PC Build: Cooling Advice needed

[wrmiller]

Ah...the memories. LOL

I started building/maintaining/modifying desktops shortly after the IBM XT came out. Before that it was CPM and midi/mainframe systems.

After a few decades I got older and decided I'd had enough of mixing and matching components, so I bought a Maingear XL. I live in the SW United States high desert so temps here can get a bit high. My new computer handles it like a dream.

Good luck with your new build Sir! (apologies for the OT)

 

[Morbad]

TBH, I've always gone for air cooling options and initially thought of getting a Phantom or Noctua. I did look for players experiences online and whereas many say it will be fine with an air cool option, the overwhelming majority favour the AIO route for that particular CPU. Air Coolers generally last for a long time and I was concerned how long the AIO would last. The general trend seems to be about 5 years and I generally upgrade every 3-4 years. Never had an AIO before so will be an interesting experience

A lot of subjectivity to people's assessment of what constitutes 'fine'. A big heatsink will cool a 14700K well enough that most people who aren't overclocking wouldn't notice any performance improvement from better cooling in light to moderate loads, like gaming. However, heavier loads will quickly overwhelm even high-end air cooler and result in significant throttling. 'Fine' to me is where just increasing cooling performance stops directly translating into more CPU performance, even under near worst-case workloads. This is impractical on modern i7 or i9s with air.

Heatsinks can last almost forever. Heatpipes can eventually develop problems with their wicks/sintering or lose working fluid, but, barring physical damage, that takes decades. Fans can and do fail, but fans can be replaced without much effort.

CLCs are less reliable than heatsinks; pumps are major points of failure, and there is very slow, but constant loss of coolant due to the permeability of seals and tubing. That said, most will last at least five years, and getting a decade out of one is not uncommon. Catastrophic failures are quite rare, but not unheard of.