360mm AIO inferior to 280mm? Aluminum versus copper radiators?
360mm AIO inferior to 280mm? Aluminum versus copper radiators?
Hello everyone,
I'm currently cooling my i7 8700k at 5.3 Ghz using a 280mm AIO from EVGA (Evga 280 clc), which was upgraded with 2 Noctua NF A14 ippc3000 fans instead of the original ones. I'm thinking about switching to a 360mm AIO. However, after reading many articles and watching numerous YouTube videos, it seems the Evga 280 clc consistently performs at the very top and even outperforms many 360mm AIOs. For instance, here’s a comparison chart for various 360mm and 280mm AIOs during full CPU stress tests (performed by Gamer Nexus):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJejyyVPNe4
https://imgur.com/XvjTOON
From what I see, the stock Evga fans are better than many popular 360mm AIOs, especially when compared to the industrial Noctua fans I use. So my question is: does a larger cooling surface mean better performance? Or could it be that the stock Evga fans actually spin faster?
With this evidence, would upgrading to a 360mm AIO still make sense?
Additionally, I’m curious about the Fractal Celsius S36 360m AIO. This model features a copper radiator, which is more thermally efficient than most other 360mm units that use aluminum. In theory, it should perform better than those with cheaper aluminum radiators. But according to the chart, the S36 ranks near the bottom. Why is it so poor despite having such a superior radiator compared to the budget aluminum one on the Evga 280 clc?
Thanks for your feedback!
Unless you plan to run a custom loop, it's not recommended to use a 360mm. They work better in custom loop systems with several components, but for a single CPU, it's best to stick with the 280.
Lthampton :
Unless you plan to run a custom loop, it's not necessarily recommended to use a 360mm. They work better in systems with multiple components, but for just a CPU, sticking with your 280 is fine.
Thanks for the advice.
I was really interested in the cooling power of 360mm units since I just received a new case (Lian Li O11) that can fit several of them, and the idea of upgrading my AIO immediately came to mind.
But I'm still surprised and curious about how the S36 could be so low in the rank despite its copper radiator! @@
(P/S: My initial plan was to buy the S36 and swap its original fans for 3 Noctua industrial nf f12 fans)
Thampton:
Unless you plan to run a custom loop, it’s not necessarily recommended to use a 360mm. They work better with custom loop systems that include multiple components. For just a CPU, sticking with your 280 is the best choice.
Thanks for your advice.
I was really interested in the cooling power of 360mm units because I just received a new case (Lian Li O11) that can fit several 360mm units. The idea of upgrading my AIO right away came to mind.
But I’m still surprised and curious about how the S36 could be so low in performance despite having a copper radiator!
(P.S.: My initial plan was to buy the S36 and swap its original fans for three Noctua industrial NF F12 fans)
Eventually, you hit diminishing returns. They’re excellent for cooling large systems like a server, but they don’t get enough liquid in an AIO loop to be as efficient as they could be. At least that’s my understanding.