up a custom water cooling it? Think im going to sue the antec 1200 case

Just get the Ultra 120eXtreme. I'm overclocking by 60% (2.1 to 3.4gigs) and the thing barely gets warm. The only drawback is you can forget about having a side panel fan.

thermalright 120 black with 2 of these fans?
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1164&ID=1725#Tab0

or a tuniq tower 120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154002

with the thermaltake fan?

i like the looks of the tuniq tower

Man those fans are noisy! Pretty, but noisy. 48dBA at 92CFM. Mine is pushing 98CFM at only 36dBA

i use this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835119035

not quiet pushing that much air but you will hardly hear it at all

Boy these on line retailers sure nail you for the shipping on this cheap stuff don't they? (I mean cheap as in inexpensive not cheap made).

not only on shipping
http://www.directron.com/sff12.html

I like these guy for fans and peripherals. Their sale prices are really good if you hit them at the right time. And for small stuff like cables and stuff, they just send it regular snail mail for you.

http://www.svc.com/y720dcd-25t1-gp.html

This is a nice fan too.

im going to get this coolermaster fan
http://www.coolermaster.com/products/product.php?act=detail&am...mp;id=3136

now i like the overall finished look of the tuniq tower for my case but the thermalright with two of those coolermaster fans seems like it would be the best for cooling, is it that big of a difference if i drop this coolermaster fan in the tuniq tower?

I can't get that link to open up but to fit in a tuniq tower it will need to be a 120x120x25mm. with the 120eXtreme, because they are on the outside, it can be either the 120x120x25mm width or a 120x120x38mm fan.

Not sure why everyone is crazy over the TRUE 120 because the OCZ Vendetta 2 is as good or better for less price...

Just got mine a few days ago and have my q6600 running at 3.6ghz stable with idles temps of 34-36 and load 41-45.