[SOLVED] I'm building a pc with an i7-9700K and want a good air cooler

[gordonnmurray]

Wanting a cooler for an i7-9700K. Want it to be pretty silent but also don't want it to interfere with ram slots or graphics card

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

You will need to make sure you case is large enough to fit the cooler height. 160mm is what the cooler requires.

This is the best for not interfering with RAM slots or graphics cards. It is offset to avoid that.
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.90 @ Amazon)

 

[gordonnmurray]

Yeah I've chosen the Coolermaster Cosmos 2 Anniversary edition and it's compatible. Thank you very much. Just wondering if water cooling is safe? I've never had one.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Water cooling is safe as long as it stays under warranty. It's not as reliable as air due to the possibility of pump failure and leakage.

 

[J_E_D_70]

It’s normally safe but pumps fail more often than one would like to see (posts on here about it constantly.

Other options are Cryorig R1 and Dark Rock Pro 3/4. Noctua is great but offensively ugly with your side panel.

 

[gordonnmurray]

It’s normally safe but pumps fail more often than one would like to see (posts on here about it constantly.

Other options are Cryorig R1 and Dark Rock Pro 3/4. Noctua is great but offensively ugly with your side panel.

Yeah I find noctua ones horrible. I'd love something with rgb. Dark Rock Pro are very big and go across the ram

 

[J_E_D_70]

R1 Universal will not. Or, use low profile ram. The tall heat spreaders are just for looks.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

The R1 Universal seems like a good pick for you.

 

[gordonnmurray]

The R1 Universal seems like a good pick for you.

Does it have rgb lighting?

 

[J_E_D_70]

Not that I can see.

 

[gordonnmurray]

Not that I can see.

I'd love water cooling but very worried about leaking.

 

[Karadjgne]

Up until last week I used an NZXT X61 280mm liquid cooler on my OC i7-3770K. Loved that cooler, it was Whisper quiet gaming and silent otherwise. The CAM software was easy to use, set for silent and good. Then the fan bearings went. After 6 years of continuous usage.

Now I have a Cryorig R1 Ultimate. Doesn't work on any software other than SpeedFan, just bios and/or msi motherboard software (it's old, so it's pathetic). It's a fair amount louder than the X61 as it ramps up faster, temps are equitable. With good fan curve software that'd be fixable, but there isn't any other than SpeedFan.

Leaks in AIO's happen about as frequently as big coolers warping motherboards. There's also just as many stories of leaks as there are Corsair replacing any and all damaged components if a leak happens from their AIO's. Most leaks are not from natural occurances or manufacturer defects, most leaks happen when ppl install the radiator incorrectly and torque the fittings by twisting/turning the tubing roughly or even dropping the radiator while trying to install it in a screwed up manner.

While AIO leaks are always a possibility, they are just that, a possibility. Not a probability. Just as dieing in a car accident is always a possibility. You gonna quit driving based on the likelihood of a possibility?

 

[jfriend00]

I am air cooling my i7-9700k overclocked to 5.0GHZ with a Noctua NH-D15. It's a tall cooler (as are all air coolers that have large cooling capacity). It fits in my Fractal Design Define R6 case and clears the heat spreaders on my G.Skill Trident Z memory sticks on my ASRock Z390 Taichi motherboard. The Noctua web site provides full dimensions (including RAM clearance) so you can pre-flight ahead of time if everything is going to fit.

With good case air flow, it keeps my i7-9700k below 83C with 2 hours of Prime95/Blend. In more normal stress loads, it doesn't get above 75C.

I chose air cooling because it is more reliable long term than any form of liquid cooling (there are just fewer things to fail) and once I get my computer set up and the overclock stable, I don't want to be dealing with issues or failures or maintenance. With this cooler, the only maintenance is to blow out the cooler fins once a year which is just part of general dust management which you have with any PC build (no matter what type of cooling you use).

 

[bp1696]

The Thermalright Le Grand Macho RT has been fantastic for me so far. It's slightly smaller than the Noctua, but is super quiet and cools great. I stuck it in the NZXT H500 case. Unfortunately with its size and where it was placed on the motherboard, I was forced to remove the rear case fan, but with this cooler, two front intake fans, and one top exhaust fan, my 9700k idles around 30-34C and in game it never goes above 60C in CPU intensive games (at 1080p). It's a bit of an unknown cooler but it's amazing.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BCLXO7Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[rubix_1011]

I've watercooled for nearly 17 years and I've only had one leak ever during that time...and it was my own fault for not properly securing a fitting.

I've also tested dozens of AIO coolers and have yet to see one that had a leak or an issue with coolant loss.

I've also never had a watercooling pump fail...and I have had some pumps that were operational in a system for over 6 years with daily use.

Much of what you see and read about watercooling failures are usually inexperience of people doing it for the first time and not knowing what needs to be done, so they find something to blame.

In the very, very rare occasion, there might actually be a fault, but most quality testing by reputable watercooling manufacturers takes care of this well before the consumer. Most of the leaks you see come from people over-tightening fittings or putting lateral stress on fittings which causes small fractures in acrylic (and even metals) which can cause leaks. Also, I've seen a lot of people use very long screws and puncture radiator tubes, but this isn't as common as it once used to be.

Watercooling isn't dangerous, but it does take knowledge, preparation, planning and a hefty budget. 'Cheap' and 'good watercooling' rarely go together in the same sentence. Most AIO coolers cost as much for then entire cooler as a quality watercooling pump, block or radiator alone might cost you for a custom loop....we're talking $75-$130 (US).

Also....even if a 'pump fails', a CPU isn't going to overheat and cook to death. All CPUs and motherboards come with thermal shutdown capabilities, so your machine would simply shut down before permanent damage would occur.