Apparently a single fin stack is more beneficial to Ryzen 2 & 3
Was fully onboard with the D15 until I read this review:
As you have probably noted, the new Zen 3 chips offer excellent performance, power, and thermals. Bu
www.kitguru.net
I find this interesting, although it further adds to my confusion about Ryzen and air coolers! I had the upgrade itch and went for a 3700X - partly due to local pricing/availability and partly because I'd considered a 5800X but read about it being hot and needing to be tamed etc. - but at some stage in the future I'd like to upgrade my 3700X to a (likely used) high-end 5000 series CPU to squeeze a bit more from my AM4 motherboard (MSI B550-A Pro).
At the moment I'm using the Wraith Prism in a Fractal R6 and under normal conditions (browsing etc.) it is virtually silent. However it can get loud and I find the type of noise it makes a bit annoying, plus.... well... I've invested in a nice setup and I'd kind of like a nice cooler to make the most of it. I'm also looking to future proof cooling-wise as per future plans for a CPU upgrade mentioned above.
So, I've been reading reviews, watching videos etc. and keep going in circles. I started off thinking Notctua D15 Chromax, job done - it's expensive and massive but I have the room and it is considered to be the best. But then I read user reviews which say that using the D15 raises their system and GPU temps and that the U12A is actually a much better bet. I also read other reviews and opinion about all the other countless coolers on the market, and decide that any of them would probably keep a Ryzen 59xxX cool enough for my usage (mild gaming, RAW photo editing and occasional video editing / encoding).
I'd like the U12A but personally would prefer Chromax, and I don't know if I want to wait for that (skeptical about Q3 2021!). There is the U12S which Noctua themselves say gives "medium headroom" for overclocking the 5950X (I don't intend to overclock) so that should probably be fine, right?? Yet it is not on the
AMD recommended coolers list which makes me a bit nervous about it, especially given the R6 isn't an airflow king. But then I see that the Dark Rock SLIM
is on that list.... opinions and reviews I've read suggest that the U12S cools better and the DR SLIM is maybe quieter - but why would that make it a better bet to tame a Ryzen and make the AMD list when the U12S didn't??
I'm then back to thinking that a D15/D15S or a DR PRO 4 are the best options, to cover all bases and make sure by going overkilll... but then I see the above about single fin stack coolers being better for Ryzens!
Maybe it is my choice of case that put me in this position or maybe I'm worrying about nothing because I'll never stress these CPUs enough to notice a difference, but I just can't reach a conclusion. I guess I should probably just stick with the Prism until the U12A Chromax comes out, but then as summer hits I am noticing the idle and light-load temps go up so I'd prefer to upgrade my cooler TBH. I've tried setting a custom fan-curve which did help sound-wise (before that I'd get a lot of noise from the Prism when just running DOSBox!) but I've noticed it has increased my NVMe temps.... I'd rather get a sledge-hammer to crack some nuts and be done with it!
Just noticed the AS500 is on the AMD list actually which is interesting, although I'm not an RGB fan personally - can the RBG easily be disabled do you know?