Question Is there a viable solution for a Ryzen 9 Pro 3900 in a SFF built ?

Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
Hi,

I'm building a SFF PC.

Motherboard : ASRock B550 mini-itx WIFI
CPU : Ryzen Pro 3900 (the non-X)
RAM : Patriot Viper DDR4 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz
Case : SilverStone SG05
GPU : MSI 1650 GTX 4GB LP
PSU : Thermaltake 550W

I'm looking for the best cooler that would not interfere with the RAM, M2 SSD or GPU.

In my shortlist, I've so far :
  • Thermalright AXP90-X53 --> rated TDP 155W
  • Scythe Shuriken Big 3 --> no TDP rating but could create issue and might not fit as nicely as the Thermalright AXP-X53, more reading needed
  • id-cooling is-60 or id-cooling is-50 max --> both rated as TDP 130W
  • Coolermaster G100M --> rated as TDP 130W but need to find a proper test and check how it fits on the motherboard

FYI, the 3900 is rated TDP 65W but tests under heavy load reported actual measurements of 88-90W.
Does it mean that any cooler rated 130-155W should be fine ?

Any other good options I have missed ?

Best regards,
K.
 
Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
I already have the case in fact.

Just upgraded from B350 to B550 and from 2200G to the Pro 3900 (non-x).

I just checked a test showing the temp of the cooler you suggested and it's being compared with the AXP-X53.

The AXP-X53 handles the i5 12600KF better at stock settings. They pushed for the test at 107W where my 3900 should reach 88-90W under load at stock.

Another advantage of the AXP-X53 is that it does not interfere with anything on the mini-itx board.

I'll continue to explore.
 
Last edited:
Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
So I came with a short list :

Scythe Big Shuriken 3 (unkown TDP)
Thermalright AXP90-X57 (TDP 155W)
Thermalright AXP120-X67 (TDP 200W)
ID-Cooling IS-60 (TDP 130W)
ID-Cooling IS-55 (TDP 125W)
BeQuiet! Shadow Rock LP (TDP 130W)

The Scythe Big Shuriken 3 is marked compatible with my motherboard but I've not found it's actual TDP. If it's good, it'd be a good contender.
The AXP90-X57 perfectly fits my build but the AXP120-X67 seem superior. However, I've still to find if it'd be compatible with my motherboard.

Then, there are these last 3 that could still work with a rated TDP which is the double of the rated TDP of the CPU.
I'd anyway leave the 3900 with the stock settings which shall limit it to 88W max if I'm not wrong.
 
I use a big shuriken rev b in a lian li Q08 ITX case with a I5-6600K.
It will fit, it is 67m high.
I can overclock some, but not to the max known capability of the chip.
I am OK with that since my use is not that demanding.
The cooler is definitely limiting.

Ultimately, the cooling capability of an air cooler is determined by the volume of the cooling fins. All such low profile coolers will, of necessity be small.

Since you already have the case, you must live with it.
I think I would try using the stock cooler and see how you do.
You will then have a better idea as to how aggressive your cooling solution needs to be.

Gaming does not put a high heat load on a processor.
Games will use only a few threads heavily.
Multithreaded batch apps is what really generates the heat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kid_E
Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
Thanks for your suggestion !

The Ryzen 9 Pro 3900 does not come with any cooler.

And I cannot find information if the Wraith Spire would suffice for it. The Wraith Prism is normally the standard for the X version but the X version has a higher rated TDP (105 I think) compare to the non-X and Pro version (65 only).

I've written a mail to AMD to ask if a Wraith Spire would maintain the Pro 3900 (non-overclocked) cool.
 
Thanks for your suggestion !

The Ryzen 9 Pro 3900 does not come with any cooler.

And I cannot find information if the Wraith Spire would suffice for it. The Wraith Prism is normally the standard for the X version but the X version has a higher rated TDP (105 I think) compare to the non-X and Pro version (65 only).

I've written a mail to AMD to ask if a Wraith Spire would maintain the Pro 3900 (non-overclocked) cool.

I had a Wraith on a 3800x and in no way is it going to handle a 3900/3900x when loaded.

For general use it would be fine but if you are gaming or loading the cpu you'll need the best cooling possible to prevent the cpu from thermally throttling.
 
Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
I had a Wraith on a 3800x and in no way is it going to handle a 3900/3900x when loaded.

For general use it would be fine but if you are gaming or loading the cpu you'll need the best cooling possible to prevent the cpu from thermally throttling.

Which Wraith ?
There are the Stleath (which indeed is a totally no-go), the Spire (for which I'm raising the question and is rated for TDP 95W) and the Prism which does not fit my case.

Note that 3900 is rated 65W and without overclock would read the limit if 88W. So maybe the Spire would work. Maybe not.

The Spire is the one provided with the 3900X which is rated 105W if I'm not wrong.

To give a relative comparison, note that Noctua NH-L12S could be used with the 3900 but only with a "good case ventilation" according to Noctua. This cooler is claimed to support the 5900 even with a small overclock. Still according to Noctua.
https://ncc.noctua.at/coolers/NH-L12S-17/cpu/all?q=3900
 
When Ryzen cpu's get loaded they produce a lot of heat relative to what the heat sink area around the CCD's can accutally dissapate. It's not just about the TDP.

A Ryzen cpu will throttle it's frequency relative to its temperature.

That is why itis recommended to have the best cpu cooling possible.

You can put whatever cooler you'd like on the 3900. How well that cooler performs directly effects the maximum frequency the cpu can run therefore having and effect on it's performance.

Let's take something like CineBench. This test will run just a single core or all cores of the cpu to it's maximum possible frequency. Cinebench puts a heavy all core load on the cpu and even though my 5800x3d is only a 105 watts it takes a Peerless Assassin 120 air cooler to keep the cpu cool enough to pevent thermally throttling. With the Peerless my all core loaded temps are 88°C, just 2°C shy of the 90°C throttling limit.

That's all I've been trying to point out.

Noctua makes a great cooler and even they state "with very good case ventillation" regarding the NH-L12S. So while it would work do not expect great performance if your case is doesn't have the proper airflow.

Fbvm1TO.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kid_E
Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
When Ryzen cpu's get loaded they produce a lot of heat relative to what the heat sink area around the CCD's can accutally dissapate. It's not just about the TDP.

A Ryzen cpu will throttle it's frequency relative to its temperature.

That is why itis recommended to have the best cpu cooling possible.

You can put whatever cooler you'd like on the 3900. How well that cooler performs directly effects the maximum frequency the cpu can run therefore having and effect on it's performance.

Let's take something like CineBench. This test will run just a single core or all cores of the cpu to it's maximum possible frequency. Cinebench puts a heavy all core load on the cpu and even though my 5800x3d is only a 105 watts it takes a Peerless Assassin 120 air cooler to keep the cpu cool enough to pevent thermally throttling. With the Peerless my all core loaded temps are 88°C, just 2°C shy of the 90°C throttling limit.

That's all I've been trying to point out.

Noctua makes a great cooler and even they state "with very good case ventillation" regarding the NH-L12S. So while it would work do not expect great performance if your case is doesn't have the proper airflow.

Fbvm1TO.jpg

You're correct - the 3900 is rated 65W but under load, it reaches the socket limit (88W).
I've seen a test showing this too.
 
Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
I use a big shuriken rev b in a lian li Q08 ITX case with a I5-6600K.
It will fit, it is 67m high.
I can overclock some, but not to the max known capability of the chip.
I am OK with that since my use is not that demanding.
The cooler is definitely limiting.

Ultimately, the cooling capability of an air cooler is determined by the volume of the cooling fins. All such low profile coolers will, of necessity be small.

Since you already have the case, you must live with it.
I think I would try using the stock cooler and see how you do.
You will then have a better idea as to how aggressive your cooling solution needs to be.

Gaming does not put a high heat load on a processor.
Games will use only a few threads heavily.
Multithreaded batch apps is what really generates the heat.

Hello,

If the case is really limiting, then I could defintely change it.
I saw good offers for the AeroCool CS-107 v2.

However, I could not see how the airflow is working and basically if I use a "tower cooler" (like Noctua NH-D12L), is there a particular orientation for it ?
 
Jan 5, 2023
15
0
10
In the end I replaced my 3900 by a 5600X for 2 reasons :
  1. I really wanted to keep my SFF SilverStone SG05 Lite and I could not find a really appropriate cooling solution for a 3900 in this case.
  2. The 3900 was already overkill for the low profile GPU I have (GTX 1650) and as of now, I haven't seen a better low profile GPU.