Reusing an old CPU cooler.

[Anymage]

I'm looking into replacing a ~7 year old machine, and figuring I might as well reuse whatever parts I can. I know that a big hunk of metal is a big hunk of metal and doesn't degrade, but I don't know if any mounting issues had changed since then. Figured I'd ask if about possible complications before buying new stuff. (My current cooler has an adjustable mounting bracket. But still, don't know if enough has changed over time that adjustable back then doesn't apply to now.)

[factotum]

CPU cooler mounts do tend to change quite frequently, unfortunately. They're also different between Intel and AMD CPUs, so which one you pick may make a difference.

However, every modern CPU I've ever seen comes with a perfectly serviceable cooler in the box that should do the job just fine unless you're intending to overclock it or live in an oven, so I wouldn't worry about it--if your old cooler fits, bonus. (Although you must remember to get some thermal compound to replace whatever was on it when it was new, obviously).

[gomipile]

Some brands continue to make new mounting hardware for the same model of cooler for quite some time. So, depending on the brand, you might be able to order a new mount for the cooler from the manufacturer.

Noctua, for example, is known for doing this.

[Anymage]

I'm a little annoyed/confused now because this is what I have and this is what's on sale right now, and the mounting brackets look identical. But yeah, probably best to just use test it out and just use the stock cooler for a bit if it doesn't fit.

[factotum]

I'm a little annoyed/confused now because this is what I have and this is what's on sale right now, and the mounting brackets look identical. But yeah, probably best to just use test it out and just use the stock cooler for a bit if it doesn't fit.

They may *look* identical in a picture, but for example, if your current setup is using AMD socket AM3/AM3+ and the new one is AM4 (e.g. Ryzen) then the actual mounting holes on the board are spaced differently--for an AM3 they're 96x48mm, whereas for AM4 they're 90x54, so the existing mounting brackets just won't fit.

[halfeye]

I would think it's pretty dodgy to reuse an old cpu cooler, for one thing the fan is likely to be wearing out if there is one.

The price isn't that high either.

If you were talking about high end graphics cards I could see a reason.

[snowblizz]

However, every modern CPU I've ever seen comes with a perfectly serviceable cooler in the box that should do the job just fine unless you're intending to overclock it or live in an oven, so I wouldn't worry about it--if your old cooler fits, bonus. (Although you must remember to get some thermal compound to replace whatever was on it when it was new, obviously).

No they don't. My i5-9600K did not come with any fan. They assume a K buyer will get their own solution I guess. In fact most cpu packs I've seen on a shop shelf only consist of the cpu chip. Heck I bought a package deal on cpu-mobo-ram and it didn't even come with a fan.

I'm a little annoyed/confused now because this is what I have and this is what's on sale right now, and the mounting brackets look identical. But yeah, probably best to just use test it out and just use the stock cooler for a bit if it doesn't fit.

Oh that's hilarious the 212 EVO is what I got in mine atm.

I will say this though, fans do improve. Mostly in airflow and noise. A stock cooler will perform but odds are might lose out on noise.

I didn't really consider such things, but recently after finally getting the new gpu I ran it all closed up and then burnt myself on the side of my computer chassis because it had gotten so hot under load.

[gomipile]

Like I mentioned before I knew what cooler you had, Cooler Master does happen to make an upgrade kit:

https://store.coolermaster.com/us/hy...acessories-kit

Unfortunately, it's out of stock as I'm writing this. But, as a company, they've put in a little more effort than "just buy another cooler."


Also, re: fans needing replaced. This cooler is easy to replace the fans on, also much cheaper than buying a whole new cooler. Noctua makes black fans now, too, so there's that