Air and water: 5 cooling systems for Intel LGA 1700 processors

Thermaltake TougAir 110 is a horizontal tower type air cooler or, as it is also called, Top-Flow. There are two advantages over the classic vertical tower. Firstly, with a consistently large heat dissipation area (TDP 140 W), the height of the structure is reduced (only 11.4 cm). Secondly, the motherboard's power subsystem and RAM are blown.

By the way, there is no need to worry about compatibility with high-radiator RAM - only very tall “horned” modules, which are extremely rare, will not fit. Four copper heat pipes with a diameter of 6 millimeters are plated with nickel to protect against corrosion. They have direct contact with the heat distribution cover of the processor.

The aluminum fins are slightly asymmetrical to reduce turbulence and smooth airflow. To reduce the physical stress on the curved tubes, a wire support was added under the radiator. And the ugly soldered ends of the tubes are hidden under a decorative plate with the Thermaltake logo.

The included 12cm fan spins at speeds ranging from a silent 500 to a highly efficient 2000 rpm. At maximum speed, a powerful airflow of 58 CFM and a static pressure of 2.4 mm H2O are achieved. The operating life is at least 40 thousand hours. TougAir 110 can be installed on all current processor sockets: Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1151, AMD AM4, AM3, FM2, etc. The only exceptions are semi-server Intel LGA 2066, 2011 and AMD TR4.

Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black is an updated version of the large single-tower but dual-fan cooler. Instead of the classic beige-brown color for the Austrian brand, it received a completely black design. Another innovation is support for the new LGA 1700 processor socket for Intel Core 12 and probably 13th generation processors.

Compatibility is also maintained with the LGA 2011 semi-server socket, popular among computer enthusiasts, on which Xeon processors are built. Fortunately, the cooling efficiency margin (169 points out of 183 possible on Noctua’s own NSPR rating scale) is enough even for 10-core and 20-thread Xeons. If desired, you can purchase additional mounts for outdated LGA 775 and 1366 sockets.

A large array of aluminum fins is offset towards the motherboard power circuit so as not to overlap the RAM slots. As many as seven copper tubes pass through the ribs. To distribute heat evenly between them, an intermediary plate is used, polished to a mirror finish. The ends of the heat pipes can be covered with a decorative plate, but it must be purchased separately.

The vibration-absorbing rubber gaskets at the corners of the fans are also offered to be repainted in a different color (white, yellow, red, blue and green). Two NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black turntables are built on Noctua's proprietary SSO2 self-stabilizing bearing. Rotation speed varies from 450 to 2000 rpm. You can reduce the speed by 15% using the included Noctua LNA resistors

Deepcool AK620 is a dual-tower supercooler, and this is the term commonly used to describe air coolers with a TDP of over 200 watts. In the case of the AK620, the heat dissipation is a little, not a lot, 260 W. That is, it is enough even for long-term PL2 turbocharging of the latest 12th generation Core i7 and Core i9 processors. At first, you need to separately request a mount for the LGA 1700 socket.

The cooler weighs almost one and a half kilograms, fortunately the steel backplate reliably protects the motherboard from bending. There are six heat pipes, contact with the processor through an intermediary plate. Like any other dual-tower cooler, the AK620 covers at least the first RAM slot. Therefore, it is recommended to install RAM modules with low heatsinks or no heatsinks at all.

But you can do something more cunning - install only one fan on the cooler between the towers. For a medium-hot processor, even half the airflow is enough. Two complete turntables with speeds from 500 to 1850 rpm are built on hydraulic bearings. Moreover, this is not a budget hydrostatic, but a premium hydrodynamic.

The noise level, even at maximum speed, does not exceed 28 dB, and the trouble-free operation time is at least 50 thousand hours. The box with the Deepcool AK620 comes with a Y-splitter for connecting two fans to one 4-pin connector on the motherboard, a long screwdriver for the screws hidden between the towers, and a tube of thermal paste.

Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL240 Flux is one of the first liquid or, as they say, water cooling systems with support for the new Intel LGA 1700 socket. The required mount is guaranteed to be supplied in a box with a cooling system; old configuration options do not exist without it. Of course, all other current Intel and AMD processor platforms are supported, with the exception of TR4 for semi-server Threadripper.

The MasterLiquid Flux series includes two models - a two-fan 240 and a three-fan 360 mm. The second is undoubtedly more efficient, but the first is still more versatile and will fit into almost any PC case. Complete turntables with a diameter of 12 cm are built on a wear-resistant hydrodynamic bearing. The ends of the blades are connected by a ring for greater rigidity at high speeds.

The frame is made in the shape of a funnel for more precise air direction. The fan speed can reach 2300 rpm, the air flow is 72 CFM, the static pressure is 2.9 mm H2O, and the noise level is 32 dB. An operating time of 160 thousand hours is promised. Not only the fans, but also the pump are decorated with customizable ARGB lighting.

By the way, the pump is made of two chambers to reduce its size. Inside there are many microchannels for uniform circulation of refrigerant, and the ceramic bearing is not afraid of high humidity (210 thousand hours). The backlight is controlled by a physical Cooler Master Addressable Gen 2 RGB LED controller and MasterPlus software.

Sapphire Nitro+ S360-A is the first attempt of the eminent video card manufacturer in the market of liquid cooling systems. There are models available in sizes 240 and 360 mm. And if the first option is approximately on par with air supercoolers in terms of heat removal capabilities, then the second is definitely more effective.

The 40 cm long flexible hoses are made of a material called EPDM. This is a special type of rubber that is resistant to electricity and high pressure. The top of the tubes is covered with nylon mesh for added protection and a neat appearance. The pump cover is decorated with the Sapphire logo, a metal grille in the shape of a spider and synchronized ARGB lighting.

The time-tested company Asetek was chosen as the OEM pump manufacturer. Moreover, the latest 7th generation pump (15% more efficient) can change the speed of pumping the refrigerant: from 800 to 2800 rpm. Whereas many other SVOs have a fixed pump speed, which is why it makes noise even when the PC is idle.

The three-pin connectors of the Sapphire Nitro+ S360-A backlight are made with forwarding, which allows you to connect other luminous PC components to the single ARGB-5V port of the motherboard. The trio of complete fans with double ball bearings has a hybrid blade structure - something between classic flat and highly curved turbine blades. Compared to competitors, this provides 4°C lower temperatures and 5 dB lower noise.