expiredLukeH9333 posted Aug 26, 2021 12:40 PM
Item 1 of 5
Item 1 of 5
expiredLukeH9333 posted Aug 26, 2021 12:40 PM
Noctua NH-U14S, Premium CPU Cooler w/ NF-A15 140mm Fan (Brown)
+ Free Shipping$64
$80
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Also, per the dromedaries, this often sits at $63 but doesn't go below that, with frequent price spikes causing it to average $73.
Air coolers like Noctuas D14 or the Gamerstorm Deepcool Assassin III have been tested to perform as well or better than many AIOs. There is nothing to fail on an air cooler except the fan, and that isn't going to destroy your rig like an AIO can if it fails.
If you're cool with paying a little more a little more often, for a little bit better cooling but a little more risk, go AIO. Personally, I'd rather get a top of the line air cooler like the Assassin III for $90 that keeps my CPU cool on par with liquid cooling, saves $50 over a 360mm AIO, and know that it will last forever with no chance of catastrophic failure.
one way AIOs are easier is that you don't really have to worry about case/ram clearance. if the case specs say it'll fit a 240mm AIO, it'll fit a 240mm AIO.
AIOs will however, perform better on average. water > air for heat transfer. not only that, AIOs will take longer to reach equilibrium, meaning for short bursts of heavy workloads, the chip should run cooler in general (even before reaching equilibrium).
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank J.treehorn
Also, per the dromedaries, this often sits at $63 but doesn't go below that, with frequent price spikes causing it to average $73.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank exhurt
Also, per the dromedaries, this often sits at $63 but doesn't go below that, with frequent price spikes causing it to average $73.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank J.treehorn
Air coolers like Noctuas D14 or the Gamerstorm Deepcool Assassin III have been tested to perform as well or better than many AIOs. There is nothing to fail on an air cooler except the fan, and that isn't going to destroy your rig like an AIO can if it fails.
If you're cool with paying a little more a little more often, for a little bit better cooling but a little more risk, go AIO. Personally, I'd rather get a top of the line air cooler like the Assassin III for $90 that keeps my CPU cool on par with liquid cooling, saves $50 over a 360mm AIO, and know that it will last forever with no chance of catastrophic failure.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank muchwow
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Air coolers like Noctuas D14 or the Gamerstorm Deepcool Assassin III have been tested to perform as well or better than many AIOs. There is nothing to fail on an air cooler except the fan, and that isn't going to destroy your rig like an AIO can if it fails.
If you're cool with paying a little more a little more often, for a little bit better cooling but a little more risk, go AIO. Personally, I'd rather get a top of the line air cooler like the Assassin III for $90 that keeps my CPU cool on par with liquid cooling, saves $50 over a 360mm AIO, and know that it will last forever with no chance of catastrophic failure.
one way AIOs are easier is that you don't really have to worry about case/ram clearance. if the case specs say it'll fit a 240mm AIO, it'll fit a 240mm AIO.
AIOs will however, perform better on average. water > air for heat transfer. not only that, AIOs will take longer to reach equilibrium, meaning for short bursts of heavy workloads, the chip should run cooler in general (even before reaching equilibrium).
AIOs can have better aesthetics for sure, but air coolers "wasting space in the middle of the PC" serves a very important purpose.
With an Giant tower cooler, it's there interfering with the ram, GPU, cables, fans, etc all the time. You either need to pull it or work around it. Then it spews heat all over the VRM heatsinks. And blocks airflow across the GPU backplate.
2) no substantial evidence to show that an air cooler will "spew heat all over" other components. even if there is hot air around it, it won't raise temps of nearby components by any measurable, significant amount. with proper case airflow, all the hot air will be transferred out.
i've already stated that air coolers sometimes need more consideration (case/ram clearance), so there's no argument there. i've also said AIOs will perform better (albeit cost more money). there's pros/cons of each, which i've already stated, but not sure if you've read my comment in entirety or just immediately pegged me for an air cooler fanatic.
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Many AIO horror stories are from the early days when people didn't understand that air rises, so they configured AIOs where the pump was the highest point in the loop; thus allowing air to become trapped and prevent more water from entering. Consequently, water didn't flow over the CPU and failures occurred. This is compounded by the natural evaporation that occurs — less water in that loop means more air and "bubbling noises."
If you demand the best cooling while extreme overclocking, AIOs are likely the way to go. If you're a more casual user, you'll find that Noctua's legendary quietness is a great value vs 1, 2, or 3 cheaper 120mm whirring away in your chassis.
If you're somewhere in-between ( as in you push your PC occasionally, but don't consider yourself a hardcore tinkerer ), you'll find that Noctua has always and continues to make the best air CPU coolers out. This will be worth every penny.
Finally: the cheap-ass. You build a PC and you don't change it or touch it for nearly a decade. First off: good for you, save that money 💰. Second: this Noctua is perfect for you. Zero maintenance, zero concerns about reliability, evaporation, etc. At $63, it's a great bargain.
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