[SOLVED] Need help with deciding an AIO for a near future build

[kielbasa123]

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since I have built a PC. My last build was 7 years ago with a Noctua NH-D14. I will be building a new PC in the near future, with a BeQuiet Dark Base 700 White edition case. This time I want to give liquid cooling a try. I plan on doing a push/pull configuration with BeQuiet Silent Wings 3 High Speed fans with the rad mounted in the front of the case. Which of these AIO coolers would be better? NZXT Kraken x72 or x62? In benchmark videos I saw that the x62 is better, which is hard to believe since the x72 is a 360mm cooler and the x62 is a 280mm cooler.

Thank you for your help

 

[Barty1884]

An NH-D14 is still a good performer - just be aware that an AIO is not inherently "better". Compatibility is improved, in some instances performance is bettered etc.

As for X72 vs X62.... The X72 is the stronger performer. Not sure where you're seeing the X62 outperform it and, if you are, it's not comparing apples to apples.

For example, in this review, the X72 in "silent" mode (lower RPM fans) performs very near identically to the X62 in "performance" mode (max RPM fans, I believe):
https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/nzxt_kraken_x72_review,10.html

In this review, you'll see the X72 performs admirably.... maintaining competitive performance... but it does lose some steam at 100% fan speeds - faster fans than some competitors, more noise as a result... but little (or no) benefit as a result.
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nzxt-kraken-x72-360-cpu-cooler,5575-2.html

 

[Darkbreeze]

First of all, you don't want to use those fans. They are low static pressure, all models, 120mm and 140mm, with less than 1.8mm H20 static pressure on the 120mm model and only 1.08mm static pressure on the 140mm model.

For a radiator, heatsink or intake fan, you want higher static pressure numbers than that.

At 2.61mm H20 static pressure, these would be a lot more suitable and quieter than any BeQuiet fan at an equivalent RPM.

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-F12-chromax-Black-swap-Premium-Grade-Quiet/dp/B07654PNFQ

If you really want some decent performance, put four of these on any quality 280mm radiator.

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-A14-iPPC-2000-PWM-Cooling/dp/B00KFCRMSG

They have massive static pressure at 4.0mm H20 static pressure and good airflow characteristics at 107CFM.


There are NO BeQuiet fans that are quieter at an equal RPM as a same size Noctua, and none of them have similar static pressure or airflow at the same RPM either.

That's not to say that BeQuiet doesn't have quality fans, because they do, they just don't match up head to head with Noctua. Or even with Thermalright (Not to be confused with Thermaltake) for that matter. In fact, I'd look at Corsair ML 140 Pro fans before those BeQuiet fans, but not the ML 140 RGB, which have greatly reduced specifications compared to the non-RGB Maglev fans.

 

[kielbasa123]

First of all, you don't want to use those fans. They are low static pressure, all models, 120mm and 140mm, with less than 1.8mm H20 static pressure on the 120mm model and only 1.08mm static pressure on the 140mm model.

For a radiator, heatsink or intake fan, you want higher static pressure numbers than that.

At 2.61mm H20 static pressure, these would be a lot more suitable and quieter than any BeQuiet fan at an equivalent RPM.

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-F12-chromax-Black-swap-Premium-Grade-Quiet/dp/B07654PNFQ

If you really want some decent performance, put four of these on any quality 280mm radiator.

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-A14-iPPC-2000-PWM-Cooling/dp/B00KFCRMSG

They have massive static pressure at 4.0mm H20 static pressure and good airflow characteristics at 107CFM.


There are NO BeQuiet fans that are quieter at an equal RPM as a same size Noctua, and none of them have similar static pressure or airflow at the same RPM either.

That's not to say that BeQuiet doesn't have quality fans, because they do, they just don't match up head to head with Noctua. Or even with Thermalright (Not to be confused with Thermaltake) for that matter. In fact, I'd look at Corsair ML 140 Pro fans before those BeQuiet fans, but not the ML 140 RGB, which have greatly reduced specifications compared to the non-RGB Maglev fans.

Thank you for recommending the noctua fans. You think it would be better if I used the 2000rpm fans with a fan controller so I can keep them at a reasonable noise level, and have that extra performance just in case?

 

[Darkbreeze]

You don't need a fan controller to do that. ANY modern motherboard should be perfectly capable of allowing you to configure a custom fan curve in the BIOS settings to limit the maximum RPM or set the maximum RPM to ONLY be attained above a specific temperature. There is really very little that any fan controller or hub can do short of offering additional fan connections, and mostly that can be done with PWM splitter cables these days, that you can't do with the onboard fan controls in the BIOS unless you get a REALLY cheap bargain basement board. And probably even then anymore.