[SOLVED] PC Rebuild - Need some advice on setup.

[chezbez91]

Dear Community,

Always use this site for searching up issues but hoping you could help me with this setup advice.

Long story short build a decent build back in 2015, used it for a few years and has been in storage since 2019. I've recently moved from the UK to Italy so decided to repurpose the parts from that build and want to rebuild a new low-mid range gaming rig for some games here and there. My main issue is replacing my case and CPU cooler. I left behind my Noctua Nh-d15 (which I slightly regret) as It was too bulky and I assumed I could replace it with an AIO for better performance in a hotter and humid climate.

Of course, researching AIOs haven't been easy as there is a whole number of factors to consider and I have no idea if my case is compatible for one or if the cooler I choose ends up being OP. Not sure if I'm brave enough to build my own water cooling rig hence the AIO. The only disappointing thing with the Noctua was the amount of heat generated from it. I was hoping with water cooling that would be easier.

Any advice on this or recommendations would be greatly appreciated as my motherboard is a good few years old and PC PARTPICKER doesn't give me the trust I need in understanding radiator clearance etc. Also, wanted to check if a 750W power supply is enough if I moved to using an AIO?


BUILD FROM 2015:

Case: Fractal Design Define R5
Motherboard: ASUS AMD AM3+ 990FX SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 4DDR3 6USB3.0 12*USB2.0 GBE LAN ATX MOTHERBOARD
CPU: AMD FX8350 Black Edition 8 Core Processor (4.0/4.2GHz, 8MB Level 3 Cache, 8MB Level 2 Cache, Socket AM3+, 125W)
RAM: Corsair CMY16GX3M2A1866C9 Vengeance Pro Series 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1866Mhz CL9 XMP
GPU: MSI NVIDIA GTX 970 Gaming Twin Frozr HDMI DVI-I DP Graphics Card (4GB, PCI Express, DDR5, 256 Bit)
CPU Cooler: Noctua Nh-d15
Storage: Samsung 2.5-Inch 250 GB 850 EVO, WD 1TB 3.5 inch
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750W

BUILD FROM 2022

Replacement Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case. (Unless you can recommend something better, but with prices in Italy it's the best I can find. Plus I'm a sucker for Fractal)
CPU Cooler: looked at loads but not sure what would work best.

Any other questions feel free to ask, thanks again.

Liam

 

[punkncat]

It appears that the manufacturer suggests several different radiator mount/size supported with your current case:

Define R5 — Fractal Design (fractal-design.com)

• Extensive water cooling support for its size; housing radiators up to 420 mm in the top and 360 mm in the front

Just by looking it would seem to me that the drive cage is in the way, but would have to assume it comes out for this fitment.

The biggest issue I see with current case is the lack of venting on the front.

In regard to your PSU, there are several good power calculators out there. I like Outervision.

Power Supply Calculator - PSU Calculator | OuterVision

IMO would probably write home and ask if they can send your Noctua. They are good coolers and somewhat expensive, so no point in wasting the product or money spent on it.

In my own experience with an AIO, the single biggest benefit I have had from mine in in relation to the fan curve as compared to the previous cooler. It runs FAR quieter and is less rangy for most applications. The system is more efficient at pulling heat from the CPU, but is also dumping that heat into the room ambient. On my own system, long gaming or load sessions heat the room up roughly the same as before.

 

[logainofhades]

Your PSU is enough, even if you add an AIO. AIO's don't use much power, and frankly neither does your GTX 970. What is your actual budget for this?

 

[chezbez91]

Your PSU is enough, even if you add an AIO. AIO's don't use much power, and frankly neither does your GTX 970. What is your actual budget for this?

Perfect thanks for clarifying this, to be honest, I've found the case for around 100 euros ($120) and to be honest I would spend around the same on the CPU cooler if it was needed.

Not sure how long I'll use this setup long term so not looking to go all out.

 

[chezbez91]

It appears that the manufacturer suggests several different radiator mount/size supported with your current case:

Define R5 — Fractal Design (fractal-design.com)

• Extensive water cooling support for its size; housing radiators up to 420 mm in the top and 360 mm in the front

Just by looking it would seem to me that the drive cage is in the way, but would have to assume it comes out for this fitment.

The biggest issue I see with current case is the lack of venting on the front.

In regard to your PSU, there are several good power calculators out there. I like Outervision.

Power Supply Calculator - PSU Calculator | OuterVision

IMO would probably write home and ask if they can send your Noctua. They are good coolers and somewhat expensive, so no point in wasting the product or money spent on it.

In my own experience with an AIO, the single biggest benefit I have had from mine in in relation to the fan curve as compared to the previous cooler. It runs FAR quieter and is less rangy for most applications. The system is more efficient at pulling heat from the CPU, but is also dumping that heat into the room ambient. On my own system, long gaming or load sessions heat the room up roughly the same as before.

Wish I could ask them to send it, but it's already been chucked...plus shipping costs would not really make it worth it..

 

[geofelt]

The Define s looks ok to me.
It comes with a 140mm front intake fan and I would add a second.
You need sufficient front intake airflow to keep the FX motherboard vrm's cool.
The heat generated by the cpu and graphics card is not going to be changed.
Why not keep it simple and buy another NH-D15 or NH-D15s?
The cooling will be the equivalent of a 240 aio.

Think about it.
the NH-D15 has two cooling towers of 140mm size.
That is exactly what a 280 radiator has.
The only difference is where the heat exchange takes place.

 

[chezbez91]

The Define s looks ok to me.
It comes with a 140mm front intake fan and I would add a second.
You need sufficient front intake airflow to keep the FX motherboard vrm's cool.
The heat generated by the cpu and graphics card is not going to be changed.
Why not keep it simple and buy another NH-D15 or NH-D15s?
The cooling will be the equivalent of a 240 aio.

Think about it.
the NH-D15 has two cooling towers of 140mm size.
That is exactly what a 280 radiator has.
The only difference is where the heat exchange takes place.

Right, I guess that answers my question, so the AIO won't keep the CPU cooler than the D15 did? Or in turn, keep my room cooler. That was my thinking with going for the AIO.

 

[punkncat]

Right, I guess that answers my question, so the AIO won't keep the CPU cooler than the D15 did? Or in turn, keep my room cooler. That was my thinking with going for the AIO.

It absolutely will keep the CPU cooler. That is why people utilize them. The thing is that the same efficiency of the water taking the heat away from the CPU is also efficient at transferring that heat to your room by way of the radiator.

In my own use case I found it quite worthwhile. I also keep a cooling fan on hand such that if I experience AIO failure I have something to fall back on. If nothing else, fan coolers are rugged and easily fixed with another fan such as a failure of the installed one.

 

[Zerk2012]

Right, I guess that answers my question, so the AIO won't keep the CPU cooler than the D15 did? Or in turn, keep my room cooler. That was my thinking with going for the AIO.

Keep your room cooler no it will put off the same amount of heat.