Help me choose AIO

[fusseli]

And wow, the Noctua U14S is cheaper yet at $65 right now and cools basically as good with just a single fan. Dual fan (+$20) and it's almost as good as a 280mm Corsair AIO that costs almost double. Crazy.

I might end up going air after all of this, that came out 4 years ago, definitely wasn't expecting that. The question is cheaper and quieter vs. better cooling.
Noctua U14S - $65
Phanteks TC14 - $75
Noctua D15 - $90

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Noctua/NH-U14S/6.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2983697/noctua-d15s-noctua-u14s.html
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/7301/noctua-nh-d15s-style-cpu-cooler-review/index.html
https://www.kitguru.net/components/henry-butt/noctua-nh-d15-cpu-cooler-review/6/

 

[Komshija]

For an i7 7700K I recommend Be Quiet Shadow Rock Slim. I have it with my i7 6700K, it is very quiet and easily cools down OC'ed i7 @ 4,6 GHz/1,344 V. There are also Be Quiet Dark Rock 3, Cryorig H5 Ultimate with even better cooling capacities.

One of the best cooling results considering AIO coolers were achieved with Arctic Liquid Freezer 240, which smashed Corsair H115i, NZXT Kaken X62 and similar in both performance and price. The test was done by one Croatian PC magazine.

 

[fusseli]

For an i7 7700K I recommend Be Quiet Shadow Rock Slim. I have it with my i7 6700K, it is very quiet and easily cools down OC'ed i7 @ 4,6 GHz/1,344 V. There are also Be Quiet Dark Rock 3, Cryorig H5 Ultimate with even better cooling capacities.

One of the best cooling results considering AIO coolers were achieved with Arctic Liquid Freezer 240, which smashed Corsair H115i, NZXT Kaken X62 and similar in both performance and price. The test was done by one Croatian PC magazine.

There are hardly any reviews out there for the Arctic Liquid Freezer 240, and not a single review for the Arctic Liquid Freezer 360! I don't get it.

The Scythe Fuma does look incredible for the price, but it isn't as good as the Noctua D15 or U14S. At this point I'm leaning towards the U14S. The Fuma reviews edge out the Phanteks TC14 for me, the TC14 doesn't cool quite as well and is priced a little too high.

I really wish there were reviews for more 360mm AIOs vs. the D15. I was going to pull the trigger on the Thermaltake 360mm Ultimate but the noise difference for the small cooling margin vs. the Noctua was shocking.

 

[FireFox]

For an i7 7700K I recommend Be Quiet Shadow Rock Slim. I have it with my i7 6700K, i

You said it all, 6700K is one thing and 7700k is another, the 7700K runs way hotter than the 6700K.

 

[Rehmanpa]

There are hardly any reviews out there for the Arctic Liquid Freezer 240, and not a single review for the Arctic Liquid Freezer 360! I don't get it.

The Scythe Fuma does look incredible for the price, but it isn't as good as the Noctua D15 or U14S. At this point I'm leaning towards the U14S. The Fuma reviews edge out the Phanteks TC14 for me, the TC14 doesn't cool quite as well and is priced a little too high.

I really wish there were reviews for more 360mm AIOs vs. the D15. I was going to pull the trigger on the Thermaltake 360mm Ultimate but the noise difference for the small cooling margin vs. the Noctua was shocking.

Well 2 degrees isn't that big of a difference, but you can't go wrong either way. Make sure first the case you get will support a beast air cooler and your ram is clear. The fans being over the cpu will also cool the ram and motherboard as well, which is a nice plus.

 

[claes]

There are hardly any reviews out there for the Arctic Liquid Freezer 240, and not a single review for the Arctic Liquid Freezer 360! I don't get it.

The Scythe Fuma does look incredible for the price, but it isn't as good as the Noctua D15 or U14S. At this point I'm leaning towards the U14S. The Fuma reviews edge out the Phanteks TC14 for me, the TC14 doesn't cool quite as well and is priced a little too high.

I really wish there were reviews for more 360mm AIOs vs. the D15. I was going to pull the trigger on the Thermaltake 360mm Ultimate but the noise difference for the small cooling margin vs. the Noctua was shocking.

FWIW, a 360mm radiator offers about 10% more surface area than a 280mm, which generally translates to about 10% performance (radiators don't scale linearly, but generally speaking in this case). Your CPU doesn't pull enough watts to really take advantage of anything beyond 280mm, anyway.

The Freezer 360 is basically the same unit as the Thermaltake one. They are both made by Asetek and have the same radiator dimensions, appear to have the same FPI, appear to have the same pump (it's harder to tell between generations visually and Asetek doesn't publicly document versions). The AC unit would probably be quieter OOB due to shipping with much quieter fans (1350rpm max vs 2000rpm), so probably safe to assume it'll perform a little worse OOB, but with the same fans they should be the same.

I'm not worried about looks. Function, performance, and price matter more.

I should have gone with the bigger Phanteks TC14PE back when I got my TC12 Looks like it's as good as the Noctua D15 and costs even less.

You have a TC12DX? That's a fine cooler - might just see how that works out with your new chassis, shouldn't be too far behind the TC14PE.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I have a Phanteks Enthoo Primo case (pic linked in my system specs), it does have room for 2x360 and 1x480, and a couple more 240/280's. You really dont need anything that big unless you do a custom loop and even then if your doing some heavy duty Oc'ing and running full throttle a lot like by doing something like SETI/BOINC or other CPU based crunching.

I do have a CM 280 Neptune, which is fine for almost everything. I keep the noise down by controlling all the fans thru SpeedFan and the Phanteks version of a fanhub that came with the case. When not in use, the noise is less than 20db(roughly), fans spin at a minimum. I also use a GPU fan profile thru Speedfan, infinitely better than the ASUS fan control.

 

[fusseli]

2-4 degrees makes a big difference when the cpu is at the thermal ceiling, and fans are at full blast. A couple degrees will mean less noise or less throttling.

FWIW, a 360mm radiator offers about 10% more surface area than a 280mm, which generally translates to about 10% performance (radiators don't scale linearly, but generally speaking in this case). Your CPU doesn't pull enough watts to really take advantage of anything beyond 280mm, anyway.

The Freezer 360 is basically the same unit as the Thermaltake one. They are both made by Asetek and have the same radiator dimensions, appear to have the same FPI, appear to have the same pump (it's harder to tell between generations visually and Asetek doesn't publicly document versions). The AC unit would probably be quieter OOB due to shipping with much quieter fans (1350rpm max vs 2000rpm), so probably safe to assume it'll perform a little worse OOB, but with the same fans they should be the same.

You have a TC12DX? That's a fine cooler - might just see how that works out with your new chassis, shouldn't be too far behind the TC14PE.

Yep, the TC12DX has been a good cooler for me. The problem is my 7700k runs hotter than the fx8350 it replaced, and the TC12 does not quite keep up. At summer temps I think I would hit the 100C throttle ceiling at 5 GHz with the TC12. I've broken 86 C so far but don't want to run that way, so I only clock to 4.6ghz. I'd prefer to run 5ghz 24/7 and cooler/quieter if possible.

If there were more reviews for the AC 240mm and 360mm it would be easier to decide against the Noctuas.

 

[ERazer]

be mindfull with D15 mobo compatiblity, i went for Kraken runs little cooler than my old D15 without the massive weight and it looks badass

 

[Rehmanpa]

FWIW, a 360mm radiator offers about 10% more surface area than a 280mm, which generally translates to about 10% performance (radiators don't scale linearly, but generally speaking in this case). Your CPU doesn't pull enough watts to really take advantage of anything beyond 280mm, anyway.

The Freezer 360 is basically the same unit as the Thermaltake one. They are both made by Asetek and have the same radiator dimensions, appear to have the same FPI, appear to have the same pump (it's harder to tell between generations visually and Asetek doesn't publicly document versions). The AC unit would probably be quieter OOB due to shipping with much quieter fans (1350rpm max vs 2000rpm), so probably safe to assume it'll perform a little worse OOB, but with the same fans they should be the same.

You have a TC12DX? That's a fine cooler - might just see how that works out with your new chassis, shouldn't be too far behind the TC14PE.

280mm/360mm equals 0.77, so it would be a 23% larger surface area, not 10 percent.

 

[claes]

2-4 degrees makes a big difference when the cpu is at the thermal ceiling, and fans are at full blast. A couple degrees will mean less noise or less throttling.

Yep, the TC12DX has been a good cooler for me. The problem is my 7700k runs hotter than the fx8350 it replaced, and the TC12 does not quite keep up. At summer temps I think I would hit the 100C throttle ceiling at 5 GHz with the TC12. I've broken 86 C so far but don't want to run that way, so I only clock to 4.6ghz. I'd prefer to run 5ghz 24/7 and cooler/quieter if possible.

Right - all I meant is that you might have better results in your new chassis and might not need to upgrade the cooler after all.

If there were more reviews for the AC 240mm and 360mm it would be easier to decide against the Noctuas.

Did you see my previous post? It is basically the same unit as the TT one. The pumps might be different generations, but that hasn't improved performance for Asetek. The TT unit should outperform the AC unit due to the higher speed fans but should perform similarly with the same fans.

With Asetek's thumb on the NA market there's no real difference between most CLCs available in NA (that are still in production).

280mm/360mm equals 0.77, so it would be a 23% larger surface area, not 10 percent.

You forgot to square it

140x280 - 39200^2 mm
120x360 - 43200^2 mm
=
39200/43200
=
90.74%

 

[Rehmanpa]

Right - all I meant is that you might have better results in your new chassis and might not need to upgrade the cooler after all.

Did you see my previous post? It is basically the same unit as the TT one. The pumps might be different generations, but that hasn't improved performance for Asetek. The TT unit should outperform the AC unit due to the higher speed fans but should perform similarly with the same fans.

With Asetek's thumb on the NA market there's no real difference between most CLCs available in NA (that are still in production).


You forgot to square it

140x280 - 39200^2 mm
120x360 - 43200^2 mm
=
39200/43200
=
90.74%

Woops, I did lol. But doesn't a larger surface area radiator become more effective when you have a higher heat load? I.E. two components in one radiator?

 

[claes]

Absolutely, though diminishing returns at some point, which is why there isn't much of a difference between a 360mm CLC and a 140mm, single-tower air-cooler. Most users aren't putting out more than 200W from the CPU. But certainly, more radiator means more headroom.

Here's some good reviews of 480 and 360mm radiators - as you can see, even with a 650W (one of those is a typo) load there's not much of a difference.
http://thermalbench.com/2016/10/01/alphacool-eisbrecher-pro-xt45-360-mm-radiator/5/
http://thermalbench.com/2016/11/22/hardware-labs-black-ice-nemesis-gtr-480-radiator/5/

You'll notice the 360s are actually performing a little better, likely due to a higher flow rate for them (both are 1GPM but 360 cycles water more quickly). I don't really know how flow rate impacts temperatures, but it's interesting

This is another reason why Asetek CLCs, with their low-flow pumps, don't see significant returns with radiator size either:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7738/closed-loop-aio-liquid-coolers/10

Note that the Nepton 140mm, with a faster pump (120 l/h), outperforms radiators twice it's size with Asetek's pump (40 l/h-ish?). Beats me

 

[fusseli]

Right - all I meant is that you might have better results in your new chassis and might not need to upgrade the cooler after all.

Did you see my previous post? It is basically the same unit as the TT one. The pumps might be different generations, but that hasn't improved performance for Asetek. The TT unit should outperform the AC unit due to the higher speed fans but should perform similarly with the same fans.

With Asetek's thumb on the NA market there's no real difference between most CLCs available in NA (that are still in production).

I'm so behind the times and out of the loop, but it's now making sense what the Asetek talk has been about. I didn't realize it is basically the same OEM rads and pumps just with different fans and packaging.

 

[claes]

No worries, kind of a "in-the-know" thing Asetek holds a patent on the pump/coldplate combo design, so has sued competition out of the market in NA.

To be fair, the new FD Celsius series shows some much needed innovation, but still suffers from a low-quality pump and an aluminum radiator.

I think AVC makes their products, but neither AVC or Asetek offers any real data on pump revisions.

 

[claes]

Anandtech just reviewed the new FD Celsius 240 and 360 - should give you an idea of how well these things scale: http://www.anandtech.com/show/11400/the-fractal-design-celsius-s24-s36-aio-coolers-review/4

 

[fusseli]

@claes you just may have been right. I just switched to my new Phanteks case, a modern design with psu in the bottom and a 140mm exhaust right behind the cpu cooler, compared to my old Lian Li aluminum case with 80mm exhaust by the cpu and psu above it, and I am hovering around 80 C (~24C ambient) after a few minutes of OCCT at 4.8 GHz. That's roughly 5C cooler with the same hsf! (no more big spikes to ~85C)

I had pretty much decided on the Noctua U14S, skipping an AIO, but now I think I am good enough to wait for a sale or something or just forego the cpu cooling upgrade.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

And people say size doesnt matter! I love my Phanteks.

 

[fusseli]

Well I had decided on the U14S and was waiting to see if the $65 price ever dropped. And then.... I found a used Corsair H110i on Craigslist for $70!

Boom.

I'm a little pissed off at my Phanteks case, though. I went for the larger Enthoo Pro M instead of the P400 because it had an optical drive bay and larger dimensions, and support for 280mm and 360mm AIOs. YEAH RIIIGHT!! The only way to fit the 280mm AIO, top or front, was to remove the optical drive. What a load of BS. Anyway, I hardly ever use the thing.


Runs cooler than the Phanteks TC12, and the fans aren't even turned up all the way:

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

the 280 doesnt fit in the front?

 

[phanbuey]

just got an h105 - super impressed with it so far.

 

[fusseli]

the 280 doesnt fit in the front?

280mm AIO in the front of the phanteks enthoo pro m mean removal of the optical drive and cage. Top mount means no room for the drive, but the cage can stay.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Glad I opted from a Primo...

 

[Jhelms]

I have the H100i V2. After owning several corsair AIO's, it was an easy choice for me. Looks damn good too. Picked it up on refurb for around $70? Very happy with it. I did replace the fans with corsair ML series as they are vastly better in regards to noise. Overall the PC runs virtually silent unless gaming or presenting a workload. Daily use - silent machine.

I mounted the pump/block at 90 degrees from normal which worked perfect for a front mount rad - hoses flowed nicely. And both corsair logos are vertical now so it works visually as well.

 

[GreiverBlade]

usually i don't like Corsair AIO, way too overpriced and older gen had several issues, but the new line is not bad at all, running a H115i (ex H110i GTX) that i got on a black friday sale for 35chf (not a refurb ) i'm more a monster air cooler type ... but AIO have their advantage, excellent socket clearance and less strain on the mobo PCB and fixation (just don't forget to have a good airflow on the RAM and VRM area, i use a Corsair Vengeance Airflow on the RAM, for the VRM the case fan setup is more than sufficient )

tho in the current line i prefer the new block with the straight tube rather than the one with the rotating 90° type

I have the H100i V2. After owning several corsair AIO's, it was an easy choice for me. Looks damn good too. Picked it up on refurb for around $70? Very happy with it. I did replace the fans with corsair ML series as they are vastly better in regards to noise. Overall the PC runs virtually silent unless gaming or presenting a workload. Daily use - silent machine.

I mounted the pump/block at 90 degrees from normal which worked perfect for a front mount rad - hoses flowed nicely. And both corsair logos are vertical now so it works visually as well.

corsair ML fans are a blast ( a bit pricey to ) i run 1x120 back 3x 140 front, tho on my H115i i use 2 Tt Riing 140

as for the OP, Noctua isn't always the only or best choice ... a lot of brand are cheaper but not less performing (i.e.: Thermalright with the HR-02 Macho or Cryorig and Raijintek ) to me Noctua is a no go ... price too high, quality is excellent but not a warrant since the other brands are also good on the build side, warranty is their strong point, but if you need warranty on a air cooler ... i don't know what you did other brand might have a shorter warranty or a lousy customer service .... but of all the air cooler i had, i never needed any RMA (i'm just lucky i guess )