Question Basic CPU AIO Questions.

[lukemurtagh1995]

Hello all,

I am new to AIOs and watercooling in general. I am thinking of changing my current CPU air cooler for an AIO and I have some questions.

Firstly, which way should my radiator fans blow? The case I will probably be using will be a Meshify S2 and I will probably mount the radiator up top. I will have three 140mm fans in front, one at the rear, and so that leaves the fans in the radiator.

Secondly, which one should I go for? I am currently looking at the H150i Pro, but would welcome other suggestions. Would going for one with two fans be better for my overall fan setup? I’m worried multiple fans at the top may disrupt airflow.

Thirdly, should I replace the stock fans that come with the AIO I choose? I’ve heard the stock fans on the H150i Pro aren’t that good so I was thinking about getting some Noctua NF-A14s to replace them.

Thanks! Answers to any or all of my questions are much appreciated!

 

[rubix_1011]

1) Most people setup their fans in a push configuration (fans blow air through the radiator) and exhaust out the top of the case. Others mount the fans between the radiator and case and pull the air through the radiator. Either would work fine.

2) H150i Pro is OK, Cooler Master ML240R and ML360R are good. Most of this is budget for you. Most AIOs are actually built by the same few OEMs and rebranded by NZXT, Corsair, Cooler Master, etc. so the only real differences are the box they come in, the fans used and whatever software comes with it for management.

3) Fans that come with it are fine. If you plan to buy 'better fans', maybe it's a better option to just choose a better cooler. I would personally spend that 'fan money' on upgrading a GPU, memory or SSD.

 

[lukemurtagh1995]

Thanks for your reply. You mentioned the CoolerMaster ones and my budget. If budget wasn’t a concern what would be the best AIO you would recommend? If it means getting an effective and reliable cooler I am willing to spend as much as needed within reason.

 

[rubix_1011]

I would recommend the Swiftech Drive v3 or 220/240X, EK Predator/Phoenix or Alphacool Eisbaer.

I know, not your usual AIO list...but nearly all of these use high-quality watercooling components rather than the generic, cheap OEM bits and pieces.

 

[lukemurtagh1995]

Interesting recommendations. Certainly ones I haven’t seen before, so it has made my choice more interesting. One last question if I may - considering the Meshify S2 supports up to a 360 or 420mm radiator at the top is there any reason to go for a smaller one, say a 240 or 280 besides the fact they are cheaper, or would it make more sense to fully utilise the available space and go for a 360 or 420?

 

[rubix_1011]

Are you overclocking your CPU?

If not, a 240 would be fine. If yes, you can consider a 360 to help balance the additional wattage, but 240's also do relatively well. I test the coolers and write reviews for Tom's Hardware, so I've seen my fair share of AIOs and tested on an overclocked CPU.

 

[lukemurtagh1995]

Yes. Currently with my Noctua NHD-15 I have my i7-9700k overclocked to 4.7Ghz. I’ve looked at quite a few reviews on here for different things as I’m still pretty new to computer hardware and they have really helped.