Delid first, or upgrade AIO?

[TomR]

I have a i7 7700k at a mild 4.7ghz. I use my PC for gaming and streaming. I currently have a Kraken X42 (the small one) AIO cooler, because I used to have a i5 6500 in a Mini-ATX build and reused the Kraken when I upgraded to my current setup. I'm hitting upwards of 70c during streaming with the fans cranked up. It can get pretty loud. I'm wondering if I should upgrade to a larger AIO cooler, or simply delid to lower temps. When answering keep in mind that I don't care about ultimate overclocking performance, I'm happy with my 4.7ghz. I simply would like to keep temps lower.

[The Sloth]

upgrade AIO

[Energycore]

70C is nowhere near dangerous, you still have some 15C of room to tune the fan to be quieter, or to overclock the 7700K.

 

As for your choice, delidding will most likely yield a bigger temp drop. On the other hand it's risky (though the risk is way smaller if you use a tool like the DelidDie Mate).

[Wyzzy Moon]

Upgrade to an dual rad, 240 or 280. De liding is very risky and wont give you that much improvement

[Johntheawesomeguy]

get better fans and cooler

[TomR]

Anyone want to buy a Kraken X42? Lol

[MidnightBanshi]

Bigger cooler over de-lidding all day long.  De-lidding gives varied results and will void your warranty.......and may brick your CPU if not careful.  Upgrading the cooler is a much safer and better option.  An NZXT X62 Kraken or Corsair h115i will give you tons of cooling to keep that baby rocking.