Question HELP with AMD FX - 8350 Boxed Purchase

[lojikal]

Hello fellow community members. I'm urgently in need of some help. I recently purchased a boxed AMD FX - 8350 which was advertised to include the AMD Wraith Cooler. Upon receiving the package one of the things I immediately noticed was the cooler was not the AMD Wraith Cooler but instead the AMD SILENT COOLER without LED light Socket FM2/FM1/AM3/AM2+/AM2/1207/939/940/754 Copper Base/Alum Heat Sink & 3.5" Fan w/Heatpipes & 4-Pin Connector Up to 125W. I immediately contacted the seller via Amazon messaging system to express my concern and disappointment. The seller was quite polite and after apologizing sent me an AMD Wraith Prism cooler as a replacement. Now here's my concern. The TDP rating on the AMD SILENT COOLER IS 125W, however the TDP rating on the WRAITH PRISM is nowhere to be found (most websites simply state that it's suitable for processors with a TDP rating of 105). Agreeably this doesn't specify the TDP rating of the cooler itself. I am quite concerned that installing the WRAITH PRISM with my FX-8350 will cause the processor to operate outside it's allowed temperature range subsequently shortening the life of the processor.

I would genuinely appreciate any advice based on your expertise.

Thanks in advance,

Kreyg Scott

 

[Phaaze88]

You should buy a big aftermarket cooler(ex: Thermalright Peerless Assassin) regardless, and depending on what the motherboard is, you may have to replace that too.
The FX-8350 is a bloody power hog which is too much for that little cooler and some motherboards, even if the paper specs list it as supported.

Or, maybe return all that stuff and get your money back.

 

[lojikal]

You should buy a big aftermarket cooler(ex: Thermalright Peerless Assassin) regardless, and depending on what the motherboard is, you may have to replace that too.
The FX-8350 is a bloody power hog which is too much for that little cooler and some motherboards, even if the paper specs list it as supported.

Or, maybe return all that stuff and get your money back.

Thank you so much for replying. I was doing a bit of research which confirms that the Wraith Prism would not be enough to cool a processor rated at 125W. Notably I am using an ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 which for my purpose of mild gaming works quite well. Can you confirm if the Thermalright Peerless Assassin will work with this motherboard? I would greatly appreciate any recommendation you can give. PS I'm also using a EVGA SuperNOVA 650 GT, 80 Plus Gold 650W power supply andGigabyte Gv-N166SOC-6GD GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6G Graphics Card, 2X Windforce Fans, 6GB 192-bit GDDR6, Video Card.

 

[Phaaze88]

Can you confirm if the Thermalright Peerless Assassin will work with this motherboard?

I was giving that as an example not to go too small on the cpu. That cooler isn't supported, and was one off the top of my head due to how popular it's been lately.
The motherboard is a good one, so thumbs up to that.

I would need more info as to what's available to you, like which store, and what the case clearance is for cpu coolers.

 

[lojikal]

I was giving that as an example not to go too small on the cpu. That cooler isn't supported, and was one off the top of my head due to how popular it's been lately.
The motherboard is a good one, so thumbs up to that.

I would need more info as to what's available to you, like which store, and what the case clearance is for cpu coolers.

Well I usually shop on Amazon and as such would just get it there. I'm currently using the Lian Li PC-7HX case.

 

[Phaaze88]

Well I usually shop on Amazon and as such would just get it there. I'm currently using the Lian Li PC-7HX case.

be quiet! Dark Rock 4(non Pro), Shadow Rock 3
Deepcool AS500 Plus
Scythe FUMA 2 Rev. B
NH-D15S

 

[lojikal]

be quiet! Dark Rock 4(non Pro), Shadow Rock 3
Deepcool AS500 Plus
Scythe FUMA 2 Rev. B
NH-D15S

I had a look at the compatible CPU Coolers with my motherboard and decided to go with the Noctua NH-D14, Premium CPU Cooler with Dual NF-P14 PWM and NF-P12 PWM Fans (Brown). Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Misgar]

I have an NH-D14 in one rig (3800X) and an NH-D15 in another (7950X), both in Lian Li tower cases.

Check the distance between the top of the CPU socket and the side panel of the Lian Li case.

Some Noctua coolers are really tall and may clash with the side panel if the case is not deep enough.

 

[DSzymborski]

Thankfully, you have a motherboard actually appropriate for a 125W AM3+ CPU. Many people try to cheap out here and pay the price because those CPUs killed a lot of cheap motherboards.

However, I'd still question if this was the best option for you. This is a decade-old platform that wasn't even particularly good for gaming when it was new; the optimal case for those old FX CPUs was an entry-level workstation. Even for mild gaming, this might be disappointing. Unless you got the CPU/MB/RAM for $75 or so, I'd question if this was the best use of your resources. It's already hard to get much additional performance from any FX CPU once you get past an RX 480 or a GTX 1050 Ti.

 

[lojikal]

I have an NH-D14 in one rig (3800X) and an NH-D15 in another (7950X), both in Lian Li tower cases.

Check the distance between the top of the CPU socket and the side panel of the Lian Li case.

Some Noctua coolers are really tall and may clash with the side panel if the case is not deep enough.

Thanks mate. That's a good idea considering I was thinking of adding a fan for my side panel.

 

[lojikal]

Thankfully, you have a motherboard actually appropriate for a 125W AM3+ CPU. Many people try to cheap out here and pay the price because those CPUs killed a lot of cheap motherboards.

However, I'd still question if this was the best option for you. This is a decade-old platform that wasn't even particularly good for gaming when it was new; the optimal case for those old FX CPUs was an entry-level workstation. Even for mild gaming, this might be disappointing. Unless you got the CPU/MB/RAM for $75 or so, I'd question if this was the best use of your resources. It's already hard to get much additional performance from any FX CPU once you get past an RX 480 or a GTX 1050 Ti.

You're absolutely right. This is something I've also been considering for quite a while. The issue I was facing was about a month ago my Linux PC (built in 2016) started powering/down, rebooting randomly. Upon running some tests I realized that my AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition with a stock cooler was running considerably warm/hot at temps of 81 degrees at which point it would just shut down/reboot. Considering how much I really loved my ASUS motherboard I decided to upgrade the PSU, CPU, and Cooler rather than the entire platform which is what I should have done as you suggested. It was only later did I realize how much I could have done exactly that by spending just a bit more. Nevertheless I will most certainly be upgrading the entire platform later this year and would greatly appreciate your recommendations for a new rig. I'm not a hardcore gamer but rather an avid Landscape, Travel & Outdoor photographer who uses Linux and enjoys the occasional gaming on Steam with souls games like Elden Ring, Sekiro, & Dark Souls.

Thanks in advance mate (Redacted by Moderator)

 

[Phaaze88]

I had already checked case clearance when posting that short list of coolers.
Lian Li PC-7HX supports UP TO 170mm tall, but I prefer to err 1mm below the manufacturer spec to be on the safe side.
NH-D14 is 160mm tall, which is why I didn't make any complaints about it.

 

[lojikal]

I had already checked case clearance when posting that short list of coolers.
Lian Li PC-7HX supports UP TO 170mm tall, but I prefer to err 1mm below the manufacturer spec to be on the safe side.
NH-D14 is 160mm tall, which is why I didn't make any complaints about it.

Okay so then I'll work. Moving forward I'll go with the NH-D14 from Amazon. Then upgrade my entire platform later this month. I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Notably I'm just a 50 year old guy who loves the occasional gaming and quite partial to ASUS boards having used them for as long as I can remember. Thanks in advance.

 

[sonofjesse]

Peerless is great, I have the Ak620 too and their basically the same for all intents and purposes and the peerless is easier to install and half the price.

I would just get a peerless, great cooler for the money.

 

[DSzymborski]

Okay so then I'll work. Moving forward I'll go with the NH-D14 from Amazon. Then upgrade my entire platform later this month. I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Notably I'm just a 50 year old guy who loves the occasional gaming and quite partial to ASUS boards having used them for as long as I can remember. Thanks in advance.

If you let us know your budget, we ought to be able to do something for you.

And don't worry, you're not an old timer! I'm 45 on Monday and there are a couple mods here who have worked in tech for longer than either of us have been alive!

 

[lojikal]

Peerless is great, I have the Ak620 too and their basically the same for all intents and purposes and the peerless is easier to install and half the price.

I would just get a peerless, great cooler for the money.

Thanks for the suggestion mate.

 

[lojikal]

If you let us know your budget, we ought to be able to do something for you.

And don't worry, you're not an old timer! I'm 45 on Monday and there are a couple mods here who have worked in tech for longer than either of us have been alive!

I'm looking at a budget of between 3-4K for a new CPU. Wishing you an awesome Birthday when it comes.

 

[lojikal]

I had already checked case clearance when posting that short list of coolers.
Lian Li PC-7HX supports UP TO 170mm tall, but I prefer to err 1mm below the manufacturer spec to be on the safe side.
NH-D14 is 160mm tall, which is why I didn't make any complaints about it.

Thanks for the suggestion. After some careful consideration I opted for the NH-D15

https://imgur.com/I70XAir

 

[Phaaze88]

Thanks for the suggestion. After some careful consideration I opted for the NH-D15

https://imgur.com/I70XAir

Uh-oh. I hope your ram isn't too tall...
Regular D15 is 165mm tall, and only has space for low profile ram. While the front fan can be raised, doing so increases the total height of the cooler.
D15S, which I listed earlier, doesn't have that limitation.

 

[lojikal]

Uh-oh. I hope your ram isn't too tall...
Regular D15 is 165mm tall, and only has space for low profile ram. While the front fan can be raised, doing so increases the total height of the cooler.
D15S, which I listed earlier, doesn't have that limitation.

LOL I hope not. I haven't installed it yet but I'm using 4 Kingston HyperX FURY memory modules.

 

[Phaaze88]

LOL I hope not. I haven't installed it yet but I'm using 4 Kingston HyperX FURY memory modules.

That model has a low profile heatspreader, so it should be fine.

 

[lojikal]

That model has a low profile heatspreader, so it should be fine.

Fantastic.

 

[lojikal]

UPDATE: So I wanted to just give a bit of an update on what's been happening with my CPU cooler. Due to my overly hectic schedule I finally got the chance to open my NH-D15 cooler for installation. And guess what? The package didn't include the AM+ Brackets for my CPU. Bummer! Could this be a sign that I need to build a completely new an updated rig?

 

[Phaaze88]

Could this be a sign that I need to build a completely new an updated rig?

Negative. Contact Noctua - prepare to show proof of purchase.
They should send you one at no cost.

 

[lojikal]

Negative. Contact Noctua - prepare to show proof of purchase.
They should send you one at no cost.

Will do and update you accordingly. Thanks mate.