Corsair H150i Elite Capellix vs NZXT Kraken Z73

[lerodemmy]

Thoughts?  I’m really looking for the best performance AIO out there, regardless of price.

 

I’m planning to do a push/pull configuration on the side, next to the motherboard, in the Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL case.  The radiator and included fans will be hidden in the back chamber, and I’ll be using Lian Li SL120 fans on the inside of the case.  So the aesthetic of the fans that come with the AIO is inconsequential.

[Bombastinator]

My thought is the fans that come with a given AIO radiator are generally balanced for that radiator.  Different radiators are going to require greater or lesser static pressure.  There are 4 parts to an AIO. The cold plate the pump the hoses and the radiator.  The most important part is probably the cold plate.  That’s the bit that actually transfers the heat to the water.  The whole rest of the thing is about transferring the heat from the water to surrounding air. 

[NorKris]

21 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

My thought is the fans that come with a given AIO radiator are generally balanced for that radiator.  Different radiators are going to require greater or lesser static pressure.  There are 4 parts to an AIO. The cold plate the pump the hoses and the radiator.  The most important part is probably the cold plate.  That’s the bit that actually transfers the heat to the water.  The whole rest of the thing is about transferring the heat from the water to surrounding air. 

Type of fan is prob more important then rad(given same size) and hoses   (for temps)

[lerodemmy]

So I guess you guys are saying I shouldn’t do push/pull with two different fan types?

[NorKris]

4 hours ago, lerodemmy said:

Thoughts?  I’m really looking for the best performance AIO out there, regardless of price.

 

I’m planning to do a push/pull configuration on the side, next to the motherboard, in the Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL case.  The radiator and included fans will be hidden in the back chamber, and I’ll be using Lian Li SL120 fans on the inside of the case.  So the aesthetic of the fans that come with the AIO is inconsequential.

Looks like Z73 is slightly ahead.. 

but tbh i would pick cooler after what RGB system im using / buying into
Motherboard control like aura = buy CM ML360r
Do you have or like corsair? = Corsair H150i Elite Capellix

Do you like RGB from NZXT? = Z73

 

but that's my opinion.. multiple RGB software's are a nightmare  

[NorKris]

Just now, lerodemmy said:

So I guess you guys are saying I shouldn’t do push/pull with two different fan types?

ofc you can

[lerodemmy]

Just now, NorKris said:

Looks like Z73 is slightly ahead.. 

but tbh i would pick cooler after what RGB system im using / buying into
Motherboard control like aura = buy CM ML360r
Do you have or like corsair? = Corsair H150i Elite Capellix

Do you like RGB from NZXT? = Z73

 

but that's my opinion.. multiple RGB software's are a nightmare  

I totally agree that multiple RGB softwares are a nightmare.  I have a bunch of Corsair stuff in my current PC and I think iCUE in and of itself is a nightmare sometimes.

 

This is going to be for an entirely new build, and I don’t intend to go all Corsaired-out this time.  Like I said, I’ll be using a Lian Li case and fans, and probably RGB strips and Strimers.  Maybe I should get a Lian Li AIO, but that LCD display you get with the Z73 is so cool.

[lerodemmy]

6 minutes ago, NorKris said:

ofc you can

Oh, just asking because the other guy said the fans that come with the AIO are balanced for that radiator.  I wasn’t sure if it would unbalance things if I put different fans on the other side.

[NorKris]

2 minutes ago, lerodemmy said:

Oh, just asking because the other guy said the fans that come with the AIO are balanced for that radiator.  I wasn’t sure if it would unbalance things if I put different fans on the other side.

Fans coming with Rads are not balanced for the Rad... often they are just cheap fans or fans made for looking good (RGB and stuff)

 

Fans coming with asus AIO's and CM mirage and all Arctic AIO's are good.. others are not 

[narrdarr]

hold up here. let clear some things up. 

first 

push/pull on an aio

it's not needed. the rad thick is too skinny and the fin density is to low (they are wide apart) the yields are not worth the cost of the extra fans maybe 1 to 2c better depending on the case. second technically yes you can mix fan, but it's not recommend.  the difference in static pressure, airflow, and rpm us usually unproductive and will add more noise to the system.

 

balanced fans for rads

this term is misleading. the manufacturer decided that balance based on COGs vs EP. 

so forget about this as there is always something better. what you should ask is does this product do what I want it to do.

(fyi many fans that come with any depend aio are actually pretty solid)

 

which leads me too your OG question, “which is the best aio?".

 

corsiar is not the best but they are decent and hands down have the best customizable rgb out. 

 

nzxt only edges out corsairs aios by a little bit, but doesnt really shine with anything else. unless you like the way it looks.

 

better options.

ek aio

it flat out out performs most aios. its lighten is great , but is customization for lighting will be limited to the motherboards software.

 

 arctic liquid freezer ii

this beats the ek aio sometimes. it's  great performer, but no argb/rgb. also mount maybe difficult for some depending on revision of cooler and the motherboard your mounting to.

 

phantek glacier one

you wont find much on this aio as its newer. but, I do have this in a build and love it. its performance is great, lighting is awesome.( I also love the block) but like the ek aio the lighting customization will be limited to the motherboards software. 

 

deep cool/gamer storm

most people disregard these, but you'll have a tough time finding anyone have any issue with them in any thread. they have decent aios that preform well at usually a more affordable price. lighten is also dependent on the motherboards software. 

 

as for configuring your rgb. this is where I do agree. try to as much as possible stick to one eco system.  you'll have better syncing of lighting and less system conflicts. 

 

[lerodemmy]

2 hours ago, narrdarr said:

hold up here. let clear some things up. 

first 

push/pull on an aio

it's not needed. the rad thick is too skinny and the fin density is to low (they are wide apart) the yields are not worth the cost of the extra fans maybe 1 to 2c better depending on the case. second technically yes you can mix fan, but it's not recommend.  the difference in static pressure, airflow, and rpm us usually unproductive and will add more noise to the system.

 

balanced fans for rads

this term is misleading. the manufacturer decided that balance based on COGs vs EP. 

so forget about this as there is always something better. what you should ask is does this product do what I want it to do.

(fyi many fans that come with any depend aio are actually pretty solid)

 

which leads me too your OG question, “which is the best aio?".

 

corsiar is not the best but they are decent and hands down have the best customizable rgb out. 

 

nzxt only edges out corsairs aios by a little bit, but doesnt really shine with anything else. unless you like the way it looks.

 

better options.

ek aio

it flat out out performs most aios. its lighten is great , but is customization for lighting will be limited to the motherboards software.

 

 arctic liquid freezer ii

this beats the ek aio sometimes. it's  great performer, but no argb/rgb. also mount maybe difficult for some depending on revision of cooler and the motherboard your mounting to.

 

phantek glacier one

you wont find much on this aio as its newer. but, I do have this in a build and love it. its performance is great, lighting is awesome.( I also love the block) but like the ek aio the lighting customization will be limited to the motherboards software. 

 

deep cool/gamer storm

most people disregard these, but you'll have a tough time finding anyone have any issue with them in any thread. they have decent aios that preform well at usually a more affordable price. lighten is also dependent on the motherboards software. 

 

as for configuring your rgb. this is where I do agree. try to as much as possible stick to one eco system.  you'll have better syncing of lighting and less system conflicts. 

 

Very informative.  Thank you.  Any thoughts on Lian Li AIOs?

[NorKris]

I would say go push pull on rads if you have the fans laying around, you have the space for it and you can slow the speed of all the fans down to a point where the reduced noise is a plus and the temps would be the same as only 2 fans 

 

The EK AIO's is an even better option that goes into the Motherboard RGB software option.. but its a bit more $$ 

[narrdarr]

4 hours ago, lerodemmy said:

Very informative.  Thank you.  Any thoughts on Lian Li AIOs?

the lian li galahad aio is a top performer. its downside is the pump maybe loud. and is why I dont include in my list. loud pumps are triggering. 

[narrdarr]

3 hours ago, NorKris said:

I would say go push pull on rads if you have the fans laying around, you have the space for it and you can slow the speed of all the fans down to a point where the reduced noise is a plus and the temps would be the same as only 2 fans 

 

The EK AIO's is an even better option that goes into the Motherboard RGB software option.. but its a bit more $$ 

not always true refer to my pervious statement. 

 

wtf ek aio and arctic liquid freezer ii are usually cheaper. 

[NorKris]

15 minutes ago, narrdarr said:

not always true refer to my pervious statement. 

 

wtf ek aio and arctic liquid freezer ii are usually cheaper. 

Ah ok EK's aio was cheaper than i thought. ML 360r still cheaper on amazon cuz of sale. 

 

If you can control the fan speed 4(or 6) fans will always be better. (given that the fans are good) 

[Bombastinator]

21 hours ago, NorKris said:

Type of fan is prob more important then rad(given same size) and hoses   (for temps)

Type of fan is a function of rad.  Over fan a rad you get more airflow.  Under fan a rad and you can potentially get overheating because the fans can’t cool the radiator.  Very often AIOs are massive overkill.  Not always, but often.  In such situations less fan could possibly be used.

[NorKris]

2 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Type of fan is a function of rad.  Over fan a rad you get more airflow.  Under fan a rad and you can potentially get overheating because the fans can’t cool the radiator.  Very often AIOs are massive overkill.  Not always, but often.  In such situations less fan could possibly be used.

No AIO rad ever made ( as far as i know) have a high FPI. So "under-fan'ing" with not be possible. 

[Bombastinator]

6 minutes ago, NorKris said:

No AIO rad ever made ( as far as i know) have a high FPI. So "under-fan'ing" with not be possible. 

“FPI” needs more description. https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/FPI
 

underfanning is very possible if it wasn’t there wouldn’t be radiator fans and case fans.  They would all be the same.  Case fans are rather famous for being some of the quietest and for some uses weakest fans that exist. They are optimized for airflow not static pressure.  I watched a video recently of a model airplane expert utterly fail to make a model airplane fly with a computer fan. He had to use an enterprise fan to make it even sort of work.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Bombastinator

[NorKris]

Just now, Bombastinator said:

“FPI” needs more description. https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/FPI
 

underfanning is very possible if it wasn’t there wouldn’t be radiator fans and case fans.  They would all be the same.  Case fans are rather famous for being some of the quietest and for some uses weakest fans that exist. They are optimized for airflow not static pressure

Show me a AIO rad with high  Fins Per Inch   (FPI)

[Bombastinator]

1 minute ago, NorKris said:

Show me a AIO rad with high  Fins Per Inch   (FPI)

I’ve got case fans with four fins on a 140mm fan.  They’re older but they exist.  They even work pretty well.  It probably has fairly low static pressure compared to a radiator fan.  Fins per inch is not a measure of static pressure.  And “high” is not a useful term in this case. “highER” might be in comparison. 

[NorKris]

1 minute ago, Bombastinator said:

I’ve got case fans with four fins on a 140mm fan.  They’re older but they exist.  They even work pretty well.  It probably has fairly low static pressure compared to a radiator fan.  Fins per inch is not a measure of static pressure.  And “high” is not a useful term in this case. “highER” might be in comparison. 

hmm think we need to go back to basic here.

 

For a fan to be too weak (too low pressure) for the Rad its connected to the Rad needs to have a high FPI. If it does not (like an AIO) you can connect every weak/cheap fan you can find..  Yes some fans are better than others, even on low or high FPI's... 

[Bombastinator]

6 minutes ago, NorKris said:

hmm think we need to go back to basic here.

 

For a fan to be too weak (too low pressure) for the Rad its connected to the Rad needs to have a high FPI. If it does not (like an AIO) you can connect every weak/cheap fan you can find..  Yes some fans are better than others, even on low or high FPI's... 

I concur.  There does seem to be a serious problem.  fpi is not a measure of static pressure. Static pressure is measured in height (mm or inches) of mercury.   Also rads don’t have fins and their air resistance is not measured in fins per inch. High static pressure fans do tend to have more more closely spaced fins. They MAY have more fpi, but it’s not a strict thing partially because fan size changes.  It might have some derived effect but there are too many other variables for it to be accurate.  Blade size, pitch shape, etc..  AIOs do tend to be relatively thin and have larger openings that some custom loop radiators.  It varies a lot though.  There are extremely thick AIO radiators that exist.  Especially 120mm ones.  You seem to be claiming that fan type doesn’t matter because  all AIOs have effectively no air resistance so any variation between them is immaterial.  With sufficiently powerful fans this might even be true.  The problem is consumer computer fans are NOT built for power.  They’re built for low noise.  They can be fantastically weak compared to fans built for different purposes

[NorKris]

6 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

I concur.  There does seem to be a serious problem.  fpi is not a measure of static pressure. Static pressure is measured in height (mm or inches) of mercury.   Also rads don’t have fins and their air resistance is not measured in fins per inch. High static pressure fans do tend to have more more closely spaced fins. They MAY have more fpi, but it’s not a strict thing partially because fan size changes.  It might have some derived effect but there are too many other variables for it to be accurate.  Blade size, pitch shape, etc..  AIOs do tend to be relatively thin and have larger openings that some custom loop radiators.  It varies a lot though.  There are extremely thick AIO radiators that exist.  Especially 120mm ones.  You seem to be claiming that fan type doesn’t matter because  all AIOs have effectively no air resistance so any variation between them is immaterial.  With sufficiently powerful fans this might even be true.  The problem is consumer computer fans are NOT built for power.  They’re built for low noise.  They can be fantastically weak compared to fans built for different purposes

[Bombastinator]

3 minutes ago, NorKris said:

This is not an argument or even really support for one.  Would the radiator on the left need more static pressure than the one on the right? Sure.  It’s still not zero though.  There are computer case fans that can have very low static pressure.  There are case fans that have problems with simple nylon filters. 

[NorKris]

1 minute ago, Bombastinator said:

This is not an argument or even really support for one.  Would the radiator on the left need more static pressure than the one on the right? Sure.  It’s still not zero though.  There are computer case fans that can have very low static pressure.  There are case fans that have problems with simple nylon filters. 

No Fan recommended on this forum or coming with an AIO will have that low pressure.

 

please share a pic of a fan with THAT low pressure so ppl that find this thread will know.