Aftermarket vs. stock cooler: which is better?

So, I’m running an Intel Core i5-7600K, and I’ve been using the Intel Stock Cooler for six months now. It hasn't caused any issues and stays quiet, but my brain simply won't let me leave a basic stock cooler sitting in a bin.
Should I pick something up, or just stick with what I have?
People claim this one is top-tier, but honestly, looking at that tiny little fan through my window just irritates me.
Basically, I just need someone to give me some advice or perhaps a blessing to go ahead with a Noctua NH-U12S.
peace

Angela Richardson said:So, I’m running an Intel Core i5-7600K, and I’ve been using the Intel Stock Cooler for six months now. It hasn't caused any issues and stays quiet, but my brain simply won't let me leave a basic stock cooler sitting in a bin.
Should I pick something up, or just stick with what I have?
People claim this one is top-tier, but honestly, looking at that tiny little fan through my window just irritates me.
Basically, I just need someone to give me some advice or perhaps a blessing to go ahead with a Noctua NH-U12S.
peace

I wouldn't swap it—Intel's stock coolers are solid enough.

If you absolutely have to go that route, the Corsair LL120 is overkill. The performance jump over what you're looking at is negligible and definitely doesn't justify paying three times the price. 😉

I'm actually really curious to see the comparison between an Intel stock cooler and the Corsair setup. It would be interesting to see the actual numbers.

Edit:

But I have to agree with the sentiment here—that Intel stock cooler is actually a pretty solid piece of kit.

Personally, I think it would be cool to see how much of a difference there really is compared to the Corsair LL120.

Have you overclocked the CPU?

If you haven't and don't plan to, I wouldn't bother swapping it out.

That Intel Stock Cooler that comes with the Intel Core i5 just isn't on the same level as something like an Intel Stock Cooler (the kind you get with higher-end chips).

Regarding what your buddy suggested—if you're dead set on an upgrade, look at something like a Corsair LL120 or a Noctua NH-U12S.

Just go find some actual benchmarks. A Corsair or a Noctua should be a decent step up from the Intel Stock Cooler Spira

Yeah, there are actually two versions available—one slightly taller and one a bit shorter. The main difference is just the physical height, though you might see a couple of degrees' difference in performance. 😉 If the shorter one fits your case better, it could be worth considering. But if you're already rocking the taller version, I’d say just stick with what you have. I actually use the lower-profile version for my Intel Core i5 build... I can't recall the exact model name off the top of my head, but I know they're essentially identical aside from that height difference.

If they're currently running an Intel Stock Cooler, upgrading to a Corsair LL120 actually sounds like a solid move. 😉
But if they've got the Spira, I'd say just leave it be.

The Intel Stock Cooler is garbage, and I've got it overclocked to 3.85MHz

The Spira is a decent enough cooler for basic needs. 😉 My main concern, though, would be the clock speeds—especially once summer hits and you're dealing with temperatures north of 90 degrees outside.

If you’ve already got the Spira, don't bother upgrading. It might buzz a little louder during the summer heat, but if you can live with that, you're fine.
3.85GHz isn't doing much for an R5 2600.