[SOLVED] Ryzen 9 5950x - AIO vs AIR COOLING

Nov 18, 2020
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Hello guys very soon I am getting r9 5950x
My question is what ia the best cooling for me (might OC in the future)

Noctua NH-U12A CPU Cooler?
or AIO
Arctic Liquid Freezer II - 280?
Thanks.
 
Solution
It really won't matter all that much between the 2 - performance-wise.
I will point out some things that will lean more favorably towards the air cooler.

1)I don't know where people get the idea that air coolers are big and bulky; hybrid coolers are even bigger. The radiators are just stretched out heatsinks. Then there's the dangling tubes and other cables.
I can at least handle the former with one hand...

2)The hybrid cooler will be a bigger pain to remove/install. Screws... lots of screws...

3)Hybrid coolers are more expensive than their price suggests. Because the pumps are finite and another point of failure:
-once they die, that's it. You have to replace it. The majority of hybrid coolers in the market aren't intended to be...
What is the make/model of your case?
If you have sufficient(160mm) headroom, I would always buy a air cooler.
I like the noctua NH-D15s chromax black:
https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nh-d15s-chromax-black/p/13C-0005-001M2
Actually, the NH-U12s or the NH-U12a would also work well.
All will cost less than the aio you mentioned.
In addition, installation is simpler, you will be quieter, require no maintenance, cool equally well, be more reliable, and... while uncommon, air will never leak.
 
Last edited:

Phaaze88

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Ambassador
It really won't matter all that much between the 2 - performance-wise.
I will point out some things that will lean more favorably towards the air cooler.

1)I don't know where people get the idea that air coolers are big and bulky; hybrid coolers are even bigger. The radiators are just stretched out heatsinks. Then there's the dangling tubes and other cables.
I can at least handle the former with one hand...

2)The hybrid cooler will be a bigger pain to remove/install. Screws... lots of screws...

3)Hybrid coolers are more expensive than their price suggests. Because the pumps are finite and another point of failure:
-once they die, that's it. You have to replace it. The majority of hybrid coolers in the market aren't intended to be serviced. Kind of wasteful, if you think about it, but hybrid coolers are meant to be the cheap and dirty alternative to custom liquid.
-better have a backup cooler on hand for when it inevitably dies, or incur indefinite PC downtime until you can get a replacement.
-depending on quality and the user's use, they can last anywhere between 1 to 8 years.
 
Solution