My intel fan is so LOUD. It can be heard two rooms over. I can deal with it
but there must be a "quieter way.
Yes, just about any decent cooler with a lower RPM fan will be quieter.
Any fan that's thicker and same or larger diameter should be adequate
given an adequate "hunk of metal" under it. Mosly the issue is the
budget, how much time to spend trying to find a deal instead of paying the
higher price of the mid-to-high end 'sinks plus a 3rd party fan of your
choice. Come to think of it, I don't recall any systems here that're
running the stock fan (not just Intel stock but the fan that came with the
'sink).
If you really want the cheapest long-term solution and are willing to work
for it, buy a Panaflo 80x25mm L1A fan, then fab a metal bracket out of
sheet aluminum, like around .05 thickness, and drill, screw it to the
heatsink fins. Sounds like a lot of work but it can take less time than
searching for a sink, reading reviews, etc, etc, and the high quality fan
will probably remain quiet and viable for a decade. IMHO, that's the
key, start out with a good quality oversized fan.
