I'm in the process of building a gaming PC, piece by piece. My case is the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL, which is pretty spacious. So far, I've installed a set of three 140 mm fans at the bottom, three more 140 mm fans on the side, and a single 120 mm fan at the rear. I'm trying to decide between the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 with 120 mm fans and the Pro 420 with 140 mm fans. I'm planning to get an ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E motherboard or something similar in that upper mid-range category. My main concern is whether the Pro 420 cooler, being quite large, will cause any clearance or installation issues, especially later when I add the motherboard and other components. I want to ensure I can manage the installation smoothly.
4 Answers
The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL is a massive case, which should mitigate any clearance issues with the 420 mm cooler. Just ensure you account for the height of the radiator, but it should fit well without obstructing the motherboard. Just be prepared that a larger AIO can be a bit tricky to install due to its weight and the need for extra wire management.
I suggest checking out builds on pcpartpicker.com that use similar parts. You can usually find builds that will give you a good idea about clearance issues with components like the cooler.
Keep in mind that if you're buying parts gradually, the warranties on those items will start to run out. But definitely, look for completed builds online, especially on pcpartpicker.com, to see how your specific components fit together.
Honestly, if you're building your PC one or two parts at a time, I'm not sure why you'd invest in such an expensive motherboard. Both the coolers you mentioned are more than adequate for any AM5 CPU, so your choice might come down to personal preference. Just pick whichever one you think looks better! Plus, any standard motherboard in the $200-250 range should work fine with those coolers.
Good point! It's easy to think that more expensive means better, but sometimes it's just not necessary.
That's reassuring! So, going for the 420 mm cooler should be fine even with the installation challenges, right?