Is an 120mm AIO cooler worth it?

[chibamarco]

The title says it all.

I am wondering if I should buy the:

ARCTIC AC Freezer 33 eSport Edition

or the:

Cooler Master MasterLiquid 120 Lite ?

There is an insignificant price difference between them, the ARCTIC one is just 5 bucks more.

I am planning to buy an 1600X and OC it an little bit.

Many thanks!

 

[jaslion]

The title says it all.

I am wondering if I should buy the:

ARCTIC AC Freezer 33 eSport Edition

or the:

Cooler Master MasterLiquid 120 Lite ?

There is an insignificant price difference between them, the ARCTIC one is just 5 bucks more.

I am planning to buy an 1600X and OC it an little bit.

Many thanks!

A hyper 212 evo performs about the same and is a 30$ or lower cooler depending on the edition you get.

 

[camieabz]

It would depend on what advantages of AIO vs air cooling that you want. Some prefer aesthetic looking AIO blocks over HSFs, or a less bulky solution, or noisy solution. Some AIOs give more cooling, and while they can arguably provide a bit of case airflow, it can be argued that the reduced airflow of a rad's fan vs a pure case fan is a problem. N.B. - not all AIOs cool better than all HSFs.

Consider what you want:

Cooling
Silence
Aesthetics
Space

One obvious downside to AIOs is the potential for leakage. It's a small risk, but one to bear in mind when choosing an AIO. (E.G. Are reviews favourable?)

 

[maddogfargo]

120mm AIO? No, not worth it.

As mentioned, Hyper 212 EVO or similarly priced Cryorig would do fine.

If you want to spend a little more, for $45 you can get a Thermalright True Spirit 140 Direct and it performs like a Noctua NHD14/15.

 

[Greeko85]

The only time I'd consider a 120mm aio would be if theres serious clearance issues and even then that would be my last resort. If you can get yourself a good air cooler for the same price; probably a 212 evo or cryorig h7.

 

[chibamarco]

The Thermalright True Spirit 140 is actually cheaper than the ARCTIC one here...

But it wont fit in my case.