I have two coolers available: a Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 that came bundled with a purchase, and a Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO. Which one would be the better choice for cooling a Ryzen 7 9800X3D? Would it be worth buying an Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 or 420 instead? I don't currently plan to overclock, although I may consider it later if I need more performance.
3 Answers
I’d use the Phantom Spirit 120 EVO. It should perform similarly in practice, avoids pump noise and potential liquid-cooler failures, and is more than capable for a 9800X3D at stock settings. A good thermal paste, such as Arctic MX-4, is all you really need.
Either of the coolers you already have should handle the 9800X3D without trouble. It isn’t an especially power-hungry chip, even with some overclocking, so a larger 360 or 420 mm liquid cooler would mostly be an optional upgrade rather than a necessity.
The 240 mm liquid cooler will also work fine if you prefer the appearance or already have it installed. A larger Arctic liquid cooler is a solid choice, but it’s mainly worthwhile if you want lower temperatures, quieter operation under heavy loads, or simply prefer an AIO.
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