Liquid or air cooling i7 8700k
Liquid or air cooling i7 8700k
I now have a clear idea of what I need for my next build. Deciding between liquid and air cooling for the i7 8700k is still on my mind, especially since it will be paired with a GTX 1080ti. I appreciate the aesthetic of NZXT x42 coolers but am curious about their performance or if there are more stylish fan options out there. I’m looking for something with a bit of RGB lighting, not too much (which is why I liked the x42), and it will be installed on a Gigabyte Aorus gaming 7 board.
Liquid cooling generally enables more aggressive overclocking, but at the end you can still overclock without air cooling, making it a matter of personal preference. I prefer the aesthetic of a water cooler rather than a bulky heatsink with a fan. Water cooling is affordable now and components are easy to find, so AIO or custom loop options are available—choose what suits you best.
I remain a strong supporter of quality air cooling options, especially in Europe where silent PCs are common. AIO units tend to generate a lot of noise, while custom liquid solutions are significantly more costly.
For your 8700k, I suggest the BeQuiet Dark Rock 4 Pro – it’s a powerful and excellent air cooler!
I own the same motherboard and an overclocked 8700K paired with a 360 AIO, so the Corsair H150i Pro should handle it well. Honestly, I really like an AIO because having a large metal block over my CPU felt too cumbersome, particularly when making modifications.
A solid air cooler such as a Noctua or Dark Rock 4 Pro would also work nicely, though I’m not sure about the noise level. A good AIO with a solid fan setup will run quietly enough and, more importantly, provide better cooling at high speeds. In my experience, the Corsair H150i Pro has Mag Lev fans that are incredibly quiet while still delivering strong cooling for my 4.9GHz overclock.