120 AIO worth it?

[Unkindness]

New to the building game so need some help.

Would a 120mm AIO be worth installing over a similarly priced air cooler if I already had a decent set of fans (3x 120mm Noctua Redux 1700) in the front on a Define C Mini?

Strictly interested in information on 120mm and nothing bigger.

Thanks

[Fuzzleworth1]

3 minutes ago, Unkindness said:

New to the building game so need some help.

Would a 120mm AIO be worth installing over a similarly priced air cooler if I already had a decent set of fans (3x 120mm Noctua Redux 1700) in the front on a Define C Mini?

Strictly interested in information on 120mm and nothing bigger.

Thanks

I think it kind of depends if you can find good deal on one.

[RollinLower]

Nope, 120mm AIO Coopers are almost always worse performers then similarly priced air coolers.

 

This is because where the air coolers only mood to account for a fan and a heatsink, the AIO's also need to have a pump and tubing and stuff into the same budget.

[Eastman51]

You'd have to compare the cooling capabilities between the two coolers. On the same CPU at the same clocks, in the same setup, if possible. 

Because if, for example, the 120 AIO on a OC i7-7700k performs better than the air cooler on OC i7-7700k, then its a no-brainer (or vice versa). 

If they perform very similar then its all up to you; looks, pricing, 1 degree cooler, etc.

EDIT: Of course, benchmarks and reviews differ due to case setups and ambient temps. Maybe the air cooler would be better because you have a big case with lots of fans, or the AIO better because you have a small case with few fans. 

[dizmo]

Don't bother, get an air cooler unless you really can't fit (physically) one into your case.

[Unkindness]

I'm waiting on a 9900k and I believe from all the reviews it runs hot so like I said on the air cooling page, the plan is to run 3 in, 2 out fans with an Alpenföhn Olymp CPU cooler. I was just curious if running a 120 AIO with 1 of the Fractual fans that comes with case would be better because it would certainly be cleaner looking. Would still be nervous enough of leaks though.

[WoodenMarker]

2 hours ago, Unkindness said:

I'm waiting on a 9900k and I believe from all the reviews it runs hot so like I said on the air cooling page, the plan is to run 3 in, 2 out fans with an Alpenföhn Olymp CPU cooler. I was just curious if running a 120 AIO with 1 of the Fractual fans that comes with case would be better because it would certainly be cleaner looking. Would still be nervous enough of leaks though.

The included Dynamic X2 GP-12 case fan is low rpm and wouldn't be able to outperform the Olymp even if used with a thick AIO like the H80i. 

[Unkindness]

1 hour ago, WoodenMarker said:

The included Dynamic X2 GP-12 case fan is low rpm and wouldn't be able to outperform the Olymp even if used with a thick AIO like the H80i. 

If the fan was a high quality static like a Noctua, are we getting close or is it still air FTW against a 120 AIO?

[WoodenMarker]

6 minutes ago, Unkindness said:

If the fan was a high quality static like a Noctua, are we getting close or is it still air FTW against a 120 AIO?

Yes, a good performing fan like the NF-A12x25 or the stock fan(s) on a good 120mm could perform similarly to the Olymp. 

[Tristerin]

6 hours ago, Unkindness said:

New to the building game so need some help.

Would a 120mm AIO be worth installing over a similarly priced air cooler if I already had a decent set of fans (3x 120mm Noctua Redux 1700) in the front on a Define C Mini?

Strictly interested in information on 120mm and nothing bigger.

Thanks

Yes.

 

I have a 120mm AIO on my Ryzen 7 1700.  Its quiet, cant hear it, and I like that its DIRECTLY exhausting my hot CPU air out the top of my case.

[Unkindness]

15 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Yes, a good performing fan like the NF-A12x25 or the stock fan(s) on a good 120mm could perform similarly to the Olymp. 

Thank you so much for the advice

[For Science!]

19 minutes ago, Unkindness said:

If the fan was a high quality static like a Noctua, are we getting close or is it still air FTW against a 120 AIO?

The Olymp is like a NH-D15S, it is so much better than a 120 mm AIO. You have to aware that watercooling is not magic, The amount of radiator space on an AIO is much like the fin stack on a aircooler, the 120 mm radiator is like a hyper 212, whereas the heatsink on an Olymp is on the class of a 240 mm AIO.

 

You also have to consider pump noise as an additional negative and a point of failure. Between the two, the Olymp is clearly the superior choice.

[Unkindness]

35 minutes ago, For Science! said:

The Olymp is like a NH-D15S, it is so much better than a 120 mm AIO. You have to aware that watercooling is not magic, The amount of radiator space on an AIO is much like the fin stack on a aircooler, the 120 mm radiator is like a hyper 212, whereas the heatsink on an Olymp is on the class of a 240 mm AIO.

 

You also have to consider pump noise as an additional negative and a point of failure. Between the two, the Olymp is clearly the superior choice.

Thank you for the detailed input. Someone like yourself with all the water build experience really helps to put stuff in perspective.

[SolarNova]

Always go air cooling over an AIO unless you physicaly cannot fit an air cooler strong enough to cool ur partiular CPU, in the case your using.

Since ur considering a 120mm AIO, most air coolers will beat it, unless your have a rediculusly small amount of room where your only option is super small form factor low height air coolers or a 120mm AIO, in which case the AIO may be better.

[Unkindness]

9 hours ago, SolarNova said:

Always go air cooling over an AIO unless you physicaly cannot fit an air cooler strong enough to cool ur partiular CPU, in the case your using.

Since ur considering a 120mm AIO, most air coolers will beat it, unless your have a rediculusly small amount of room where your only option is super small form factor low height air coolers or a 120mm AIO, in which case the AIO may be better.

Cool, thank you for the advice!

[Unkindness]

One last question about this since I'm reading and trying to learn as we go. What about a Push/Pull 120 with decent fans on it? Looking at the case, I could fit a Push/Pull in the bottom fan location on the front or on the floor of it.

Once again, sorry to melt everyone's brains but I'm a very curious person and this stuff eats at me until I can get some sort of answer!

[Settlerteo]

51 minutes ago, Unkindness said:

One last question about this since I'm reading and trying to learn as we go. What about a Push/Pull 120 with decent fans on it? Looking at the case, I could fit a Push/Pull in the bottom fan location on the front or on the floor of it.

Once again, sorry to melt everyone's brains but I'm a very curious person and this stuff eats at me until I can get some sort of answer!

not really that big of an improvement over 1 fan for that cpu. I m still with the aircoolers in your case.

[Unkindness]

1 hour ago, Settlerteo said:

not really that big of an improvement over 1 fan for that cpu. I m still with the aircoolers in your case.

Cool. Thank you!

[SolarNova]

3 hours ago, Unkindness said:

One last question about this since I'm reading and trying to learn as we go. What about a Push/Pull 120 with decent fans on it? Looking at the case, I could fit a Push/Pull in the bottom fan location on the front or on the floor of it.

Once again, sorry to melt everyone's brains but I'm a very curious person and this stuff eats at me until I can get some sort of answer!

A 120mm rad simply doesnt have the cooling capacity to beat a good air cooler, even in push/pull.

 

[RejZoR]

I'm cooling my 5820K (12 threads) @ 4.5GHz with 120mm AiO. Thick version though. Using single BeQuiet SilentWings 3 with custom made pressure sheet from clear plastic to fix presure leakage because of the rubber frame. That's usually the main issue with fancy fans, the aren't square and you're leaking pressure there. For thick stacks of fins, you need pressure...