Should I Choose a Liquid Cooler or an Air Cooler for My Gaming PC?
Asked by
ChillVibe01
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?
Answers
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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Air coolers for the win! They're reliable and generally cheaper unless you're set on a liquid cooler.
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CoolTechWizard: What about an AIO cooler?