Question 1

Is this compatible with the AM3+ socket?

Accepted Answer

Universal mounting for Intel LGA1366/1156/1155/1150/775 and AMD FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2/940/939/754 sockets.

Coolermaster/cooling/cpu-air-cooler/vortex-plus/

Question 2

I read a lot of reviews about the push pins breaking.  I have an AM3+ board that my FX-6350 clips onto with the brace and cog.  I see from the pics that the sink has a wide middle channel and it *looks* as if there is a brace and a cog.  Has anyone mounted it using the usual AMD way?  Or is the only option with the push pins?  Thanks for your help.

Accepted Answer

If you are referring to using the metal cross bar with the tension lever that clips to built in MB mounts (Like the FM1 and FM2 APU MBs have), then yes I've built 3 AMD APU systems that I guess you can say use the usual AMD mounts, each one using the crossbar and tension lever to mount. They all work great and I've never had any mounting issues other then your typical trying to keep the bar hooked and lined up when installing it in a tight en-closer MicroATX system.

Question 3

Is this compatible with an LGA 1155 socket?  Reading the specs and it doesn't say 1155 but a variety of other intel based sockets.

Accepted Answer

I do not know if it will fit your CPU or not. This is a big cooler and takes up a lot of space inside. I had to remove my power supply to mount the cooler. It comes with a variety of mounting brackets so it may clamp up on your mount. I took a bit of time to put the clamp on correctly but other than that it is a great cooler.

Question 4

Has anyone used the Cooler Master Vortex Plus - CPU Cooler with a 4790K intel processor?  If so did it keep the processor cool while overclocking?

Accepted Answer

I use one in my test machine.  I don't overclock, but it does a fine job of cooling under normal clock settings.  If you need to OC, why not consider one of the Corsair hydro cooling units?  At @ $60 for a single fan unit you really can't go wrong.

Question 5

Do CPU sockets style 1150 and 775 share the same heat sink mounting hole dimensions?

Accepted Answer

They are not the same, I think the 1150 are furher apart, but the Vortex Plus has adjustment for the 1150.  I used this to build a gaming PC on a:

ASUS H81M-K LGA 1150 Intel H81 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

with a:

Intel Core i5-4430 Haswell 3.0GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54430

If you are planning to use this one for an 1150, you are good to go.

Question 6

What is the max thermal rating on this cooler?

Accepted Answer

According to Cooler Master's website, 150 watts TDP is the max for this cooler. I'm using it on a Phenom II x4 965 with 125w TDP (socket AM2+) and it works great.

Question 7

Is this compatable with a 120mm fan?

Accepted Answer

Not compatible with 120 mm fan. it uses a 92mm fan as stated in the description.

Question 8

does this come with pre applied thermal paste?

Accepted Answer

Yes but I'd still get something better, even old-school Artic Silver 5 is better than the OEM paste that comes on the cooler. This is mainly for ANY overclocking and depending on location, ambient temps being high.

Question 9

How much temperature reduction will I expect if this is to replace my stock AMD AM2 stock cpu cooler?

Accepted Answer

That depends on how well your stock cooler is doing. I chose this cooler to help cool the mosfet areas next to the CPU, but I saw about a 15°C drop. At idle, I stay around 40°C and never see higher than 60°C under max load on a Phenom II X4 965 running at 3.72Ghz. I also have a side port in my case just over the cooler that makes a difference too. It will also depend on the thermal grease that you choose, your current case's airflow, and your ambient temperature.

Question 10

It appears the fan is not centered.  Will this line up with a side air duct/funnel?

Accepted Answer

I put this cooler in an old COOLER MASTER Elite 334 NVidia edition case. It has a side duct that this cooler lines up with *almost* perfectly. The duct has a sleeve that is adjustable in length, and the sleeve is a cone that widens out enough to cover this cooler's fan and then some. The offset lines up exactly where the fan blades start and gives about ¼ to ½ an inch of extra space on the opposite side where the heat pipes are.

From my experience I would say that, if you have an 80mm duct, this cooler will line up enough with it for proper or even exceptional cooling. I'd recommend a larger duct or a sleeve that widens out to at least 85mm at the base as long as it's designed close to center of your processor location.

Questions & Answers