Question Deciding the right AIO.

[starburststream9845]

My friend is assembling a rig, which he will use a 9900X for mostly creating content, with side of gaming.

He is deciding which AIO to get.

NZXT Kraken 360
ROG LCIII 360
CoolerMaster ML360 Atmos
Corsair H150i Elite

Which ones would you recommend? Budget: $150

 

[COLGeek]

What case does he intend to use? Need to ensure whatever he chooses will fit in it.

 

[starburststream9845]

What case does he intend to use? Need to ensure whatever he chooses will fit in it.

Ah yes, forgot about the case. He has an Corsair 5000D.

 

[COLGeek]

I would recommend a quality air cooler over an AIO, something like the Noctua NH-D15. I have one on my Ryzen 9 9950X and it works great.

https://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-retail/nh-d15

If he really wants an AIO, does he also want all the "bling" of LEDs or a more subdued look?

 

[starburststream9845]

I would recommend a quality air cooler over an AIO, something like the Noctua NH-D15. I have one on my Ryzen 9 9950X and it works great.

https://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-retail/nh-d15

If he really wants an AIO, does he also want all the "bling" of LEDs or a more subdued look?

He's ok with some RGB. He wants his machine in style.

 

[COLGeek]

NZXT Kraken 360
ROG LCIII 360
CoolerMaster ML360 Atmos
Corsair H150i Elite

The only one under your stated budget is the CoolerMaster. The NZXT is slightly over the budget. The ROG and Corsair quite a bit over.

Personally, I would go with the Corsair. I have used them in the past with zero issues.

 

[thestryker]

If maximum cooling performance is the goal then an Arctic Liquid Freezer III would probably be the way to go due to the offset mounting. Of the ones listed the Cooler Master should have the best performance.

Assuming the case is the Airflow model there's the option of side mounting the AIO (exhaust). This is what I did in mine and was able to run the fans at a rather low RPM while maintaining good temperatures. I did install 3x P12 Max fans in the front though which have better airflow than what is included.

 

[LordVile]

I would recommend a quality air cooler over an AIO, something like the Noctua NH-D15. I have one on my Ryzen 9 9950X and it works great.

https://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-retail/nh-d15

If he really wants an AIO, does he also want all the "bling" of LEDs or a more subdued look?

The NHD15 actually isn’t enough for some CPUs