Liquid vs. Air Cooling
Liquid vs. Air Cooling
Hi guys, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma in choosing a CPU cooler for my first build, and could use some help. I've picked out the following parts for my computer:
Case: Cooler Master N600
CPU: i5-3570k (will be OC'ing)
Ram: 8gb G.Skill Sniper Series 2133
MoBo: Gigabyte Ga-Z77X-UD3h
GPU: Crossfiring MSI Radeon 7870 ghz editions
PSU: EVGA SuperNova 750w
I'm looking at the Antec KUHLER 920, Thermaltake 3.0 pro, and the Corsair H80i for liquid cooling. The air units i'm considering are the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, Noctua NH-D14, and the Thermaltake Frio OCK.
Any suggestions are welcome!
Schwartzinator:
That's a positive sign, but do those big coolers really put a lot of pressure on the MoBo?
Yes, very large heavy coolers often have support plates to distribute the weight.
I'm using a Scythe Ninja3. It's quite powerful, weighing almost 1 KG [2.2 pounds].
It performs well.
It mainly comes down to personal taste. However, in general, a high-quality water cooling setup—often more expensive—tends to outperform alternatives like the Noctua NH-D14. Usually, other cooling methods offer better performance at a lower price.
At half the cost of those water coolers, you can enjoy air cooling that matches their effectiveness and is quieter.
The Xigmatek GAIA 1283 or CM Hyper 212 are sufficient for a modern Intel processor... unless you're aiming for extreme overclocks.
Then the water coolers you referred to won't be useful either.
Sure, it's understandable, but those big coolers do put quite a bit of pressure on the MoBo.
Schwartzinator:
That's a positive sign, but do those big coolers really put a lot of pressure on the MoBo?
Yes, very large heavy coolers often have support plates to distribute the weight.
I'm using a Scythe Ninja3 – it's quite powerful, weighing almost 1 KG [2.2 pounds].
It performs well.
I think your choice will depend on whether you prefer a high-performance cooler that’s simple to install or a more affordable option that’s trickier to set up.
Liquid coolers offer greater power, while mid-range liquid cooling matches the performance of a top-tier air cooler.
Because you’ll be overclocking your processor, it’s wise to select a reliable cooler that operates quietly.
You can find more details and comparisons here: http://repholder.com/liquid-cooling-vs-air-cooling/
For reference, there is a significant gap in cooling efficiency between closed loop systems and traditional water cooling setups. Nearly every closed loop cooler operates similarly to standard air coolers, and in certain scenarios, it may even underperform. A few models can offer improved results, but this typically requires fans to run at full speed, which can lead to high noise levels—sometimes exceeding 60 decibels, as observed with the Corsair H110i GTX.