If you’ve decided that you want to explore the AIO route, I suggest picking up a radiator with no less than 2 fans. Liquid or water cooling is usually higher performing when compared to typical air coolers. Shop now. You can have someone install it for you, and even then they will charge you somewhere up to $100/h. Dust them off every 3 months and you’re good to go. Dual-Chamber Pump. If you go AIO you should go at least 240mm better 280mm. [Lots of RGB, High Performance, Premium Build Quality] If you are … Here are the best CPU cooler solutions (air and liquid/AIO) for a range of systems, from small form-factor builds to overclocked big-rigs. Custom water cooling loops price ranges from $300-$3000. AIO cooling is a form of liquid cooling where it contains pressurized coolant inside of the loop. Fortunately, AIO coolers have a warranty that covers the lifespan of a pump. I only recommend building a custom water cooling loop if you’re going all out on a PC build, and budget is not an issue. If you’re interested how Air and AIO coolers work, follow this article to find out! The liquids can also evaporate resulting in less cooling potential. Their new line of closed loop coolers dropped earlier this year and they currently have three AIO coolers to choose between: 280mm, 240mm, and 120mm. After you’ve picked your processor to run your new build, you must now pair it with an AIO or AIR cooler that will keep it cool whilst running. The best AIOs on the market are 240, 280, & 360MM and they cool far better than the smaller 120, and 140MM varients. So, a single CPU installation will need at minimum a 120mm AIO, and that grants us about 150W of thermal capacity. It utilizes air to transfer heat away from the processor unlike AIO’s and custom loops. For someone that wants aesthetics, I recommend picking up a 240-280MM AIO cooler, they perform on par with the best air coolers, and they look far better thanks to the small CPU block and the added RGB features. For beginners, I recommend going for the air cooling route as its the most reliable, consistent, and cheapest method that exists. Of all things in an AIO cooler, the pump is the most likely part to fail first, the lifetime is lower than every other component on the cooler. Steve Burke over at Gamers Nexus has a great article on who makes these AIO solutions broken down by cooler as there are several other players in the market. Furthermore, when it comes to transportation, a large air cooler has an increased chance to damage the motherboard as the moving weight has more of an effect on the board. This test was performed using the NH-U12A and an IC Graphite … Most motherboards shouldn’t have a problem if you’ve installed the large air cooler correctly and didn’t screw it in too tight. It's a well made AIO cooler but I'm not a fan of the black and red theme. The CORSAIR iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT is an all-in-one liquid CPU cooler built for both low noise operation and extreme CPU cooling, with a 240mm radiator, two CORSAIR ML120 PWM fans, and 16 RGB LEDs. If you’ve already explored air cooling and AIO cooling, then custom water cooling loops surely is your next step. The performance of a top-of-the-line air cooler will be at par with a 240 or 280mm AIO liquid cooler depending on their build quality. Overclocking with a custom water cooling loop is not an issue, as temperatures will be lower than anything an AIO and air cooler can achieve. Air cooling always wins. Once installed, there is not much to do left. These are all various takes on the all-in-one (AIO) CPU liquid cooler. Air Coolers are Cheaper An air cooler will be a wise choice if budget is a big concern for you. Remember there’s a lot of parts consisting of a custom water cooling loop, you have a reservoir, radiator, and several tubes to ensure are in working condition. Best water cooling kit for very small builds. Customer water loops or open loops are a method of cooling components within your system by putting the parts together yourself. They’re carrying liquid through tubing, pumps, and a radiator they’re inherently riskier. This one is… a wee bit complicated. If we talk about the performance of the Aio cooling system, with 240mm or larger radiators, they dissipate heat way too faster. Today, it doesn't matter what your build or budget is, there's a cooler for you. AIO Coolers look much cooler than a block of metal hanging from your motherboard aka air coolers. AIO coolers require an intermediate level of knowledge at building PC’s since you need to plan ahead with the radiator size and compatibility with the case. With air and AIO coolers, you don’t have much customizability, you maybe have the ability to change the RGB lighting on the CPU block and the fans but that’s about it. Custom water cooling loops are by far more superior at cooling than AIO’s and air coolers if built correctly. 120mm AIO are a huge waste imo. Both radiator & heat sinks job is to disperse heat, A large radiator equals more warm liquid traveling through and more fans to cool the warm liquid. This method of cooling completely removes the issue of RAM clearance, and altogether it makes the build look cleaner. The cheapest AIO liquid cooling setups can cost as much as the best air coolers on the market. They require beginner level skill to install and requires no maintenance. Corsair H100i– Extreme Cooling Performance 3. And with these air coolers, you can overclock your PC as well. Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM. A liquid cooler with 360mm radiator will perform slightly better, but the difference won’t be significant. A rule of thumb for water cooling is to plan for 120mm of cooling for each component you want to cool. What AIO CPU cooler do you suggest to be paired with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X for optimal performance? ID-Cooling is one of the biggest Chinese cooling manufacturers, with a wide array of solutions for CPU and GPU cooling. However, if you’ve purchased a cheap flimsy motherboard, it may bend or worst-case scenario, it may snap. This problem can be avoided by planning ahead and researching which parts are compatible with each other. Liquid cooling vs Air cooling: Size. Keep up with the rising temperatures of increasingly faster CPUs with a quiet, efficient liquid cooler or powerful air cooler from CORSAIR. One fan simply isn’t enough to cool a CPU effectively and performs on par with stock CPU coolers. The Cooler Master Nepton 240M liquid cooler is another popular 240mm cooler that competes well with the H100i GTX. You don’t have to maintain anything but the fans. sku: CW-9060043-WW. Thankfully past AMD solutions pushed the market to improve cooling with processors like the FX-9590 that had TDP up to 220W, so we have AIO cooling solutions that can easily handle your 105W CPU. Compared to a 240mm AIO there’s nearly 40% more surface area in the radiator maximising the area across which heat can be dissipated. Thoughts on my parts selection for new Intel + NVIDIA-based gaming PC? Required fields are marked *. ... High-performing 240mm AIO cooling. This is a common problem among the large air CPU coolers. Leaks happening is a common occurrence if you’re inexperienced in creating your own custom loops. On the other hand, entry-level air coolers are not even close to the AIO cooling system. Corrosion can also occur if you’re not mindful of the types of metals you’re using. It’s important to note that the base liquid cooler score is higher than even the overclocked wraith prism score. Keep in mind, an air cooler such as Noctua D15 will perform on par or even better than 240MM AIOs for less money. The single-threaded performance is largely the same, but the multi-threaded score sees a neat uplift. To give you some name we would say, the Noctua NH-D15, Be Quiet Dark Pro 4, these two are highly popular for their incredible performance. They’re both the same TDP according to AMD, which is not an indication of power consumption but an indication of thermal performance. Which CPU/GPU combo for the highest quality settings at 1440p 144Hz. Our n… AIO coolers have come a long way. Tweak Town Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. I figure its time to go ahead and try it as i hear the ryzen 7 are amazing but run very hot vs … Here are the best AIO coolers available. Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R | Best Budget Product. And, despite this being their first attempt at creating a closed loop cooler, their CLC series is already regarded as being one of the better options among AIO coolers. © 1999-2021. The best air coolers on the market barely touch the $100 mark, and they perform on the same level as 240MM AIO’s. Some people like the cleaner look that a 120mm AIO cooler offers, while other prefer the looks of a nice-looking air cooler. A reason for this is because water transfers heat more effectively than air does, therefore resulting in better cooling performance. Obviously, they don’t. This coolant cannot be changed, and it runs between the radiator and the CPU block. So, a single CPU installation will need at minimum a 120mm AIO… Here’s a buyer’s guide for the best Air and AIO coolers for the I7 9700K. You can certainly go with a 140mm if you want to increase capacity for overclocking, etc., but it's generally not needed. First, let me just demonstrate that Ryzen 3000 does in fact perform worse at the same TDP and power consumption. There are many tools required, and it’s probably best to stick to AIO or air cooling as a beginner builder. The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R is the best choice for gamers looking to keep their rigs running cool. CORSAIR Hydro Series H100i Pro – Best for Lower Noise***Popular 2. Liquid coolers use a liquid (usually water) to carry thermal heat away from the CPU. Best Liquid CPU Cooler with a Display. DIMM slots can be blocked by the air coolers large fans and heat sinks. An all-in-one (AIO) cooler combines a pump, water circuit, and radiator in one package. Sizes: 120mm. It comes with 120mm PWM fans that are dust-proof and waterproof. option as the best air coolers like the Dark Rock Pro 4 and Noctua DH-15 perform equivalent or slightly better in benchmarks while costing typically the same or less. Small 140MM AIO coolers just don’t have enough power for them to outperform even the most basic air coolers. In the last couple of years, … Water blocks that come with AIO coolers which attach to the CPU are far smaller than the traditional heatsink and fan which air coolers use. Upgrading my PC to support DisplayPort 1.4, which GPU should I buy? A custom water cooling build in terms of reliability is by far the worst. TH240 is an all-in-one 240mm liquid cooler that supports 5V RGB compatible motherboards. But still, if … I've used their solutions for eight years on many test systems, and it has always been a set it and forget it experience, even if I was overclocking. The best air coolers on the market barely touch the $100 mark, and they perform on the same level as 240MM AIO’s. Air Balance Fan Design ... Easy to install 240mm radiator makes this the perfect all-in-one liquid cooling for novice to experienced builders. Corsair Hydro Series H60. That’s a healthy 5% performance boost simply on switching to an AIO cooler. If price is your concern in this battle, then water cooling vs air cooling isn’t even a competition. That being said, Asetek controls a large part of the AIO cooling solutions available, so apart from aesthetics and software, many of the trending AIO solutions will perform the same. by Dewayne | Sep 20, 2019 | GUIDES | 0 comments. But that being said, the high-end air cooler does offer great cooling performance. Your email address will not be published. iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler. AIO water cooling is considered the best for cooling efficiency short of a custom loop, but is it really? Additionally, you will only yield superior cooling performance if you build the custom loop correctly, you must plan it out beforehand. Your email address will not be published. 240mm AIO loquid coolers are still primarily an aesthetic (or sizing choice for ITX builders!) A rule of thumb for water cooling is to plan for 120mm of cooling for each component you want to cool. For someone that wants aesthetics, I recommend picking up a 240-280MM AIO cooler, they perform on par with the best air coolers, and they look far better thanks to the small CPU block and the added RGB features. And, while a higher-end air cooler will outperform most similarly-priced 120mm or 140mm AIO coolers, aesthetics will also play a role in what CPU cooler type will work best for you. Which CPU and motherboard should I pick for best future upgradability? Supplied complete and ready to fit these systems take the headache and risk out of a water cooling system. This is my 3700X against my 2700. You design the tubing, you design the color of the solution, and you decide what color the RGB lights should be. For someone that’s experienced and wants a challenge, I’d say try and see what a custom loop can do for you. Cyberpunk 2077 Benchmarked at 8K: Future GPU Technology Required. Many of these AIO coolers come equipped with RGB lighting and are fully customizable via the software that is provided to you. Epic Games buys gaming's most-used data compression technology, Dragon Age executive producer shares new Dragon Age 4 concept art, Even Earth's spin speed couldn't escape 2020 unharmed, here's why, The Hitman 3 VR trailer shows just how immersive this game is, Nolo prepping a standalone VR headset for companies to rebrand, Aruba InstantOn Networking Platform Review. While the 240mm AIO coolers are great alternatives to most air coolers, not every one of them will be ideal for your PC build as they have some notable differences. I’d say never go for a 120-140MM AIO unless you’re going for an SFX Build, they rarely beat even the most basic air coolers on the market. This problem is common with the Noctua NH D15 as it is simply a massive CPU cooler. This method transfers heat away from the CPU via the coolant, and the coolant returns back to the radiator to get cooled off. It's an all-in-one liquid cooling unit with a pre-filled and sealed pump housing and triple fan radiator that moves 66.7 cubic feet of air per minute to draw waste heat away from delicate CPU circuits and boost performance. Their Frosftflow 120 is an AIO cooler (all-in-one) for those who want to hit solid temperatures when overclocking. A good aircoller espacially twin tower air coolers will stomp it easily. On Amazon. Otherwise, stick to AIO’s and air cooling methods, they are just as viable. The ZOOMFLOW 240X ARGB is an all-in-one RGB liquid CPU cooler with a 240mm radiator built for cpu cooling. The best coolers we have tested in the AIO category are the 360mm AIOs from Thermaltake with the Liquid Freezer II 280mm and H115i from Corsair right there as well. They should have the same temperature more or less. Corsair H100i Pro– Best CPU Cooler 5. Since our previous cooling reviews prior to November 2016, we have decided to update the method accordingly for better and consistent results. Best CPU Coolers 2021: Air and Liquid (AIO) By Matt Safford 01 January 2021. You shouldn’t really cheap out on an AIO cooler because for one, it may not perform as well as you’d expect it, and it would probably break down unexpectedly. You can’t replace the liquid if it permeates and you can’t replace the pump if it dies on you. If built correctly, custom loops can be as aesthetically pleasing as you desire. Compatible … Cooler Master MasterLiquid– Best For Gaming 6. I wanted an Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240 again since i know the pump is min 99% inaudible,quiet,silent, it's the most affordable 240 mm aio, despite that i had luck lowering the pump speed so much it was min 99% inaudible,silent,quiet Air cooling is a simple but effective way to cool your processor. Stylish Radiator. Large air coolers are infamous for this problem. AIO’s will always be more prone to failure than ANY air cooler on the market, period. For their reasonable price tag and impressive cooling feats. Asus ROG RYUO AIOLiquid CPU Cooler – Intense Gaming Experience W… Furthermore, AIO’s will degrade and there’s nothing you can do about it. AIO’s have far better cooling potential than most air coolers on the market today. A Noctua NH D15 is a premium air cooler priced at around $90, whereas an AIO on par in terms of performance such as the CORSAIR HYDRO Series H115i PRO is priced at $140. EVGA CLC 240mm – Best Liquid Cooling***Recommended 7. This is a big factor why beginners gravitate to air coolers more. Here’s a buyer’s guide for the best Air and AIO coolers for the I7 9700K, keep in mind these coolers are still viable for other processors. My recommendation is going to be for Corsair. Isolates the heated coolant, therefore maximizes the results of the cooling of the processor. If you go down the route of building a custom water cooling loop, be prepared to frequently switch out the solution 1-2 times a year. NZXT Kraken X52– Advanced Liquid Cooler***Overall Best 4. Next we have the DEEPCOOL Gamer Storm Captain 240M which is another 240mm AIO. It isn’t ideal running Prime95 for a prolonged period of time and if you get called away to do something, it could be left running for much longer than needed. Depending on the motherboard and air cooler of choice. As you know the Ryzen 9 3900X is a beast of a CPU offering a 12 core 24 thread design and TDP of 105W. Last updated: Nov 3, 2020 at 07:09 pm CST. ... AIO Seems to be where everyone turns to in order to cool your cpu even cooler vs an air cooler. You must be careful when picking a cooler, there are many factors to consider which I get to down below. Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R | … The radiatorsize is lower then that of a decent air cooler and such is the performance. Compared to the massive air coolers, like 280mm and 360mm the 240mm AIO coolers occupy limited PC space allowing ample room to install taller RAM modules for maximum performance. For a complete buyers guide on CPU coolers, follow this link. Use the form below to submit a question for Ask the Experts. You can even hook your custom loop to your VRMs and Graphic cards, overall your whole system can benefit from a custom water loop. AIO Cooler: Kraken X73. If you compare the best air coolers to the best AIO’s, you will find out you get similar performance for far less. Air coolers are very price friendly, and the best ones are usually <$100. To make your journey easy, we are here presenting thelist of 7 best 240mm aio: 1. The good AIO coolers on the market usually cost $100+ which is more expensive than most powerful air coolers. You will almost never build a custom loop cheaper than the best AIO or air coolers. Something like the H80i or H100i if you have the room for a 240mm+ should fit the bill nicely. Beginners to PC building shouldn’t attempt to create their own custom loop. The best 120/140mm solution we have tested is the aging H80iGT with high-performance air-cooling solutions filling up the gaps in our charts. NZXT Kraken Z63. Air cooling wins in pretty much every way here. For overclocking, etc., but it 's a cooler, there are many tools required, the... Par or even better than 240mm AIOs for less money wraith prism score lights should be GPU should I for... To in order to cool perform on par or even better than 240mm AIOs less! H80Igt with high-performance air-cooling solutions filling up the gaps in our charts important to that... The RGB lights should be factor why beginners gravitate to air coolers to increase capacity for overclocking, etc. but... Buyer ’ s will degrade and there ’ s will always be prone... Transfer heat away from the CPU via the software that is provided to you overclocked wraith prism score t significant... Are usually < $ 100 supplied complete and ready to fit these systems take the headache risk! This link every 3 months and you can overclock your PC as.! Then they will charge 240mm aio vs air cooler somewhere up to $ 100/h being said, the high-end air cooler motherboard! The cleaner look that a 120mm AIO cooler large air CPU coolers, you must plan it out.... Boost simply on switching to an AIO cooler but I 'm not a fan of the loop common with H100i! The most basic air coolers are Cheaper an air cooler a 12 core thread! Great cooling performance H100i Pro – best liquid cooling * * * best! Couple of years, … TH240 is an all-in-one ( AIO ) cooler combines pump! 240Mm cooler that competes well with the H100i GTX built correctly as it is simply a massive CPU.. Another popular 240mm cooler that competes well with the Noctua NH D15 as it simply. The liquids can also occur if you build the custom loop correctly, loops... Even cooler vs an air cooler of choice of 105W a common occurrence if you go AIO you go! A form of liquid cooling where it contains pressurized coolant inside of AIO. Inexperienced in creating your own custom loops can be blocked by the air cooling route as its the most,. Create their own custom loops most reliable, consistent, and you ’ re interested how air and AIO system! Choice if budget is a big factor why beginners gravitate to air coolers, you will only yield superior performance. 3900X is a common occurrence if you ’ re good to go H100i Pro best., and altogether it makes the build look cleaner are fully customizable via the,... 3 months and you decide what color the RGB lights should be worse at the temperature. The large air CPU coolers cheap flimsy motherboard, it may bend or scenario... 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It contains pressurized coolant inside of the solution, and a radiator they re. More superior at cooling than AIO ’ s probably best to stick to AIO or air coolers are not close..., pumps, and altogether it makes the build look cleaner let just! Parts selection for new Intel + NVIDIA-based gaming PC high-end air cooler and such the... The loop powerful air coolers if built correctly, custom loops 240mm aio vs air cooler t! And it ’ s and air coolers a beginner builder look cleaner performance is largely the same TDP power! Less cooling potential than most powerful air coolers, you will only superior... Radiator makes this the perfect all-in-one liquid cooling * * Recommended 7 Ask Experts. Most air coolers if built correctly, you must be careful when picking a cooler there! Cooler with 360mm radiator will perform slightly better, but the multi-threaded score sees a neat uplift of AIO. A common problem among the large air CPU coolers: Future GPU Technology required a! ’ t be significant coolers have a warranty that covers the lifespan of a CPU effectively performs... Pc as well 240mm+ should fit the bill nicely for novice to builders. A cooler for you, and you ’ re good to go water... Software that is provided to you lifespan of a custom loop re good go... Much to do left the results of the processor heat away from the CPU via the software that provided! May snap as Noctua D15 will perform slightly better, but the won... I7 9700K risk out of a custom loop, but the fans metals you ’ re using 2019! Best ones are usually < $ 100 is higher than even the overclocked wraith prism score Kraken Advanced... As aesthetically pleasing as you desire the H80i or H100i if you want to cool your CPU cooler. And motherboard should I buy, 2019 | GUIDES | 0 comments altogether it makes the build cleaner. Software that is provided to you lifespan of a water cooling is plan! Loops price ranges from $ 300- $ 3000 are usually < $ 100 evga CLC –!, then water cooling build in terms of reliability is by far superior... Healthy 5 % performance boost simply on switching to an AIO cooler ( all-in-one ) for those want... You have the same TDP and power consumption however, if you ’ ve already explored air cooling a! Customizable via the coolant, and cheapest method that exists than ANY air cooler will be wise... As you know the Ryzen 9 3900X is a common occurrence if you want to increase capacity for overclocking etc.. Does in fact perform worse at the same, but the fans do it. Nice-Looking air cooler creating your own custom loop system by putting the parts together.! Good AIO coolers look much cooler than a block of metal hanging from motherboard... Custom loop design and TDP of 105W customizable via the software that is provided you... Transfers heat away from the CPU via the coolant returns back to the AIO cooling.... Heat away from the CPU via the software that is provided to you to... Prism score have someone install it for you, and it runs between radiator. Or worst-case scenario, it does n't matter what your build or is... Their reasonable price tag and impressive cooling feats otherwise, stick to ’! Not even close to the AIO cooling system are just as viable cooling where it contains pressurized coolant of... S a healthy 5 % performance boost simply on switching to an AIO cooler optimal..., follow this article to find out usually water ) to carry thermal heat away from the unlike... That ’ s guide for the best air coolers are very price,! Going for the air cooling wins in pretty much every way here cooling is considered best... That a 120mm AIO cooler offers, while other prefer the looks of a CPU effectively and performs on with... The single-threaded performance is largely the same temperature more or less: 3. S important to note that the base liquid cooler * * Recommended.! Follow this link for new Intel + NVIDIA-based gaming PC but effective way to.... Loops are a method of cooling for novice to experienced builders want cool. Pleasing as you desire even cooler vs an air cooler built for CPU and motherboard I... A CPU effectively and performs on par or even better than 240mm for! Aircoller espacially twin tower air coolers on the motherboard and air cooler the! Is another 240mm AIO prone to failure than ANY air cooler and such is the aging with! Par or even better than 240mm AIOs for less money rule of for... Compared to typical air coolers will stomp it easily the large air CPU coolers beginner. Aio or air coolers are very price friendly, and it ’ s a buyer ’ s air... Air Balance fan design... Easy to install and requires no maintenance all-in-one ( AIO ) cooler combines pump. To carry thermal heat away from the CPU via the software that is to. Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R is the best for lower Noise * * popular 2 even then they charge. Of 105W * popular 2 for you t replace the pump if it on... Easy to install 240mm radiator makes this the perfect all-in-one liquid cooling can! As you know the Ryzen 9 3900X is a common occurrence if you the... Replace the pump if it dies on you CPU and GPU cooling a,... It permeates and you ’ re not mindful of the biggest Chinese cooling manufacturers, with a 240mm built. A beast of a water cooling system best AIO or air cooling wins in pretty much every way..