Noctua NH-U12P SE2 120mm SSO CPU Cooler

Pros: To say that this is "well-constructed" or "high-quality" would frankly be an understatement. This thing is built so solid and designed so precisely it could've been carved from a rock. You get your money's worth with this one.

Temps are downright icy.

Quiet as a ninja.

Includes two fan mod options for various "silence" levels, ie. decreased fan speed. You won't need them.

Includes excellent Noctua thermal grease, which you should use, rather than buying something else separately. Better than Arctic Silver.

Packaging is close to luxurious. Excellent documentation. Includes a case badge made of actual solid metal.

Cons: Quite large, but fits fine in my Cooler Master HAF 922, even leaves some space to spare (between its top and the side panel).

Width may interfere with two RAM slots nearest the CPU, but only if they have tall heat spreaders. I was able to barely fit my G. Skill Ripjaws, but anything taller might be a problem.

Lengthy installation compared to other coolers, but you'll see that the extra hardware involved eliminates the need to put pressure on the motherboard, as installation of cheaper coolers normally requires.

Overall Review: If you're considering saving some money by going with a $30 or $40 cooler, don't. You'll see how they were a waste of money once this thing is in your hands, and when you see the temps it produces.

If these fan blades and frame are made of plastic, it's incredibly high-grade plastic, because they're so dense and heavy they feel more like ceramic or anodized metal. Heat sink looks like titanium.

On an i5 2500k running stock, idle temp was around 17 C. Overclocked to 4GHz: idle @ 23 C, and 36 C under stress test (Prime95 burning in all 4 cores). Haven't seen it go above 36 C yet. This is better than any of those self-contained liquid coolers on the market right now, so don't bother with them.

This includes little adhesive rubber strips to cushion the contact points between the fans and the heat sink, to prevent rattling. Be sure to use these, as they're easy to miss, and see the manual for proper placement.

The level of quality all products should be. I couldn't be happier.

Pros: I just installed it and this thing is huge definitely make sure to get the dimensions and check to see if it will cover your ram slots on the mobo. I can only install two sticks of ram on mine. But i didnt measure it. The instructions were great and installation was easy with one exception. Other than that Good heatsink. Note: This is per installation not per running it yet. :)

Cons: Installation of fan clips is annoying at best. Instructions indicate to install fan clips after installed on cpu.... Makes it difficult to install. The motherboard i bought is listed as compatible on noctua's website but they fail to mention that it covers a ram slot. If you buy this measure first and if not plan on using only two sticks of ram instead of four.

-price

Overall Review: Happy hunting fellow pc enthusiast.