[SOLVED] cooler advice for nub plz

[Nomsaiyan]

i have a 9900k, i dont overclock or any of that jazz. I'm currently running WoW at graphic settings '7' and have been for a few hours, my cooler is not functioning properly. it is 120mm AIO, i can hear the pump going every now and then, but the fan part does not work at all. I have a fan that does work between the broken fan and the case, that blows air out.

my temps are surprisingly stable, at the high 60's - low/mid 70's for the 'Max' value under HWmonitor. based on this information, what would you recommend i replace my half broken 120mm AIO with? i am a complete computer nub, and this will be the first time ive tinkered with a computer like this lol.

i would like to know what kind of thermal paste i should use, and what kind of cooler i should get. i was intending on going for a 240mm AIO, but looking at my temps with a half broken 120mm AIO, i am now wondering if a 240mm is overkill.

thx for taking time to read this

 

[geofelt]

What is the make/model of your case?
To get full performance out of your 9900K you need a good cooler.
I would consider even a fully functioning 120 aio as not adequate.
Any cooler comes with adequate paste these days.

Noctua has a suitability chart for their coolers.
Here it is for i9-9900K:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i9-9900K-307

 

[Nomsaiyan]

hmm im unsure of what case i have, its an ibuypower case lol. its defintely an alright case with adequate room.
i was under the impression that air coolers are harder to install than AIO's. do all coolers come with paste? i did not know this. or should i be looking specifically for ones that include the paste?
secondly, im likely to never push the 9900k to its limits lol. i dont really do anything to intensive, its just what my computer happens to have.

is there any reason why i should get a Noctua over a 240mm AIO? which type is likely to be quieter?

 

[geofelt]

The make/model of a case will determine how much room you have for a good air cooler.
The noctua nh-d15s, for example needs 160mm.

All coolers I know of will come with decent paste.
Some will already be pre applied.
Noctua comes with a tube of paste which is sufficient for half a dozen applications.

Air is easier to install if only because all you do is install the cooler.
AIO installs are more difficult because you must also figure out how to install the radiator and pump software.
Air coolers are likely to be quieter, It all depends on the size of the fans and the rpm they need to run at.

One thing you may not know. aio coolers do not last forever.
In time air enters the system and they need to be replaced.