I'm planning to replace the stock cooler on my Ryzen 7 5700X because it reaches about 87°C under load. My system uses an ASUS A520M-K motherboard, 32GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX 3070 in a case with six fan positions. Should I install a 240mm or 280mm AIO at the top as exhaust, or use a larger radiator at the front as intake?
3 Answers
For your Ryzen 7 5700X, 87°C under a heavy load is still within a safe operating range, especially with the stock cooler. A good tower air cooler would be more than enough, usually quieter and simpler than an AIO with fewer parts that can fail.
Top exhaust is generally the best balance because it sends the CPU radiator’s heat directly out of the case instead of warming the graphics card’s intake air. Before buying, check the case’s actual radiator clearance, since micro-ATX compatibility alone does not guarantee that a top-mounted radiator will fit around the motherboard and RAM.
If you specifically want an AIO, top-mount it as an exhaust whenever your case supports that layout. A 240mm or 280mm radiator should be plenty for the 5700X; a 360mm front radiator would be unnecessary overkill. Use the front fans as intake to bring cool air into the case.
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