I recently bought G.Skill Trident Z5 memory and am planning a build around an MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard, Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and an ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro 360. The case is a Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower from around 2018, and I would prefer to keep it rather than spend more on a new case. Will the motherboard, CPU, RAM, and 360mm AIO fit properly? I'm especially concerned about radiator, fan, and memory clearance, since compatibility tools do not seem to check every physical dimension.
2 Answers
I would choose a 360mm liquid cooler with a standard-thickness radiator and fans instead. A Corsair Nautilus RS or many Thermalright models should be easier to mount in this case than the Liquid Freezer III. The exact cooler choice depends on whether you stick with the 9950X3D, since that chip can justify a stronger cooler. Also check the top and front mounting positions and measure the combined radiator-plus-fan thickness before ordering; fan speed alone is not a reliable indicator of cooling performance or value.
The Enthoo Pro is a very large full-tower case, so the ATX motherboard, CPU, RAM, and even a large graphics card should have plenty of room. The main issue is the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III, not the motherboard or processor. Its radiator is unusually thick at about 38 mm, and with fans installed it exceeds the case’s roughly 55 mm combined radiator-and-fan clearance. Compatibility databases often miss this kind of detailed thickness limitation.
That explains the warning I was seeing. I was mainly worried because the compatibility checker only mentioned that it could not verify memory and cooler clearance.
Would a Thermalright Aqua Elite ARGB V6 be a reasonable alternative? It costs much less than the Corsair, so I’m trying to figure out whether the extra price is actually worthwhile.