120mm AIO sufficient for Ryzen 7 3700X?

[AutoGen_Quest]

TL;DR version:

I have a Ryzen 7 3700X in an InWin 301C mATX case, and the stock CPU cooler is by far the loudest thing in the build.  I think even if I customised the fan curves, it would still be annoying. If I replaced it with a 120mm AIO water cooler exhausting out through the rear grille, would I get a significant reduction in noise as well as equal or better cooling performance with a big Noctua air cooler?

 

Longer version: 

I've attached a pic of the case from the manual. The bottom-intake setup for this case means the GPU (Gigabyte RX 5700 XT) gets a pretty good supply of fresh air, and I'm likely to just leave it with stock air-cooling. But I don't feel like the bottom fans supply much cool air to the CPU area. The space between the edge of the GPU and the sides or front of the case is just too small. (It also blocks enough of the front-exhaust area that I can't put in a 240mm radiator + fans.) So for now I've turned the rear fan from exhaust to intake, even though it doesn't have a filter, just to get the CPU a bit cooler. All hot air in this case goes out through the PSU fan or past the (empty) front fan mounts and then turns to go out the vents on the side of the case.

 

If I replaced the stock CPU cooler (Wraith Prism top-down fan) it with a big Noctua side-flow air cooler (NH-U12 or similar), I'd probably keep the rear fan on intake so it delivers cool air to the Noctua. But if I'm going to spend that much money on a fix, it's not a huge jump to go get a 120mm AIO cooler either. (again I can't do 240mm because of the length of 3-fan GPU.)

 

I've tried looking at the usual sites for info on 120mm AIO performance, but I just don't know the manufacturer's numbering schemes well enough to know which of them are 120mm and which are bigger. Knowing that a water cooler blowing air out the back grille will have less than ideal amounts of cool air to work with, would it still be more effective in terms of temps AND the noise levels than a Noctua NH-U12? 

[RollinLower]

you can fit anything if you want it hard enough

Spoiler

that being said, i think you should be going for something like a dark rock pro 4 or a big noctua like you said. a 120mm AIO will not perform as good as one of those big coolers, and if you get a cheap AIO the pump noise can get pretty loud too.

[Sorenson]

a high end air cooler might be better, but you can do it with a 120mm aio. I recommend the H80i v2 with 1 or 2 fans (i use a single fan to cool my 9700k). Another useful trick is undervaluing. My 9700k was going up to 90+C on a 6 core stress test, undercoating it by -.04mv reduced the temperatures to 70-80c. i’m not sure how much undervolting room there is on ryzen. 

[AutoGen_Quest]

12 minutes ago, RollinLower said:

you can fit anything if you want it hard enough

 I don't want it hard enough to sell my GPU and get a 2-fan one, no.

[AutoGen_Quest]

11 minutes ago, Sorenson said:

 Another useful trick is undervaluing. My 9700k was going up to 90+C on a 6 core stress test, undercoating it by -.04mv reduced the temperatures to 70-80c. i’m not sure how much undervolting room there is on ryzen. 

 

I'm glad your phone finally let that through on the 3rd try or else I'd have no idea what you're suggesting. Great idea though. I'll look around and see if others have had good results. 

[Sorenson]

1 minute ago, AutoGen_Quest said:

 

I'm glad your phone finally let that through on the 3rd try or else I'd have no idea what you're suggesting. Great idea though. I'll look around and see if others have had good results. 

lol i actually saw that one went back and edited it. PC terms can be a nightmare with autocorrect.

[Metallus97]

Idd simply go with a nice noctua. Sure the NH D15 would be the most silent solution  but is a real big booiii.

NH-U12A will fit an has the best fans on the market. That will have the 3700x in check and be more silent than a 120mil

 

Or maybe you can fit good old D14? But probably not 

[AutoGen_Quest]

2 minutes ago, Metallus97 said:

NH-U12A will fit an has the best fans on the market. That will creep the 3700x in check and be more silent than a 120mil

yeah but those brown fans are soooooo ugly. I might get some lesser-performing RGB ones just so I don't have to look at that.

[Metallus97]

5 minutes ago, AutoGen_Quest said:

yeah but those brown fans are soooooo ugly. I might get some lesser-performing RGB ones just so I don't have to look at that.

Lesser performing= more noise. 
do you know noctuas chromax.black line? They are SeXy  and only 5$-10$ more. If you don’t like the brown it’s well worth it

 

NH-U12S chromax.black would be the solution then

https://noctua.at/de/nh-u12s-chromax-black

[AutoGen_Quest]

1 hour ago, Metallus97 said:

NH-U12S chromax.black would be the solution then

https://noctua.at/de/nh-u12s-chromax-black

 

it's a fair point. finding a way to string RGB around it would even make for a fun project. 

[Metallus97]

24 minutes ago, AutoGen_Quest said:

 

it's a fair point. finding a way to string RGB around it would even make for a fun project. 

You could get some rgb fans for it 

but would be a waste of the much better noctua stuff 

[Otto_iii]

3 hours ago, RollinLower said:

you can fit anything if you want it hard enough

Spoiler