Need a cooler for an ITX build

[Vulfskey]

I am building an Itx build with the cougar m110, gigabits z370n wifi, Corsair vengeance 8x2 16gb kit, and the i5 8600k, (lga 1151)

The air cooler clearance is 150mm and I am also planning to keeping this build for a long time

Not to mention I am overclocking as high as possible

I personally don’t want to have an AIO cooler as they can corrode overtime and malfunction but if I have to get one I will

My budget is $100

 

[william p]

The Thermalright Macho 120 is 120X125mm including fan, and 150mm high. I had to get one from Germany last time I wanted one. Rated for 200W cooling.
There is a Macho 120 Rev. A, and a slightly different Macho 120 SBM.
http://thermalright.com/product-category/heatsink/

 

[Karadjgne]

CPU Cooler: Scythe - FUMA Rev.B 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Amazon)

149mm tall, runs 2-3°C behind a Noctua NH-D15 in ability under OC values.

https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/8409/scythe-fuma-rev-cpu-cooler-review/index.html

 

[william p]

Scythe is the most bang for the buck and easier to find. I was thinking of the Ninja4 but it's a hair too tall. Good call!

 

[rubix_1011]

I am building an Itx build with the cougar m110, gigabits z370n wifi, Corsair vengeance 8x2 16gb kit, and the i5 8600k, (lga 1151)

The air cooler clearance is 150mm and I am also planning to keeping this build for a long time

Not to mention I am overclocking as high as possible

I personally don’t want to have an AIO cooler as they can corrode overtime and malfunction but if I have to get one I will

My budget is $100

AIOs don't typically corrode over time, they use corrosion-inhibiting coolant. Where have you seen corrosion?

 

[william p]

The Scythe coolers with the 12 cooling tubes keep up with 240mm AIO cooling anyway.
https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/8409/scythe-fuma-rev-cpu-cooler-review/index6.html
A 240mm AIO in an ITX would be a real challenge anyway.

 

[rubix_1011]

My mITX box has a complete custom watercooling loop, so yes, anything is possible.

 

[william p]

Custom water cooling loop and $100 budget don't exactly match up. A custom loop is probably what it would take to beat the Scythe Fuma. I assume by custom loop the GPU is in it also?

 

[rubix_1011]

My response about the custom loop was to combat the notion that a small case cannot fit x-cooler or y-solution, not so much about cost.

Yes, CPU, GPU, 2 radiators, pump/res combo.

 

[william p]

"Challenge" and "cannot fit" do not mean the same thing. A custom cut to fit system, and a prebuilt All in One where the hose length, diameter and fitting angles are already determined is not the same either. The truth is water cooling isn't "colder" than air cooling. Heatpipes actually have phase change going on inside them and water coolers don't. They both attempt to approach ambient temperature to some degree. Only by getting bigger, and having more fans do water coolers remove "more" heat. Not very cost/ size effective.

 

[rubix_1011]

I didn't say watercooling was colder than air cooling. Not sure where this came up? Any cooler that does not use a compressor or Peltier relies on ambient air temperatures to do the dirty work of thermal exchange.

And yes, many ITX cases can actually fit 240 AIO coolers and full watercooling loops. Google it; there are literally millions of examples.

Bigger isn't always how water or liquid cooling performance improves, but adding more radiator area is the easiest, yes. You're forgetting flow rate, fan speeds and thermal coefficients of the heat conducting materials. Most AIOs use aluminum components, especially radiators, which are less efficient at thermal exchange than copper and brass, which is what most quality watercooling components use.

I think you're missing the entire point here, I'm not trying to make a case that a full watercooling loop is the desired choice here, because based on budget, it is way out of question. And while I do not prefer AIO coolers, there are some better options recently that have made me change my tune a bit...it also helps that I have a stockpile of about 15 different models that I've personally tested and written reviews on.

I also have a newfound love of great air cooling and can say there are some excellent options, but also some crap options with RGB lighting to entice buyers.

 

[Karadjgne]

I'm on the fence. I've always liked AIO's, apart from not having a big chunk of aluminium soaking up all the window space, I can actually do something with one. Recently took my x61 from top mount push exhaust and moved it to front mount pull intake, obliterating all the hdd cages and moving the hdd up into the lower optical bay. Totally changed the appearance of the inside of the case. What can you do with an air cooler? Change the fan?
That being said, I've also recently changed that opinion up some, mainly due to the Scythe coolers out now. Scythe was always an interest, but only in so far as the Gentle Typhoon fans. But looking at the performance of the new Fuma Rev.b and Mugen 5 Rev.b, they honestly are getting to be the standard recommended cooler for me. For the ability and price, the value of those coolers is undeniable.