How to use All in One Watercoolers

Stubbsy

Stubbsy

Stubbsy

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Joined
8 Aug 2004
Posts
155
Location
Sussex
Hi,
I'm thinking of swapping out some bits for a modest upgrade. The spec i'm going to end up with is

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £433.06 (includes shipping: £11.10)​
​

In addition to that purchase, I have an Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 Windforce OC 6GB GDDR5.
I intend to reuse my existing case: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/antec-300-three-hundred-ultimate-gaming-case-black-ca-101-an.html.

Question is, can I use something like this: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L RGB AIO CPU Cooler - 120mm Stock Code HS-07N-CM

I've no experience with these blocks - I would normally put a large air cooler like a Sythe on - but am interested to understand how they are mounted etc. I'll want to OC the 3600.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm not adverse to getting a new case, but I'm not sure it's necessary.
Thanks.
 
Basically, you mount the radiator and fans, and attach the waterblock (containing the pump) to the CPU.

So considerations are: Does the radiator fit, with fans? Will the pipes reach the CPU?

You generally want the radiator higher than the pump so any air travels to the highest point in the loop. You don't want air in the pump.

Edit: looks like it might be tight in your case to fit a radiator. Note that there's a little tank at each end of the radiator, longer than the fan. As you own the case, it's worth measuring in the flesh. Note that fans are 25mm so the radiator and fan unit is likely to be 50-60mm thick.
 
I wouldn't bother spending £60 on that, you'd be better off with something like a Mugen 5 for that money, or even a much cheaper Arctic Freezer 34 would be ample for a 3600. It makes even less sense going for an AiO given you're running a windowless case, the literal only advantage that the ML120L has over the aforementioned air coolers is that it'll look cleaner in a windowed build.

Mugen 5 and Freezer 34:

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £67.98 (includes shipping: £0.00)​
​

That said, Zen 2 doesn't use a lot of power or generate a lot of heat, and honestly you'll get a lot more from tweaking your RAM compared to trying to OC the CPU.

Speaking of RAM, you're better off with one of the following:

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £179.98 (includes shipping: £0.00)
​

The Viper if you just want to set XMP and forget, the Micron-E die if you want to tweak and try and get the most out of things.
 
Thank you both for your replies. Sounds like a load of faff and not something that I really need.
OK how about this as a final set then?

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £457.05 (includes shipping: £11.10)​
​

I'm assuming that the CPU cooler will be advantageous over the stock one, both in terms of noise and performance?
 
Stubbsy said:
Thank you both for your replies. Sounds like a load of faff and not something that I really need.
OK how about this as a final set then?

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £457.05 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​

I'm assuming that the CPU cooler will be advantageous over the stock one, both in terms of noise and performance?
Click to expand...

stock cooler would be fine along with 550w PSU to save some cash

Pro Max and Toma Max have same Mosfets


BB CODE
My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £411.02 (includes shipping: £11.10)


£40 saving for some loo roll etc​
 
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Noise and cooling performance will be better, the better cooling may help in maintaining boost clocks.

That said, the Ryzen stock coolers are actually fairly decent as mentioned by @orbitalwalsh.

For the sake of £20 I'd personally splurge on the better HSF.
 
@orbitwalsh I'm moving from an i5-7600K that I've had comfortably OC'd at 4.3 GHz for the duration of its life, using a Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B Heatpipe CPU Cooler (including the supplied 120 mm fan).
There's a huge difference in price for the 3700X compared to the 3600... I'm not sure it's justified for my relatively benign usage.

@@Gray2233 I've actually had some issues with the current MB (RAM slots no longer working), which I believe is due to the weight of the CPU heatsink bending the board during transport. OK, I probably should have thought to not move the PC in the upright position, but I didn't. As a result, I'm slightly wary of the giant units now, so if the stock one is good enough... I can always swap it out for a bigger model if it proves to be too noisy I suppose.

@orbitwalsh it does look like the case will handle a full ATX so you're right, I might as well save a few quid and go for the PRO MAX thanks. Can't see that there's much difference in the specs.

edit: apparently i don't know how to use the @ thing :(
 
Stubbsy said:
@@Gray2233 I've actually had some issues with the current MB (RAM slots no longer working), which I believe is due to the weight of the CPU heatsink bending the board during transport.
Click to expand...
Ninja Plus Rev.B is very mid weight cooler. (some coolers weight nearly double)
Though some pics show it with that crappy push pin attaching without proper backplate and bolts through to it.
So maybe that's the problem.

Anyway that Masterliquid 120 is plain marketing hype scam and crap in continuous cooling per noise.
Have very little doubt that Arctic Freezer 34 is better.
There just simply isn't surface area in that pipsqueak radiator to dissipate heat into air.
Even Masterliquid 240 is deep in marketing excrement against good heatpipe coolers.
 
Stubbsy said:
@orbitwalsh I'm moving from an i5-7600K that I've had comfortably OC'd at 4.3 GHz for the duration of its life, using a Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B Heatpipe CPU Cooler (including the supplied 120 mm fan).
There's a huge difference in price for the 3700X compared to the 3600... I'm not sure it's justified for my relatively benign usage.

@@Gray2233 I've actually had some issues with the current MB (RAM slots no longer working), which I believe is due to the weight of the CPU heatsink bending the board during transport. OK, I probably should have thought to not move the PC in the upright position, but I didn't. As a result, I'm slightly wary of the giant units now, so if the stock one is good enough... I can always swap it out for a bigger model if it proves to be too noisy I suppose.

@orbitwalsh it does look like the case will handle a full ATX so you're right, I might as well save a few quid and go for the PRO MAX thanks. Can't see that there's much difference in the specs.

edit: apparently i don't know how to use the @ thing :(
Click to expand...

push 3700x if you can . double your core count and quad your Thread count ! makes sense
 
 
Stubbsy said:
OK so the final bulid is:

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £705.00 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​
Click to expand...

same price cooler but MUCH better !

new standard for £35-45 coolers, beats the MUG5 - which has been the go to !

My basket at Overclockers UK:
 
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Thanks for the continued helpful advice. I saw that you replaced the 3700X with a B-Grade item in your basket.
I have a couple of questions; the first is, is there any way to tell what the specific item you get will be like? A used CPU i'm not comfortable with. One that's just been 'unboxed' is fine.

I also tried to direct message you about the price of that part, as I don't want to discuss other sources on this forum, but the DM didn't work :)
 
Why would it matter if it's been used rather than just opened? It's not like you're trying to play the silicon lottery with LN2 from your previous post. OCUK won't sell a known faulty item (I have seen some severely stretched definitions of B Grade over the years, but they at least powered up). Even if something does go wrong, it has 3 years warranty with AMD, who will replace it with a brand new CPU if needs be.
 
Stubbsy said:
Because people break things and then return them.
Click to expand...

OCUK have good RMA/testing .

Stubbsy said:
Thanks for the continued helpful advice. I saw that you replaced the 3700X with a B-Grade item in your basket.
I have a couple of questions; the first is, is there any way to tell what the specific item you get will be like? A used CPU i'm not comfortable with. One that's just been 'unboxed' is fine.

I also tried to direct message you about the price of that part, as I don't want to discuss other sources on this forum, but the DM didn't work :)
Click to expand...

DM should work, but if you find it cheaper then you go cheaper , unless OCUK will price match in the Customer Service section of the forum ;)

Rather push 8 cores if you can . Though 3600 is no slow cake as can out match Ryzen 2700 8 core for gaming
 
I think because I'm not upgrading the GPU it might be worth more on the processor now with a view to getting a GPU upgrade in a bit? IDK to be honest. If you look at OCUK's gaming pcs, they have inferior processors are better GPUs, but I'm going to end up with the opposite combo.

Anyway, I'm not sure if right now the a good time to be spending the money. Future doesn't have the same certainty it did a couple of months ago. What normally happens to prices when the Pound tanks? I assume they go up, particularly if the dollar is strong?
 
Stubbsy said:
I think because I'm not upgrading the GPU it might be worth more on the processor now with a view to getting a GPU upgrade in a bit? IDK to be honest. If you look at OCUK's gaming pcs, they have inferior processors are better GPUs, but I'm going to end up with the opposite combo.

Anyway, I'm not sure if right now the a good time to be spending the money. Future doesn't have the same certainty it did a couple of months ago. What normally happens to prices when the Pound tanks? I assume they go up, particularly if the dollar is strong?
Click to expand...

Cheapest way for them to make money . Non K chips for intel and budget GPU model.

Components will get more expensive for UK resellers to buy. Vendors have already increased channel pricing and will continue to rise
 
Stubbsy said:
Because people break things and then return them.
Click to expand...

... and OCUK test them before they re-sell them as B-Grade with warranty, RMA's cost a business time/money, they have no interest in selling you broken parts only to have to deal with processing a return and an unhappy customer.
 
As above ^^^ I'll do Corsair as example - PSU comes in , tested and new sealed unit sent out . Old one is repaired and sold to resellers as repaired, reseller sells it as B-grade.
Or
Item has been sent back due to box damage or missing parts. New one sent out and relisted as B-grade
 
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