Air cooler recommendations for AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
Posted by Vivid-Reporter-5071@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 75 comments
I'm finally pulling the trigger and building a new PC, and while I've settled on the 9800X3D, I'm unsure of what air cooler to get under $100 (unless you recommend getting a pricer air cooler or liquid cooler).
My confusion comes from all of the options. I've heard great things about the Thermalright, ARCTIC, and ID-COOLING fans in terms of value, especially the:
- Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120
- ARCTIC Freezer 36
- ID-COOLING FROZN A720
But Thermalright and ID-COOLING specifically have a ton of options, and most are roughly the same price. Do they have products you'd recommend over the three common recommendations I listed above?
FurioGiunta2000@reddit
I use a Corsair Nautlilus 360 AIO cooler with my 9800x3d. The fans are set to 800 RPM, and temperatures in games never exceed 60 degrees Celsius, and the cooling is silent. Only an extreme test in Prime95 can raise the temperature to 85 degrees Celsius. I have it set to +200 MHz, scalar X5, and CO2 -30.
Zebzab7@reddit
Interesting, I am using the same cooler but temps are typically around 75 degrees when playing high-intensive games. Sometimes going to 90 and the cpu throttling.
What fans are you using, that they can run silent at 800rpm?
last-starfighter@reddit
I've got the Royal Pretor 130 Black and I'm pretty happy with it. Good temps and it's really quiet.
raydialseeker@reddit
This is the best pick Op
No-Plankton9362@reddit
No it isn't. On paper it should be, but you should check the gamers nexus benchmarks.
wytb1120@reddit
I've got a 9800x3d and Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE, I've got PBO turned on and -20 applied to all cores and hits about 65C in Cinebench and pulls 90ish watts while maintaining 5.2ghz all cores. In a Lian Li Lancool 217 with stock fan configuration. Never goes above 60C while gaming (i.e., Tarkov, BF6, modern games, etc.)
wytb1120@reddit
I live in Oklahoma, and it gets pretty warm.
xendelaar@reddit
I've got the artic freeze 36. Works great
JC_S07@reddit
On a 9800x3D? What are the temps like? I have a freezer 36 on a 7600x3D and a little disappointed with the temps. Runs around 78-80c under full load.
xendelaar@reddit
I'm having the same results, 80C under full load in OCCT
JC_S07@reddit
Impressive on the 9800x3D. Might be the move when I need to upgrade or 10800x3D. Moving around the 3D Vache really improved the cooling on the 9000 series.
xendelaar@reddit
Really? How does one do this? Colour me intrigued. :)
JC_S07@reddit
Lol, I am just assuming the 10000 series will be on am5.
Zwixern@reddit
they are, but we don't know what they will call the new series yet, it could be 11X00 for the flagship ones, just like how we had 8400f
xendelaar@reddit
Yes. I will have to check the temperatures. What program did you use to get a full load? I could run some tests for you tonight. :)
nandor90@reddit
20days since you checking,can you post results? :D
xendelaar@reddit
I'm currently running a CPU stress test on OCCT. full load for 13 minutes now, and max temp is 80,1 degrees celcius, which is fine but not exceedingly great, I think?
please let me know if you like te see more results
NeonShockz@reddit
hello - how loud is the freezer when under full load? and did you do any undervolting?
xendelaar@reddit
I just ran CPU Burner in Furmark2 and after 1 hour (with 16 threads) of 100% load I did not hear any loud noise from the cooler.
Next, I used a telephone app to measure the dBs. I placed my phone on top of the PC and recorded the dBs. Here are the results:
after 35 sec, no CPU load (idle): 55 dB on average
after 150 sec, full CPU load (16 threads 9700x3D), average of 59-60 dB.
I'm very happy with the results. Room temperature is around 25 degrees celcius near my PC.
please not that this was not a calibrated reading!
NeonShockz@reddit
9800x3d undervolting is pretty common - supposedly helps with temps at the cost of pretty much no performance decrease. never done it myself though. check up on other reddit threads for guides. i do know it takes a bit of testing to make sure it's stable though.
xendelaar@reddit
Cool. Maybe I'll check it out. It sounds daunting though..
xendelaar@reddit
I'm currently running a CPU stress test on OCCT. full load for 10 minutes now, and max temp is 80,1 degrees celcius, which is fine, I think?
please let me know if you like te see more results
xendelaar@reddit
I totally forgot about it. Lol. I'm on vacation right now so will try to run a test later next week
JC_S07@reddit
I was using CPUID and HWinfo64. I did some x265 encoding and playing some games. Some games run way cooler. Siege because its so old doesn't run very hot while something like BF6/BF2042 or Hunt Showdown run in the 70s.
Azartho@reddit
Thermalright phantom spirit 120 se or evo. The evo offers higher max rpm, lower temps at lower rpms, has rgb and is black.
Any of these two should do the job.
ChipsONURMOM@reddit
"and is black." u got me there. im buying it
FragrantGas9@reddit
AMD officially recommends liquid cooling. I think the Arctic Liquid Freezer coolers are a no brainer to pair with a $450 high performance CPU. They are inexpensive, quiet, reliable, extremely high performing.
But I can personally recommend the Phantom Spirit cooler if you insist on air cooling it. It’s good.
OhShizMyNiz@reddit
I really don't see why people hate on AIOs so much when the manufacturers recommend them. I run a 360 AIO with my 7800X3D, it's great having my system running at the exact tune AMD wants. BF6 beta had my CPU locked at 63c lol. Way better then any Aircooler I've personally used (PA120, AK620)
Cragaa_@reddit
and at -30 my 9800x3d runs at 65c and i spent £30 where you probably spent over 200, so i dont really see the point you're trying to make? all you're doing is falling for the marketing crap companies do to make you spend more money lmao.
OhShizMyNiz@reddit
3 month old post bro
Cragaa_@reddit
....and? do you think there is a time limit on posts or something? do you think every single person comes across a post at the same time or something. Grow up 'bro'
Plenty-Industries@reddit
AMD officially recommends an AIO out of an abundance of caution. Not because of any actual reasoning.
Any dual-tower cooler has the same cooling performance as a 240/280mm AIO at roughly a fraction of the cost.
Can't beat a $20-40 cooler that keeps the CPU temps well within its limits and stay relatively quiet depending on the fans used.
Alternative-Art8792@reddit
What case are you using?
Slamming PBO with an air cooler will leave you with less performance than a proper AIO cooler. I'm running the Antec Flux Pro case and the Arctic Freezer III 420mm AIO. I wouldn't be happy spending as much as I did on the 9800X3D then cheaping out on the rest.
I know I'll catch a lot of flack for my comment but it's the truth. People want to justify saving $60-$80 on their build and they, that's cool but if you can afford it why not opt for the better option?
Cragaa_@reddit
opposite is true actually. People want to justify that they've been scammed in to paying more when they could have just spent the £30 for equal performance. But hey, enjoy your fancy lights i guess
NotoriousFreak@reddit
If you asked me like a year ago I'd say AIO is the better option. But as of 4 days ago I switched from AIO to the Phantom Spirit EVO 120mm and it's outperforming my AIO by 3C idle and 10C under load. My AIO was $180 vs the PSEVO at $42 and the noise level is the same as the AIO, aka silent.
After reviewing the differences for 2 weeks leading up I myself can say with confidence that fan coolers are not by any means worse than AIO. AIO while very unlikely, leak if they are mishandled and only live about 5-7 years before needing replaced or liquid added whereas fan coolers really only need new fans every 15 years. Nothing can really break unless you bend it or smash it. But trust me, I would've been on your side not long ago but now after switching I can't agree. The temps and noise level speak for themselves that fan coolers are just as good as AIO and in cases like mine, outperform. The only real difference I've seen is AIO gives gradual temp changes and cools faster switching from load to idle whereas a fan cooler cools slower switching from load to idle. But under load it outperforms for me at 1/3 the cost.
HRslammR@reddit
devils advocate but how do you know it's not just a better contact and fresh cooling paste?
NotoriousFreak@reddit
With my AlO I was in an apt where the ambient temp was around 64F. My idle temps were around 36C and under load hit no more than 68C. My new home I currently don't have AC so my ambient room temp is around 80F. As a result my AIO was running 53C idle and was reaching a high of 89C under load. Concerned I changed my thermal paste using Corsair XTM70. My temps remained the same.
As a result in concerns if my AIO was possibly failing I researched a good fan cooler as both back up and test to see if a fan cooler would be better since it'll move more air in my case than an AIO technically since there are two more fans. I landed on the Noctua D15 G2 or the Thermalright Phantom Spirit EVO 120mm but seeing the PSEvo was only about a 1-2C difference in reviews I went with this one. Got it, replaced it with the same thermal paste as my AIO, and installed the fan cooler. Got better results than my AIO.
Not really sure how else it can be a better comparison. Same thermal paste, new application prior to using both coolers, replaced one with the other with no other changes to the case. (All of which are using custom fan curves for positive air pressure and were made identical to each other based on CPU temps, neither exceeding 80% fan power)
I swear there is no devils advocate at play. It could also be specific to my environment vs others. But I can at least attest that I personally still prefer AIO because I love the appeal and visual appearance of them over a bulky annoying fan cooler, but my current setup simply works better with a fan cooler currently so I'm at least willing to advocate that a fan cooler is on par with AIO for those wondering or concerned.
HRslammR@reddit
Word.
It's still funny to me that folks get AIOs for CPUs when a fan cooler will do the majority of the work, but leave fans on their GPU when an AIO is better suited for a GPU.
Fun_Airport6370@reddit
alternatively, why pay extra for liquid when ole reliable air cooling works just fine? running the peerless assassin on a 9800x3d with -20 curve and PBO enabled. during stress testing the CPU stayed in the upper 80s and never hit 90C. in more realistic gaming scenarios it never touches 80 and is usually in the 60s
Alternative-Art8792@reddit
Honestly I think you provide a great point. Realistic gaming scenarios are always different than stress testing and doing a -curve helps a lot. How much of a difference did you see with the -curve on yours? From my understanding the loss is negligible in a lot of instances.
Fun_Airport6370@reddit
tbh i set the curve immediately to -15 so i didn’t really see how it was stock. it was stable so then i pushed it to -20. could probably go further but im not necessarily trying to push the limits. back when i had a 5700x3d, undervolting made a big impact on temps IIRC. i may have to set it back to 0 and do some comparisons
Alternative-Art8792@reddit
Thanks for sharing. I should do some testing on mine and compare the difference too. It might be something to recommend to people wanting to run air coolers. It would be beneficial if it was that easy and people could save some money.
galaxy76@reddit
To owners of a 9800x3d and Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE. What are your temperatures in Cinebench 23? I reach 95°C in multi-threading after a minute. My ambient temperature is 30°C. Please write down your temperatures so we can see if this is normal. Thanks.
bahamato_@reddit
95 with occt almost instantly
Myzhi1@reddit
Any dual tower air cooler can handle the 9800x3D. Would just buy the cheapest one.
isotope123@reddit
Or the one you think looks the coolest, budget allowing.
bitesized314@reddit
I have the phantom spirit 120 SE.
Winne_@reddit
I finished my build with a 9800X3D last week and went for a Thermalright Phantom Spirit EVO.
At that price point I don't think you can get something much better. I bought several Noctua coolers in the past and they were always a breeze to setup with top notch quality packaging/instructions.
The Spirit EVO didn't feels cheap despite being priced much lower. At least here in Canada.
windofdeath89@reddit
Phantom Spirit 120 instead of the Peerless Assassin 120, it’s a newer model. Though the performance is not much different to be honest.
itsforathing@reddit
Similar performance and ever so slightly quieter. Plus it looks better.
But there are like a dozen versions (PA v1 v2 v3 etc, PS v1 v2 etc)
andreibirsan92@reddit
looks a bit nicer too
MrSutta@reddit
I have the thermalight assassin on my 9800x3d paired with a 5080 and zero temp problems playing cyberpunk fully maxed ray tracing and battlefield 6 maxed out 1440p. I did upgrade and buy better thermal paste but that’s it.
DaddySanctus@reddit
Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360mm is on Amazon for like $85
DuckyShine7303@reddit
Phantom Spirit is the newer version of the Peerless Assassin if you wanna look into that as well. Both are great coolers
DixxyBDerg@reddit
I'm using this right now. Usually idle around 50°C and rarely go over 80°C when playing newer games. Cinebench will get it to 91°C at most
bitesized314@reddit
I'm running the PS 120 SE with my 7800X3D and it's great.
ice445@reddit
Same but with a 5800x3d
blergmonkeys@reddit
I have a 9800x3D with the PA 120 mini in an sff case and my cpu runs 40’C idle and 65’C at load with a 3080ti around 78’C on load.
It’s a beast of a cooler for its size. Came from an AIO as I got tired of the clutter and my temps have dropped due to better airflow through my case.
raydialseeker@reddit
Thermalright royal pretor 130 is the latest and greatest from thermalright. Go for it.
beirch@reddit
ID Cooling Frozn A620 is also an option. It's usually $29 and performs about the same as the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120.
I used it on a 5600X in a build I did recently, and it averaged 68C in over an hour of prime95 with a very modest fan curve. When gaming it barely went over 55C.
Ravic4@reddit
I have the 9800x3d cooled by the Noctua NH-D15 G2. Yes pricey but idles at 42 c ambient temp 22 c. I think well worth it if you have the money. Play msfs 20/24 with temps in the 60's.
mahanddeem@reddit
Noctua
OhShizMyNiz@reddit
Nock Tuah isn't worth the price anymore tbh.
261846@reddit
All of those should be fine, 9800X3D is very efficient, mind it’s still an 8 core part
Logical_Bit2694@reddit
I'm running a phantom spirit evo for mine and its working amazingly
Parking_Cress_5105@reddit
Thermalrigh Peerless Assassin 140. My 7700 can run at 156W under it. One 140mm fan. Or if you want it quiet, at 60W I can run it at 20% fan speed or passively without a cooler just in the draft from case fans.
peh_ahri_ina@reddit
I am running PA 120 se on my 9800x3d. Undervolted -25% all cores and max temps are 75 down drom 95. I think a classic vent would have been enough.
NotoriousFreak@reddit
I just got the Phantom Spirit EVO 120mm about 4 days ago for the exact same CPU. Vs my Corsair titan 280mm AIO I was able to drop my temps by about 3C idle and 10C gaming. Just as loud as the AIO which means it's barely noticeable in terms of noise.
Divaura@reddit
Thermalright Phantom Spirit EVO
ftpjuggmane@reddit
i have an EVO, some people say aio work better but max temps in BF6 are 77° most the time it’s more ~64° and idles 42-44° (i live in a cold climate w/ relatively cool ambient room temp) 9800x3d runs pretty efficient, i do notice random spikes in certain games like STALKER 2 but from what i understand it has something to do w/ 3D v-cache
Leftist666@reddit
I use DeepCool Assasin IV, set fans to quiet, no problems at all.
milesprower06@reddit
I'm running a peerless assassin, heard nothing but good things.
Fun_Airport6370@reddit
same here. temps are good
BaronB@reddit
The Freezer 36 can work, but it'll run a bit hot. It performs much better on Intel CPUs.
The FROZN A720 performs quite well. But make sure you have a motherboard that can handle it. If you have a motherboard with the main PCIe slot at the very top position, this cooler won't fit.
The Peerless Assassin 120 out performs the A720 by small amount bit, and the Phantom Spirit 120 out perform both sitting basically in the second place position of all air coolers behind the much more expensive NH-D15 G2 LBC.
b-maacc@reddit
PA120