7700K 5.0+ Noctua NH-D15 or cryorig a80?

[MasterRaceMcqueen]

7700K 5.0+ Noctua NH-D15 or cryorig a80?  
 

[rn8686]

The A80 will perform slightly better than the D-15, but wont be as quiet (Should be able to get it past 5Ghz on D-15, although Kabylake does have a thermal issues).   

[Majestic]

Cooling solutions have great diminishing returns unless you delid the chip. Depending on the voltage you need ofc.

[Aereldor]

Kabylake's integrated thermal compound makes it very prone to disproportionate overheating. If you're really serious about getting the best temps, then delid your 7700k. Steve from Hardware Unboxed got some 23 celsius improvement at 5 GHz, MindBlank Tech ran his 7700k 25 degrees cooler post-delid at 5.2 GHz.
 

 

 

I believe the Noctua cooler will run just marginally hotter, but it will also be a lot quieter. Cooler longevity on the Noctua will be better too. The only things that can fair on an air cooler are the fans, and Noctua's fans are legendary.

[MasterRaceMcqueen]

3 minutes ago, Aereldor said:

Kabylake's integrated thermal compound makes it very prone to disproportionate overheating. If you're really serious about getting the best temps, then delid your 7700k. Steve from Hardware Unboxed got some 23 celsius improvement at 5 GHz, MindBlank Tech ran his 7700k 25 degrees cooler post-delid at 5.2 GHz.
 

 

 

I believe the Noctua cooler will run just marginally hotter, but it will also be a lot quieter. I think cooler longevity on the Noctua may be better too.

even if i buy this combo?
https://www.ekwb.com/custom-loop-configurator/shared/oW591aaa5404272

[Aereldor]

8 minutes ago, MasterRaceMcqueen said:

even if i buy this combo?
https://www.ekwb.com/custom-loop-configurator/shared/oW591aaa5404272

Well, if you're buying an EKWB kit, you're basicaly getting a complete custom loop, without the hard work. The D-15 beats most AIOs, but doesn't compete with such high-quality custom loop solutions.

The problem is maintenance. Air coolers don't really require maintenance, need less precautions, and the high-end ones generally perform really well. With a custom loop, you'll have to worry about leaks, draining, cleaning, and refilling the loop now and then, replacing faulty parts or things that stop working. It's a less streamlined experience, and I don't recommend it to people who are just looking for performance. I recommend it to people who want to get into custom loop watercooling because of an interest exclusive to it.