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Best Raditor for Silent PCs (currently)

Go to solution Solved by Zando_,

Any low FPI/resistance rad. I use a HardwareLabs 360GTS with Noctua Redux NF-P12 fans. The rad doesn't make a single noise ever as it.. doesn't have any parts to make nois. The low fpi/resistance is what's important, lets me run quiet fans without losing cooling performance, as fans are what make the noise.

Hey guys and gals,

 

Yeah, so I am wondering, what the best known Raditor is for a "Open Loop", geared towards Silent PCs. People claim that this one, the  Black Ice SR2 Xtreme+ 420mm, is the best. It has a low a FPI, Fins per Inch, at 9. For operation below 800 RPM fan all the way up to 2,000 RPM. However, this thing's been discontinued. Any ideas would be great. I am nooking for 420mm, if possible. Can go lower, but not higher.

 

Thanks Guys🔥

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When you say closed loop do you mean AIO or custom loop?  Generally no radiator makes much if any noise, unless you’ve got an air bubble problem.  Are you asking which radiator is best at clearing air bubbles?  It’s the pump that makes the noise generally

Not a pro, not even very good.  I’m just old and have time currently.  Assuming I know a lot about computers can be a mistake.

 

Life is like a bowl of chocolates: there are all these little crinkly paper cups everywhere.

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5 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

When you say closed loop do you mean AIO or custom loop?  Generally no radiator makes much if any noise, unless you’ve got an air bubble problem.  Are you asking which radiator is best at clearing air bubbles?  It’s the pump that makes the noise generally

I'm sorry. I'm tired. I meant "Open Loop"

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1 minute ago, Pumice said:

I'm sorry. I'm tired. I meant "Open Loop"

Ah. Then don’t worry about it.  Open loops are a lot better at clearing bubbles so it doesn’t really matter except to have one that is big enough for your system.  That could be a single or a quad, or even more, depending on how much heat you need to get rid of.  Passive is even possible, though it has a fairly small envelope, and often requires special systems and setup

Not a pro, not even very good.  I’m just old and have time currently.  Assuming I know a lot about computers can be a mistake.

 

Life is like a bowl of chocolates: there are all these little crinkly paper cups everywhere.

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Any low FPI/resistance rad. I use a HardwareLabs 360GTS with Noctua Redux NF-P12 fans. The rad doesn't make a single noise ever as it.. doesn't have any parts to make nois. The low fpi/resistance is what's important, lets me run quiet fans without losing cooling performance, as fans are what make the noise.

Intel HEDT and Server platform enthusiasts: Intel HEDT Xeon/i7 Megathread 

 

Main PC 

CPU: i9 7980XE @4.5GHz/1.22v/-2 AVX offset 

Cooler: EKWB Supremacy Block - custom loop w/360mm +280mm rads 

Motherboard: EVGA X299 Dark 

RAM:4x8GB HyperX Predator DDR4 @3200Mhz CL16 

GPU: Nvidia FE 2060 Super/Corsair HydroX 2070 FE block 

Storage:  1TB MP34 + 1TB 970 Evo + 500GB Atom30 + 250GB 960 Evo 

Optical Drives: LG WH14NS40 

PSU: EVGA 1600W T2 

Case & Fans: Corsair 750D Airflow - 3x Noctua iPPC NF-F12 + 4x Noctua iPPC NF-A14 PWM 

OS: Windows 11

 

Display: LG 27UK650-W (4K 60Hz IPS panel)

Mouse: EVGA X17

Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB

 

Mobile/Work Devices: 2020 M1 MacBook Air (work computer) - iPhone 13 Pro Max - Apple Watch S3

 

Other Misc Devices: iPod Video (Gen 5.5E, 128GB SD card swap, running Rockbox), Nintendo Switch

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11 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

Ah. Then don’tradiators, ii srry about it.  Open loops are a lot better at clearing bubbles so it doesn’t really matter except to have one that is big enough for your system.  That could be a single or a quad, or even more, depending on how much heat you need to get rid of.  Passive is even possible, though it has a fairly small envelope, and often requires special systems and setup

Aw, I see, thank you! Say, do you know if there is such a thing as glass rad

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9 hours ago, Zando_ said:

Any low FPI/resistance rad. I use a HardwareLabs 360GTS with Noctua Redux NF-P12 fans. The rad doesn't make a single noise ever as it.. doesn't have any parts to make nois. The low fpi/resistance is what's important, lets me run quiet fans without losing cooling performance, as fans are what make the noise.

Oh nice, yeah I will have to check those out. Do you know, off the top of your head, if there is such a thing as a glass raditor for open loop. 5hat would be cool, if they could get it to work, decent.

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54 minutes ago, Pumice said:

Aw, I see, thank you! Say, do you know if there is such a thing as glass rad

I’ve seen a picture of a device made out of a shower head for cooling water that just sprayed it into a bucket, so that would sort of be a radiator.  A water to air heat exchanger anyway.  It was huge though and I don’t remember what it was cooling. I remember the term sub-ambient being used.  Something about droplet size and evaporation and phase change.  Sounded big and messy.  “Glass” could be a specific term.  One unknown to me.  As far as a traditional computer radiator made of glass, I doubt it.  Manufacturing would be evil and there just isn’t much that has thermal conductivity on the level of copper which is relatively cheap, compared to some stuff, and is actually easy to deal with as metals go.  If it were possible and closed one could use seriously unusual coolants in it.  I’ve seen plumbing made of glass to deal with lithography acid.  It was horrifically expensive.

 

im not really the guy who knows a ton about computers.  I just pick up questions that have been there a while without being answered.  Usually the really useful answer doesn’t come from me but the person who posts after me with more specific information.  Like this time.

Edited by Bombastinator

Not a pro, not even very good.  I’m just old and have time currently.  Assuming I know a lot about computers can be a mistake.

 

Life is like a bowl of chocolates: there are all these little crinkly paper cups everywhere.

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19 hours ago, Pumice said:

Oh nice, yeah I will have to check those out. Do you know, off the top of your head, if there is such a thing as a glass raditor for open loop. 5hat would be cool, if they could get it to work, decent.

I would highly doubt that exists. Glass would break, and be shittier at moving heat than metal - there's a reason good radiators are made of copper (and cheaper ones often aluminum). There... wouldn't be much to see either, once the bubbles work themselves out it's not like you can see/tell the coolant is moving.

Intel HEDT and Server platform enthusiasts: Intel HEDT Xeon/i7 Megathread 

 

Main PC 

CPU: i9 7980XE @4.5GHz/1.22v/-2 AVX offset 

Cooler: EKWB Supremacy Block - custom loop w/360mm +280mm rads 

Motherboard: EVGA X299 Dark 

RAM:4x8GB HyperX Predator DDR4 @3200Mhz CL16 

GPU: Nvidia FE 2060 Super/Corsair HydroX 2070 FE block 

Storage:  1TB MP34 + 1TB 970 Evo + 500GB Atom30 + 250GB 960 Evo 

Optical Drives: LG WH14NS40 

PSU: EVGA 1600W T2 

Case & Fans: Corsair 750D Airflow - 3x Noctua iPPC NF-F12 + 4x Noctua iPPC NF-A14 PWM 

OS: Windows 11

 

Display: LG 27UK650-W (4K 60Hz IPS panel)

Mouse: EVGA X17

Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB

 

Mobile/Work Devices: 2020 M1 MacBook Air (work computer) - iPhone 13 Pro Max - Apple Watch S3

 

Other Misc Devices: iPod Video (Gen 5.5E, 128GB SD card swap, running Rockbox), Nintendo Switch

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1 hour ago, Zando_ said:

I would highly doubt that exists. Glass would break, and be shittier at moving heat than metal - there's a reason good radiators are made of copper (and cheaper ones often aluminum). There... wouldn't be much to see either, once the bubbles work themselves out it's not like you can see/tell the coolant is moving.

There’s a version of aluminum oxide that is transparent but it’s better known as synthetic sapphire so I kinda doubt someone is going to make a radiator out of it.

Not a pro, not even very good.  I’m just old and have time currently.  Assuming I know a lot about computers can be a mistake.

 

Life is like a bowl of chocolates: there are all these little crinkly paper cups everywhere.

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7 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

There’s a version of aluminum oxide that is transparent but it’s better known as synthetic sapphire so I kinda doubt someone is going to make a radiator out of it.

Not a metal, does not have the properties of a metal. Aside from all the other not-metal properties that would make it horrible as material for a radiator, its thermal conductivity is about 10x lower than aluminum metal. And aluminum metal is already the lower performance choice for a radiator.

Intel HEDT and Server platform enthusiasts: Intel HEDT Xeon/i7 Megathread 

 

Main PC 

CPU: i9 7980XE @4.5GHz/1.22v/-2 AVX offset 

Cooler: EKWB Supremacy Block - custom loop w/360mm +280mm rads 

Motherboard: EVGA X299 Dark 

RAM:4x8GB HyperX Predator DDR4 @3200Mhz CL16 

GPU: Nvidia FE 2060 Super/Corsair HydroX 2070 FE block 

Storage:  1TB MP34 + 1TB 970 Evo + 500GB Atom30 + 250GB 960 Evo 

Optical Drives: LG WH14NS40 

PSU: EVGA 1600W T2 

Case & Fans: Corsair 750D Airflow - 3x Noctua iPPC NF-F12 + 4x Noctua iPPC NF-A14 PWM 

OS: Windows 11

 

Display: LG 27UK650-W (4K 60Hz IPS panel)

Mouse: EVGA X17

Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB

 

Mobile/Work Devices: 2020 M1 MacBook Air (work computer) - iPhone 13 Pro Max - Apple Watch S3

 

Other Misc Devices: iPod Video (Gen 5.5E, 128GB SD card swap, running Rockbox), Nintendo Switch

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12 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

Not a metal, does not have the properties of a metal. Aside from all the other not-metal properties that would make it horrible as material for a radiator, its thermal conductivity is about 10x lower than aluminum metal. And aluminum metal is already the lower performance choice for a radiator.

But still better than a lot of other things.  Glass, be it borosilicate or any of the other materials the make glass out of. isn’t a metal either.  I don’t know of any transparent metals or metaloids.  That was the closest I could get.  And it is technically sort of aluminum. So much so that Adonized aluminum is about turning the outer surface of an aluminum thing to aluminum oxide.   There are lots and lots of reasons it would be a horrible material to make radiator out of.  One of the best ones there is is copper.

Not a pro, not even very good.  I’m just old and have time currently.  Assuming I know a lot about computers can be a mistake.

 

Life is like a bowl of chocolates: there are all these little crinkly paper cups everywhere.

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9 hours ago, Zando_ said:

I would highly doubt that exists. Glass would break, and be shittier at moving heat than metal - there's a reason good radiators are made of copper (and cheaper ones often aluminum). There... wouldn't be much to see either, once the bubbles work themselves out it's not like you can see/tell the coolant is moving.

I see. Yeah I was just thinking, that they should stay pretty clean and look cool too. Copper radiators. I wonder if Hardware Labs Black Ice sr-2 420mm is copper. I'll have to look now. Thanks for the heads up ( :

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7 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

There’s a version of aluminum oxide that is transparent but it’s better known as synthetic sapphire so I kinda doubt someone is going to make a radiator out of it.

Lol, yeah that makes sense. Thanks ( :

 

Let me run something by you. This radiator I am looking at,

 

http://hardwarelabs.com/blackice/sr2/420-mp/

HardwareLabs Black ice Sr2 420-mp

 

Is 60mm thick. And it is based on copper. Do you think, that is a fatty radiator. Keep in mind,please, that the FPI, Fins Per Inch, rating is 9. To me, it seems like a fatty, but given the Fin count, it is looking like a skinny, as far as the fans are concerned.

 

Oh, and another thing. Push, pull, or Push and Pull, lol. How should it be configured, for best results. I know I am throwing a lot at you, but, isn't that what's involved in designi g a machine, lol

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2 gts360 would outperform 1 sr2 360 rad

thicker rad don't scale as well compare to having more rads

2 slim rads usually works better than single thick rad UNLESS yer out of space for 2nd rad

Ryzen 5700x + EK Supremacy D-RGB | 2x8 GB DDR4 Klevv 3200 MT/s | MSI B550M Mortar | Palit 3070 GamingPro LHR + Bykski N-PT3070PRO-X | Corsair RM750 | Alphacool EPDM + QDC | Aquacomputer Quadro + HighFlow2 | EK D5 XTOP | Freezemod 360 30mm rad + Barrow Dabel-20b 360 20mm | Barrow & Freezemod fittings | Corsair 5000D Airflow
 
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7 hours ago, Pumice said:

Lol, yeah that makes sense. Thanks ( :

 

Let me run something by you. This radiator I am looking at,

 

http://hardwarelabs.com/blackice/sr2/420-mp/

HardwareLabs Black ice Sr2 420-mp

 

Is 60mm thick. And it is based on copper. Do you think, that is a fatty radiator. Keep in mind,please, that the FPI, Fins Per Inch, rating is 9. To me, it seems like a fatty, but given the Fin count, it is looking like a skinny, as far as the fans are concerned.

 

Oh, and another thing. Push, pull, or Push and Pull, lol. How should it be configured, for best results. I know I am throwing a lot at you, but, isn't that what's involved in designi g a machine, lol

“Fatty” I assume means thick in this instance.  I’ve see thicker radiators but I’ve also seen thinner ones. The advertising does not use the phrase “low impedence” which I find interesting  even though it talks a lot about “stealth” which implies quiet but isn’t actually the word “low noise”

 

the deal with push pull is the second fan only offers at most 20% more dwarf power.  They can be quieter than single fan though if the rpm of the fans can then be brought down into a quieter range.  That 900-1200 number was for 120mm fans.  For 140mm it will be lower, so I suspect that number is 800 given the copy.the key number is how many watts of cooling the thing offers at what fan speed which is not mentioned. If you can run single fans below 800rpm on that thing and receive the amount of cooling you need you do not need dual fans as they will only make more noise.  Similarly if by using push-pull you cannot get your fans operating below that number you also have no need for push pull and you might as well just run single fans faster. Only if you are in a particular range do push-pull fans do anything positive.

Not a pro, not even very good.  I’m just old and have time currently.  Assuming I know a lot about computers can be a mistake.

 

Life is like a bowl of chocolates: there are all these little crinkly paper cups everywhere.

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10 hours ago, Pumice said:

Oh, and another thing. Push, pull, or Push and Pull, lol. How should it be configured, for best results. I know I am throwing a lot at you, but, isn't that what's involved in designi g a machine, lol

Push is always simplest.

 

 

Intel HEDT and Server platform enthusiasts: Intel HEDT Xeon/i7 Megathread 

 

Main PC 

CPU: i9 7980XE @4.5GHz/1.22v/-2 AVX offset 

Cooler: EKWB Supremacy Block - custom loop w/360mm +280mm rads 

Motherboard: EVGA X299 Dark 

RAM:4x8GB HyperX Predator DDR4 @3200Mhz CL16 

GPU: Nvidia FE 2060 Super/Corsair HydroX 2070 FE block 

Storage:  1TB MP34 + 1TB 970 Evo + 500GB Atom30 + 250GB 960 Evo 

Optical Drives: LG WH14NS40 

PSU: EVGA 1600W T2 

Case & Fans: Corsair 750D Airflow - 3x Noctua iPPC NF-F12 + 4x Noctua iPPC NF-A14 PWM 

OS: Windows 11

 

Display: LG 27UK650-W (4K 60Hz IPS panel)

Mouse: EVGA X17

Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB

 

Mobile/Work Devices: 2020 M1 MacBook Air (work computer) - iPhone 13 Pro Max - Apple Watch S3

 

Other Misc Devices: iPod Video (Gen 5.5E, 128GB SD card swap, running Rockbox), Nintendo Switch

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11 hours ago, Zando_ said:

Push is always simplest.

 

 

Aw okay, thank you

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14 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

“Fatty” I assume means thick in this instance.  I’ve see thicker radiators but I’ve also seen thinner ones. The advertising does not use the phrase “low impedence” which I find interesting  even though it talks a lot about “stealth” which implies quiet but isn’t actually the word “low noise”

 

the deal with push pull is the second fan only offers at most 20% more dwarf power.  They can be quieter than single fan though if the rpm of the fans can then be brought down into a quieter range.  That 900-1200 number was for 120mm fans.  For 140mm it will be lower, so I suspect that number is 800 given the copy.the key number is how many watts of cooling the thing offers at what fan speed which is not mentioned. If you can run single fans below 800rpm on that thing and receive the amount of cooling you need you do not need dual fans as they will only make more noise.  Similarly if by using push-pull you cannot get your fans operating below that number you also have no need for push pull and you might as well just run single fans faster. Only if you are in a particular range do push-pull fans do anything positive.

Oh okay, I appreciate the response. Yeah, I will probably just do push then.

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1 hour ago, Pumice said:

Oh okay, I appreciate the response. Yeah, I will probably just do push then.

In your position I would try for just push and if it happens to wind up in that range where push pull helps and there is room (there isn’t always) then it will help.  If you’re not it won’t though.

Edited by Bombastinator

Not a pro, not even very good.  I’m just old and have time currently.  Assuming I know a lot about computers can be a mistake.

 

Life is like a bowl of chocolates: there are all these little crinkly paper cups everywhere.

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When using 140mm I tend to get ek's rads. Alphacool would be a close tie. Depends on the routing I need and how they match the case. Bother offer low fpi and are great for noise.

Main RIg Corsair Air 540, I7 9900k, ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero, G.Skill Ripjaws 3600 32GB, 3090FE, EVGA 1000G5, Acer Nitro XZ3 2560 x 1440@240hz 

 

Spare RIg Lian Li O11 AIR MINI, I7 4790K, Asus Maximus VI Extreme, G.Skill Ares 2400 32Gb, EVGA 1080ti, 1080sc 1070sc & 1060 SSC, EVGA 850GA, Acer KG251Q 1920x1080@240hz

 

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