Initial attempt at overclocking. Comparison of air versus liquid cooling.
Initial attempt at overclocking. Comparison of air versus liquid cooling.
There are two high-end all-in-one coolers worth looking at
Swiftech's Line (such as H240 X2) - http://www.swiftech.com/
EK Predator Line (like 240) - http://www.ekwb.com/predator/
Other options fall short and feature very high RPM fans to compensate for low efficiency aluminum components and weak pumps.
I haven’t discovered a 240mm CLC cooler that outperforms better air coolers while being significantly louder—up to twice or even twelve times the noise level of the best air coolers.
In the air cooling market, at $90 you can find the Noctua NH-D15 competing against the Cryorig R1 and the Mugen Max in stock settings
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6745/sc...ndex6.html
Priced at $74, the Mugen Max reaches 72.08°C with one fan and emits 51 dbA
The Cryorig R1 Ultimate with two fans hits 71.33°C and 45 dbA
The Noctua DH-D15 with two fans stays at 69.33°C and 35 dbA
The Dark Rock 3 at $90 is 72.75°C with 39 dbA
The Noctua NH-D14 at $80 is 72.5°C and 44 dbA
The Phanteks PH-TC14PE is around 71°C, about 1.5°C better than the NH-D14
It’s clear why the Noc is frequently discussed
There are two high-end all-in-one coolers worth looking into
Swiftech's Line (such as H240 X2) - http://www.swiftech.com/
EK Predator Line (like 240) - http://www.ekwb.com/predator/
Other options don’t compare well and feature very low efficiency aluminum fins, weak pumps, and noisy fans.
I haven’t found a 240mm CLC cooler that outperforms better air coolers while being significantly louder than the air cooler models.
In the air cooling market at $90, you can see reviews of the Noctua NH-D15 competing against the Cryorig R1 and the Mugen Max (with stock settings)
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6745/sc...ndex6.html
Prices range from $74 to $89 depending on performance and noise.
The Noctua NH-D15 isn’t available on my preferred site in the Netherlands, but the NH-D14 is accessible. So it’s the Dark Rock (Pro) 3 versus the Noctua NH-D14 versus the Cyrorig Ultimate versus the Phanteks PH-TC14CS that stands out.
I own an i5-3570k and made purchases for the cryorig H5 ultimate ($48) and another fan ($17). For $65 on a single tower heatsink, 8 copper heatpipes compare favorably to similar performance with $90 double tower heatsinks with 14 copper heatpipes... I believe I’m getting the best value. gg
No offense, but I’d choose air cooling every day rather than those closed-loop coolers just because they’re cheaper. I don’t like the idea of buying these coolers based on the belief that ‘any liquid is good.’ It’s better to invest in quality liquid cooling or reliable air cooling.
With liquid cooling, the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ really holds true.
And in the mini ITX cases?
Low Profile Air coolers or Liquid coolers?
Low profile air coolers are recommended. I already have a full watercooling setup with CPU, GPU, two radiators, and a pump/res combo in a Corsair 250D, so mITX isn't a big issue—it just needs more thought. Thanks to everyone who responded.
My build will include:
i5 4690k
16 gb HyperX DDR3 1866
Asus Z97-K
Be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
NZXT S340 Special Edition.
GTX 970 or GTX 1070 (2x)
Corsair RM750X
Any thoughts? And how much overclocking potential will this cooler provide?
It relies on various factors - a mix of CPU chip selection, motherboard reliability, RAM consistency, power supply steadiness, and your ability to tweak settings in the BIOS.