AIO Recommendations?
Posted by AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 28 comments
I am planning my next build and I can’t decide on an aio. So far the things I am pretty set on having in my build are:
- asus x noctua 5080
- fractal north xl
- gigabyte aero x870e dark wood edition
- chromax black noctua fans (including radiator)
So my intentions are to build a silent and dark/wood aesthetic pc. I do not want to use an air cooler, if im gonna waste money on a wood themed mobo i want to see it. Im having trouble deciding on an aio. I want my aio to meet the following qualifications:
- silent pump!!! (idc about the fans, theyll be replaced anyway)
- low profile (nothing too chunky like the tryx panorama)
- solid performance (cooling 9800x3d)
- looks good (very subjective, sure, but if there’s anything that would match this theme or just isnt ugly)
I don’t mind rgb or an lcd screen. I think a bit of subtle rgb on pump and ram isnt a bad idea. Additionally, im sure people will recommend the arctic lf3 but everything i research about it highlights its loudness
Note: Price is not a factor, im not trying to min/max my build.
Note: yes a custom loop is probably the best for my situation. Im considering it but I have never tried it, i want to explore my aio options first.
-UserRemoved-@reddit
It's not
9800X3D pulls under 100W for most workloads, and is already easily cooled by any decent air cooler
AIO is purely aesthetics here, and would be low value since you aren't gaining anything practical while spending more money.
magur76@reddit
So you're saying I'm alright with the cheapest aio, of course branded for 9800x3d? I'm going for a build with this cpu and currently confused about which AIO to go for.
Would you recommend Thermalright AIOs?
-UserRemoved-@reddit
9800X3D pulls under 100W for most workloads. Your average air cooler can handle 150W+.
Any AIO would be fine for this CPU, it's not pulling much power to begin with, thus not producing much heat.
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-ryzen-7-9800x3d/23.html
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/amd-ryzen-7-9800x3d-review-devastating-gaming-performance/4
Any 240mm or larger AIO would be more than fine. Cooling capacity is relative to surface area, so bigger coolers = better, which is also why some air coolers are able to outperform some AIOs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convection_(heat_transfer)
Thermalright AIOs are just fine to use. Given you're paying more for aesthetics going AIO here, then simply pick whichever one you think looks the best. If you want best value, then air coolers would be the better option.
magur76@reddit
Thank you for writing in details, yes pure aesthetics focused but also wanted to get something that will be robust. I think Corsair Nautilus RS 360MM would be good enough. It is exceptionally low priced where I am. And seeing Hardware Canucks praising this cooler really makes me feel this is the one.
Thank you very much once again, I'll be sure to check out these links of course
xthelord2@reddit
that 5080 will make any air cooler suck on a 9800X3D because air will get hella warm before it gets to the CPU so AIO is inevitable
and again find a air cooler with wood finish, that is practically impossible because all air coolers either have stupid LCD's on them or are purely black and white
so people have to go with a custom loop if they want anything other than cringe LCD and RGB spam
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
Exactly, especially in a north that has no bottom intake. Ive never seen an aio with wood trim but if you know one point me in that direction
xthelord2@reddit
can't find any, literally nothing on the market has wood trim
but i did find a AIO which has dark bronze face plate which should fit into the wood trim setup; Montech hyperflow Silent 360 black
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
Yep, check my post im already set on that mobo i love it. I just looked into this cooler and thats super nice. Definitely on my short list now of potential buys, thank you!
SuaveBolo@reddit
I have a Corsair Nautilus, but idk if that meets your aesthetics reqs. But it's silent and my CPU sits at 50C under load with my 5080.
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
That all black stealth one is cleann
SuaveBolo@reddit
Yeah, I did white because I wanted a Panda aesthetic. But they're both incredibly clean. I know you probably won't have a tempered glass panel, but even the LCD screen upgrade is pretty minimal.
xthelord2@reddit
you can and you should be turning down your pump RPM anyways, peak cooling efficiency is often in the 50-80% range and little bit of testing to find the sweetspot would not hurt
this should make AIO choice easier for everyone
Remote-Button-1344@reddit
if you want something cheap and good, check some thermalright aios, i have one for my 9800x3d the frozen warframe ultra and its great, but the pump on the lcd screen its red, i think the pro version its black, i like the lian li hydroshift ii s, the square version but yeah more expensive,
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
My gut tells me to stay away from thermalright lol but im open to them. I just dont get how they can make them so cheap without cutting corners
Remote-Button-1344@reddit
I have mine for almost 1 year and 0 issues
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
Any noticeable pump noise?
Remote-Button-1344@reddit
Nope, 0 noise
Puzzleheaded-West159@reddit
Just wait for noctua aio release , my guy
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
I have definitely considered this. I think itll only be released with the brown fans which isnt a huge deal but definitely makes me think twice about it.
LobL@reddit
From your post ”idc about the fans”.
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
Lol yeah but the noctua aio is gonna have noctua fans already installed. Id feel silly paying that premium just to replace them with the black version. although its something i may do im not ruling it out
ADo_9000@reddit
Honestly a 9800x3d doesn't need an AIO, so don't go wasting your money.
You shouldn't spend more than 80$ on one.
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
Sure, an aio is purely an aesthetic decision for me
-UserRemoved-@reddit
Then you should simply buy the one that looks best to you
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
Well yes but silence is also a huge priority for me. Figured id get some recommendations from people who have more knowledge in this area than me
-UserRemoved-@reddit
Noise comes from the fans
Air coolers and AIOs both use the same fans. In fact, AIO's also have a pump that makes noise
To make a build quieter, we run the fans slower. We are able to run fans slower by increase surface area for dissipation (aka bigger cooler)
Given a mid-high end air cooler is already more cooler than you need, then silence is likely achieved better with an air cooler, since there is no additional pump noise and provides ample surface area.
AwkwardLibrarian7585@reddit (OP)
Yeah no way you read my post lol
hooj@reddit
I am a fan of the arctic liquid freezer iii and it’s pretty reasonably priced.