Any Decent Cooler under 150mm? or should I just buy an AIO (I fear watercooling)

[uzarnom]

Hi all,

 

So, I have a Corsair 380T which has a height limit of 150mm.

 

I'm looking for something quieter, but I fear water cooling (leaks, maintenance and longevity).

 

I've done some research and the best cooler options I've found are Ventroo V5, Cryorig H7, and NH-U12S - from best to worst. (for other coolers I found really inconsistent reviews)

 

If I end up going for an AIO, what should I look out for in terms of maintenance,  clear signs of failure, and what brands are good. Apparently my case is compatible with the H100i.

 

Thanks everyone

 

Edit : Currently using the ryzen Prysim Cooler.

Edited July 18, 2022 by uzarnom

[Fasauceome]

The Dark Rock TF has always been an interesting consideration for low profile coolers.

https://a.co/d/e1BWI0k

Not exactly a cheap cooler, but kind of badass. Doesn't need both fans so you can be under 150mm

[Tan3l6]

Edit: Good one also - https://pcpartpicker.com/product/FcfmP6/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhu9s

[uzarnom]

6 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

The Dark Rock TF has always been an interesting consideration for low profile coolers.

https://a.co/d/e1BWI0k

Not exactly a cheap cooler, but kind of badass. Doesn't need both fans so you can be under 150mm

I don't know how I missed that one, but the reviews look really good.

[CriSis_]

18 minutes ago, uzarnom said:

Hi all,

 

So, I have a Corsair 380T which has a height limit of 150mm.

 

I'm looking for something quieter, but I fear water cooling (leaks, maintenance and longevity).

 

I've done some research and the best cooler options I've found are Ventroo V5, Cryorig H7, and NH-U12S - from best to worst. (for other coolers I found really inconsistent reviews)

 

If I end up going for an AIO, what should I look out for in terms of maintenance,  clear signs of failure, and what brands are good. Apparently my case is compatible with the H100i.

 

Thanks everyone

Could go for a Noctua NH-D12L, though it could be better to go for a water cooler depending on what your cooling. 

[tkitch]

AIOs don't  have maintenance.

There is no fluid replacement or anything else.

 

Don't get an H100i, Corsair AIOs are "meh" at best.  (Not terrible, but you can do better for the price.)

240mm AIOs are fairly common and easy to get.  Arctic, Lian Li, and EK all make great AIOs.

 

If your choices are a sub-150mm cooler, or an AIO?  An AIO is better any day of the week.

[uzarnom]

9 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

 

Thanks, really good round up. I'll defs consider the Noctua NH-L9a, but I've got a bit more room to play with and will eventually upgrade to a 5800/5900 when they hit the second hand market

[Tan3l6]

2 minutes ago, uzarnom said:

Thanks, really good round up. I'll defs consider the Noctua NH-L9a, but I've got a bit more room to play with and will eventually upgrade to a 5800/5900 when they hit the second hand market

I misread, those are really low profile coolers. 150mm is a bit more space, so those are not actually not the best options. 

 

[CriSis_]

2 minutes ago, tkitch said:

AIOs don't  have maintenance.

There is no fluid replacement or anything else.

 

Don't get an H100i, Corsair AIOs are "meh" at best.  (Not terrible, but you can do better for the price.)

240mm AIOs are fairly common and easy to get.  Arctic, Lian Li, and EK all make great AIOs.

 

If your choices are a sub-150mm cooler, or an AIO?  An AIO is better any day of the week.

I know the artic coolers seems to have quite the reputation as being reliable and cool https://www.scan.co.uk/products/arctic-liquid-freezer-ii-240-240mm-all-in-one-hydro-cpu-cooler-2x120mm-pwm-fan-aluminium-copper?gclid=Cj0KCQjwidSWBhDdARIsAIoTVb12jMgltF2gHVZTP6pwojWzQ1ha0DX5h_Sr_q__yYENXg49WbigXmkaAgSYEALw_wcB. As for ek and lian li when I was looking for a 280mm aio for my cooler I found that both seem to have pump problems often though I have not used any so this is just based on what I've heard. 

 

[uzarnom]

Thanks for dropping those names.

 

3 minutes ago, tkitch said:

If your choices are a sub-150mm cooler, or an AIO?  An AIO is better any day of the week.

 

I was kind feeling that would be the case, guess I'll do another research dive and get an AIO.

 

Any idea what the pump failure rates are like and what signs should I lookout for (or will my computer just kinda crash to save itself)

[uzarnom]

3 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

I misread, those are really low profile coolers. 150mm is a bit more space, so those are not actually not the best options. 

 

ahh, still thanks for pointing me to that. I'll be building an ultra small gaming computer for my sister soon.

[tkitch]

1 minute ago, CriSis_ said:

I know the artic coolers seems to have quite the reputation as being reliable and cool https://www.scan.co.uk/products/arctic-liquid-freezer-ii-240-240mm-all-in-one-hydro-cpu-cooler-2x120mm-pwm-fan-aluminium-copper?gclid=Cj0KCQjwidSWBhDdARIsAIoTVb12jMgltF2gHVZTP6pwojWzQ1ha0DX5h_Sr_q__yYENXg49WbigXmkaAgSYEALw_wcB. As for ek and lian li when I was looking for a 280mm aio for my cooler I found that both seem to have pump problems often though I have not used any so this is just based on what I've heard. 

 

outside of a couple coolers that had some fucked up issues where the liquid turned to goo?  (Thanks for the reporting, GN!)  I haven't heard much about any single AIO having terrible failure rates.  

 

I Do know that both LL and EK have good warranty support, so I wouldn't hesitate to use either of them if I was in the market for a new AIO.

[uzarnom]

4 minutes ago, CriSis_ said:

I know the artic coolers seems to have quite the reputation as being reliable and cool https://www.scan.co.uk/products/arctic-liquid-freezer-ii-240-240mm-all-in-one-hydro-cpu-cooler-2x120mm-pwm-fan-aluminium-copper?gclid=Cj0KCQjwidSWBhDdARIsAIoTVb12jMgltF2gHVZTP6pwojWzQ1ha0DX5h_Sr_q__yYENXg49WbigXmkaAgSYEALw_wcB. As for ek and lian li when I was looking for a 280mm aio for my cooler I found that both seem to have pump problems often though I have not used any so this is just based on what I've heard. 

 

Thanks for that, this is what I need. I'll still do some reading around and try to get something with a decent warranty.

[tkitch]

3 minutes ago, uzarnom said:

Thanks for dropping those names.

 

 

I was kind feeling that would be the case, guess I'll do another research dive and get an AIO.

 

Any idea what the pump failure rates are like and what signs should I lookout for (or will my computer just kinda crash to save itself)

Pumps would rarely die outright instantly.  They usually start getting loud and rattly.  (Sort of like a dying fan) and temps start to get significantly worse.

 

You usually get some warning on impending failure.

For an anecdote:  My 280 AIO from 2016 is going strong still.  (I picked up a really good sale price on a replacement 280 recently-ish.  So next time I do real PC maintenance, I'm swapping.)

[dizmo]

AIOs haven't been bad for ages. Though if you got that case new I could see why you might have some qualms, as it's a very old case.

Just grab an AIO and go. If you're looking for a cheaper option you can find EVGA units really cheap (I got mine for about $30, open box). Just budget an extra $20 for fan replacements.

[uzarnom]

22 minutes ago, dizmo said:

AIOs haven't been bad for ages. Though if you got that case new I could see why you might have some qualms, as it's a very old case.

Just grab an AIO and go. If you're looking for a cheaper option you can find EVGA units really cheap (I got mine for about $30, open box). Just budget an extra $20 for fan replacements.

very accurate analysis, I've not looked at water cooling since the 2600k.

[HARDWELL9191]

1 hour ago, uzarnom said:

Hi all,

 

So, I have a Corsair 380T which has a height limit of 150mm.

 

I'm looking for something quieter, but I fear water cooling (leaks, maintenance and longevity).

 

I've done some research and the best cooler options I've found are Ventroo V5, Cryorig H7, and NH-U12S - from best to worst. (for other coolers I found really inconsistent reviews)

 

If I end up going for an AIO, what should I look out for in terms of maintenance,  clear signs of failure, and what brands are good. Apparently my case is compatible with the H100i.

 

Thanks everyone

 

Edit : Currently using the ryzen Prysim Cooler.

I personally have the Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo and I couldn't be happier with It especially for the price. Runs my 5600x under 60 degrees at all times except in benchmarks when It reaches 65 degrees.

[Dogzilla07]

@uzarnom

 

1. Best is ID-Cooling SE-207-XT-Slim

2. Noctua NH-D12L

3. Thermalright Silver Soul 135

 

The utmost performance would be two Noctua NF-A12x25r fans on the ID-cooling Se-207-XT-Slim