Help on ITX CPU Cooler

[QNTA]

Budget (including currency): USD or VND

Country: Vietnam

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: I mainly use it for entertainment, coding and running a VM but not gaming (grew tired of it in the VGA crisis) hence I go for no VGA build

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

I actually sorted out most of the parts below:

Case: Cougar QBX

CPU: Intel 12600K

Mainboard: Asrock H670M-ITX/ax

Fan hub: Artic fan hub

PSU: Corsair SF750

Storage: one SS 970 EVO as OS drive and a 3.5" HGST 2TB HDD which I will mount on the side bracket

Fan: 

- Rear: 1 x Noctua NF-A9 PWM chromax.black.swap

- Front: 1 x Noctua NF-A8 PWM chromax.black.swap

- Bottom: 2 x Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM chromax.black.swap

- Top: 2 x Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM chromax.black.swap

 

Now as you noticed I haven't list the RAM and CPU Cooler here. The reason is I need to know my CPU cooler first to decide if I need to go for LPX RAM or not. I use the side bracket to mount my 3.5" HDD so I cannot remove it.

 

I actually prefer this Patriot Viper Steel: https://www.newegg.com/patriot-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820225205?Description=Patriot Viper Steel 32GB 3200&cm_re=Patriot_Viper Steel 32GB 3200-_-20-225-205-_-Product&quicklink=true  . However, the CPU cooler take priority and if it requires me to use LPX RAM then I am fine.

 

Question:

- What is the best CPU cooler I can use here

- Does it require LPX RAM? If yes, please help to recommend me 32GB RAM (prefer black colour to match the theme)

- I might add a VGA in the case later, will this affect my cooling setup?

 

[aisle9]

If you're not attaching an AIO or hard drive to the side bracket, you can fit a cooler up to about 135-140mm tall in there. LP RAM doesn't hurt to have , but if you get a cooler designed to support high-profile RAM, you've got nothing to worry about.

[QNTA]

40 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

If you're not attaching an AIO or hard drive to the side bracket, you can fit a cooler up to about 135-140mm tall in there. LP RAM doesn't hurt to have , but if you get a cooler designed to support high-profile RAM, you've got nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately, I have a side mount 3.5" HDD.

I was thinking on a side mount 120mm AIO such as M22 but I saw many comments that it is not actually much better than Air coolers.

[aisle9]

14 hours ago, QNTA said:

Unfortunately, I have a side mount 3.5" HDD.

I was thinking on a side mount 120mm AIO such as M22 but I saw many comments that it is not actually much better than Air coolers.

If the side of the bracket on top of the CPU is empty and only the side HDD is taken up, then there's still play to go much higher than 105mm or whatever. Also, if you're the "modding light" type, it is very easy to screw a 3.5" hard drive in front of the PSU without making any changes to the case itself. You just have to screw it in through the existing holes in the top of the support holding the PSU in, then you don't need the side bracket at all.

 

The QBX is one of the most supremely modifiable cases out there. Look around and have fun with it. As happy as I am with my Lian Li Tu150, I would go back to a QBX in a heartbeat if one showed up sub-$40.

[person123456789]

17 hours ago, QNTA said:

Budget (including currency): USD or VND

Country: Vietnam

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: I mainly use it for entertainment, coding and running a VM but not gaming (grew tired of it in the VGA crisis) hence I go for no VGA build

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

I actually sorted out most of the parts below:

Case: Cougar QBX

CPU: Intel 12600K

Mainboard: Asrock H670M-ITX/ax

Fan hub: Artic fan hub

PSU: Corsair SF750

Storage: one SS 970 EVO as OS drive and a 3.5" HGST 2TB HDD which I will mount on the side bracket

Fan: 

- Rear: 1 x Noctua NF-A9 PWM chromax.black.swap

- Front: 1 x Noctua NF-A8 PWM chromax.black.swap

- Bottom: 2 x Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM chromax.black.swap

- Top: 2 x Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM chromax.black.swap

 

Now as you noticed I haven't list the RAM and CPU Cooler here. The reason is I need to know my CPU cooler first to decide if I need to go for LPX RAM or not. I use the side bracket to mount my 3.5" HDD so I cannot remove it.

 

I actually prefer this Patriot Viper Steel: https://www.newegg.com/patriot-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820225205?Description=Patriot Viper Steel 32GB 3200&cm_re=Patriot_Viper Steel 32GB 3200-_-20-225-205-_-Product&quicklink=true  . However, the CPU cooler take priority and if it requires me to use LPX RAM then I am fine.

 

Question:

- What is the best CPU cooler I can use here

- Does it require LPX RAM? If yes, please help to recommend me 32GB RAM (prefer black colour to match the theme)

- I might add a VGA in the case later, will this affect my cooling setup?

 

consider the nr200