I'm building a gaming PC and I can't decide between a liquid cooler or an air cooler. My main games will include Call of Duty, Battlefield, Cyberpunk, Minecraft, and the processor I'll be using is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Any advice on which cooling option would be better?
5 Answers
Air coolers for the win! They're reliable and generally cheaper unless you're set on a liquid cooler.
Both options will work well. An AIO cooler tends to be quieter and cooler if you can afford it, but a good dual tower air cooler like the Phantom Spirit will perform nicely too.
The 9800X3D gets mixed reviews, as some people find its thermal performance variable. While coolers like the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 do a decent job, there are reports of the CPU hitting high power draws, making cooling critical. You invested a lot in that CPU, so upgrading to a good 360 AIO might be worth considering.
With a gaming load on the 9800X3D, you're looking at about a 5-degree difference in temps—55 degrees for the Phantom Spirit and around 60 degrees for a 360 AIO, if noise levels are comparable. Go with what looks and fits your budget best!
A solid dual tower air cooler, like the Thermalright Phantom Spirit, will do a great job cooling that CPU. You might want to go for a liquid cooler if you're into the aesthetics of it.
What about an AIO cooler?