edit 2: He has bought the air cooler!
He will be running the 9800X3D, which I don’t think gets hot enough to require an AIO. We are choosing between Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 (AIO) and the Peerless Assassin 120 (air cooler)
Benefits of choosing an AIO (Arctic Liquid Freezer III) is better temperatures, nicer aesthetic. Downside of going with AIO is the possibility that it will leak/wear out over time, shorter lifespan compared to air cooler (which can pretty much last forever)
He will be getting a Lian Li case (the O11 Vision Compact) with the RGB fans set, meaning he could go with the cheaper 5 fan set instead of 8 if he decides on AIO. Combined with a decent sale on the AIO in my region, the price difference isn’t that large.
What do you guys think?
edit: Mmm the internet people seem to disagree with each other
I have been exclusively using AIOs for years now. Generally, by the time they need maintenance, its already time for a major hardware update and rebuild anyway. That is, of course, if it is serviceable. This depends on the quality of the AIO you buy, TBH. I had a first-gen Corsair AIO start to get audible air bubbles on startup, but it’s long since been recycled.
I am sure other people have some kind of horror story about an AIO leaking or something, but in general, they don’t really need to be maintained if it actually is a sealed system.
I’ve gone through an FX8120, 4560k, 4790k, 1800x, 3700x, 5800x3d, and finally 9800x3d all on the same cooler. Even if I do a big upgrade why would I want to change it if it’s working fine?
Finally this weekend it’s getting demoted to my server and I’m upgrading to a D15 G2. But that’s only because I’m upgrading my server and it’s 10 year old heatsink doesn’t work on AM5.
Air, water, AIO, whatever. If it cools well, use it. I just prefer AIOs and there really isn’t any maintenance, was my main point. There are always tradeoffs between AIO, air or a proper water rig, so there is that. (Fans are crazy quiet these days, but when I made the switch, it was mainly for noise. I always run an overclock, so my fans were always hauling ass which probably isn’t needed now.)
Ultimately, I prefer AIOs for the way airflow is managed. It’s not better or worse than air in many instances, but I like working with a radiator rather than a chonky heatsink.
I cannot disagree though: zero maintenance is better than maybe-maintenance. Like I said, it’s about tradeoffs. (I can still make my PC sound like a fucking jet engine, though. Noctua server fans kick ass.)