What Do You Think Of This Cooler?

Finally upgrading. Have a Ryzen 2600 due in tommorow, on an Asus TUF plus B450m board. Using Corsair vengence LPX (CMK16GX4M2B3200C16) and trying to decide on a HSF.

Decided I'm not going to OC, at least using this board, due to reading about Ryzen degredation, but I vy well may switch out the board to an MSI MAX in the next month or something else next Spring. Also prob use the cooler on a future chip.

So I may want to find a good cooler now. What do you think of this one: https://www.coolerguys.com/collecti...-iv-high-performance-cpu-cooler-x2-9862n1-pwm
It looks to me (on PP. 3) that it overhangs 1st ram stick. It's overkill but it's on sale. Also, not sure how easy it is to attach for AMD/Ryzen. And that's important b/c 1) never had a tower before & 2) may be switching this out a number of times.

Appreciate any input.


Thanks,

Mac

 

The 2600 comes with a Wraith cooler. These are great coolers - very effective at cooling and very quiet when not spinning at full speed. And if your case cooling is properly setup, it would be very rare for the CPU fan to need to run at full speed. It would be more likely you would then hear the PSU or the graphics card fans, since the graphics card and the PSU mount directly to the case exterior.

So I say set aside any preconceptions and stick with the OEM cooler. They are not like those from yesteryear.

You can always swap it out later if you find it really cannot perform. But why would AMD include it if it couldn't?

 

More than numerous posts refute that claim. Even mid 50 degrees apparently is obnoxious. Personally I'm going for a silent build so ...

Thanks anyway.

 

And typically only with biased opinions backing their claims - typically based on OEM coolers from years ago.

Do yourself a favor and do some research yourself instead of following the biased anti-OEM cooler bashers who also have failed to do their own homework.

The Tech Report AMD Wraith CPU Cooler Review

Other real reviews make similar conclusive statements.

Are they the best coolers out there? Of course not. But are they more than adequate for most users. Absolutely!

Which, of course, is totally ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with mid 50s.

It is important to note cooler is NOT automatically better! There is absolutely nothing to suggest a CPU running at 35°C will perform better, be more stable, or have a longer life expectancy than a CPU running at 55°C. As long as the temp is maintained comfortably within the specified operating range, then that is just fine.

As seen here, the maximum temperature for that CPU is 95°C - a very long way from the mid 50s.

It seems clear you already had your mind made up before asking - and before even giving the OEM cooler a try . So it makes me wonder why you even bothered to start this thread.

If you are going for a silent build, you need to be looking at passive cooling in a quality noise suppressing case.

 

Listen, Digerati,

Let me start out by saying I apologize if I came off as brusque or curt w/my reply. I didn't mean to give offense. However, I have read of many users finding the sound of their wraiths not agreeable. I don't know that that makes them 'biased' or that they're comparing 'based on OEM coolers from years ago'. I've been researching Ryzen builds exclusively. It could be like that trope 'most users didn't have a problem and only the ones who did posted bad reviews' going on.

BTW I'd run across that review previously, and while I won't group TechReport in with TechSpot I will say this is typical of later reviews from 2017 when summit ridge appeared. Value vs. Intel. Yes this was a step up.

My desire for aftermarket has less to do with cooling and more to do with sound. Also the ability to use on another system in the future. And if I do OC a chip it'll be easier if I don't have to switch out the HSF. Which can be a pain. Buying another I figured, is a given. But maybe you set me straight. (Until I want to OC.)

I'm surmising the "didn't do their homework" types have never seen a fan curve. That may be the explanation right there. Now I'll give you I have little experience w/PWM fans and none yet w/fan curves. Could be another reason I discounted the wraiths, not realizing a software solution to the problem. Still pretty nooby, .

In this review his curve topped out at 1400 RPM. Above that it sounded 'course'. Also at min speed (700 RPM) it produces 30 dBA. I'm shooting for adequate cooling at 25 dBA and don't want above 35 even w/ heavy use. And realize I'll need to pay extra for that. He's using the 4 pipe cooler (w/became the Max. I believe this 2016 model was a bit different.) "Probably the best boxed cooler around" isn't a huge endorsement considering the wide swath of what's available. But I had also read of noticeable vibration w/ Wraiths and a few had issues with the AMD clip. It might be that variation makes some just not as tight.

But I take your point.

I've been playing catch up on Ryzen, motherboards, SSDs, what's coming down the pike, etc. over the summer and admittedly could've dove deeper into this aspect. I'm no engineer but I'm not a research lightweight. I think it was my tone that was offkey. You sir, are a stalwart of MG which I value highly so I take back any perceived snarkiness. Far too much of that in today's world.

The plethora of users who couldn't stand the sound of a (typically) stealth or spire when spinning higher (at above mid 50 temps) tells me they can't all be uninformed, w/billowy airy cases and sensitive ears. But I think my mind was already made up, as far as going aftermarket, for even lower dBA. My interest was not in top shelf performance, stability or cpu lifespan. Just looking for suggestions for a good, and quiet, middle of the road cooler. Could've included 'not anything huge or real heavy, not complicated, 120mm fan'. Gave an example of one I found interesting.

I may not keep the Asus board. With a 'better' board & additionally a better HSF, I thought I may gain higher bursts from PBO. Guessing every piece helps. I think there's a punch line in there somewhere. Actually I'll probably use the stealth to test ram and keep looking at motherboard deals. But I wouldn't want to offend anyone if I decide not to use it longterm.

Perhaps I should've said quiet build, not silent. I'd guess it's all on a curve so if you throw enough $$ at a passive PSU, Notcua's, etc. you eventually would get there.


Well all 3 boxes are finally here so I'll be focusing on what case. My mid-tower is big and plastic.



Take it easy.

 

Listen, Mac20nine (BTW, how un-brusque or curt does that "listen" sound?).

First, I did not take offense. That would suggest I took your comments personally. I didn't. My goal is to ensure all readers have the true facts, and all the facts to make informed decisions.

I did find it a bit offensive - though not personally - that you posted a question asking for opinions, stating you would "appreciate any input", then clearly didn't.

What makes many Wraith "user reviewers" biased is their preconceived notions that all OEM coolers are noisy junk. And that is often due, in part, because years ago, that was pretty much true. But both AMD and Intel heard those complaints. They also sure do not warranty issues because they supplied inadequate cooling in their boxed CPUs.

Is the 2019 Honda Accord the same car as the 1999 Honda Accord? Of course not. So why should anyone assume OEM coolers today compare to those of yesteryear? But they do.

For sure, you can find user reviewer who complain about the noise. But if you look deeper, you will also find many user (and professional) reviews who praise their quietness too. In fact, I provided a link to one - which you seemed to promptly dismissed too.

I NEVER said or implied that OEM coolers are the best or the quietest. I simply suggested you give it a try first. You've paid for it. If you don't like it, you can replace it later.

Note if you follow the AFE7Ret link in the About section of my profile, you will see I've had my own little consulting and custom PC business for many years. I have put together 100s of computers. I've personally experienced the evolution of OEM coolers from both AMD and Intel. And when housed inside a quality case, I assure you, if any fan noise is heard, it typically is from the case fans, graphics card fan(s), or the PSU fan. And why is that? Because those fans are directly mounted to the case. Not deep in the innards of the case. Sure, when tasked, the CPU fan will ramp up and be heard too. But if your CPU runs that hot that much of the time, you probably have other cooling issues to address first - like more case cooling.

That's fine. Many case exteriors have large plastic components. But every PC case I have seen has a metal chassis/frame those exterior panels mount to.

Having said all that, I didn't answer your initial question so I apologize for that. You asked for opinions about that X2 Eclipse cooler and I did not provide one.

I am sure it can provide more than adequate cooling. I do have a problem, however, with tall, "side firing" coolers in general.

1. Motherboard engineers and designers purposely cluster other heat sensitive devices around CPU sockets so they too can take advantage of the air movement created by OEM "downward firing" coolers. On "some" boards, if not an adequate flow of air through the case, some of those heat sensitive devices may be starved of adequate cooling, which can result in unstable regulation.

Designers also design motherboards with OEM coolers in mind, ensuring nearby tall components, RAM slots, etc. will not interfere with the proper mounting of the cooler. This may, or may not be a problem with specific aftermarket coolers.

2. The typical "desired" flow of cool air through the case is from "front-to-back". Depending on the mounted orientation of the side firing cooling, that "front-to-back" flow may be disrupted. This may adversely affect the amount of cool air provided to the graphics solution and other components.

3. Tall side firing coolers, like that one with its 120mm fan may not fit properly in slimmer cases.

4. In "tower" cases where the motherboard is oriented vertically, tall, "heavy", coolers "hang" off the side of the motherboard. This "hanging" weight is leveraged by gravity on the motherboard's cooler mounting brackets and the motherboard itself. Not a problem when just sitting on the floor or desk. But during transport - even to lug outside for cleaning - a heavy cooler hanging off the motherboard can actually fracture the motherboard if the computer is not handled gingerly. We've seen it too many times here in the shop. Users have shipped or transported their PCs and due to rough handling (an unseen pothole in one example), the heavy coolers abused the boards. The solution is simple - unmount the cooler if shipping. But that rarely happens.

With a downward firing cooler , the cooler has a much lower profile so there is much less leveraged weight hanging out there. And with a horizontally oriented case, the cooler sits on top of the motherboard. So I always tell my clients is remove the coolers before shipping if the PC will ever be out of their immediate control. And if they will be transporting it themselves, make sure they lay the tower case on its right side so the weight of the cooler sits on top of the motherboard. ​

***

What bothers me is the misinformation presented today about OEM coolers, and the immediate willingness of many to dismiss OEM coolers without even giving them try first.

But hey! Its your money.