Heatsink/Motherboard Compatibility

[Mastodonkey]

I'm about to upgrade the AMD 4400+ CPU on my HP Pavilion a6110n, to a AMD Athlon 64 x2 5600+ Windsor 2.8 GHz Dual Core CPU. The jump from 65w to 89w is going to require a much more reliable HSF than the stock cooler. My CPU temps are rather high (around 60c) as it is with the 65w. Price is not really an issue. My only dilemma is that I'm not sure what I am limited to by the size of my motherboard. My motherboard is a micro ATX Asus M268N-LA Narra.

My current stock HSF seems to be some model from Taisol 12VDC obviously socket AM2 compatible. The fan seems to be about 70mm in diameter.

Once again, price is not an issue and I'm basically looking for something with good airflow, which apparently usually correlates with larger fan. Would it be correct to assume that anything that is socket AM2 compatible will work on my mobo given available space? Many high airflow fans are 120mm. Would it also be safe to assume that this would be too large for any micro ATX mobo?

If I am limited to something like a 70mm fan, ASUS X-Mars 70mm Ball The Light Cooler for Dual-Core CPU has better airflow than any other fan of its size on newegg.

I plan to use Arctic Silver 5.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Big B]

Well, if you purchase a retail box processor, a heatsink is included that will be sufficient for your needs.
If not, Arctic Cooling's Freezer line of coolers is an option that are relatively inexpensive online and offer a pretty good value for the money. I believe the Freezer 64 works with AM2/AM2+, and it's around $20-25 online shipped last I'd purchased one. It's a heatpipe tower cooler with a 92mm fan. As long as HP doesn't have something in the way, then this is a good option.
Going with a larger fan allows you to have greater or equal airflow (depending on what fans you're comparing) with less noise.