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Watercooling Nerds you have been summoned!!

GordonFreemanInTheFlesh

GordonFreemanInTheFlesh

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Sorry for calling you nerds, you guys are awesome ;)!

I have this burning question about the performance difference of Alphacool's new radiator ST20 HPE 360mm(20mm) against the well known XSPC -UltraThin TX360(21mm).

Alphacool ST20HPE 360 has 19F/I

XSPC-UltraThin TX360 has 22F/I

What do you guys think I should be going for?
XSPC is around 20€ more expensive!
I will be using Arctic P12 PST fans.
 
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ir_cow

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Higher fin density means you need higher static pressure fans to maximize the cooling. Less fins means you can use lower pressure fans or higher static ones that spin slower, thus less noise. But the thermal abilities is also lower. Balancing act. Do you want maximum cooling capabilities or the quietist computer?
 
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T

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The thinnest I would go are the 30mm HWL rads.
 
GordonFreemanInTheFlesh

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ir_cow said:
Higher fin density means you need higher static pressure fans to maximize the cooling. Less fins means you have have lower pressure fans or ones that spin slower, thus less noise. But the thermal abilities is also lower. Balancing act. Do you want maximum cooling capabilities or the quietist computer?
Click to expand...
Maximum cooling of course!
I don't mind 30dba of noise.
 
eidairaman1

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Arbër said:
Sorry for calling you nerds, you guys are awesome ;)!

I have this burning question about the performance difference of Alphacool's new radiator ST20 HPE 360mm(20mm) against the well known XSPC -UltraThin TX360(21mm).

Alphacool ST20HPE 360 has 19F/I

XSPC-UltraThin TX360 has 22F/I

What do you guys think I should be going for?
XSPC is around 20€ cheaper!
I will be using Arctic P12 PST fans.
Click to expand...
Go with more fins but compare the static pressure of the fans to xspc. The higher static pressure the better.
 
T

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Arbër said:
I don't have room for 30mm only 20mm because then my fans won't fit.
Click to expand...
Then I suggest you invest in a proper case? Band-aids on band-aids is bad. What case is this anyways?
 
dgianstefani

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Use thinner fans if you can't fit a thicker radiator.

The Corsair XR5 are good radiators, they're manufactured by hardwarelabs.
 
GordonFreemanInTheFlesh

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Is you had 45mm of space would you rather run a 20mm rad and 25mm fan or a 30mm rad and a 15mm fan?

20mm radiator has 19f/i
30mm radiator has 16f/i
 
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Ferrum Master

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You forgot that fin densities also differ...
 
Ferrum Master

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My five cents... don't mess with 15mm fans, those are so bad in general, that it can kill any kind of logic math regarding rad performance.
 
ir_cow

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Arbër said:
I will post another thread about which is better thicker fan or rad, I'll meet you there ;)
Click to expand...
why? it will be the same people and the same answers lol. higher density fins needs higher air pressure. Thicker fan just moves more air. Only thing that matters is getting a fan that meets the requirements of the rad. This is a balancing act and you're talking about low difference in temps. I have a 55mm 480mm rad with high fin count and it takes hours for it to thermally soak with low fan speed. Another one is 360 80mm rad. That one has low fin count and needs high airflow to keep it cool and will thermal soak in 10 minutes. It really comes down to your own personal perf.
 
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Better fans. Both are obviously preferable if possible.
 
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If those are your two only options, then 25mm fans every day of the week. 15mm fans are 100% unsuited for radiator use imho.
 
eidairaman1

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Thicker fans move more air, thicker Rads need thicker fans
 
GordonFreemanInTheFlesh

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ir_cow said:
why? it will be the same people and the same answers lol. higher density fins needs higher air pressure. Thicker fan just moves more air. Only thing that matters is getting a fan that meets the requirements of the rad. This is a balancing act and you're talking about low difference in temps. I have a 55mm 480mm rad with high fin count and it takes hours for it to thermally soak with low fan speed. Another one is 360 80mm rad. That one has low fin count and needs high airflow to keep it cool and will thermal soak in 10 minutes. It really comes down to your own personal perf.
Click to expand...
Well said!
 
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Threads merged OP and please do not create another with a similar topic ;)
 
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Arbër said:
Sorry for calling you nerds, you guys are awesome ;)!

I have this burning question about the performance difference of Alphacool's new radiator ST20 HPE 360mm(20mm) against the well known XSPC -UltraThin TX360(21mm).

Alphacool ST20HPE 360 has 19F/I

XSPC-UltraThin TX360 has 22F/I

What do you guys think I should be going for?
XSPC is around 20€ more expensive!
I will be using Arctic P12 PST fans.
Click to expand...
The difference between these 2 rads is negligible. Get the cheaper one. Ultra thin is good for thick rad fans, which generally have better static pressure anyways.

Spend the better portion of your wc budget on a decent block and pump.
 
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Arbër said:
Sorry for calling you nerds, you guys are awesome ;)!

I have this burning question about the performance difference of Alphacool's new radiator ST20 HPE 360mm(20mm) against the well known XSPC -UltraThin TX360(21mm).

Alphacool ST20HPE 360 has 19F/I

XSPC-UltraThin TX360 has 22F/I

What do you guys think I should be going for?
XSPC is around 20€ more expensive!
I will be using Arctic P12 PST fans.
Click to expand...
Hello there
We can summon @EddyAlphacool and ask his views, personally I just got two new alphacool radiators and they're shitting on the EK rads i have prior to them

Looking at the specs on the two, AC's 20mm model has 19 FPI (fins per inch) while the XSPC TX360 has 23 FPI
I had to count them from the spec sheet but it looks like the Alphacool rad has 14 tubes vs the XSPC's 13

That'd make the AC better for lower airflow, quieter builds while the XPSC would have better performance as long as higher static pressure fans are used.

AC's radiator is 40g lighter and 8mm smaller, if space is at a premium (390 x 120 x 20mm, vs 398 x 125 x 20.5)
 
Last edited:
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What exactly are you trying to cool? What does your entire loop consist of?
 
EddyAlphacool

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I can offer little objective advice at this point. Of course, I would always prefer our radiators. It is clear, and this is a general finding for all those who operate water cooling. The more FPI, the more pressure the fans have to generate. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but as a rule, radiators with lower FPI are more suitable for silent operation. Radiators with a lot of FPI are usually more performant when using fans with higher speeds. But in the end, the differences are rather minor in everyday use.
 
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