AIO Liquid, Air, LN2 coolers.

[Ambers]

I currently air-cool my system and looking to stick to air-cooled or look into AIO liquid cooling with summer (maybe) coming up, I don't want to piddle about taking off my overclock like I have done before.

Currently running a 4790k @4.7Ghz sitting at 65c Under-gaming/editing load with idle at low 30's and peaks of 72c.

Normally around summertime I back off on the overclock so the speed is 4.0GHz and 4.4Ghz boosted, people keep telling me I should get a liquid cooler but from what I understand I wouldn't gain much cooling just a more stable set of temps...

Anyway I'm not looking to spend much nor have time for a custom loop and I will be putting in max 120mm RAD as I don't want a box full of liquid hanging over my computer because yeah, if I remember from school liquid and expensive hardware don't mix.

Anyway views, throughts  and comments are welcome. Thanks in advance

 

[Samatlewis]

@Zeito @lionelyou have been summoned!

 

[CoreyB]

I have always watercooled my PC (AIO's), I see no problems. I used to have a 4790k and got up to 4.6GHz at a 1.23v draw. Was 29c idle and around 65-70 under gaming and rendering load. Obviously can't speak for air cooler or custom water loops. Hope this helped you in any way!

 

[Zeito]

I have a Corsair H80iGT aio coller on my 4790k and it had no problems keeping mine cool at 4.4Ghz. Had it set to light up red if it hit over 70 and it never did.

All cooling though is largely dependent on the temperature of the ambient environment, so like you said just bolting on a watercooler isnt going to bring your temps down massively, but it will keep them a bit more stable. Even with a water cooler you need good airflow through the case so warm air doesnt build up inside from your GPU, meaning you're blowing warm air over the radiator. Typically you may be better to draw air in from outside the case over the radiator as it's likely to be cooler outside than in.

The H80iGT provides the surface area of 120x240mm rad in a 120x120 package. Comes with 2 fans to draw air over the radiator. It can be a bit noisier than an air cooler because of the fans high rpm limit of 2800. It was about £75.

Forget LN2, that's for serious overclocker benchmark setting. And requires you to steadily add liquid nitrogen into a crucible above your CPU so it can boil off.

There are some VERY good aircoolers out there. The Coolermaster 212Evo, BeQuiet! Dark Rock Pro, and Noctua DH-15 are a few. The Noctuas and BeQuiet coolers are exceptionally silent and very good at cooling. What are you using as the moment @Ambers

 

[lionel]

If your going to go water for overclocks & shits and giggles, don't even look at AIO's. They are good but don't compare to a well researched custom loop in the long run. I have a very ghetto built watercooling system, with pipes F'ing  glued together (im not kidding), one day I will afford proper fittings, but today is not that day.

As Zeito says, the average AIO's are as good as a decent air cooler, but they are normally quieter. Biggest factor you need to look at is the radiator size, the bigger the better, set it up in a push pull config and your laughing. it is cheapest way to get into water cooling.

Most of the time a decent flow plan and decluttering cables and cleaning will give you the best drop in temps. think of it as spring cleaning @Jamzhad this issue, he had a AIO but it was completely clogged with dust and the fans were pushing into the case therfore pulling in all the hot exhausts from the GPU & PSU :/

 

[Ambers]

Kinda guessing I was on right track, I been looking into liquid coolers over last 6 months but British climate for me, I have never seen the point in doing it.

Ill stick with my aircooled system and just down clock it like I have done for last ummmpteen years on all my CPU's, and seeming as i'm slightly deaf in my right ear I don't hear my <30 DB fans on my case and cooler.

Thanks for input can finally tell my mate to stop grinding me about getting AIO

What are you using as the moment @Ambers

Have a EVO with 2x Noctua NF-F12 PWM fans on in push/pull.

I have always watercooled my PC (AIO's), I see no problems. I used to have a 4790k and got up to 4.6GHz at a 1.23v draw. Was 29c idle and around 65-70 under gaming and rendering load. Obviously can't speak for air cooler or custom water loops. Hope this helped you in any way!

Yeah, I have 4.7Ghz OC @1.28v (I think) and have slightly higher idle and same gaming and rendering load.

 

[lionel]

yeah sorry probably should of stated my temps with a custom loop. AMD 6300 idles at 34.0 and under stress test max temp I have seen is 45.7. Hottest thing in my system when idle is the usb3.0 chip :/ and that isn't even used LAWL