Question Upgrading to an AIO for my Ryzen 5 3600 - - should I get a 120mm or a 240mm ?

[noname223]

Hey everyone! I'm planning to upgrade to an AIO cooler for my PC. Right now, I'm using a Ryzen 5 3600 (stock, no overclock) with a push-pull air cooler setup (Snowman 4-heatpipe cooler). My primary use cases are gaming and video editing/rendering in Premiere Pro. When editing/rendering, my temps hit 60-80°C, with 80°C being the max during full video exports. Idle temps range from 45-55°C.

My main goal is to reduce these temps, but I'd like to save money if possible. Would a 120mm AIO be enough for my needs, especially compared to my current air cooler? Also, if I upgrade to a Ryzen 5 5600X in the future, would a 120mm AIO still handle the temps during video editing and rendering?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

PC Specs:

• CPU: Ryzen 5 3600
• Motherboard: MSI A520M-A Pro
• GPU: RX 580 8GB
• RAM: 32GB
• PSU: 650W
• Case: Inplay Meteor 20 ATX (random budget case)

 

[Lutfij]

Also, if I upgrade to a Ryzen 5 5600X in the future, would a 120mm AIO still handle the temps during video editing and rendering?
I would advise on going with a 240mm AIO. I honestly don't know why 120mm's exist since they aren't exactly the best option even in an SFF build.

Hang on.

Snowman 4-heatpipe cooler
Can you pass on a link to the coolera?

Case: Inplay Meteor 20 ATX (random budget case)
I'm seeing that Inplay have a number of cases in the Meteor series. Does your case have a mesh front panel? If so, how much air is being pushed towards the inside of the case? What are you ambient room air temps?

 

[geofelt]

Do you really have a temperature problem that needs a solution??
120 aio coolers are mostly worthless.
Any decent air cooler with a 120mm fan can match it.

60-80c. is not very hot for a fully loaded pc.
Your case is fine for any air cooler you might want to use.
Look at the thermalright peerless assassin cooler or similar.
https://www.newegg.com/thermalright...MI1pjajsyQiQMVmwIMAh0KhxDqEAQYASABEgITFPD_BwE

 

[noname223]

Also, if I upgrade to a Ryzen 5 5600X in the future, would a 120mm AIO still handle the temps during video editing and rendering?
I would advise on going with a 240mm AIO. I honestly don't know why 120mm's exist since they aren't exactly the best option even in an SFF build.

Hang on.

Snowman 4-heatpipe cooler
Can you pass on a link to the coolera?

Case: Inplay Meteor 20 ATX (random budget case)
I'm seeing that Inplay have a number of cases in the Meteor series. Does your case have a mesh front panel? If so, how much air is being pushed towards the inside of the case? What are you ambient room air temps?

Thanks for the reply! I’ll definitely consider a 240mm AIO.
also Here are the links:

Case:

INPLAY METEOR 20 ATX CASE – BLACK | TEMPERED GLASS SIDE PANEL | MESH DESIGN FRONT PANEL | NO FANS INCLUDED – DFESTORE

dfestore.com

Cpu Cooler:

SCHNEEMANN CPU Cooler Master 4 Reinem Kupfer Wärme-rohre einfrieren Turm Kühlsystem CPU Lüfter mit PWM Fans - AliExpress 7

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I’m currently using a total of 10 fans:

• 3 intake fans at the front
• 2 exhaust fans on top
• 1 exhaust fan at the back
• 2 fans on the CPU cooler
• 2 fans underneath the GPU

My room temperature is around 26°C since I’m in a tropical climate.

I think the airflow is pretty good, but it feels like the cooler itself can’t handle prolonged use, especially during longer editing/rendering sessions. I’m not entirely sure, though.

 

[noname223]

Do you really have a temperature problem that needs a solution??
120 aio coolers are mostly worthless.
Any decent air cooler with a 120mm fan can match it.

60-80c. is not very hot for a fully loaded pc.
Your case is fine for any air cooler you might want to use.
Look at the thermalright peerless assassin cooler or similar.
https://www.newegg.com/thermalright...MI1pjajsyQiQMVmwIMAh0KhxDqEAQYASABEgITFPD_BwE

Yes, I haven’t experienced any actual overheating issues, but I’m just trying to reduce the max load temps from hitting 80°C if possible. Here’s the link to my current
CPU cooler:

SCHNEEMANN CPU Cooler Master 4 Reinem Kupfer Wärme-rohre einfrieren Turm Kühlsystem CPU Lüfter mit PWM Fans - AliExpress 7

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Regarding the cooler you suggested with 6 heatpipes, would upgrading from a 4-heatpipe to a 6-heatpipe cooler make a noticeable difference in cooling performance? If so, I’d definitely prefer that over an AIO since they’re much more affordable.

 

[logainofhades]

An AIO is overkill for a 3600 or a 5600x. The Peerless Assassin is one of the best coolers, for the money, right now.

 

[Misgar]

I’m currently using a total of 10 fans:

More fans doesn't always mean a cooler PC. My video editing rig in a Lian Li PC-S80 case has two 120mm front fans, a 120mm plus 80mm on the back, two fans on the Noctua NH-D15 air cooler and one in the PSU.

When editing/rendering, my temps hit 60-80°C, with 80°C being the max during full video exports.

My 7950X (same maximum 95°C as your CPU) peaked at 90°C on all 16-cores yesterday during an 8-hour Topaz Video AI upscale. Towards the end of the session, the room was probably up to 26°C due to all the waste heat from the CPU (184W max) and GPU (170W max). Your 3600's 60-80°C is way below the "red line". No need to get it any lower.

if I upgrade to a Ryzen 5 5600X in the future, would a 120mm AIO still handle the temps during video editing and rendering?

I installed a stock AMD 3800X Prism cooler on a 5600X and it copes fine. The Ryzen 3600 and 5600X are both nominal 65W devices. The 3800X is a nominal 105W CPU and was supplied with a more capable boxed cooler. Unless you're considering a heavy overclock, at 240mm AIO should be fine for the 5600X.

If you want a cheap dual fan air cooler, the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE has 7 heatpipes and at $35.90, is only $1 more than the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE with 6 heatpipes (Amazon.com). As with any big air cooler, check if it will fit in your case.

I used the Thermalright SI-100 on an Intel Xeon because it's lower profile and supports LGA2066. Price $31.99.

 

[triplex1]

You no needed AIO cooler
Get a good double fridge air cooling which you will also use in future upgrades (only fans you will need to change after several years)

 

[noname223]

Thanks, everyone! I ended up going for a dual air tower cooler. Unfortunately, if I bought one from Amazon, the shipping fee was almost as much as the product itself (I live in Asia). I did find a Peerless Assassin, but it was only the (Thermalright Peerless Assassin 90 SE),
https://ibb.co/fCBbN1q

so instead, I went with an off-brand option, which I'm guessing is made by a thermal paste company (Coxbyte CL-A401).
(If it doesn’t work out, I can always return or refund it, so I’ll test it when it gets delivered!)

sg-11134209-7rdxs-m1exe6szfp8ec2 hosted at ImgBB

Image sg-11134209-7rdxs-m1exe6szfp8ec2 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

https://ibb.co/TgpQXqV

 

[triplex1]

Thanks, everyone! I ended up going for a dual air tower cooler. Unfortunately, if I bought one from Amazon, the shipping fee was almost as much as the product itself (I live in Asia). I did find a Peerless Assassin, but it was only the (Thermalright Peerless Assassin 90 SE),
https://ibb.co/fCBbN1q

so instead, I went with an off-brand option, which I'm guessing is made by a thermal paste company (Coxbyte CL-A401).
(If it doesn’t work out, I can always return or refund it, so I’ll test it when it gets delivered!)

sg-11134209-7rdxs-m1exe6szfp8ec2 hosted at ImgBB

Image sg-11134209-7rdxs-m1exe6szfp8ec2 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

https://ibb.co/TgpQXqV

it will work and if you want better cooling at some point you will find and install 2 fans with speeds of 1800/2100rpm like this

 

[Misgar]

For sake of completeness, here is a photo of my stock AMD Wraith Prism (from a 3800X boxed processor) which I repurposed on a 5600X. Your Coxbyte CL-A401 should be more than enough to cool a 5600X with a central fan.