Z53 with i7-12700k

[s_ledger]

Hi all, I was looking into getting a z53 cooler for a planned build with a i7-12700k but ran into concerns with people saying that it wouldn't be enough cooling and could throttle under load. I'm gonna run it in a O11 Air Mini with the default fans and the z53 placed in the top position. Would this be enough or should I consider a beefier AIO?

[Shimejii]

240 Is kind of pushing it for a 12700k, since you are doing small form factor i suppose its gonna be quite hot regardless since 12700k is still a bit toasty for that. 280mm AIO would be a bit better by not by a lot, and it would depend on the AIO. Still would recommend the Arctic Freezer line of coolers over anything NZXT just because of pricing, those NZXT coolers are WAY overpriced for what they are.

 

Just curious why are you wanting to pay 220$ for an AIO?

[johnt]

Generally any reputable 240mm AIO cooler is sufficient to tame the 12700k. The chip does run very, very hot though and while a larger radiator would be helpful, it all comes down to how far you are going to push the cpu. The Z53 is a very nice looking cooler, but you are paying a lot for looks. I am not sure a different brand would provide any improvement. I don't OC my 12700k beyond the advertised speeds, and I run it just fine with an ASUS 240mm radiator with noctua fans. It's dead silent. I think it's important to make sure you have good air flow in your case. Not saying that you were... but don't overlook the need for separate intake and exhaust fans. I run my setup in the NR200 and I have air coming in beneath the GPU and fresh air pulled through the CPU AIO, and it's all exhausted through the back and top. 

 

If you are expecting to OC the living bananas out of your CPU, you need a bigger radiator.

[johnt]

4 minutes ago, Shimejii said:

Just curious why are you wanting to pay 220$ for an AIO?

He's building in a Lian Li case...............

[bluesummer]

12700k would get quite hot in an SFF with only a 240mm... on top of that the Z53 is a pretty subpar AIO for the price, I'd much rather personally go with an Arctic Liquid Freezer II or whatever the new Lian-Li or EK AIOs are, I forget their names. The latter two are also nice cause they have RGB as well, which I think is the reason you're getting a Z53. They are better coolers for the price

 

As for the length, this is just off the top of my head but a 280mm or 360mm would be much better for this use case, as for how those fit into that case I'm not sure, you would probably know that, lol. Let me know if you have any more questions! 

[bluesummer]

12 minutes ago, johnt said:

He's building in a Lian Li case...............

To be fair the Lian Li case he's building in is $100... 

[s_ledger]

11 minutes ago, johnt said:

He's building in a Lian Li case...............

I chose the case because I didn’t wanna reshuffle my entire setup, and my pc currently sits in a little nook under a bookshelf that connects to the wall over my desk (think upside L shape). Normal mid size ATX cases can’t fit in that nook for the most part because they’re too tall (the nook is 16 inches from top to bottom).

[s_ledger]

22 minutes ago, Shimejii said:

240 Is kind of pushing it for a 12700k, since you are doing small form factor i suppose its gonna be quite hot regardless since 12700k is still a bit toasty for that. 280mm AIO would be a bit better by not by a lot, and it would depend on the AIO. Still would recommend the Arctic Freezer line of coolers over anything NZXT just because of pricing, those NZXT coolers are WAY overpriced for what they are.

 

Just curious why are you wanting to pay 220$ for an AIO?

I chose to not buy any RGB or aestheticy things for this build, and decided this would be the one place where I allowed some and the LCD screen gimmick looked cool.

[johnt]

56 minutes ago, s_ledger said:

CD screen gimmick looked cool.

Don't worry about what we are saying. It's a cool case and cool looking cooler. You are definitely paying a huge premium for the appearance, so make sure it's appealing to you.

 

I have my 12700k in a mini ITX case with standard OC and I run between 50 to 60 C during gaming with a 240mm AIO. I think it will be fine as long as your expectations are reasonable.

[s_ledger]

53 minutes ago, johnt said:

Don't worry about what we are saying. It's a cool case and cool looking cooler. You are definitely paying a huge premium for the appearance, so make sure it's appealing to you.

 

I have my 12700k in a mini ITX case with standard OC and I run between 50 to 60 C during gaming with a 240mm AIO. I think it will be fine as long as your expectations are reasonable.

I decided to quit worrying about placement and bought a z63 to mount to the front along with a 5 pack of p12s to supplement the original fans. Thanks all for the help  

[johnt]

8 hours ago, s_ledger said:

I decided to quit worrying about placement and bought a z63 to mount to the front along with a 5 pack of p12s to supplement the original fans. Thanks all for the help  

Nice! You have a fun couple of days ahead of you!