current best air coolers

Question for anyone knowledgeable in physics: Is there any difference between having fewer but wider heat pipes (e.g. 8mm x 4 pipes) vs more but narrower heat pipes (e.g. 6mm x 7 pipes) ?
 
Question for anyone knowledgeable in physics: Is there any difference between having fewer but wider heat pipes (e.g. 8mm x 4 pipes) vs more but narrower heat pipes (e.g. 6mm x 7 pipes) ?
Bigger diameter pipes have more volume for vapor movement from evaporator (base) to condenser (fin area) surface area and surface area in evap area of pipe and condenser area for heat transfer and wick surface area to wick coolant from condenser back to evaporator area.

Below shows the general idea. Keep in mind inside surface area is less because of thickness of pipe. Wick area is even less. Gravity effects wicking action too.
7x 6mm heatpipes = 131.88mm surface & 197.83cubic mm per mm vs 4x 8mm heatpipes = 100.48mm surface & 200.96cubic mm volume per mm
7x 6mm heatpipes = 131.88mm surface & 197.83cubic mm per mm vs 5x 8mm heatpipes = 125.6mm surface & 251.2cubic mm volume per mm
 
Hey guys need your advice,

I have to cool a 5800x and 5800x3D

I picked up 2 PA 120s but they dont have enough clearance for the DIMMs I got. I don't want to mount the front fan higher or in the back. I tried and it looks weird

If I wanna keep this RAM, do I have to rule out all dual tower coolers?

If so, I guess I'd have to switch to a single tower cooler.... Any recommendations?

Also, about AIOs, CanadaComputers has DeepCools Castle EX240 for 79$ Canadian dollars. No issues with RAM clearance but I've never used an AIO before. Last rig I Watercooled was a custom loop that I didn't want to maintain anymore.

Im stuck
 
Hey guys need your advice,

I have to cool a 5800x and 5800x3D

I picked up 2 PA 120s but they dont have enough clearance for the DIMMs I got. I don't want to mount the front fan higher or in the back. I tried and it looks weird

If I wanna keep this RAM, do I have to rule out all dual tower coolers?

If so, I guess I'd have to switch to a single tower cooler.... Any recommendations?

Also, about AIOs, CanadaComputers has DeepCools Castle EX240 for 79$ Canadian dollars. No issues with RAM clearance but I've never used an AIO before. Last rig I Watercooled was a custom loop that I didn't want to maintain anymore.

Im stuck
Could you mount fan in middle pulling air thru front tower and fan on back pulling air thru back tower, or just run single middle fan? I've found single middle fan on twin towers cools as well as 1x fan on twin towers at same noise level. Noctua says their NH-D15 (2x fans) only cools 1-3c cooler than NH-D15s (1x fan). That is only a full speed, because single fan moves a little less air at same speed than 2x fans at same speed, but speed up single fan about 50-100rpm to same noise level as 2 fans and they cool the same.

I would not go the CLC kind of AIO route. Most of the AIO/CLCs on the market are the pre-assembled and filled liquid cooling systems with pressed fittings, no fill port, aluminum radiator, etc. and are not repairable. But not all AIOs are CLCs. Some AIOs (like Swiftech Drive 3 and Alphacool Eisbaer) have copper radiators, threaded fittings, fill port, etc/ so can be serviced and repaired if needed. CLCs cannot be serviced and/or repaired.
 
I agree with going the single fan route as well. The temp difference is tiny with the PA 120. You'll only lose a couple of degrees. If like most cases you have an exhaust fan directly behind the heatsink it will essentially act as a hsf.
I have had to mount my fans on the rear of the PA120/se because of ram issues as well. It looks weird at first but you get used to it.
If you're deadset against a single fan set up I've had really good luck with Noctuas U12A for fan clearance but its alot more than the PA120.
 
Bigger diameter pipes have more volume for vapor movement from evaporator (base) to condenser (fin area) surface area and surface area in evap area of pipe and condenser area for heat transfer and wick surface area to wick coolant from condenser back to evaporator area.

Below shows the general idea. Keep in mind inside surface area is less because of thickness of pipe. Wick area is even less. Gravity effects wicking action too.
7x 6mm heatpipes = 131.88mm surface & 197.83cubic mm per mm vs 4x 8mm heatpipes = 100.48mm surface & 200.96cubic mm volume per mm
7x 6mm heatpipes = 131.88mm surface & 197.83cubic mm per mm vs 5x 8mm heatpipes = 125.6mm surface & 251.2cubic mm volume per mm
So if I understand this right, 8mm x 5 pipes would wick more heat away than 6mm x 7 pipes?
 
Ya i agree with the above posts I would just run it with 1 fan in the middle and then supplement it with another case fan or better optimized air flow around it somehow. There's always a way lol.
 
I ended up spending much more for a noctua nhu12s.I wanted the DeepCools AK500 but I couldn't find it quickly.

I thought about the PA 120 and using it with a single fan, even noctua demo their dual tower model with a single fan. Maybe I'm weird but I really want to use push pull even if it makes little to no difference. I like the look too much I guess. I'll use the PA 120 in another build with some less tall DIMMs. Price is too good
 
Hey guys need your advice,

I have to cool a 5800x and 5800x3D

I picked up 2 PA 120s but they dont have enough clearance for the DIMMs I got. I don't want to mount the front fan higher or in the back. I tried and it looks weird

If I wanna keep this RAM, do I have to rule out all dual tower coolers?

If so, I guess I'd have to switch to a single tower cooler.... Any recommendations?

Also, about AIOs, CanadaComputers has DeepCools Castle EX240 for 79$ Canadian dollars. No issues with RAM clearance but I've never used an AIO before. Last rig I Watercooled was a custom loop that I didn't want to maintain anymore.

Im stuck
That's a YOU problem. Why can't you offset outer fan by a bit?
Arrange the fans in middle and inner as an option as other said. So many ways to skin a cat. But you want to move to a single tower?
My advice is buy a proper case with no window and turn off the OCD if that makes it possible.
 
That's a YOU problem. Why can't you offset outer fan by a bit?
Arrange the fans in middle and inner as an option as other said. So many ways to skin a cat. But you want to move to a single tower?
My advice is buy a proper case with no window and turn off the OCD if that makes it possible.
I couldn't do it. I don't even see the window most of the time and it would've been hidden. Still, just the thought of having the fans uneven made me feel sick
 
I couldn't do it. I don't even see the window most of the time and it would've been hidden. Still, just the thought of having the fans uneven made me feel sick
get over it? youll have the same issue on most dual tower coolers. theres a reason the instructions show how to offset the fan...
 
any chance you could compare them?
I have yet yo find a direct comparison (same conditions)

thx!
With my 5900X at 240/160/190 running Linpack Xtreme there was about a 7-9c difference at the top end. It was cool in the house at the time, maybe I will run them again this weekend. It could have been my TIM.

Edit:

5900X was at 240w PPT :D
 
I'm probably going to try the Peeless Assasin on my upcoming 7800X3D build. We'll see how it goes. If the 7800X3D is as efficient or better than the 7950X3Ds I think I'll be fine. But only time will tell.
 
I'm probably going to try the Peeless Assasin on my upcoming 7800X3D build. We'll see how it goes. If the 7800X3D is as efficient or better than the 7950X3Ds I think I'll be fine. But only time will tell.
for normal use it will probably work good, sustained 100% loads is a wait and see...
 
maybe

I can tell you it doesn't "handle" my 13700k with 253w power limit.

thats why I'm looking for FC140 benchies
Hmm, that's odd. PE 120se handles my 13700k just fine, no power limits. Altho, I have had to replace the fans on mine.
 
Changed mine for noctua redux
Same performance but less noise

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se/2

even TH says it cant handle 230w load without throttling

maybe try a few R23 runs or prime95 small FFT?
I'm running Noctua ippc 2000s. I can't stand the redux 1700s in my back up rig, by far the worst Noctuas ever produced (won't touch a redux fan again). I haven't experienced any throttling while gaming prior to the fan replacement or since, and I've played pretty much everything I could get my hands on over the last couple of months (testing a new GPU as well). Temps haven't gone over 70-72c with anything I've run on the 120se.
Yep...I saw the toms review when it came out.
I generally don't play r23 or p95 on the regular. Stability was confirmed long ago and that's the only time I bother playing them 🤣
Right now the rig is sitting on my bench waiting for me to decide which case and wcing gear I'm going to use. It would take far more ambition than I currently have to bother stress testing it again.
 
70C gaming sounds about right

its those nasty spikes I want to get rid of. also the occasional defender scan / file decompressing takes it right to 90C+ and sometimes reaches the throttle point

not for long though, R23 still scores above 30k.
 
maybe

I can tell you it doesn't "handle" my 13700k with 253w power limit.

thats why I'm looking for FC140 benchies
Damn, that's what I thought. I want to go air on my 12700Kf build but worried lol I think if I keep it stock 4.7GHz I'll be ok? I'm looking to go for the Phantom Spirit.
 
70C gaming sounds about right

its those nasty spikes I want to get rid of. also the occasional defender scan / file decompressing takes it right to 90C+ and sometimes reaches the throttle point

not for long though, R23 still scores above 30k.
What CPU? Clock speeds?
 
I grabbed the Phantom Spirit 120.

Great cooler!

Same size as PA120, cools a little better than FC140.

Would recommend!
did you actually test it vs the FC140?
if so, whats the temp difference?
I assume it is quieter fans are 1.5k vs 1.85
 
did you actually test it vs the FC140?
I have a Grey FC140 that I bought on launch day, and I have a white FC140 that I bought a couple of months ago.

A couple of c difference, but I am still using rgb bling bling fans, no industrials.
What chip? frequency? Voltage? Temperatures?
I have 2 chips that I use, 5800X3D at -30, and a 5900X that I run at 240/160/190 +200 with my curve. Routinely hits tops boost with no troubles.. Hits the full 240w PPT..

FC140 with stock fans doesn't like those settings too much, it copes.. but PS120SE can do it with stock fans.

I normally run iPPC 3K fans, but I am getting too old for that shit :)
 
loving the NOCTUA-D15
5.4-50c-7900.jpg
 
Back
Top