Hey folks! I'm in the market for a new CPU cooler for my Intel i7-13700F setup, which is paired with an RX 9070 XT. I'm leaning towards a tempered glass fish tank PC case that's an ATX Mid Tower with preinstalled fans. The cooler needs to fit within a height limit of 160mm. I'd appreciate any suggestions you have!
4 Answers
Peerless Assassin is a fantastic choice for the price—it's a game changer! I replaced my dead AIO with this cooler, and the performance has been outstanding for what I spent. The noise level is manageable, especially compared to my buddy's setup with an AIO.
Make sure to check your RAM height! If you've got tall RGB memory, you might need to adjust the front fan on a dual tower air cooler. However, if your memory is low-profile, I highly recommend the Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 Ultra. I recently switched from a 360mm AIO to this on my 12900KF, and it handled 265W without breaking a sweat during stress tests! It's 158mm tall, so it should fit. I also added their LGA 1700 contact frame for an extra cooling boost, which isn't essential but can help a bit.
For a fish tank case, AIO coolers can look really slick, but if you're going for air coolers, Thermalright has some excellent budget options. Definitely worth considering their models!
If you're considering alternatives to Noctua, I recommend checking out the Thermalright Peerless Assassin or the Phantom Spirit—both are around 120mm. They're much more affordable than Noctua but offer similar performance. Just double-check the height compatibility before you buy, though!
I feel like AIOs might be a bit of overkill, and they usually need replacement every few years. I'd stick with a solid air cooler.