Quietest single rad aio

hood4r

Honorable
Nov 9, 2012
92
0
10,630
Hi i was just wondering what the quietest 120 or 140 aio is, not the fans but the pump. Sound > performance, and air cooling is not an option.
 
Solution
Unfortunately, all in ones have a wide variation in pump noise eve in the same model.

I have an H80i and the pump is very quiet(Even with the fans on low[I had Noctua fans on it at the time], I could not hear it without being right next to it). Others have had issues with the same cooler. My Zalman LQ310 (Asetek rebrand) has a loud pump that sounds like a hard drive seeking(it has become more quiet with time, but is still loud compared to the H80i I have).

I would go for 140mm if you can because they will cool better with a slower fan, but make sure you get something from a store you can exchange if it is too loud. Many reviews will also cover pump noise(but again it varies).
Unfortunately, all in ones have a wide variation in pump noise eve in the same model.

I have an H80i and the pump is very quiet(Even with the fans on low[I had Noctua fans on it at the time], I could not hear it without being right next to it). Others have had issues with the same cooler. My Zalman LQ310 (Asetek rebrand) has a loud pump that sounds like a hard drive seeking(it has become more quiet with time, but is still loud compared to the H80i I have).

I would go for 140mm if you can because they will cool better with a slower fan, but make sure you get something from a store you can exchange if it is too loud. Many reviews will also cover pump noise(but again it varies).
 
Solution
A low profile Noctua NH-L9i or L9a offers plenty of cooling for any stock CPU, and will be quieter under partial load and idle than any AiO cooler due to pump noise, nevermind being half the price. Due to it being low profile, I can't think of any application where it won't work.

I've heard good things about Asetek pumps in terms of noise characteristics, but an AiO cooler will always be more noisy and more expensive than a similarly-performing air cooler due to the pump.