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Best closed loop cooler?

2K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Jawswing 
#1 ·
Regardless of the size what would you suggest is the best closed looped water cooler?
I've seen that the NZXT Kraken X60 seems to boss Corsair, but I know that there are a lot more coolers out there that aren't so popular.

Also, any suggestions at quiet fans for these?
 
#2 ·
There is no best really, the best is according to your budget, overclocking needs, processor to cool, case restrictions...so you need to tell us what all those things. Also fill out your rig specs so it's easier for people to answer your questions.

Personally I use an H60 for my FX-8150, I don't have it overclocked but when it was at 4.1 Ghz the cooler in my rig kept it at about 52*c on load. It's fairly quiet even at full speed and i've been happy with it.

I'm putting an H80i in a customers computer at work, they have dual fans, a thick rad and seems decently quiet when not at full speed. Unfortunately his first one came with a dead pump so hopefully that is not a frequent problem with the H80i coolers.
 
#4 ·
Objectivley best would probably be a Kraken X60.
Even with stock fans.

But it all depends on your other needs.
Warranty, price, space, etc.
 
#5 ·
Swiftech H220 or H320. Kinda closed loop.
wink.gif
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilWrir View Post

Objectivley best would probably be a Kraken X60.
Even with stock fans.

But it all depends on your other needs.
Warranty, price, space, etc.
I think I'm pretty certain with the X60, but I am worried about the noise. I hear mixed things about the noise levels on them.
Any suggestions on replacement fans (I'm also looking to match the fans with case fans I'll be purchasing, for example all Corsair, NZXT or whatever).
I don't mind a performance hit, but looking for still reasonably good performance, and I'm also looking at a white and black colour scheme.
As much as I'd love to, Noctua wouldn't be an option, due to there dreadful colours.

And also, how much of a difference does push/pull make, and if it doesn't make much difference, what performs better push or pull?
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jawswing View Post

I think I'm pretty certain with the X60, but I am worried about the noise. I hear mixed things about the noise levels on them.
Any suggestions on replacement fans (I'm also looking to match the fans with case fans I'll be purchasing, for example all Corsair, NZXT or whatever).
I don't mind a performance hit, but looking for still reasonably good performance, and I'm also looking at a white and black colour scheme.
As much as I'd love to, Noctua wouldn't be an option, due to there dreadful colours.

And also, how much of a difference does push/pull make, and if it doesn't make much difference, what performs better push or pull?
Depends on your setup. As for noise, idk about how a closed loop compares to air, but if your trying to go silent or near it i think your looking at custom loop to touch that. My H80i 2x fans that came with it push alot of air, and in doing so make to me a reasonable amount of noise, though i always have headphones on. I personally have mine pull air from outside in, generally this is the better way to go in theory as your taking the cooler ambient air from outside the case to cool the rad instead of hot air from inside the case to cool it. However if you have enough intakes then having it push would likely work just as well.
 
#8 ·
The noise is something I'm worried about to a degree, which is why I'm looking at different fans. I've got the H60 at the moment, which just has one fan on it, but it is by far the loudest thing in my computer. I don't mind taking a performance hit to get a quieter system, but I obviously don't want too much of a performance hit.
With my next build, I plan on building to the aesthetics too, it's going to be a slow build, purchasing components over a few months as and when I can. But it's the Corsair Air 540 cxase, which has a fully windowed side panel. And for that, I think I'd prefer one of these closed loop coolers, I don't trust myself enough to actually build my own custom loop. Also, having to replace the water ever X amount of months is putting me off too.

Ideally I want a white/black build, but looking at the motherboards on offer for Haswell, it's probably going to be red/black, yellow/black, green/black or blue/black. Can't seem to find anything that'd go along well in a white and black theme.

The fans that/if I buy to replace the stock fans on the Kraken, I think I'd I'd then purchase from the same brand/similar looking fans for the rest of the case.
 
#10 ·
I should be getting my Corsair Air 540 tomorrow, ill be using my current rig transplanted over to it. Like i said i have the H80i so ill let you know how it goes and if you like i can post a link to the build log when i start it.
 
#11 ·
I think after purchasing the case, my next step now will be to purchase/fit the fans. I still think I'd rather have the X60, it seems to boss all the benchmarks that I've seen. Only issue is the 140mm fans. I've seen the Corsair fans, and they seem like they'd go well. If I do decide to change the colour scheme later I could obviously use either blue/red or white, or I've seen a few people who easily paint them.
The only 140mm fan I've seen from Corsair is the AF140, I know that these fans aren't actually built for radiator cooling, but what type of performance drop would I be expecting? Marginal? A few degrees? Or are we talking of tens of degrees here?

I'm looking to also have a positive pressure, with 3x120mm fans in the front, which will be intake fans, it'll have one 140mm in the back and 2 140mms fans (possibly four if this is push pull) at the top.
The only reasonable way I could get this to happen is have the back as another intake fan, and the 2/4 at the top is exhaust fans. Wouldn't doing this give a slightly better performance on the rad (because it'll be getting cold air pushed right in to it). Or is this some silly way of doing it?
 
#12 ·
I just got done my build. If I hadn't already had a H80i id probably have gone with something like the x60 or H100i. The build log is in my sig if you care to see. My temps are great. have 3 intakes and 1 out. Also aiming to have positive pleasure. Are you gonna do a build log?
 
#13 ·
I'm not too sure just yet.
It's going to be a really slow build, pretty much completely new, buying parts when I can.
I'm half tempted to put my current rig in it, but then I know I'd never get around to upgrading it. And I'm looking to use the old parts in my server as I'm moving from unRAID to Windows in that.
 
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