Thermalright HR-02 cooler is aimed at high-end users and enthusiasts looking for top cooling performance. If you’re looking for an inaudible cooling solution then HR-02’s semi-passive mode will definitely strike your chord. In fact, by utilizing in-case high airflow, HR-02 will have no trouble cooling the Core i7 965 Extreme. HR-02 is currently priced at about €60, here. This is €10 more than what Prolimatech’s Armageddon goes for here, but these €10 more will provide your with a seriously silent semi-passive cooling of your CPU.
However, Thermalright’s HR-02 is definitely a large cooler and you might want to check for compatibility with your motherboard prior to purchase. If it is indeed compatible, then we have no choice but to recommend it to you as it’s the only CPU cooler that allowed for semi-passive cooling of Core i7 CPUs. Furthermore, it performed like a champ in overclocking when we strapped it with a 140mm fan, which means you’re covered in pretty much any scenario.