AMD Enthusiast Gaming Build: CPU Cooler
While all of the components we are selecting here today are what we would go with, and priced from vendors we trust, it is always a good idea to shop around as deals on these, or other good options, pop up from other reliable vendors all the time. With that said, let’s dive right into the next order of business.
CPU Cooler
SilverStone PF360-ARGB $129.99
60 FPS
- Excellent Cooling
- Overall Robust Design
- Guaranteed Compatibility With Our Case Selection
- Solid Price
30 FPS
- Noisy To Some Users At Full
- Large Cooler, Check Your Clearances!
CPU Cooler Alternate
Noctua NH-D15S $99.99 (Currently $79.90)
60 FPS
- Excellent Performance For An Air Cooler
- Solid Design That Has Great Compatibility With RAM And PCIe Slots
- Quiet (It Is A Noctua)
30 FPS
- Gives Up A Bit Of Performance Relative To Dual Fan Sibling
- Not An RGB Solution For Those That Want It
When it comes to cooling our Ryzen 9 selections there are, of course, a million offerings on the market. However, one of the most popular designs over the last few years in the enthusiast space has been the All In One Liquid CPU Coolers (AIO). From this general concept, many different size coolers have sprung up that cover the entire gamut of possible CPU’s on the market. With the Ryzen 9 3950X and 3900XT being fairly beefy chips with AMD rated TDP’s of 105W (before overclocking), we are looking at some rather beefy coolers to extract as much performance as we can from these chips. Larger coolers, however, can run into clearance issues so today we are picking the SilverStone PF360-ARGB as it is both beefy enough for the 3950X when overclocked with its huge radiator and triple 120mm fan setup as well as compatible with our case selection below (a bonus for those users looking for a light show is the included RGB options). Indeed, as our own David Schroth said when he recently reviewed the unit: “the PF360-RGB was very competitive when looking at its performance and sound levels, especially at the 1000 RPM and 1500 RPM fan speeds. With the 1000-1500 RPM range being the one that most real-world users will set their fan curves, the PF-360 nails the sweet spot of its performance. As a bonus, it is available for $129.99 in e-tail. So, if you are in the market for a 360mm AIO solution that will handle just about everything thing you throw at it (save for the most edge case of scenarios) and sound matters to you, the SilverStone PF360-RGB is a worthy contender.“
That said, not everyone wants an AIO cooler or to deal with the issues that come about with one. Now since we have switched up processors to the Ryzen 9 3900XT we don’t get an included HSF any longer as we did with the 3900X. So, for users looking for a more conventional option, we turn to the excellent Noctua NH-D15S once more. While it is not the highest performing air cooler on the market, it is very close to being it and it is very quiet. Two things that many users will appreciate! In addition to doing a good enough job if you are keeping your clocks stock, the NH-D15S sees some decent overclocking possibilities as well. So, if you are looking for a more conventional cooler, or looking to save a few dollars, the NH-D15S makes for a great place to save a bit of cash on this particular build.