[SOLVED] Recommended 240mm AIO?

[techflame700]

I am looking for a 240mm AIO for my next build. I want it to have some RGB on the pump (I don't care about the fans) and be quieter than my NZXT Kraken X42. Also, I might plan on doing a small or medium overclock in the future. My budget is up to $145 and I will be using it with a 8700K or 9700K. Thanks!

 

[Tanyac]

The only real choices are the NZXT Kraken and the Corsair H100i Pro. I would never recommend the NZXT cooler though because of the terrible CAM software.

AIO cooling is largely about the fans. The pumps are almost all Asetek. The radiators are all pretty much the same - Aluminum and 27mm thick. I never stick with stock fans for my AIOs (I have 10 Corsairs at the moment). All of them have been replaced with Noctua fans.

So, if you don't want the hassle of replacing new fans, then as you're looking at coolers look at the fans specs: Static Pressure and Air Flow. Generally speaking higher is better (I'm sure an expert will chime in there and say I'm generalizing - which is true - there is a lot more to fans than just static pressure and air flow).

Keep in mind too - Cooling performance is linked to noise level. Less noise - less cooling.

AIO cooler reviews are rarely apples for apples comparisons, so take them with a grain of salt. But here's a few links...

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpu-coolers,4181-2.html
https://www.anandtech.com/tag/liquid-cooling
https://www.pcgamesn.com/best-liquid-cooler
https://www.pcgamer.com/au/best-cpu-coolers/
https://www.anandtech.com/show/7738/closed-loop-aio-liquid-coolers

 

[techflame700]

The only real choices are the NZXT Kraken and the Corsair H100i Pro. I would never recommend the NZXT cooler though because of the terrible CAM software.

AIO cooling is largely about the fans. The pumps are almost all Asetek. The radiators are all pretty much the same - Aluminum and 27mm thick. I never stick with stock fans for my AIOs (I have 10 Corsairs at the moment). All of them have been replaced with Noctua fans.

So, if you don't want the hassle of replacing new fans, then as you're looking at coolers look at the fans specs: Static Pressure and Air Flow. Generally speaking higher is better (I'm sure an expert will chime in there and say I'm generalizing - which is true - there is a lot more to fans than just static pressure and air flow).

Keep in mind too - Cooling performance is linked to noise level. Less noise - less cooling.

AIO cooler reviews are rarely apples for apples comparisons, so take them with a grain of salt. But here's a few links...

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpu-coolers,4181-2.html
https://www.anandtech.com/tag/liquid-cooling
https://www.pcgamesn.com/best-liquid-cooler
https://www.pcgamer.com/au/best-cpu-coolers/
https://www.anandtech.com/show/7738/closed-loop-aio-liquid-coolers

I went ahead and got the H100i Pro much better performance and noise than my Kraken X42. The software was buggy and my CPU was overheating (92 C without a overclock).