If you are sure that you will upgrade to Zen3, then i suggest get an R5 3600 and make use of your current cpu cooler. Just get some really nice silent fans for it like Cougar fans. The newer R5s OC really well.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1413460-REG/cougar_cf_v12h_case_cooling_fan_vortex.html

Those clip-on cpu coolers work on AM4. My R7 2700 is using a Cooler Master Hyper T4.

For the R7 3700X, i recommend this . . .

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1557439-REG/noctua_171783_nh_d15s_cpu_cooler.html

 

I researched a bit and it seems some Noctua around ~$100 is considered one of the best air cooling solutions. I would like to spend less if possible (say, $40 to $70 USD or so) but budget is flexible if I have to spend more to get what I want, as it will be worth it. I'd also like to NOT have to strap an overkill huge and heavy one if I don't have to.

Miscellaneous mention, but I don't care for lights or RGB or whatever; if it has it it needs to be able to be turned off.

I am ONLY interested in air cooling (lower maintanence), so no water or radiators or AIO or whatever.

Thanks in advances for any help!

You can get performance on that platform similar to a Noctua NH-D15 for less. Most of your question was just answered in this thread - https://www.overclock.net/forum/246-air-cooling/1749140-help-choosing-cooler-4.html . There are a good deal of recommendations and comparisons there including the Noctua NH-U14S and 12S, Thermalright Macho X2, Macho Rev. C, LGMRT and TS140.

 

If you want truly quiet no matter what settings/case/CPU/room noisefloor, I can highly recommend the Scythe Ninja 5. It should cost around 50-60 euros/dollars. It's a massive heatsink with two quiet Kaze Flex 800rpm fans. Most people won't hear it in a case at 100%. As for performance, it's surprisingly good and more than adequate for a Ryzen CPU. Now, sadly Scythe availability in many regions has been a bit spotty, especially during the pandemic.

 

Thank you for the recommendations. Yes, quiet is the priority, but I imagine this probably goes hand in hand with performance, as in, one that cools better overall should simply be able to cool less demanding things and be quieter doing it, is this correct?

I'll look over that other thread, but are there any recommendations offhand from my standpoint? I have no cooler and need one with quiet as a concern whereas that poster seemed to have one and was asking about a potential upgrade for performance, so are the recommendations still the same?

Also, I forgot to mention but I can't reuse my current one as it'll be reused with the rest of the platform. So, I'd rather just get a new one than a bracket for my existing one and a new one for the outgoing platform. I'm not even sure if it's still produced anyway, and, if it is, if it's still worthwhile alongside today's offerings.

 

With quiet being the primary concern, the LGMRT would be first choice - https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Macho-RT-fan-TY-147B/dp/B01BCLXO7Q/
If you would like to spend a little less, go with the ARO-M14 - https://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-ARO-M14G-AMD-Ryzen-only/dp/B07C3KSHZR/

 

The Noctua NH-U12S and NH-U14S would be adequate single-tower options. If you don't care for Noctua's color scheme, they have an all black version of the NH-U12S. The be quiet! Dark Rock 4 is another all black cooler that would accomplish what you want. If you can find it in stock, the Scythe Fuma 2 would work as well.

 

Those Thermalright coolers are great recommendations as well. It's worth noting cooler noise is mostly dependent on the fans. With an R7 3700X, you shouldn't need to spin the fans up too high to keep the temperatures in check.

In my system, I have a pretty aggressive fan curve for my CPU because the Scythe Big Shuriken 3 doesn't have much mass. I have the NF-A12x25 at 100% when my CPU hits 70° C so it's spinning at around 2000 RPM anytime I'm gaming and you can barely hear the fan. They are much quieter than the be quiet! Silent Wings 3 high speed fans I have pushing air into my GPU. I can't let those fans spin up more than 50% or they create too much noise. I also don't like how there's no middle ground for those fans. I might replace them with NF-A12x25's at some point.

 

Those Thermalright coolers are great recommendations as well. It's worth noting cooler noise is mostly dependent on the fans. With an R7 3700X, you shouldn't need to spin the fans up too high to keep the temperatures in check.



In my system, I have a pretty aggressive fan curve for my CPU because the Scythe Big Shuriken 3 doesn't have much mass. I have the NF-A12x25 at 100% when my CPU hits 70° C so it's spinning at around 2000 RPM anytime I'm gaming and you can barely hear the fan. They are much quieter than the be quiet! Silent Wings 3 high speed fans I have pushing air into my GPU. I can't let those fans spin up more than 50% or they create too much noise. I also don't like how there's no middle ground for those fans. I might replace them with NF-A12x25's at some point.

I guess in gaming You're not hitting 70°C, because 2000 RPM it's noise, no mather how you look at it.
Apparently silent wings are not that great on radiators. I'm using a pair aswell on the GPU. They do great, but compared stock crap, everything does great.
A12x25 are probably some of the best radiator fans out there, but while they move enough air, i wouldn't say they're as good as a case fan, as they are for radiators.
P12 seem to have the same trait as a12x25. ...and they cost like 4-5 times less. I've been considering on trying them out for while, until yesterday....but there's just no point. The benefits would be irrelevant since the only time i spin them fast enough to be audible, it's when i game, and it's barely enough to hear them in complete silence, with everything shut or closed.

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If you want not good, but great results, you need a combination of good cooler, case and tweaking, especially with new CPUs ryzen since it's a new, and has other issues and different behaviour compared to old CPUs.

Considering the power consumption of the 3700x, a humongous cooler and manual OC without forcing the voltage (which many morons do, because they treat ryzen like it's Intel, and they force the last 100-150-200mhz for 0.1-0.15v) should be more than enough, to keep it silent, or at least low enough to be bellow the GPU noise. Make sure to tweak the fans curve as well both CPU and case.

......for me 100mhz, was 0.12v. Not that i was hitting it hard, i was at 1.35v on a 2600, but still a 0.12v meant 10°C difference, and the performance difference it's margin of error.

If you can get your hands on the aro m14, it's a great cooler. I would suggest aswell a 3600 if you plan to hit 4900x/4950x later on, whether after they come out or after they get a major discount, and also get a good new airflow case at the same time.

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Thank you for all the recommendations! I'll look at the Noctua, Thermalright, and Scythe options listed. I wasn't aware Fractal made CPU coolers too so I'll look at those as well. I suppose any of these will serve my criteria? Any specific recommendations between them based on preferences, or should I just narrow it down based on looks and price?

It seems like CPUs of today with that many cores are simply going to have more power and thermal demands than what I have now, and I should plan accordingly? If I need something higher performance than what I have now then that is okay, as long as I can keep it pretty quiet (again, silent not absolutely necessary; it's more inconsistent noise variance between different load levels and/or loud operational floors or maximums that I'm worried about as that would really turn me off).

I would say this would be a typical example of my temperatures during load or games (maybe not absolute highest on a really warm day but fairly typical and I guess close). I usually don't see my CPU above the very low 60C range and I think the GPU is likewise typically below 80C and not much higher on the extremes. I tried to leave any fan/RPM stuff visible as I'm not too sure how high those are relative to expected or normal values (I didn't really custom set any of this stuff).

If it's best I set custom stuff with my new platform/cooler to retain my current quiet and consistent operation, I am not at all opposed to doing that.

My case is a Fractal Arc Midi, and apologies for not mentioning this in the very first post one as clearance information is essential! I have two intake fans at the front, as well as one at the top. These three fans are connected to the voltage selector for my case (I can choose 5V, 7V, or 12V, and I have them set at 7V for noise reasons as 12V is more noisy than I prefer but it's not super noisy). My exhaust fan is plugged into a motherboard header. These four case fans are all 140 mm Phantek brand fans I got years ago. I did have a fifth as intake on the side panel near the GPU but I found it to be doing next to nothing for temperatures, so I removed it to save on dust maintenance. I have the "eco" setting on my PSU on, which, as far as I can guess, has the PSU fan almost always off (not sure?). I'm not really looking to change my case nor case fans though. I want a new platform and cooler I can drop in and, hopefully, retain the noise behavior (or as close to it as I can) that I have now.

Apologies if it seems I am overthinking this, but some of my worst PC experiences have involved either an overly loud rogue fan or two (one especially on a GPU) or very large noise variance, like something that is sort of quiet at idle, but has you hearing the variance at light loads, and really ramping up under heavier loads. I played heck trying to get a quiet GTX 970 when they launched because even the coil whine proved a bit too much for me at the time (and apologies to EVGA who was really working with me despite like four samples behaving exactly the same).

I would suggest aswell a 3600 if you plan to hit 4900x/4950x later on, whether after they come out or after they get a major discount, and also get a good new airflow case at the same time.

This was one of the many, many things I contemplated over the last few months as I was researching my options, but I ultimately decided against it. If I were to go with that now due to the potential that I may upgrade later, then it would instead force me to upgrade, else I be stuck with less than I initially wanted, as I'm not considering anything with less than 8 cores and 16 threads.

 

In gaming, my CPU peaks around 80° C and hovers around 70° C. But the fan is so quiet I don't mind it running at 100%.

 

Jesus!!!

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I have the Noctura NH-D15 on mine and its quiet , and I generally don't see temps higher than 67C, and thats with gaming shadow of the tomb raider or others for hours on end

 

About fans, the linked thread was already sufficient
But let me trow in the Fractal Design Venturi lineup, next to the noctuas
HFlow and HPressure

They are louder than the noctuas near 1500RPM , but at 900RPM the HP lineup should be a stronger option for normal thinstack rads compared to the noctuas
Both abuse the Venturi effect, which increases pressure at a very close distance
HF vs Silent Wings as airflow fans - unsure, maybe HF still for the sheer perf, but Silent Wings hold their promise
Although noiseblocker exist to replace them

Arctic P12 are the budget option, but they aren't comparable to noctua's or fractal designs resolve
let's be real
Tho they perform very well for 1/3 if not 1/4th of the price

 

I don't think any of the coolers listed are taller than 180mm so you should be fine as far as compatibility is concerned. They're all going to deliver the performance you want. More cores does mean more heat, but being 7nm it will still be relatively easy to cool. If you can't see the cooler, then aesthetics doesn't really matter much.

This cooler is out of the budget, but the NH-U12A would be another option. One of the reasons it's priced so high is the fact it comes with two $30 fans, the NF-A12x25 PWM. Performance isn't too much better than the NH-U12S and I think it's comparable to the NH-U14S, but I know those fans would give the audio performance you want.

 

If you can't see the cooler, then aesthetics doesn't really matter much.

Yeah, I don't have a case window or anything and looks aren't a huge concern to me. I don't really mind the looks or colors of the Noctua offerings anyway (although I do prefer less mismatch and the colors would stick out, but it's not a deal breaker if it's otherwise perfect).

Are the primary differences between the NH-U12A and S being the former having two fans instead of one, and that they are different (probably slightly better) but otherwise the cooler itself is identical? If so, I'm probably leaning more towards the NH-U12S if if will be enough. Two fans is twice the amount, and although they should need to run at less of an RPM (probably not half though) to cool equivalently, if the offering with one fan will work then it's also cheaper (and one less part to potentially fail). So I think I'm leaning more towards that if it has enough headroom to be quiet.

 

The NH-U12A has an extra heatpipe to aid in heat dissipation. The NH-U12S comes with the NF-F12 instead of the NF-A12x25s that come with the NH-U12A. I would personally lean toward the NH-U14S if choosing among the three.

 

Based on the last few posts, I've re-evaluated the options and I think I've somewhat narrowed it down to the following; of the be quiet! Dark Rock 4 ($75), Noctua NH-U14S ($73), and Thermalright Le Grand Macho RT ($80), is one a clear standout choice? Some of the other options were out of stock, or over twice my price range (Scythe Fuma 2). The Thermalright ARO-M14 ($50) is a winner on price, but I'm worried about finding out that I'm wishing I had more cooling capability later on (while noise IS a factor, I don't want to sacrifice cooling capability much, so I'm willing to go with one of the other three as they are just above my upper price range). Please note I used the "pcpartpicker.com" website (which, by the way, is a new thing to me and is fantastic), so if there is availability or lower pricing of these that it missed, my apologies.

From what I'm finding, the Noctua NH-U14S is probably my best bet from Noctua's offerings, being better than the U12A/S but not as expensive as the DH-15 (is this correct?), and it seems very quiet, although the reviews I'm finding mostly only have the older Dark Rock 2 and other Thermalright (like Silver Arrow) coolers for points of comparison. The Thermalright Le Grand Macho does seem like a slight winner against even the more expensive Noctua NH-D15 (which I presume only makes it better than the NH-U14S?), although it is slightly more expensive than my other two options. I'd be willing to pay the $7 difference though if it's a standout on performance and noise factors, and as a (somewhat meaningless) bonus, it matches my other stuff better than the Noctua would. I'm starting to think either of the three will do admirably, but I think I'm leaning mostly between the Noctua and Thermalright of the three.

One final question is will either have better or worse issues regarding RAM clearance with either cooler? I'm waiting for B550 boards so unfortunately I'm not sure yet which exact one I'll be going with (or is RAM slot placement relative to CPU socket more or less standardized?), but I will be populating all four RAM slots with G.Skill Ripjaws V, which doesn't seem to have too high of clearance needs but some of these appear to have fans that hang really low.

 

Based on the last few posts, I've re-evaluated the options and I think I've somewhat narrowed it down to the following; of the be quiet! Dark Rock 4 ($75), Noctua NH-U14S ($73), and Thermalright Le Grand Macho RT ($80), is one a clear standout choice?

Throw the NH-U14S out. It doesn't have close to the cooling capabilities of the LGMRT. I'm sure @gtz would be happy to share his experiences with LGMRT on Ryzen, a lot of it is here - https://www.overclock.net/forum/246-air-cooling/1579130-thermlright-le-grand-macho-out-61.html .

The Dark Rock Pro 4 is an interesting thought. It is incredibly smooth sounding thanks to those included SW3 fans. It can't match the LGMRT for performance, but it isn't terribly far off. But, the LGMRT is also a really quiet, smooth sounding cooler. So....go with the better performance.

 

The aro m14 is basically a macho RT without a heatpipe and very slightly less surfice area.

It plays along the big boys. You should be worried about that overpriced u14s and dark rock 4. And about LGMRT base and the 3700x with the die on the side.

If you're not getting the ARO, get a d15s.

 

Every cooler mentioned will adequately cool the R7 3700X. The Scythe Fuma 2 should be around $60, but it's out of stock everywhere so third-party retailers have the prices jacked way up.

Dark Rock Pro 4 is about $90. I wouldn't recommend that over an NH-D15S, which is $80. Only downside to the NH-D15S would be one fan so purchasing a second fan would add to the cost, but cooling capability would be adequate with one fan. If it was cooling an R9 3900X, I would rather have the Dark Rock Pro 4, NH-D14, or NH-D15.

 

Here is a U12S on a 12-Core R9 3900X.

Same one i'm using on my 6-Core.

 

^^ That cooler isn't in the same class as LGMRT and TS140P.

 

I agree. It is about 20$ cheaper.

 

It's a glorified 212 evo.

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Glorified indeed. It can cool a 12 core. OP is aiming at an 8 core.

 

So what's with the cores anyway? Does power consumption automatically jumps up with core number, and we can ignore everything else?

The Arctic 34 Tr4 can cool a 24 core. So what? There's a lot of reasons that makes it able to do it, and a lot more that makes it an average cooler.

Let me correct you. It's an 8 core, third gen ryzen, soldered, with SINGLE offset die and flat IHS. All that, summed up it can make a lot of difference from another 8 core chip, for the bad or the good.

 

So what's with the cores anyway? Does power consumption automatically jumps up with core number, and we can ignore everything else?

The Arctic 34 Tr4 can cool a 24 core. So what? There's a lot of reasons that makes it able to do it, and a lot more that makes it an average cooler.

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I'm recommending the U14S. Just showing the OP that even the U12S can do the job at a cheaper price point.

 

Its cheaper than LGMRT, but not TS140P which is still a better cooler than the U12S which is a 140w cooler, 212 is 150w lol.

Also, its 10 bucks cheaper than LGMRT, a bit of a ripoff. But that's what happens when you pay for a name.

 

If it is only 10$ cheaper, then OP should get it. 60$?

Do you own a Ryzen? Do you have an idea how the dies are placed?

 

Nope, I don't. But I do have an idea how they are placed, yes. If you are talking about how Thermalright uses a Convex base, then yes, so does Noctua. And pretty much every cooler that's made to run on an Intel. There are a few exceptions. That's why some people still complain about crap temps on their Ryzen with D15. I'm due for an operation this Tuesday, next month I will be starting a new build. Probably AMD. Ill be sure to letcha know how it goes.

Edit:

Last I looked U12S was 69.99, LGMRT is 79.99 and TS140P is 49.99

 

Nope, I don't. But I do have an idea how they are placed, yes. If you are talking about how Thermalright uses a Convex base, then yes, so does Noctua. And pretty much every cooler that's made to run on an Intel. There are a few exceptions. That's why some people still complain about crap temps on their Ryzen with D15. I'm due for an operation this Tuesday, next month I will be starting a new build. Probably AMD. Ill be sure to letcha know how it goes.

Don't use the Pea Method.

 

I love my be quiet! Dark Rock 4. It's a great cooler for the 3700X. Using it with Noctua NT-H1 paste and the result is ~62C max in Prime95 small FFTs and cooler is inaudible at 700-800 RPM. Truly inaudible. The feeling of starting Prime95 and literally not hearing anything is just fantastic. While gaming, I saw around 49-55C.

It only works for stock or mild overclocks, though. If you're going to push the 3700X to its limits then you need a top performing AIO like the Freezer II 280 or a custom loop. (but building a custom loop for Ryzen just makes you look stupid)

Do keep in mind that the Dark Rock 4 can block 1 or 2 RAM slots depending on the motherboard. It blocked the first slot on my MSI X470 Gaming Pro.

 

Thanks for all the information everyone.

I wasn't aware thermal paste application had changed so much; so much to relearn it seems. I'll ask more about that later. Right now I have some Noctua paste and I admit I'm not as much of a fan of it as I was my old Arctic Silver I was using before it, but the Noctua was supposed to be slightly better. I got results around the same though. I never cared for a degree or two of difference anyway and the Noctua was MUCH harder (plus the one I have now is years old).

Hopefully by and after tomorrow there is more information (brand lineups, prices, features, etc.) about B550 boards, and I'm crossing my fingers that availability and pricing is good (hoping to spend ~$200 or less on board) so that I can look to get one selected soon. Once I know what board I'm getting, I'm hoping I can rule out any potential clearance issues with CPU cooler and RAM. That's the one last thing weighing doubt on my mind.

Right now I'm leaning more towards the Thermalright cooler, and RAM, as has been said, will be four modules of G.Skill Ripjaws V, so I'll need clearance for that with any board I choose.

 

Check out post #167. That is how i apply the paste. Just be wary of those who do not have first-hand experience with Ryzen like rares said.

https://www.overclock.net/forum/10-amd-cpus/1748470-r5-3600-4-6-ghz-1-32v-fab-march-20-a-17.html

Info on Ryzen Master. A lot of owners use the tool successfully on both cpu and ram oc.

https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/ryzen-master

You can do it in Windows, then transfer to the BIOS the same settings that work. I've never use it, so can't advise more.

 

Thermal paste application doesn't matter that much. Just make sure the IHS is covered without being excessive. Spread the paste with something if that helps. Reviewers use what many consider to be too much thermal paste and have perfectly adequate thermal performance in their tests because application method is largely irrelevant as long as you have enough coverage without being so thick it inhibits thermal transfer and/or spills paste onto the board.

 

The king of silence is Scythe Ninja 5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079X3DBH8

It is also easy to install, the clip mechanism wayyyy better than the one from Thermalright.

 

The king of silence is Scythe Ninja 5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079X3DBH8

It is also easy to install, the clip mechanism wayyyy better than the one from Thermalright.
https://youtu.be/YHOse3Kgjh8

When you said clip mechanism i thought you meant clipons like that of Xig Dark Knight or Hyper T4. I would recommend that, too. if it was. Not sure why they designed the backplates on AM4, at least for B350, A320, and X470 are loose. Holes on the board are huge.

I used to have a Scythe with three fans on my Phenom. Used to pump 1.6v on the cpu and was able to cool it with the help of winter weather. lol.