I installed the 2500k with the Hyper 212. I'm really nervous about having potentially damaged something plus mucking up the install, even though everything seems to be running fine. Will almost definitely reapply the thermal paste as some leaked out of the sides, and my temps, while not high, aren't as low as they could be.
Didn't help my performance issues, though. I mean, it does seem to have had some effect on the overall fluidity and in stemming the rate of hang-ups, but I still get the same issues with both games.
upsdriver: I have uninstalled/reinstalled drivers, uninstalled/reinstalled Windows 7, tried numerous optimization tweaks, increased power plan to high, etc. All to no avail.