Am I falling foul of a myth...?
Am I falling foul of a myth...?
Based on what I've seen, that's the full story. I was using my old X5690 around 300w, and it lasted about 14 months before things started to fail. After two years it was already a significant drop—200 to 300MHz below its original performance. By year three, it hit stock clocks, and by year four it couldn't even keep up with the 7700K model. It really feels like it's not holding up anymore.
The main reason for this change is to move my current setup from a Meshify C to a Ceres 500, specifically because the power button is located on the side of the case (Ceres 500), not on top like with the Meshify C. This setup would let my cats potentially touch the power button and disrupt my PC session. Although the Ceres has many fans, I'm curious if the benefits of liquid cooling outweigh the extra cost. Thanks to those who share similar thoughts.
Keep the dark rock pro 4 running. It will handle cooling well. I wouldn’t invest in the AIO for that.
From an appearance standpoint, I've noticed some pretty thoughtfully crafted closed loops and even the RGB options on certain AiO models can be nicely controlled if needed. I tend to favor simple designs when it comes to decorative lighting, so this isn't a big concern here... RGB can also be turned off, which is great. I'm aware that the fans with the Ceres 500 come with RGB, but they'll have strict limitations—trust me on that.
For your request, proceed only if your situation includes a glass panel—it also enhances appearance (similar to the lt520).