I'm building my first custom PC after being disappointed with a previous prebuilt system. Most of the parts are already chosen, but I'm stuck deciding on a CPU cooler. My budget is around £100, and my priorities are low temperatures and quiet operation in a reasonably compact case.
I'm considering the Corsair Nautilus 2, which I can buy at a discount, as well as air coolers such as the Thermalright Phantom Spirit and Peerless Assassin 2. The Phantom Spirit seems difficult to beat for the price, but I'm unsure how it compares with the newer options, especially in terms of noise.
Would you recommend one of these coolers or something else? Also, are the stock fans included with the Lian Li case likely to be quiet enough, or should I plan to replace them with higher-quality fans?
3 Answers
For this kind of build, a good dual-tower air cooler is probably the simplest answer. It avoids pump noise and gives you fewer potential failure points than an AIO. The Phantom Spirit should be more than capable, and the remaining budget can go toward quieter case fans or fan-control tuning.
I’d be cautious about assuming the case fans are premium just because the case brand sells excellent fans separately. The fans bundled with some Lian Li cases can be fairly loud and may be generic models with a branded sticker. They might be acceptable with a low-speed fan curve, but replacing them is worth considering if you’re chasing a very quiet system.
The Thermalright Phantom Spirit is still one of the safest choices here. It handles the 9800X3D easily and is generally quiet, especially with a sensible fan curve. If the included fans bother you later, you can replace them with quieter models from be quiet! or Noctua. With a £100 budget, the cooler plus a couple of better case fans would be a strong combination.
That’s useful to know. I can start with a lower fan curve and replace them later if they’re still too loud.