Tired of massive air coolers

[Iannis]

Hey all

So I'm about to build a new i7 8700k rig.
I usually go with a Noctua air cooler, but lately I've been frustrated
with the massive size of them. Considering the Noctua NH-U14s, but it's
freakin' huge!

Now I'm sort of thinking about a liquid cooler.
Over the last 20 years of building computers, I've never used water, always air.
I'm a little nervous to say the least about it. I'll always be worried about a leak
or something like that. I tend to keep the computer running for 5 or 6 days straight,
and probably won't upgrade for at least two years. I don't know anything about good
liquid cooler endurance.

So any suggestions on a great liquid cooler?
Looking for exceptional build quality, ease of installation and of course performance.
I plan to do some mild overclocking of the i7 8700k. Would prefer to keep price under $220

It will be installed in a Fractal Design Define C (tempered glass) case.
On an Asus Maximus Hero X (non-wifi version)

Case link: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16811352070 for size references

[Triggered Fridgekin]

The thermaltake water 3.0 ultimate is one of if not the best AIO providing you can tolerate the noise since all that cooling generally comes at a cost.

If you don't get it the Mooninites would surely make fun of you.

[Iannis]

The thermaltake water 3.0 ultimate is one of if not the best AIO providing you can tolerate the noise since all that cooling generally comes at a cost.

If you don't get it the Mooninites would surely make fun of you.

Not to risk the wrath of the Mooninites, for they do whatever they want to whomever they want, always.
But the radiator on that thing is huge and Im not sure it'll jive with my case.

Kind of eyeballing the Corsair Hydro Series H115i, thoughts?

[lockblock]

The whole argument about air coolers being too big seems misguided at best and ignorant at worst. Any AIO water unit worth its salt will be equally as big if not bigger. Also, NH-U14s isn't even that big as it's not even a dual tower unit.

The thermaltake water 3.0 ultimate is one of if not the best AIO providing you can tolerate the noise since all that cooling generally comes at a cost.

If you don't get it the Mooninites would surely make fun of you.

Don't worry I'll be laughing to myself when op replaces his small cooler that is supposedly huge with one that has roughly 40% more surface area and 100% longer. Don't get me wrong I have no problems with upgrading but this thread clearly isn't about that.

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Kind of eyeballing the Corsair Hydro Series H115i, thoughts?

Not including extra hardware that's already 11% larger than your current unit. lol

[Triggered Fridgekin]

Don't worry I'll be laughing to myself when op replaces his small cooler that is supposedly huge with one that has roughly 40% more surface area and 100% longer. Don't get me wrong I have no problems with upgrading but this thread clearly isn't about that.

If he has a high budget, expects greatness and desires performance then why would I be under the impression that he wants to be modest? Seeing as how the rad is literally going to occupy the dead space it's designed for within the case and the waterblock itself being a typical size it's not anywhere near as janky as a huge chunk of copper and aluminium hanging off the socket. If the case can't support it then that's one thing but the Fractal Define C is more than capable to not only house it but also give the appearance of looking fairly well since, again, it's literally designed with a three-fan rad in mind.

Even the largest graphics cards leave plenty of room for a massive triple-fan rad in the front

There's also a difference between seeing an annoyingly huge DH14 hanging off the board and hardly seeing an even bigger rad gracefully hugging the front intake area which it's designed for so strictly comparing area size isn't an accurate representation of what you can expect from the dimensions. One is in your face whereas the other uses increased surface area to create a "natural" fit.



vs



These are pretty awful comparisons but see what I mean?

[Iannis]

This got a little heated..
I'm drawn to liquid cooling this time for the whole less weight on the cpu/mobo thing.
I know the unit itself is over all heavier and bigger than an air fan, but the bulk of it
is screwed into a case.

Yea looking at the Define C case, i could tuck the rad in the front, for some reason
I was having a brain fart and thought they MUST be mounted on the top of the case.

[the boar]

I'm drawn to liquid cooling this time for the whole less weight on the cpu/mobo thing.

unless you sit your pc on your lap and slam it up and down.. is that really an issue?

[Lathais]

The thermaltake water 3.0 ultimate is one of if not the best AIO providing you can tolerate the noise since all that cooling generally comes at a cost.

If you don't get it the Mooninites would surely make fun of you.

But that's not even as good as a Noctua NH-D15 for the noise levels or at idle, though it is a whopping 2 degrees better at load.

Really, if you're going to go water cooling go for the Kraken(though it's kinda noisy under load) or go custom loop.

Also, why do the giant air coolers bother you so much? The only water cooling worth it will have even larger radiators, so I fail to see how it fixes anything. In addition, a good air cooler like the NH-D15 will work better than most AIO solutions while being quieter at doing so.

- - - Updated - - -

This got a little heated..
I'm drawn to liquid cooling this time for the whole less weight on the cpu/mobo thing.
I know the unit itself is over all heavier and bigger than an air fan, but the bulk of it
is screwed into a case.

Yea looking at the Define C case, i could tuck the rad in the front, for some reason
I was having a brain fart and thought they MUST be mounted on the top of the case.

I don't understand why some people think this is an issue. It's not. I have a NH-D14 and my desk is on wheels so I can move it closer to the TV to plug it in to watch stuff. I have a tile floor, so moving the desk involves it going bump several times when I pull it out from the wall and move it back. I do this multiple times a week and have for years. Never been an issue.

As for the looks that keep getting brought up, I guess if you have a windowed case that could be an issue. It's not for me.

[nocturnus]

Go for a Corsair H100/110 or an NZXT Kraken X62 (I'd go for the latter since it performs even better than the already awesom x61)

https://www.techtesters.eu/pic/NZXTKRAKENX62/700.png

https://www.techtesters.eu/pic/NZXTKRAKENX62/701.png

[Netherspark]

This got a little heated.Yea looking at the Define C case, i could tuck the rad in the front, for some reason
I was having a brain fart and thought they MUST be mounted on the top of the case.

If the case can fit it in both positions then it's entirely your preference. However, front is generally a little better because the air you're moving through the radiator will be cooler than the air you'd be pushing through the exhaust.

[DeltrusDisc]

unless you sit your pc on your lap and slam it up and down.. is that really an issue?

Short answer: no.
Long answer: nope.
@Iannis, you really don't need to worry. I have the NH-D15, one of the biggest air heatsinks available on the market, and one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest, and it's hanging off my motherboard just fine in a Define R4. What you need to consider, is a lot of the at least semi-decent motherboards nowadays are actually thicker PCBs than stuff from "20 years ago."

I'll reiterate: you really don't need to worry.

Now if it's looks you care about and unlike me you don't like how the D15 or similar towersinks look? Fair point, enjoy the AIO.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

Also, why do the giant air coolers bother you so much?

I'm really crotchety when it comes to window panels, poor cable management, RGB lighting and huge coolers. Not because I am worried that it'll rip off the socket or anything I just think they look tacky as hell even if I can't see them.

Sound isn't so much an issue since my tower is tucked under the desk and, whenever I need audio, I just put on my headphones. Doesn't help that I have a 290x, a set of PanaFlo fans and a room fan whhhhhring behind me.

[pansertjald]

Not to risk the wrath of the Mooninites, for they do whatever they want to whomever they want, always.
But the radiator on that thing is huge and Im not sure it'll jive with my case.

Kind of eyeballing the Corsair Hydro Series H115i, thoughts?

If you go with the thermaltake water 3.0 ultimat, just remember that you can only mount it in the front in the case you have. If you want the rad in the top then go for the Corsair h100i or the Kraken x52.

The Corsair h110i/h115i and the Kranken x62 are to big for the top of your case unless you MOD it

"The Define C offers unprecedented cooling capacity for its size with support for radiators up to 360mm in the front and 240mm up top."

[Lathais]

I'm really crotchety when it comes to window panels, poor cable management, RGB lighting and huge coolers. Not because I am worried that it'll rip off the socket or anything I just think they look tacky as hell even if I can't see them.

Sound isn't so much an issue since my tower is tucked under the desk and, whenever I need audio, I just put on my headphones. Doesn't help that I have a 290x, a set of PanaFlo fans and a room fan whhhhhring behind me.

I just can't even wrap my head around that one. Seriously.

[Deleted]

Unless you will regularly need to transport the pc. buy big-air or custom- loop(inc gpu), if noise normalised performance is your concern.

There is a case for aio's in a regularly transported machine, particularly if your roads aren't great. High mounting pressure once the mb is fitted in the tray helps prevent damage but it is still a lot of shock to the socket.

Aesthetics is something else, format could do with a tweak in places, but this blokes methodologies are solid http://thermalbench.com/2016/11/15/c...-cpu-cooler/5/ , to give you a rough idea.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

I just can't even wrap my head around that one. Seriously.

Don't worry, that makes two of us.

What I really hate about window panel cases are the snapping and cracking noises they make while pushing my system through its paces. I thought the caps on my board were literally starting to bulge and pop when I first experiences it with the S340. Nope. Just the cheap acrylic window being a jerk.

I suspect when I get rid of the 290x it'll subside.

[jizzyburnizzy]

i have a kraken x61. love it, its very quiet and cool even when my processor is OC'd

[DeltrusDisc]

i have a kraken x61. love it, its very quiet and cool even when my processor is OC'd

What's the OC on your processor?

[Lathais]

Unless you will regularly need to transport the pc. buy big-air or custom- loop(inc gpu), if noise normalised performance is your concern.

There is a case for aio's in a regularly transported machine, particularly if your roads aren't great. High mounting pressure once the mb is fitted in the tray helps prevent damage but it is still a lot of shock to the socket.

Aesthetics is something else, format could do with a tweak in places, but this blokes methodologies are solid http://thermalbench.com/2016/11/15/c...-cpu-cooler/5/ , to give you a rough idea.

I have an NH-D14 and regularly take my PC to my friends house. I travel over several speed bumps and in his area some pretty shitty bumpy roads. Have not had issues.

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i have a kraken x61. love it, its very quiet and cool even when my processor is OC'd

http://www.relaxedtech.com/reviews/n...quid-coolers/2

The NH-D15 would be even quieter. In fact, just take a look. It's quieter than all of those top-end AIO Coolers. It's quieter at idle and at load. It keeps things as cool as the kraken at idle and cooler than everything else at idle. Under load, yeah, the Kraken and one other beat it slightly, but are much noisier doing so. Also, I'm pretty sure the NH-d15 is cheaper than all of those. Like nearly half the price if I am not mistaken. I'll take 4-8 more degrees for half the price and a quieter system myself, but to each their own.

[Deleted]

I just can't even wrap my head around that one. Seriously.

i have a noctua. its brown and cream, likes its 1978 its hideously ugly.

fortunately i can't see it and it does a great job