I recently built a PC in a GameMax Infinity Pro case with an Intel 270K Plus, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC, and 64GB of DDR5 Lexar Thor Gen2 memory. I use it for Unreal Engine 5 development and other sustained, CPU-heavy workloads. My Arctic Liquid Freezer 3 Pro AIO performs well, but I can hear a subtle pump whine even with the pump running at around 40%, and I'm particularly sensitive to certain noises. I'm considering switching to either a Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE or a be quiet! Silent Loop 3. Would the Phantom Spirit be sufficient for sustained all-core loads, and how would its noise and cooling compare with the AIO?
3 Answers
I’d lean toward trying the air cooler, since pump noise can be more irritating than ordinary fan noise, especially when it sits at a particular pitch. A good dual-tower cooler should be very quiet during normal use and has fewer parts that can develop annoying sounds. It may be louder than the AIO during a sustained full-load render, though, so make sure the cooler height fits your case and set a sensible fan curve.
The Silent Loop 3 could reduce the specific pump noise you dislike, but it still has a pump, so it may not completely solve your sensitivity to that type of sound. An air cooler is the simpler and more reliable option if the case supports it. Just remember that CPU temperature and noise depend heavily on power limits, mounting, and fan tuning; reducing the CPU’s peak power slightly can make either solution much quieter with only a small performance loss.
Consider the regular Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 rather than the SE version. Its larger heatsink generally gives it a slightly smoother and quieter noise profile. Under a prolonged maximum load it will probably be louder than the liquid cooler, but for everyday work and gaming it should remain very quiet while still offering strong cooling.
That was my first thought too, but I’m mainly worried about whether it can handle long all-core workloads without losing too much performance.