Whats the best + quiet AIO i can buy ?
Posted by Different-Fox-3234@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 96 comments
Hello
i currently have 10400f and the intel fan is ear raping me whenever i play some marvel rivals, CP or VALORANT + stream in obs (cpu heavy tasks)
and im planning so upgrade to 9600x overclocked !
So after I've made some researches also considering my country doesn't sell much tech
i've found 3 good AIO ,lmk what do u guys think about them:
- 1st choice: Deepcool LT520 (BLack so it runs faster)
- 2nd : ARCTIC LIQUID FREEZER III PRO 240
- 3rd : XYZ HYDROTEMP 240 AIO (cheap option)
dfmilkman@reddit
It's a little annoying that the OP asked for water coolers and you are all telling him to buy an air cooler. It's OK to want something different guys. People get so weirdly tribal about PC parts.
PsychologyGGG@reddit
Hey it’s a little annoying that you don’t know that a 240 AIO confers no benefit from a top air cooler.
So now you gotta argue some weird scenario where a 240 still makes sense for him instead of realizing you were wrong
Looking forward to it
Over-Revolution-4684@reddit
Triggered lmao
durrrdle@reddit
A top tier 240mm AIO will beat any top tier air cooler, stop comparing top tier with average.
PsychologyGGG@reddit
Hey clown, and it IS important to know you're a clown.
Show me any video where a 240 AIO gets ONE more frame a second from a Royal Pretor on a 9600x. Commenting on something 3 months old just to embarrass yourself because your neanderthal brain thinks "AIO+Better".
Pathetic,
durrrdle@reddit
Hey neckbeard, and it IS important to know that you're a fat redditor with a neckbeard.
You can get a 240mm AIO for the same price, that will cool on par, if not better, is much more compatible with almost every case, will be much quieter, and easier to install.
Imagine coming back after 3 months, just to look like a retard.
lintyelm@reddit
Cook that bum!
seismicqueef@reddit
It’s just an aesthetic choice and that’s a valid enough reason
Blindphleb@reddit
But someone on the internet has an opinion different than my own! I must make a comment!
MrKeffieKeffer@reddit
I’m using myself a BeQuiet Light Loop 360mm, it comes with nice RGB.
Pump and fans are quiet, like, I don’t even know if it’s turned on or not.
Have used a Silentloop in the past from BeQuiet.
The LightLoop also delivers very good cooling performance.
I did plan to get the Arctic Liquid Freezer, but I don’t know anymore why I didn’t go with it.
meddarkknight@reddit
Is it still good with you? I ordered one but afraid of it to be noisy on my 9950x3d
MrKeffieKeffer@reddit
Still quiet. Even after a whole year in use. Expectations are met!
But just take whatever you think is best, everyone has their own opinions.
meddarkknight@reddit
My biggest concern is noise tbh, and i dont want my cpu to be hot that much, if you got any suggestions i ll be happy to hear it.
MrKeffieKeffer@reddit
Then I would still go for the BeQuiet models, still amazed.
Upset-Share5016@reddit
Your new CPU won't require a AIO but if you had to get one I would go with the ARTIC LIQUID FREEZER III PRO 240
durrrdle@reddit
Worst choice possible.
Upset-Share5016@reddit
why is that
durrrdle@reddit
Underperforming for it's price in my personal opinion, it's not expensive, but you can find better options from Thermalright.
skrukketiss69@reddit
Arctic for sure.
durrrdle@reddit
Arctic what?
The Arctic Pro variant of their AIOs is not good, despite the radiator being 36mm thick (and not compatible with a lot of case), their fans are some of the worst when it comes to noise.
skrukketiss69@reddit
I use the Liquid Freezer III Pro 360.
Not sure why you'd say it's not good, my temps say otherwise.
I'm running Arctic's own fancurves (Silent version) and I don't hear the fans at all unless my CPU is pinned at 100%.
durrrdle@reddit
I think you kind of missed what i was trying to say.
Their Pro variant is very underperforming, despite being the successor of their non-pro version and being so huge (which is also very bad if it's so underperforming).
When it comes to their fans, when compared to other options, they have a really bad whine noise at low rpm, they're quiet around 800-1400rpm, but anything below is just unacceptable for their experience.
Responsible_Leg3904@reddit
What did you end up going with here? I had a bad experience with the Liquid Freezer III Pro 360. Found it to be insanely loud in an all mesh case. It also developed a really strange/loud/annoying sound in one of the fans after about a month. Thankfully was able to RMA it.
Switched to be quiet light loop and am extremely happy with the performance.
I understand some of the reasons to go with air instead, but in my build I noticed a 10 degree C improvement under gaming load with AIO vs air on a 9800x3d.
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
i bought the ak620, as many ppl here recommended Thermalright ( in my country I've only managed to find the ak620 which is similar)
My cpu never exceeded 57 degrees, also its fans are soo quiet even in heavy load
Im also glad u've managed to find a better cpu cooler ,especially rhe 9800x3d which really needs low temps to run faster
Responsible_Leg3904@reddit
That's great! Will keep the ak620 in mind for future builds : )
BaronB@reddit
I know nothing about the XYZ model, it's not a brand I'm familiar with at all.
The Deepcool LT520 and LFIII PRO likely perform very similarly. The LT520 was one of the top performing AIOs for Intel CPUs when it was released a few years ago, and performs quite well on AM5 CPUs.
The Arctic Liquid Freezer III topped the charts for AM5 CPUs early on, but the Pro model performs quite a bit worse. Lots of people who will respond here will tell you that the LFIII is the best option, but they don't realize the Pro isn't the same one that got all the good reviews. So between the three, I'd go with the LT520 if you want "the best".
That said, just about any 240 AIO will have no problems with a 9600X. It's a CPU that barely needs more than a single tower cooler to start with, so just about any 240 AIO will be more than enough.
ravanlike@reddit
I thought in PRO they changed only fans (put ones that spin up to 3200 rpm, so without lowering curve, it would be loud AG). Have they changed pump also?
BaronB@reddit
At the moment I’m not sure anyone knows. All that’s known is the LFIII performed very well in noise normalized testing, but the LFIII Pro performs much worse, and seems to suffer from consistency issues. On the other hand, the LFIII Pro still outperforms almost every other AIO on the market when the fans are run at full speed... which results in the LFIII being twice as loud as the next loudest consumer AIO on the market. (There are 360 AIOs intended for server use that legitimately require hearing protection at full speed.)
JohhnySPIDER@reddit
Use air coolers and never risk leaks and broken pumps. Not worth it
evan9922@reddit
Don't get an AIO tbh just get the Thermalright Phantom Spirit, it's the newer version of the Peerless Assassin. It has 1 extra heat pipe for better heat absorbtion and on such a entry level CPU like the 10400F is probably overkill on cooling. But the Cooler is only like $35 or so and will also serve you well with a 9600X so great cooler
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
Yes i am taking the Phantom Spirit 120 in consideration , im looking up if u can find one in my garbage country, also thank you so much
evan9922@reddit
Of course, hopefully you find one!
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
sadly no i havent, btw what do u think about the Deepcool assassin IV
evan9922@reddit
That's a very good one too, we can't buy it in the US anymore because politics. Other great ones are the ID Cooling A620 and A720 they're a bit more expensive than the Phantom Spirit but super good coolers
R0b0yt0@reddit
A 30-40 dollar tower cooler will be more than sufficient for a 10400. The intel stock cooler is simply really bad.
Something from Arctic, Thermalright, BeQuiet, etc…can’t really go wrong.
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
for intel yes sure ,wb the 9600x?
Symphonic7@reddit
I have a 7800x3D and a Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 and its literally dead silent. The 9000 series is even more power efficient, so it should have zero problem for it.
Rejnn@reddit
Y’all are really deaf when saying that those coolers are dead silent
Symphonic7@reddit
Get a good fan curve, and it is. Unless you play games with the sound muted. On idle you set it to not ramp up until it reaches gaming temps, and you won't get those random jumps when webpages load or you launch a program.
Rejnn@reddit
It’s not dead silent even after an extreme fan curve, maybe if you are the only person in the room it doesn’t make sense to you, but try to do anything without your headphones and you’ll see what I meant.
Symphonic7@reddit
I use my speakers most of the time when I'm not gaming, so maybe thats why. Maybe its just my setup (7800x3D, PTM7950, contact frame, -10 curve optimizer, all mesh case, all Noctua fans, low 60s ambient temp). But even if I hear it blip when I launch something, its certainly incredibly quiet and my chassis fans or other stuff in my house is louder. For $35 this thing is amazing.
Rejnn@reddit
Just to clarify, did you change the fans for noctua ones?
Symphonic7@reddit
I replaced the two fans with a single noctua 120mm A12x25 since I downsized mobos and had extra chassis fans. I did test it with the two stock fans and it was fairly quiet still, but I prefer the sound of the noctua when at load.
R0b0yt0@reddit
You want to look at the power draw of the CPU, and in this case they have nearly identical power usage.
A relatively inexpensive tower cooler will definitely get the job done.
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/intel-core-i5-10400f/18.html
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-ryzen-5-9600x/23.html
9okm@reddit
They’re about the same.
IggyHitokage@reddit
They basically use about the same amount of power when under max load, 85~ watts.
They do not need an AIO and no AMD processor except maybe the 9950X/3D really benefits from one.
PHIGBILL@reddit
Even a single tower cooler with one fan will keep the 9600X / 7600X cool.
windowpuncher@reddit
peerless assassin my beloved
R0b0yt0@reddit
I know they’re good, but they’re also big/bulky.
For a 10400 even a single tower is more than enough.
Hyper212 for like $25 will more than get the job done.
bulldoggemaster@reddit
Got my son the beQuiet cooler and It’s amazing value for money, gaming non stop and the cpu never been over 64oC and the case never gets higher than 47oC with the extra 3 fans.
Emerald_Flame@reddit
Does your case absolutely require an AIO.
Something like a Thermalright Phantom Spirit is going to be similar or better performance, 1/3rd the price, and it will be quieter.
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
NGL im willing to buy an AIO only for the looks, the normal cpu cooler looks way too big in the case
lpmiller@reddit
NGL, I bought my AIO mostly because of that. No regrets a year later. Overkill? Oh yes. But overkill can be fun too.
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
Which AIO u bought?
lpmiller@reddit
Arctic Liquid - pretty happy with it.
shitpostsuperpac@reddit
I go AIO because they make building easier imo.
lpmiller@reddit
yep, I can see that.
Luckyirishdevil@reddit
I vote air cooler, but everyone has to learn th8s for themselves. The AIO does just look better. After it starts cavitation, leaks, or the pump dies in 3 years, you will appreciate the stability of an air cooler. I did it, I had the pretty RGB rig for a while. Now I put my money into performance and an all mesh case with a reliable air cooler.
SNEAKY_PNIS@reddit
and nothing at all wrong with it, there are lots of great air coolers and AIO coolers. If you like the aesthetics of AIOs and are OK paying a little more for them, no problem at all. I switched from an air cooler to an AIO and don't ever plan on going back
Emerald_Flame@reddit
In that case, the Arctic Liquid Freezer is pretty much the go-to choice.
That being said, I would highly recommend budgeting for replacements. A lot of AIOs tend to last about 3-5 years, maybe 7 on the high end, before the pump dies or they have so much evaporation that it becomes a problem. Meanwhile a good air cooler is generally good for a couple decades at bare minimum.
FeralSparky@reddit
Do you have steps in place for if the pump dies? Because if it does then that's a whole new AIO.
If a fan dies on an air cooler you just replace the fan and keep going.
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
So you're saying ill be heavy running 9600x at around 60 deg on the Thermalright Phantom Spirit for 1/3rd the price??? if its true ill buy it without thinking ngl ,im doing some researches about it
Emerald_Flame@reddit
Yup, Phantom Spirit is generally around $35.
Generally performs about the same as most 240mm AIOs.
randylush@reddit
10th and 11th gen Intel can have high bursts of heat. AIOs can usually soak up a lot of this before the fans have to kick in high gear. So while tower coolers can move about as much heat as AIOs over time, I’ve found that AIOs can still be quieter because they can absorb these bursts more effectively.
PsychologyGGG@reddit
AIOs are louder in general than a premium air cooler so you’re arguing that is can be quiet some of the time.
This is peak Reddit
randylush@reddit
yeah, that's true, a cheap AIO is gonna be louder than a premium air cooler. This is peak reddit, saying a cheap version of X is worse than a premium version of Y so X must be worse than Y.
yoimtinyrick@reddit
I second this! I have both Arctic Liquid Freezer iii 280, and an old Noctua U14S. The latter is much much more quieter, it is not even close.
Emerald_Flame@reddit
The 10400f is such a low end part, this isn't going to be an issue for any error cooler. Even if it was any fan control software that has a hysteresis setting will smooth that out.
randylush@reddit
Yeah that’s probably true for the 10400f
exterminuss@reddit
You got it wrong,
red runs faster,
i belive blue was for cooler
To be safe i'd get one with RGB, or just buy the arctic and retrofit some rgb fans
TheKTMAddict@reddit
Have the Arctic Pro 360 very satisfied with the choice.
nesnalica@reddit
firstly you need to understand what is making the noise.
the fan is just one component.
it also depends on:
how many fans
how fast theyre spinning
and most importantly the computercase. the vibrations of the fans and itd noise is amplified by the pc case.
the first thing u can do is running the fans slower. u can manually adjust the fan curve with software.
the next step is buying a pc case with sound dampening for instance. this will help more than just getting an AIO.
a water pump will always make noise.
looopious@reddit
A quiet PC is all dependent on how well the thermals is performing. If your whole system has enough cooling it shouldn’t be loud at all.
That said, stock fans generally don’t perform well and it a big misconception that aio is always better than air cooling.
I’m running a Fractal torrent case and there is so much air from the two 180mm fans, nothing is ever struggling with thermals. Because of that much air, my deepcool ak620 gets a lot of air intake.
My PC is so quiet that I can’t tell if it’s on or off unless I look at the RGB.
Aio’s as others have said are pricier and the longevity is not infinite like an air cooler is.
KFC_Junior@reddit
https://gamersnexus.net/megacharts/cpu-coolers#200W-normalized-100
ChuckMauriceFacts@reddit
Check out HardwareCanucks' recent video, they do an in-depth test of very recent AIOs.
According to this video and my own research, the most silent and cost-effective setup is either the Corsair Nautilus RS or the Lian Li GAII Lite Performance, replacing the default fans by high-end ones like Phanteks T30s.
bert_lifts@reddit
For some reason the pro is worse than the original LFIII. Really weird. Seems like Arctic can't work it out either.
squilliumpiss@reddit
I built a pc recently and went with the arctic liquid freezer 3 pro 360mm and am loving it.
GlassDeviant@reddit
You would be better served by a relatively inexpensive (half or less) quiet air cooler from Be Quiet!, Zalmn or Noctua.
drunkenape@reddit
Love my Thermalright frozen notte 240
Qarick@reddit
Arctic only the pro version, cooler master atmos and be quiet silent loop. Ive tested maaaany aios and these are the best for sure.
CleverTortoise@reddit
Consider a be quiet silent or pure loop.
dfmilkman@reddit
I really like my Lian Li GA II RGB. great temps, very quiet, looks nice.
Saizou@reddit
I have the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 and I am very happy with it, but I'm unsure how this would translate to a 240 with regard to noise levels.
Rakhsev@reddit
No reason it should. Look into the BIOS to adjust the temperature to fan speed ratio. As long as it doesn't go above 80 degrees C, it's completely fine.
Designer_Capital2376@reddit
Mine is the goat air cooler master hyper212 black edition
Different-Fox-3234@reddit (OP)
is it loud?
Designer_Capital2376@reddit
For me not at all. Im using it since 2021 for my intel 10400f and its been great. Cooler master hyper212 rgb black edition
Biduleman@reddit
Sorry but while this cooler was the king of budget builds for a while, it has lots its crown years ago.
Elitefuture@reddit
Still don't need an AIO for a 9600x, but if it's for the aesthetics, get one from thermalright if it's in your country, they're cheap.
BLACK_WOLF_2025@reddit
I use an MSI coreliquid v2, and it is the quietest pc I have had.
illuxion@reddit
Honestly, if you're not trying to cool the sun, I'd look for an air cooler. Like the Phantom Spirit /u/Emerald_Flame mentioned. It will be cool,quiet, and easy to install. I miss the Noctua NH-D15 I had before, but it couldn't tame an OC'd 13900K(now 14900k). I've been very happy with my arctic 420, super quiet and keeps everything nice and cool but it's huge. Not sure about the little ones, but I'd still lean towards the Artic.
pylon567@reddit
I have the 360 version of the Arctic Liquid Freezer III PRO 240, and it's pretty quiet.
If they're similar, you'll likely get similar results. I'm cooling a 5800X with it, which tends to run hot anyway. Underload, I don't see it go above 45-50C.
AvidRedditUser999@reddit
I returned my Arctic LF 360 because it had a noise in a totally silent environment. I bought a tower instead because they are silent and performs cooling wise almost as good.
jtj5002@reddit
Most 240 AIO are no quieter than <$50 air coolers. LF 240 is the best of the bunch.
1tokarev1@reddit
Thermalright Phantom Spirit
PsychologyGGG@reddit
The Arctic pro is at the top or trades blows with anything so that’s what to pick but not a 240.
You might as well get a Thermalright Phantom Spirit air cooler