Are aftermarket air or water coolers bad for MBs and VRMs?

[thedoublej]

This isn't exactly an overclocking question, but as overclockers are the only people that use aftermarket coolers, I figure you all would know this answer.

It's my understanding that a factory style CPU cooler blows air down (I have a HAF XB, so all my directions will be 90 degrees off from a tower) across the coolers fins, and then the air strikes the motherboard, and is forced outwards 360 degrees across all of the associated components (VRMs I think, maybe some other stuff, maybe even the RAM modules?), allowing those components some airflow so that they, too, stay cool.

A giant air cooler like an Evo 212, or a water cooling block, would blow zero air down and across the VRMs and such, leading them to run hotter, and eventually degrade or fail.

Is this a real problem, or am I making it up based on something I read? With the proficiency of big air/water cooling in the market, are motherboards manufactured with this in mind, making this issue obsolete?

The reason I ask is that I'm running all 2011 equipment, and upgrade time is coming soon. My current rig has about 47 fans in it, all controlled by the CPU fan PWM output, and when I load a map in battlefield, it sounds like a helicopter is taking off next to my desk.

My next build will most likely involve some water cooling, and a serious reduction in fans or at least fan RPM and I'm asking myself if I need watercooling, or overclocking for that matter, do I need airflow over the MB and VRMs and RAMs and such.

I came across this thing:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1B4-0011-00030&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-CPU+Cooling-_-1B4-0011-00030&gclid=CjwKCAjw39reBRBJEiwAO1m0OfWO1nuRCHNd2sJ_YXgkOY2ah_96F2kkWhrJm5RlyBTtsXbfBG1QPhoCP5oQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

and wondered if I really need more than that for no OC or even a mild one?

I've got more time to think than money at the moment, sorry for the ramble, these curiosities would kill me if I was a cat.

 

[vMax]

I would not worry to much on this area unless you are overclocking to the max...I have an 8700K overclocked to 4.9GHz with a AIO but with 2 x 200mm fans (low RPM) bringing air into the case and 1 x 140mm exhausting out of the back and my AIO taking air out of the case and blowing it out of the top of the case...No issues with my VRM temps at all...My case is the Cooler Master H500P Mesh that allows for very good airflow.

So providing you have a decent case that allows for good airflow, and a good air cooler/AIO or custom water cooling, then no issues.. The real problems at VRM's come from very high overclocks on motherboards that do not have a strong VRM setup and cooling...

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

That cooler is no better than a stock intel cooler.

 

[geofelt]

You have a fine case for cooling anything.
The case supports two 120/140mm front intake fans. That is sufficient to cool a high end processor overclocked as well as a high end graphics card.
If you want quiet, 140mm fans will push more air at lower rpm than 120mm fans.

Whatever comes in the front will exit somewhere, taking component heat with it.

You have 180mm available for a good air cooler.
The dual tower coolers like the noctua NH-D15s will cool anything just as well as an aio liquid cooler.

I would not worry about motherboard cooling with a tower type air cooler.

There is always a dilemma about where to mount a aio radiator.
If you mount it to take in outside air, the cpu will cool better, but the hot air will be feeding the graphics card and heat up the motherboard.
OTOH, if you mount it to use inside case air, the cpu will not cool as well.

 

[thedoublej]

I was just using that fan as an example, and because it looks like a space ship, SR.

So an mild or no overclock, the VRMs would be fine just being well ventilated? So what do the crazy 5.0+ overclockers do when they've got a waterblock and 2 radiators? They're using all the fan space to move air through the rads, and with the current hotness of a glass plate on the side, there is no fan blowing straight onto the VRMs like in my HAF 912.

 

[shrapnel_indie]

If you're talking weight, the heavy HSF coolers have potential issues. If you talking liquids, a leak in an AiO, or component liquid cooler could have potential issues dependent on exactly where the leak is...

But... it seems you're thinking airflow over the MB. Cryorig AiO coolers have a third fan mounted to the waterblock/pump assembly to move air in that area. Does it help? Yes. Is it really necessary? Depends.

High overclocks stress the on-board Voltage Regulation/power delivery system more. If they get too hot, as tends to happen when asked to do too much because there are too little of them or rated too small for the load... they can fail prematurely... Ouch! Not overclocking the CPU reduces heat and the need for extra airflow. Note those tower HSF coolers move air over the area too, helping to cool the components near the CPU socket. Any way you look at it, good airflow in the case helps keep everything cooler.

 

[geofelt]

I was just using that fan as an example, and because it looks like a space ship, SR.

So an mild or no overclock, the VRMs would be fine just being well ventilated? So what do the crazy 5.0+ overclockers do when they've got a waterblock and 2 radiators? They're using all the fan space to move air through the rads, and with the current hotness of a glass plate on the side, there is no fan blowing straight onto the VRMs like in my HAF 912.

This is not rocket science.
If you have a good case you can oc very well.
I have a well binned I5-8600K@5.0 with more headroom.
My only intake is a 180mm fan running at half speed.

The other factor is how lucky you were to get a good chip.
The new 9th gen processors look to all be easy 5.0 overclockers.

As to downdraft coolers, I would avoid them.
Yes, they provide more airflow to the motherboard.
But, it is more important to get the airflow directed to the bac and out of the case quickly.
A tower type does a very good job of that.

 

[rubix_1011]

I've personally tested and reviewed the G100M cooler linked further up - it's garbage for just about any cooling and on our high-end system, it allowed CPU temps to exceed 100C.

 

[william p]

VRM and chipset cooling is worth paying attention to. And it needs some airflow to work. Water cooling often takes this away completely. Heatsinks and airflow can increase the Voltage available from the VRM.
When Intel was trying to get single core Pentium4 CPUs to run 4GHz they came up with BTX layout. The fan blew first on the VRM, then the CPU cooler.

 

[rubix_1011]

Good case airflow should be all that is needed; liquid/water cooling or air. It doesn't matter where the airflow comes from, as long as it is viable in removing heat from the system. Then you have motherboard monoblocks that provide direct contact block coverage over these locations, which allows the cooling loop to handled this load as well.

 

[thedoublej]

OK, so basically if I play it cool on the OC, I'm fine with a tower air cooler in my HAF XB and my VRMs and RAMs will survive as long as the system is relevant.