120mm AIO or Thermalright PA 120 SE

[Maplez]

I have a old gaming PC build that needs a new CPU cooler, the old one was a low quality server cpu cooler and it couldn't cool the cpu effectively. I am now debating between 2 new CPU cooler to install. The cpu will be pulling 180w under load which makes me want to use the air cooler but the GPU's [300w-450w under load] exhausts some of its hot air directly into the path where the cpu cooler fans would be.

 

I have a feeling that both these cpu coolers would be ineffective at keeping the cpu cool enough. I know a 240mm aio would be much better but then I'd have the problem of the cpu's exhaust feeding into gpu, which its true dual slot design can just manage [max 10 degrees below thermal throttling] to cool it in an open air case.

 

[Hinjima]

6 minutes ago, Maplez said:

I have a old gaming PC build that needs a new CPU cooler, the old one was a low quality server cpu cooler and it couldn't cool the cpu effectively. I am now debating between 2 new CPU cooler to install. The cpu will be pulling 180w under load which makes me want to use the air cooler but the GPU's [300w-450w under load] exhausts some of its hot air directly into the path where the cpu cooler fans would be.

 

I have a feeling that both these cpu coolers would be ineffective at keeping the cpu cool enough. I know a 240mm aio would be much better but then I'd have the problem of the cpu's exhaust feeding into gpu, which its true dual slot design can just manage [max 10 degrees below thermal throttling] to cool it in an open air case.

 

Its easier if you tell us what CPU you use.

[Aleph256]

You might also want to give us more information about the rest of your config (radiator placement, case fans layout...)

Nonetheless, all I've been told about/read about cooling here makes me think going for a 120 AIO is a waste of money, especially against a PA.

[PDifolco]

8 minutes ago, Maplez said:

I have a old gaming PC build that needs a new CPU cooler, the old one was a low quality server cpu cooler and it couldn't cool the cpu effectively. I am now debating between 2 new CPU cooler to install. The cpu will be pulling 180w under load which makes me want to use the air cooler but the GPU's [300w-450w under load] exhausts some of its hot air directly into the path where the cpu cooler fans would be.

 

I have a feeling that both these cpu coolers would be ineffective at keeping the cpu cool enough. I know a 240mm aio would be much better but then I'd have the problem of the cpu's exhaust feeding into gpu, which its true dual slot design can just manage [max 10 degrees below thermal throttling] to cool it in an open air case.

 

A TR PA SE120 will manage 180W, a 120mm AIO won't

 

[Tan3l6]

120mm AIO is absolutely useless indeed

[Maplez]

30 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

A TR PA SE120 will manage 180W, a 120mm AIO won't

But what if the GPU is exhausting hot air directly into the CPU's cooler?
And 80 degrees is kinda hot for this CPU.

[Maplez]

37 minutes ago, Hinjima said:

Its easier if you tell us what CPU you use.

i7-3930K 5Ghz all core

 

35 minutes ago, Aleph256 said:

You might also want to give us more information about the rest of your config (radiator placement, case fans layout...)

Nonetheless, all I've been told about/read about cooling here makes me think going for a 120 AIO is a waste of money, especially against a PA.

Rear- 1 120mm/140mm exhaust [if I got a 120mm AIO I'd put it here]
Top- 1 120mm/140mm [exhaust fan]
Front- 2 120mm/240mm intake [if I got a 240mm AIO I'd put it here]

[freeagent]

6 minutes ago, Maplez said:

But what if the GPU is exhausting hot air directly into the CPU's cooler?

Then you need to work on your case flow. 

[Maplez]

6 minutes ago, freeagent said:

Then you need to work on your case flow. 

The NZXT H510i doesn't have many fan placement options

[jaslion]

31 minutes ago, Maplez said:

But what if the GPU is exhausting hot air directly into the CPU's cooler?
And 80 degrees is kinda hot for this CPU.

 

17 minutes ago, Maplez said:

The NZXT H510i doesn't have many fan placement options

Honestlt the fix is a different case.

 

But also that thermalright is just a flat out better cooler too in all regards.

[Maplez]

It might not even matter now, as the PSU just killed itself, so I'm now waiting on a new one to see if the old PSU took everything with it.

[PDifolco]

2 hours ago, Maplez said:

But what if the GPU is exhausting hot air directly into the CPU's cooler?
And 80 degrees is kinda hot for this CPU.

You can't apply the temp in a benchmark of one CPU to another, what's yours ? and anyway a 120mm AIO won't fate better, and probably much worse

Sure the hot air is created in the case, so with an aircooler you needgood airflow to send it out, what's your case ?

 

[Maplez]

9 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

You can't apply the temp in a benchmark of one CPU to another, what's yours ? and anyway a 120mm AIO won't fate better, and probably much worse

Sure the hot air is created in the case, so with an aircooler you needgood airflow to send it out, what's your case ?

 

i7 3930K 5Ghz overclocked.
I thought maybe since I could position the AIO fan away from the GPU it might take in less hot air
The case is an NZXT H510i

[PDifolco]

14 minutes ago, Maplez said:

i7 3930K 5Ghz overclocked.
I thought maybe since I could position the AIO fan away from the GPU it might take in less hot air
The case is an NZXT H510i

Bad combo, the 3930K is an antique oven and the NZXT H510i is an hotbox with bad airflow...

An AIO makes sense here but then get a 240mm

 

[Maplez]

12 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

Bad combo, the 3930K is an antique oven and the NZXT H510i is an hotbox with bad airflow...

An AIO makes sense here but then get a 240mm

 

it only pulls around 180w which isnt that high. I need a new case for this system since it's old one would have even worse airflow.
But if I installed a 240mm AIO I'd either have to have it exhaust air out of the case [intaking the 300-450w from the GPU] or have it intaking air which would then feed more heat into the R9 Fury which already has a low max temp of 74

[PDifolco]

2 minutes ago, Maplez said:

it only pulls around 180w which isnt that high. I need a new case for this system since it's old one would have even worse airflow.
But if I installed a 240mm AIO I'd either have to have it exhaust air out of the case [intaking the 300-450w from the GPU] or have it intaking air which would then feed more heat into the R9 Fury which already has a low max temp of 74

240 top exhaust is fine, GPU will benefit of front intake fans

[Maplez]

The case does not support a top-mounted 240mm, only a front-mounted 240mm.
I've also in the past configured a system with a top-mounted 240mm AIO with a GPU of similar power and saw the CPU settle in the high 60s while pulling only 90 watts because of how much heat the GPU produced.

32 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

240 top exhaust is fine, GPU will benefit of front intake fans

 

[RevGAM]

21 hours ago, Maplez said:

The case does not support a top-mounted 240mm, only a front-mounted 240mm.
I've also in the past configured a system with a top-mounted 240mm AIO with a GPU of similar power and saw the CPU settle in the high 60s while pulling only 90 watts because of how much heat the GPU produced.

 

What are you really interested in doing? Air or water? Seems to me you're really screaming: "AIO!"

 

If that's what you want, you're going to have to put a 240 on the front on intake, and then fill up the other fan spots, but you'll need to experiment to figure out what's ideal.

 

Assuming that your PSU didn't fry anything and you can afford it, get a decent case and then you'll have better options. Look at @NorKris's recent thread about AIO placement research in which he modified a Corsair 4000D and used a 240mm AIO if you're going for a smaller-sized ATX case. If you want something bigger, let me know and I'll give you the link to my own research. Otherwise, if you're going to get an air cooler, then you still need to consider carefully fan placement.

If you want to make it easy on yourself, get a mesh case. 4 sides of mesh makes it a lot easier to cool!

[Maplez]

22 hours ago, RevGAM said:

What are you really interested in doing? Air or water? Seems to me you're really screaming: "AIO!"

This CPU is going to be pulling 180 watts and its Tcase is 66.8C, it Tjunction is 100 but since very high voltages will be put on the CPU I don't want the CPU to surpass 80C.

22 hours ago, RevGAM said:

Assuming that your PSU didn't fry anything and you can afford it, get a decent case and then you'll have better options. Look at @NorKris's recent thread about AIO placement research in which he modified a Corsair 4000D and used a 240mm AIO if you're going for a smaller-sized ATX case. If you want something bigger, let me know and I'll give you the link to my own research. Otherwise, if you're going to get an air cooler, then you still need to consider carefully fan placement.

PSU didn't fry anything even tho its low end and 11 years old. I just found a old PC case I used to use and it has better fan mounting options and is more open on the inside so I shouldn't need to worry about temps with an AIO or Thermalright PE

[RevGAM]

42 minutes ago, Maplez said:

This CPU is going to be pulling 180 watts and its Tcase is 66.8C, it Tjunction is 100 but since very high voltages will be put on the CPU I don't want the CPU to surpass 80C.

PSU didn't fry anything even tho its low end and 11 years old. I just found a old PC case I used to use and it has better fan mounting options and is more open on the inside so I shouldn't need to worry about temps with an AIO or Thermalright PE

So...problem solved?

[Maplez]

13 minutes ago, RevGAM said:

So...problem solved?

I think so lol