comparison of water cooling versus air cooling for 8700k+1080
comparison of water cooling versus air cooling for 8700k+1080
Hi guys, I'm deciding between two cooling options for my new build.
A) Alphacool eisbaer lt360 with 3 EC vardars (cpu €105+€45) and paired with alphacool eiswolf for the GPU (€85), total €235.
B) Noctua NHD15 for the CPU (€90) and Morpheus II with EC vardars for the GPU (€60+€30), total €180.
I have a meshify C case, so airflow shouldn't be an issue. It will cool an 8700k (likely around 4.8) and a GTX 1080. I'm okay with the look but want to avoid missing performance gains by choosing air cooling. Thanks in advance!
You look like you're familiar with the Alphacool configuration... though I'd suggest you check out the watercooling guide in my personal notes to fully understand the topic. If I overlooked something, let me know where your question is.
I'm mainly considering the aircooling option, but if the Alphacool combination turns out to be much better, it could change my mind. There aren't many statistics available for the Alphacool products and even fewer for the Morpheus, so I can't compare them directly. That's why I'm reaching out to the community for anyone with experience.
Hi martijnbove,
What are your goals? Complete silence, gentle overclocking? Or push it to extreme levels (5+GHz)? No!
4.8GHz is achievable in air with a decent cooler, thanks to the noctua.
I'm someone who prefers air cooling (my i5 8600k runs at 5.2GHz with a Dark Rock Pro 3) mainly because of the pump noise and the concern about leaks...
With air, you can't match the same performance as with water.
(especially for GPUs with GPU boost 3.0)
Water allows you to go further.
BUT is it worth the risk of pump failure or noise, potential leaks? The decision is yours.
One more point, cooling gear lasts longer
😉
Rodolphe.
rodolphe.viard :
Hey martijnbove,
what are you aiming for? Complete silence, gentle overclocking? Or maybe a strong overclock (5+GHz)? No!
4.8GHz is possible in air with a decent cooler, as the noctua shows.
I’m someone who likes air cooling (my i5 8600k runs at 5.2GHz with a Dark Rock Pro 3) because of the pump noise and the fear of leaks...
But with air you can’t match the same performance you get with water.
(especially for GPUs with GPU boost 3.0)
Water really helps push things further.
BUT is it worth the risk of pump failure/noise, possible leaks? The choice is yours.
One more point, cooling gear doesn’t fail
😉
Gpu boost 3.0 stays at its max as long as the card stays under 60 degrees Celsius, right? So basically, if I can keep my GPU below 60 with the Morpheus+NHD15 OC to 4.8, I’ll get the same performance as water-cooled? (even though temperatures might drop a bit)
Rodolphe.
For the GPU, maintaining a cooler temperature leads to improved performance.
The reduction in frequency starts at 37°C based on certain references (https://www.anandtech.com/show/10325/the...-review/15)
Regarding the CPU, the variation will be minimal—just a few watts, mainly because of increased power leakage with rising temperature.
For the GPU, when it is fully watercooled (including the die and VRM), the impact on frequency and temperature becomes more noticeable, though it demands a custom loop setup.
Your Air combo Morpheus+NHD15 performs well for your intended goals.
rodolphe.viard:
For the GPU, the cooler it stays, the quicker it performs.
The frequency drop starts at 37°C according to some references (https://www.anandtech.com/show/10325/the...-review/15)
For the CPU, the variation will be almost insignificant (just a few watts because of rising power leakage with temperature).
For the GPU, when fully watercooled (die and VRM), the gap is more noticeable (both frequency and heat) but it needs a custom loop.
Your Air combo morpheus+nhd15 works well for your goals.
Rodolphe.