Question Best 120mm fans for a front AIO ?

[Little_Gamer]

I want to get a Arctic LQ 2 360mm but the only options I have in my country are with the non ARGB fans and I want some lightning inside my PC (I've used Silent Wings 3 for about 5 years now and I'm tired of the same black look every day). So I've thought to maybe maybe 3 replacement fans for the AIO with ARGB and I can't decide which ones to get. I was thinking of bq!'s Light Wings but do get the same CFM etc. as the P12 coming with the AIO I need to get the High Speed one's and they're much noisier.

Currently I'm planning on getting the 4000D airflow but I could upgrade to the iCUE 4000D Airflow and get the 3 AF120 ARGB preinstalled fans and replace the AIO ones with those And put the AIO fans at the top and back (or maybe the other way around). What do you think? What ARGB fans would you suggest to install on the AIO? I'll fill all the fan slots of the case (top and back) with 120/140 mm ARGB fans eventually.

I also can't decide: 4000D Airflow or 5000D airflow? I'm more concerned with ease of build (if for example connecting the EPS cable is a pain (with/without fans installed) or pretty ok) or maybe fitting the 420 version of the LQ2 at the front.

 

[Phaaze88]

Phanteks' D30-120 ARGB(there are single and 3-packs)?
The total thickness of the LF II will increase from 63 to 68mm, and Corsair doesn't list the clearance limit on their website.

4000D Airflow or 5000D airflow

4000D Airflow, except if the gpu is long; there's about 296mm of clearance in there with a front mounted LF II.
5000D Airflow for custom liquid - not saying someone can't do a custom liquid build in the 4000, but if you intend to fill every optional space with fans... front + side fans creates needless turbulence; the more straightforward flow is, the better.


Both cases support a max of 360mm rads.

 

[Little_Gamer]

Phanteks' D30-120 ARGB(there are single and 3-packs)?
The total thickness of the LF II will increase from 63 to 68mm, and Corsair doesn't list the clearance limit on their website.



4000D Airflow, except if the gpu is long; there's about 296mm of clearance in there with a front mounted LF II.
5000D Airflow for custom liquid - not saying someone can't do a custom liquid build in the 4000, but if you intend to fill every optional space with fans... front + side fans creates needless turbulence; the more straightforward flow is, the better.


Both cases support a max of 360mm rads.

Regarding the total thickness, why would it go to 68? Shouldn't it be 65 (35 rad + 30 fan)? My luck then, my 3080 Ti FTW3 is 300mm long. But why 296? Corsair says 360mm max length GPU. Isn't this from the cable management cover thing?

I won't use the case for custom liquid. I want to get an AIO strictly for the CPU (front most likely, REALLY don't want to add 250W of heat (GPU power usage varies from around 130 to about 310, depending on game, so I gave an average figure) from the 3080 Ti). This + ease of build in are my most important factors (cable management in the 4000D looks ok).

 

[Phaaze88]

Regarding the total thickness, why would it go to 68? Shouldn't it be 65 (35 rad + 30 fan)? My luck then, my 3080 Ti FTW3 is 300mm long. But why 296? Corsair says 360mm max length GPU. Isn't this from the cable management cover thing?

Max length should be front to back of the case with no fan at the front. If it's not, they really should specify that.
LF II is 63mm total(38mm rad, 25mm fan).
Phanteks' D30s are 30mm thick, so the total thickness would go up to 68mm IF you were to use those instead.
Then you subtract the AIO's total thickness from the case's max length.

Now, while you actually get 297 when using the LF II - 292mm with the D30s, I prefer to err 1mm to be on the safe side.

I won't use the case for custom liquid. I want to get an AIO strictly for the CPU (front most likely, REALLY don't want to add 250W of heat (GPU power usage varies from around 130 to about 310, depending on game, so I gave an average figure) from the 3080 Ti). This + ease of build in are my most important factors (cable management in the 4000D looks ok).

I'm aware. I was just saying.

 

[Little_Gamer]

Max length should be front to back of the case with no fan at the front. If it's not, they really should specify that.
LF II is 63mm total(38mm rad, 25mm fan).
Phanteks' D30s are 30mm thick, so the total thickness would go up to 68mm IF you were to use those instead.
Then you subtract the AIO's total thickness from the case's max length.

Now, while you actually get 297 when using the LF II - 292mm with the D30s, I prefer to err 1mm to be on the safe side.


I'm aware. I was just saying.

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/fWMcCJ Check this out. I took it from a reddit post. Yes it's an H150 Elite and it's about 52mm thick (fans + rad) but given he has a 323mm Gaming X it looks like the AF 2 might fit, although very barely (it's not a guarantee I'll get the D30s.... I don't think Phanteks can be found locally and the shipping cost from Europe or the US to here will be almost half the cost of the pack).

Saw this: https://forum.corsair.com/forums/to...-with-an-aio-placed-at-the-front-of-the-case/. I think I'll have to get a 5000D if I want a LF II. My other choice would be a Silent Loop 2 and I think the 4000D is enough for a SL2 but I've read the LF2 is better so I think I'll go with that. My 5800X3D goes 70C in The Last of Us Part I (all settings max). If only the block would look nice on the LF2.

 

[Phaaze88]

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/fWMcCJ Check this out. I took it from a reddit post. Yes it's an H150 Elite and it's about 52mm thick (fans + rad) but given he has a 323mm Gaming X it looks like the AF 2 might fit, although very barely (it's not a guarantee I'll get the D30s.... I don't think Phanteks can be found locally and the shipping cost from Europe or the US to here will be almost half the cost of the pack).

Ok, so that clearance IS with fans installed.

I be forgetting that you can do that on partpicker. I found some builds that do have LF II 360s in the iCUE 4000D:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/#h=262995,370694,370693&e=3217,3218

 

[Little_Gamer]

Ok, so that clearance IS with fans installed.

I be forgetting that you can do that on partpicker. I found some builds that do have LF II 360s in the iCUE 4000D:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/#h=262995,370694,370693&e=3217,3218

Saw those .... there is a build with a 3080 Ti Zotac trinity (317mm) and the space between rad + fans (I assume aio stock) is barely there. Don't know if it's still true, but LTT did a test once with the airflow where the gpu barely fit and the results were pretty bad.

 

[Phaaze88]

Saw those .... there is a build with a 3080 Ti Zotac trinity (317mm) and the space between rad + fans (I assume aio stock) is barely there. Don't know if it's still true, but LTT did a test once with the airflow where the gpu barely fit and the results were pretty bad.

Looks like things are favoring the 5000D Airflow instead. That just leaves the fans...

 

[Phaaze88]

Wait, where are you shopping from? Are there really no 360mm ARGB options available where you are?

 

[Little_Gamer]

Eastern Europe, Moldova (basically between Romania and Ukraine). The only ARGB AIO options are the Pure Loop 2 FX (pretty mediocre for a 360 AIO), H150i Capellix Elite (300$ locally) and the Deepcool LS720 for 360mm and the LQ 2 420mm (which the case doesn't fit). That's it. For fans, I can buy an iCUE SP120 Elite RGB (35-45$ per fan, depending on "performance" variant or not), Arctic Bionix P120 ARGB (45$), iCUE QL 120 (about 50$) and the prices keep rising. All the prices for the fans are for a single unit.

Or I can get a triple pack from MemoryC (https://www.memoryc.com/pc-componen...nds[]=be+quiet!&orderby=price&dir=desc&page=0) for about 100-115$ shipped. From any other store in the US, if it ships here, it's more expensive.

 

[Phaaze88]

OWW...
IMO, that's just not worth it. I'd vote to just get the LS720.

 

[Little_Gamer]

OWW...
IMO, that's just not worth it. I'd vote to just get the LS720.

But the LS720 is pretty mediocre for the price, as far as reviews go. I've read it's really noisy. And not that well cooling either (considering the size, noise and price). Yeah, it has RGB and I want some RGB after 5 years of black but performance still > RGB. Especially since I can order directly from Arctic the 360 for 135 euros (with shipping). In my money, that's about 2700. Though no warranty. LS720 is about 3000, locally and with warranty. Do you happen to know how Arctic deals with international warranty claims?

 

[Phaaze88]

I thought the LS720 reviewed ok...
OH. The catch appears to be on AMD systems, so I take it that this is an Intel one.

Just about any AIO can be noisy, if you let it, and hardly anyone lets the fans run around 100%.
The fans do much of the work - they aren't just moving air through/past a case panel, but also a radiator. That extra 'umph' is necessary.

That's rough. I'd still buy one that already has the LED fans...

Do you happen to know how Arctic deals with international warranty claims?

I don't, unfortunately.

 

[Little_Gamer]

I thought the LS720 reviewed ok...
OH. The catch appears to be on AMD systems, so I take it that this is an Intel one.

Just about any AIO can be noisy, if you let it, and hardly anyone lets the fans run around 100%.
The fans do much of the work - they aren't just moving air through/past a case panel, but also a radiator. That extra 'umph' is necessary.

That's rough. I'd still buy one that already has the LED fans...



I don't, unfortunately.

If you mean my system, no. It's a 5800X3D on a X470.

 

[Phaaze88]

5800X3D

Oh, that chip. It's harder to cool than a number of other Ryzens because of the extra Z-height created by the 3D v-cache.

 

[Little_Gamer]

Oh, that chip. It's harder to cool than a number of other Ryzens because of the extra Z-height created by the 3D v-cache.

My current case is a Focus G (which is made in such a way that the intake fans are mostly blowing air towards the GPU). With my current cooler being a Dark Rock 4 (non Pro), I saw temps of up to 74 degrees (with spikes to 79-80) on the CPU while playing the Last of Us. That's with a heavy undervolt of -35 on all cores. And the side panel removed.

I measured my FTW3 just now. It's actually 270-280 from end to end on the backplate. I don't know why the EVGA site mentions 300. And I have about ~90 mm of space from the end of the GPU to the front panel (fan presence doesn't matter in the Focus, it has a sort of mounting plate for the front fans which protrudes slightly inside). I figure the Arctic with standard thickness ARGB fans (I think the P12 / P120 ARGB) would fit in the 4000D with some room to spare. Will think some more on this.