EggXpert

Its better to get an aftermarket cooler because the stock cooler just cuts it, and is really loud. Your CPU will also last longer if it runs cooler. Also, if you live in a hot climate, there's less risk of overheating and reduction of clock speed as a result.

On the other hand, if you can't afford it, the stock cooler is acceptable.

---

Remember to rate good helpful posts!


Sony PCV-RX755 (old but still runs great!)
MOBO: ASUS OEM board
CPU: 2 GHz Socket 478 Pentium 4 Northwood
RAM: 2 GB Kingston ValueRAM
GFX: EVGA Geforce 6200 AGP
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint 100 GB ATA-100

If you're keeping the CPU at stock speeds, and keeping the warranty in mind, just stick with the stock heatsink. Both overclocking and using aftermarket heatsinks are supposed to void your warranty with Intel. As mentioned in the previous post, the stock heatsink's fan is somewhat loud. A workaround for this is to take off the fan (it's only clipped on), and get a better fan to put on top of it. Just use zipties or something to hold it down.

Hope this helps.