Purchasing a i9-9900K - Water Cooler or Air Cooler?

[SteveW 1,792]

In effect the worry about what tech to cool with, starts first with considering how the CPU is overclocked, but also that the configuration is good. When P3D loads a scenario all the cores come to bear to load that up. If the OC is high then at that point it can become unstable. Whereas the rest of the time seems to handle it.

So I recommend that the overclock be set down the heat curve slightly, to handle HT, even if HT is off

[vc10man 732]

Not to hijack the OP thread, just a numpty question to ask.

How is an AIO filled with the coolant? Or does it already come pre-filled with a coolant?

The NZXT Kraken X52 AIO is my very first venture into AIO cooling, so please bear with me for asking. I'd rather ask than have an expensive CPU get destroyed. As I am no 'expert' on water-cooling, it's best I ask here from far more knowledgeable folks.

[Caveney737 66]

AIO coolers are always pre-filled.

[vc10man 732]

37 minutes ago, caveney747 said:

AIO coolers are always pre-filled.

Thank you for that reassuring answer. I can now start a 'test build' outside the case.

But am still intrigued as to how they are topped up when the coolant inevitably evaporates due to heat cooling an overclocked CPU going from the radiator to the CPU waterblock and back?

Edited December 6, 2019 by vc10man

[vortex681 806]

38 minutes ago, caveney747 said:

AIO coolers are always pre-filled.

And, unlike custom loops, are maintenance free other than occasional dust removal.

[Noel 4,501]

3 minutes ago, vortex681 said:

And, unlike custom loops, are maintenance free other than occasional dust removal.

With something like the Kraken mentioned can one hang the fan assembly outside the case to take advantage of lower ambient temp?

[vc10man 732]

2 minutes ago, Noel said:

With something like the Kraken mentioned can one hang the fan assembly outside the case to take advantage of lower ambient temp?

@Noel, thanks but if I did that with the Fractal Design Focus-G case, wouldn't I need extra long pipes if mounted externally as you suggest?

 

7 minutes ago, vortex681 said:

are maintenance free other than occasional dust removal

I regulatory air blow the whole case front to back with an air duster.

[vortex681 806]

7 minutes ago, Noel said:

With something like the Kraken mentioned can one hang the fan assembly outside the case to take advantage of lower ambient temp?

If you have decent case fans giving good, unobstructed airflow through the case (this is important), there's no significant temperature increase inside the case by having the radiator fans taking air through the radiator from outside the case - ambient room temperature air. I tried both setups and the temperature difference in the case was negligible but the CPU ran very slightly cooler.

[richjb2 195]

I thought I would give everyone an update.  I purchased the i9900K and an ASUS ROC MB.  I also went with the Corsair i115 AIO.  Had to front mount it on the new CoolMaster 500D case, but it works very good. 36GB of RAM for future growth. I opted for a EVGA RTX 2060 card.  Had to draw the line somewhere on cost. 

Slow go of getting things back on.  I have P3Dv4.5 and PMDG NGXu and Xtreame Prototypes LR25D for testing. So far, very happy with the sliders full right.  Orbix Southern CA slowed things up a bit, and still have stutters, but frame rates of 20-25 FPS using NGXu at dusk with the dynamic lighting.  

No OC'ing yet.  I want to see how it works at stock settings first. 

Still need to add a terrain mesh.  Not happy with Pilots right now as I can't download it and my FlightSim.com installer will not work anymore.  I did buy the conversion coupon for SimMarket, but can't get it to download from their website.  Argh...  Considering going to TopoSim as an alternative, but hate paying for something twice.  Thoughts from group?

Also need to add weather.  Debating whether to stay with ActiveSky or move to REX's latest.  Don't know where PMDG is with their WX radar support for REX.  Thoughts from the group? 

Thanks everyone for your help!

Happy Holidays!

Rich Boll

Edited December 6, 2019 by richjb2
punctuation and spelling...

[vc10man 732]

45 minutes ago, richjb2 said:

an ASUS ROC MB.  I also went with the Corsair i115 AIO.  Had to front mount it on the new CoolMaster 500D case, but it works very good. 36GB of RAM for future growth. I

Encouraging to read this.

[Jim Young 2,356]

On 11/18/2019 at 8:52 PM, richjb2 said:

What are the thoughts on this Corsair cooler for the i9900K?

I own the H115i Pro and really like it as it is super quiet.  Previously I owned the H110i and it made all kinds of noise.  Installed the H115i Pro and I actually had to look at the fans and lights to make sure it was running.  This is what is monitored.  It has been some time since I opened up the program during a flight to check the heat but I did a lot when I first bought it.  I have it set to Performance and the fans keep everything very cool.

[SteveW 1,792]

30 minutes ago, Jim Young said:

 It has been some time since I opened up the program during a flight to check the heat but I did a lot when I first bought it.  

Good point. Especially when new keep an eye on things.

From time to time open up the case and check the clogging in the vents. Use a soft paintbrush (unused) to help flick fluff out rather than knock things.  Avoid touching electronics. Placed on the floor or carpet, have pets, may introduce more fluff.

Edited December 6, 2019 by SteveW

[vc10man 732]

1 hour ago, SteveW said:

From time to time open up the case and check the clogging in the vents. Use a soft paintbrush (unused) to help flick fluff out rather than knock things.  Avoid touching electronics. Placed on the floor or carpet, have pets, may introduce more fluff.

A very good point. Although I have my current Antec 900/2 case in a PC desk cubicle rather than on the carpet, nevertheless. with having access to a mini-compressor, I do use that to blow all the gathered dust as well as that soft paintbrush bought specifically to clean dust, every 4-5 months.

Looking at Jim's similar CPU, RAM. GPU to components I have assembled for the new build, those Corsair readings make me feel a bit less wary now, having opted for my first AIO with the NZXT Kraken X52.

This has been a superb thread started by the OP.

[SteveW 1,792]

A water cooler takes heat away to the back of the case. Either way we take a look in there to see it's clean. If so then with liquids, that perhaps kind of minimises the possibility of missing the onset of a leak. If the thing is put together carefully and the parts are not damaged then the probability is that it won't leak. I've never had a leak.

[vc10man 732]

Good post, Rob. I believe I can replace the supplied black non-opaque tubing on my NZXT Kraken X52 with clear tubing so the coolant can be seen, but I will leave that venture for another brave day. NZXT offer a good warranty, nevertheless. And I am hoping that the Fractal Design Focus-G case permits me to mount the Asus vertically.