My current build has an MSI B450M Pro-VDH MAX motherboard, a Ryzen 7 5700X3D, an AMD RX 9060 XT, and 16GB of DDR4 memory. I recently upgraded the graphics card and installed a 650W Gold-rated power supply. While playing modern games, the CPU reaches around 90°C and the GPU sits near 78°C. I'm still using the stock AMD CPU cooler and I'm not sure what case fans are installed. What affordable combination of CPU cooler, case, and fans would improve airflow and bring the temperatures down?
1 Answer
For a full budget refresh, the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE paired with a Montech XR is a solid combination. Both have good value, and the case provides much better airflow than a poorly ventilated enclosure. Add a couple of inexpensive front intake fans if the case doesn’t already include enough.
The Montech XR wasn’t available from a reliable supplier in my area, so I went with the NZXT H7 Flow instead. I’ll pair it with the new cooler and see how much the temperatures improve.