does CPU brand really matter?
Posted by Glittering_Bad_950@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 19 comments
Just bought a used Ryzen 7 5800x and i was informed that my stock cooler (from pre built) is not going to work and would most likely over heat my CPU. they recommended me a dual tower cpu cooler, Peerless Assassin 120 Digital for around 40$ after tax and a random brand i never heard of from amazon "kalemax" for 20$
both 6 heat pipes, the amazon brand has higher RPM (im not sure if that matters). only difference i see is that the Peerless is 5 wattage and the kalemax is 3. not sure what difference would that make.
finally, most ppl say that they would go name brand since better QC and quieter fan noise.
both on amazon are marked at 25.6 Decibels but im not sure if thats an accurate measurement.
any help?
i know its just about a 19$ish difference but hey id like to save as much money as possible if im simply paying for brand name, or if its an actual worthy buy to go name brand.
Dwarf-Eater@reddit
I own 3 thermalrights the Royal Knight, Ps120 SE, and the Ps 120 Evo. All are great coolers, but I looked up the $19 cooler you listed. It looks great and has great reviews, if money is tight go for it, it will work great I'm sure. If you have money to spare get a PA120 Black for $32 or if ram is an issue get the Royal Knight for $27.
Glittering_Bad_950@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the extra insight! It’s always great to hear from someone who’s dabbled in a handful of different products.
Dwarf-Eater@reddit
I have the Thermalright Royal Knight paired with my wife's 5800x and it's been great. Again I wouldn't hesitate to buy the $19 cooler especially if I was making a budget build. Happy gaming mate 🤟
vlhube71@reddit
Higher RPM means the fan spins faster (I am assuming the listing is stating the max speed), thus moving more air but will be louder. For air coolers, breakdown is usually the fans and while Thermalright isn’t a premium fan brand, they tend to be reliable. The Peerless Assassin itself is a top-tier air cooler and $19 is worth the consideration. They have a non digital version that may be $5 cheaper.
MinisterofHeresy@reddit
I see what you're saying about saving money, especially if you're on a shoe-string budget, but scrimping 20 bucks on something as critical as a cooler seems a bit risky.
Sure, at the sub-$50 end of the market there probably isn't a lot of difference in day-to-day performance, but my gut feeling is that the PA comes from a company that uses higher quality components, has better quality control, and has better customer support if there is a problem.
Personally, I think the extra $20 is worth it for peace-of-mind, although if you are on a tight budget, consider getting the cheaper one now and upgrading later before it gives up the ghost?
As an aside, who said your stock cooler won't work, and on what are they basing that statement? Would it work short term until you can save up a bit to buy a better cooler than a bargain-bin Amazon item? Is holding on to your old CPU a little longer an option? If so, I might also suggest holding out until the PA is on sale.
Glittering_Bad_950@reddit (OP)
yea i also might just wait it out and hold on to my older cpu for now until can grab the PA. thank you so much for the insight!
Glittering_Bad_950@reddit (OP)
im just seeing a lot of online discussions about how 5800x runs hot, way hotter compared to my old ryzen 5 3600. and my stock cooler isnt even the AMD cooler. its an no name brand stock cooler came from my I buy power pre built. its a low profile single fan cooler. it looks like those 5$ coolers you get form aliexpress or when you open up a 2010s dell desktop. im not really that informed about cpu coolers and what exactly makes them good or bad-- so im not 100% sure about m stokc cooler not being good enough. that being said it runs my ryzen 5 3600 in decent temps idle and maybe gets a little hot during some video editing times.
Serious-Map-1230@reddit
This one does almost as good as the peerless but is 30$ (and actually reviewed and tested to work properly):
ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler (FROZN A620 PRO SE) - PCPartPicker
Glittering_Bad_950@reddit (OP)
THANK YOU!
n7_trekkie@reddit
Any dual tower is going to be enough for a 5800x.
The pa120 is likely better in several ways, like mounting pressure and surface quality of the cold plate. There's more to cooler performance than just the heat pipe count
However, the $20 dual tower is going to be fine too. Might just be a little louder
Glittering_Bad_950@reddit (OP)
would i see/feel an actual noticeable difference between the two? outside of loudness ofc. heat wise. I mostly play non intensive games on 1080p and like video editing for personal film projects.
n7_trekkie@reddit
Heat and noise are basically the same thing. You can get lower temperatures by making your cooler louder. If you don't care about noise and only care about low temps, both these coolers can be about the same to you
Glittering_Bad_950@reddit (OP)
i have a prebuilt with a shit cooler (no name brand single fan low profile cooler) and i honeslty dont know if its loud or if thats just loud Coolers are so i honestly dont know wahts a quite or loud CPU lol. i think i might just stick wiht the 20$ one to save costs since id be paying double for the same thing. the PA is white like my gpu so maybe i take points for aesthetic reasons LOL
n7_trekkie@reddit
Those coolers in prebuilts are super cheap and very bad, likely just a few dollars to produce. Either of these dual towers will be way quieter than you're used to, while maintaining lower temperatures
LowPomegranate225@reddit
Air cooler the heat pipes and fins are all about same. What you're paying extra money for is how flat the contact block is and how good the fans are.
For my money, I'd just go with peerless assassin. It's only 20 bucks more and it's proven to be good over many years now.
KFC_Junior@reddit
would just suck it up and buy the PA, its $20 difference for a very big experience difference if something happens or you need support about it
Glittering_Bad_950@reddit (OP)
i mean yea i might but im just trying to save as much money as i can. (i bought both my cpu and GPU upgrades used and for ultra cheap ryzen 7 5800x for 100$ and rx7600 for 160 ) so i just just chalk up costs to get a better cooler
mcramhemi@reddit
Lots of people say. Ive built with both but only used Intel ( I like the little stickers they give me hehe 😜) and both have performed their intended job. My friends have not complained with the AMDs I used in their machines
Choconolait@reddit
Using a CPU cooler in the same class but of lesser quality can be slightly louder and cause the cpu to run slightly hotter. If you are overclocking or thinks it is worth to pay extra for less noise, you may want to get one from reputable brand. If not, cheaper one in the same class will work fine.