Forum Discussion

CoryandStuff's avatar
CoryandStuff
Explorer
10 years ago

Advice for Fans and Water Cooling System?

So I need some advice on two topics for upgrading the cooling within my computer desktop case (NZXT Phantom 820).

1. Which water cooling system should I get? Corsair Hydro Series H100i GTX OR Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate 360mm?
-the Thermaltake seems to perform better based off of reviews but the logo is not attractive...

2. If I get the Corsair Air Series fans would that be good enough?
-I mainly only want the Quiet Edition version of the fans but I heard the Performance Edition version should be used for radiators and for pushing air through obstructed areas (like through hard-drive cages)... so should I get the PE fans for the water cooling system or can I just use the QE fans for that too?
What size should I get? 120mm or 140mm?

Here is a link to the fan layout of the NZXT Phantom 820 case for reference. (will try to upload a photo too)
http://bcchardware.com/gallery/main.php ... alNumber=1
fans.JPG

Extra Info:
-GPU: MSI 980ti (Seems to run hot to the touch a lot. I notice that the fan on it doesn't turn on much when I open up the case and view it while the computer is idle but adjusting the fan speed from low to max through the controls on the outside of my case)
-CPU: i7-4790k
-Thinking about removing the lower hard-drive cage since it isn't being used. Should help with the intake fan in the front of the case.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated but I'm mainly interested in what I should buy in terms of a water cooling system and some quiet but efficient fans! :D

6 Replies

  • cybereality's avatar
    cybereality
    Grand Champion
    10 years ago
    I just replaced my water cooler with an air cooler. It was the Corsair H55 and it died after a little over a year (pump failure). I'm pretty disappointed by this, I know it was low-end but it should last longer than a year. You would not believe the horror of looking at CPU temps and seeing 90 degrees Celsius!!!

    The one I'm using now is the Cooler Master Hyper D92, which has been great so far.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835103108

    I think the temps are even better than the cheap water cooler it replaced. Getting around 32 idle, 35 web browsing, and 42 in game. The price is decent too and it fit well in the case I have (even with fans mounted on the inside of the door).

    The higher end Corsair water coolers may be better, but it seems like unnecessary hassle (especially if you don't plan on overclocking). I also used an all-in-one water cooler years ago (from Cooler Master) and had a bad experience at the end. So I'm not sure I'd do water again, but that's just me.
  • CoryandStuff's avatar
    CoryandStuff
    Explorer
    10 years ago
    "cybereality" wrote:
    I just replaced my water cooler with an air cooler. It was the Corsair H55 and it died after a little over a year (pump failure). I'm pretty disappointed by this, I know it was low-end but it should last longer than a year. You would not believe the horror of looking at CPU temps and seeing 90 degrees Celsius!!!

    The one I'm using now is the Cooler Master Hyper D92, which has been great so far.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835103108

    I think the temps are even better than the cheap water cooler it replaced. Getting around 32 idle, 35 web browsing, and 42 in game. The price is decent too and it fit well in the case I have (even with fans mounted on the inside of the door).

    The higher end Corsair water coolers may be better, but it seems like unnecessary hassle (especially if you don't plan on overclocking). I also used an all-in-one water cooler years ago (from Cooler Master) and had a bad experience at the end. So I'm not sure I'd do water again, but that's just me.


    Right now I have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (air cooler) but i'm trying to stay away from air coolers because they are so bulky and take up most of the room in the side window panel of my case. I also plan to try overclocking my i7-4790k soon.
  • CaptainDangerou's avatar
    CaptainDangerou
    Protege
    10 years ago
    I have no input on the water coolers but I did some research on fans a while ago. The Noctua NF-F12 fans are some of the best at forced flow for Radiator use. I have 2 on a hyper212 evo in push/pull config and they work great.

    30 minute review of NF-f12 on the H100
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qAvH3yJ_A8
  • CoryandStuff's avatar
    CoryandStuff
    Explorer
    10 years ago
    "CaptainDangerous" wrote:
    I have no input on the water coolers but I did some research on fans a while ago. The Noctua NF-F12 fans are some of the best at forced flow for Radiator use. I have 2 on a hyper212 evo in push/pull config and they work great.

    30 minute review of NF-f12 on the H100
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qAvH3yJ_A8


    I keep hearing great reviews/comments for the Noctua NF-F12 fan but... the color is so ugly... However, if they are the best then i'll probably still get them.
  • cybereality's avatar
    cybereality
    Grand Champion
    10 years ago
    "CoryandStuff" wrote:
    Right now I have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (air cooler) but i'm trying to stay away from air coolers because they are so bulky and take up most of the room in the side window panel of my case. I also plan to try overclocking my i7-4790k soon.

    Yeah, the water coolers definitely look a lot more sleek and save a bunch of space in the case. That is why I went with them in the first place, so I understand that. Hopefully you'll have been luck than I did with it.
  • Jokergod2000's avatar
    Jokergod2000
    Heroic Explorer
    10 years ago
    "cybereality" wrote:
    I just replaced my water cooler with an air cooler. It was the Corsair H55 and it died after a little over a year (pump failure). I'm pretty disappointed by this, I know it was low-end but it should last longer than a year. You would not believe the horror of looking at CPU temps and seeing 90 degrees Celsius!!!

    The one I'm using now is the Cooler Master Hyper D92, which has been great so far.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835103108

    I think the temps are even better than the cheap water cooler it replaced. Getting around 32 idle, 35 web browsing, and 42 in game. The price is decent too and it fit well in the case I have (even with fans mounted on the inside of the door).

    The higher end Corsair water coolers may be better, but it seems like unnecessary hassle (especially if you don't plan on overclocking). I also used an all-in-one water cooler years ago (from Cooler Master) and had a bad experience at the end. So I'm not sure I'd do water again, but that's just me.


    Agreed one year is not acceptable. I've had good luck with the H80 and H80i though. I have one in each of our computers. The H80 is 4 years old (i7-920). The H80i is about 1.5 years old. The H80i keeps my CPU (i7-5820k) at about 28C at idle and 35C under gaming loads with no issues and it's overclocked from 3.3Ghz to 4.5Ghz.