Budget 0-20k BIG Tower Cooler: Help me make the right choice

[Psycho_McCrazy]

As the title says, help me select among the front runners of the BIG tower coolers!

Both the choices are 140mm, both have methods of ensuring RAM compatibility, both have good VRM airflow!

I want a long term solution - so please help me select!!

 

[Fenix]

Using Deepcool and it's keepibg my 14700KF under check. Both are good.

 

[SunnyBoi]

Long term Solution? Noctua D15. I'm still using a 12 or 13 year old Noctua U12 thats going strong and thats a testament to the build quality of Noctuas.

 

[PunkX 75]

Why not consider the Deepcool AG/AK620, as well? Performance will be close to these two, and quite a bit cheaper. Unless you want the absolute best in air cooling.

I personally have a Noctua D15, which has been serving me well for the last 9 years. It's still my current cooler. The build quality is unquestionable and beats everything else in that department.

The D15 seems to be slightly better than the Assassin.

Also, once a new socket comes out, you'll be able to get a mounting kit for free from Noctua. Just keep your bill. I got the AM4/AM5 mounting kit that way for mine.

DeepCool Assassin IV Review - Can it beat the Noctua NH-D15? - Page 7 of 8 - Hardware Busters

Hardware Busters - DeepCool Assassin IV Review - Can it beat the Noctua NH-D15? - Cooling

hwbusters.com

 

[Psycho_McCrazy]

Using Deepcool and it's keepibg my 14700KF under check. Both are good.

Which deepcool? from the glance on your GPU Sale thread, it doesn't seem to be the Assassin IV. Maybe a AK620 Digi?

Long term Solution? Noctua D15. I'm still using a 12 or 13 year old Noctua U12 thats going strong and thats a testament to the build quality of Noctuas.

That is what I have heard about the Bullet-proof nature of Noctuas!

Why not consider the Deepcool AG/AK620, as well? Performance will be close to these two, and quite a bit cheaper. Unless you want the absolute best in air cooling.

I personally have a Noctua D15, which has been serving me well for the last 9 years. It's still my current cooler. The build quality is unquestionable and beats everything else in that department.

The D15 seems to be slightly better than the Assassin.

Also, once a new socket comes out, you'll be able to get a mounting kit for free from Noctua. Just keep your bill. I got the AM4/AM5 mounting kit that way for mine.

DeepCool Assassin IV Review - Can it beat the Noctua NH-D15? - Page 7 of 8 - Hardware Busters

Hardware Busters - DeepCool Assassin IV Review - Can it beat the Noctua NH-D15? - Cooling

hwbusters.com

Do want teh best Air Cooler.
Some reviews, including Tech Jesus (Gamers' Nexus) put the Assassin IV ahead, some Noctua.
Noctua seem to be readying a full model change of the NH-D15 too! Does it make sense to wait for it, or will the price premium make it lose appeal?
Am currently for AM4, and unless AMD takes an Arrow (lake) to the knee, I think I will be migrating to AM5 over the course of a few years!

I think that either will work absolutely fine for me, but still, wish to know what others think!

 

[PunkX 75]

Which deepcool? from the glance on your GPU Sale thread, it doesn't seem to be the Assassin IV. Maybe a AK620 Digi?

That is what I have heard about the Bullet-proof nature of Noctuas!

Do want teh best Air Cooler.
Some reviews, including Tech Jesus (Gamers' Nexus) put the Assassin IV ahead, some Noctua.
Noctua seem to be readying a full model change of the NH-D15 too! Does it make sense to wait for it, or will the price premium make it lose appeal?
Am currently for AM4, and unless AMD takes an Arrow (lake) to the knee, I think I will be migrating to AM5 over the course of a few years!

I think that either will work absolutely fine for me, but still, wish to know what others think!

The new range (D16?) will take some time to arrive, given Noctua's history of long R&D (which pays off). Go for the D15.

Once you upgrade to AM5, you won't have to get a new mounting kit. The AM4 kit works fine for AM5 (I upgraded from AM4 to AM5 and used the same kit). Get the Chromax black version if you want. I personally love the OG potty color. Very Noctua.

 

[Fenix]

Yeah, its the AK620 Digital. I wanted White but no one in Bangalore had the stock. D15 was available but found it too huge.
Why not an AIO from Artic - their radiators are thicker like 38mm.

 

[n1r0]

Long term Solution? Noctua D15. I'm still using a 12 or 13 year old Noctua U12 thats going strong and thats a testament to the build quality of Noctuas.

Adding to this, Noctua provides new mounting hardware for your future platform changes, so you don't need to buy a whole new cooler every few years.

 

[desiibond]

May I know your CPU details? I am using 5800X with Deepcool AG620 cooler that I got for 4.5k. I have not seen any AM4 CPU needing more cooling than this one. If you are planning to move to AM5, upgrade your cooler if it is really needed. AM5 cpus are insanely efficient. Unless you do heavy productivity work, you won’t need D15.

Also, look at Thermalright coolers if you can wait and get from US. PA120 SE costs bloody 34$ and matches D15. Assassin IV seems to be the best if price is not a factor, it does not make any visible different for real world usage when compared to PA120 SE.

 

[m1tr]

Let me share a comparison video from GamersNexus on air coolers.

Link to video

Thermalright Peerless Assassin scored the best overall. Deepcool Assassin IV ties on performances but looks better (and costs higher) .

 

[ibose]

I believe @Mann bought the Thermalright Assassin from this guy -

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB

Unleash Unrivaled Cooling Power with the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGBIntroducing the apex of cooling performance: the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB. Designed to dominate thermals and elevate your PC's prowess, this cooler stands as the ultimate solution for enthusiasts...

hardwarecorpus.in

So he can share his experience.

 

[Psycho_McCrazy]

Once you upgrade to AM5, you won't have to get a new mounting kit. The AM4 kit works fine for AM5 (I upgraded from AM4 to AM5 and used the same kit). Get the Chromax black version if you want. I personally love the OG potty color. Very Noctua.

Yes, the AM4 and AM5 have the same mounting hardware, that helps!

Why not an AIO from Artic - their radiators are thicker like 38mm.

No Water!

May I know your CPU details? I am using 5800X with Deepcool AG620 cooler that I got for 4.5k. I have not seen any AM4 CPU needing more cooling than this one. If you are planning to move to AM5, upgrade your cooler if it is really needed. AM5 cpus are insanely efficient. Unless you do heavy productivity work, you won’t need D15.

Also, look at Thermalright coolers if you can wait and get from US. PA120 SE costs bloody 34$ and matches D15. Assassin IV seems to be the best if price is not a factor, it does not make any visible different for real world usage when compared to PA120 SE.

Currently running a 2700X that is already planned for a sale deal. Looking for a 5800X or higher core count CPU.
This is for my gaming rig with a 250W+GPU which in due time will become a 24x7 all purpose workstation / server / encoder etc. Hence, want a cooler that can handle everything - and I am ready to oversize for better temps and stability without full-time air conditioning.

I understand that AM5 Zen4's are extremely efficient, and can be tuned with PPT settings, PBO and UV to perform like magic, but still want the best for the aforementioned purpose.

Sourcing from the states may not be on the cards. Have to look for India availability.

Let me share a comparison video from GamersNexus on air coolers.

Link to video

Thermalright Peerless Assassin scored the best overall. Deepcool Assassin IV ties on performances but looks better (and costs higher) .

These three always seem to be neck and neck in real world. Hence the thread asking for inputs!

 

[Mann]

I believe @Mann bought the Thermalright Assassin from this guy -

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB

Unleash Unrivaled Cooling Power with the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGBIntroducing the apex of cooling performance: the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB. Designed to dominate thermals and elevate your PC's prowess, this cooler stands as the ultimate solution for enthusiasts...

hardwarecorpus.in

So he can share his experience.

He was starting anew so besides the initial teething problems, he was honest, prompt and courteous.

 

[m1tr]

These three always seem to be neck and neck in real world. Hence the thread asking for inputs!

For products which are this close, it always comes down to aesthetics.

I think the smooth shape of the Deepcool might be an advantage if you are going for a high airflow front-to-back configuration. The thermalright's open finstack might introduce turbulence to the case airflow.

No idea if this is really the case or whether it will have any noticeable effect on ambient case temperature or not.

 

[Psycho_McCrazy]

For products which are this close, it always comes down to aesthetics.

I think the smooth shape of the Deepcool might be an advantage if you are going for a high airflow front-to-back configuration. The thermalright's open finstack might introduce turbulence to the case airflow.

No idea if this is really the case or whether it will have any noticeable effect on ambient case temperature or not.

If aesthetics are to be the deciding factor, then for me the the Noctua Chromax-Black takes the lead
The full cube plastic / mesh metal enclosure of the Assassin IV, while clean, is not to my liking for some reason.

As for closed sides of the fin-stack and linear flow without sideways turbulence in case, AFAIK Noctua does that by bent fins, so it will be better than the peerless assassin in that regard. Of-course, a the fully enclosed Assassin IV would be best.

 

[desiibond]

Yes, the AM4 and AM5 have the same mounting hardware, that helps!

No Water!

Currently running a 2700X that is already planned for a sale deal. Looking for a 5800X or higher core count CPU.
This is for my gaming rig with a 250W+GPU which in due time will become a 24x7 all purpose workstation / server / encoder etc. Hence, want a cooler that can handle everything - and I am ready to oversize for better temps and stability without full-time air conditioning.

I understand that AM5 Zen4's are extremely efficient, and can be tuned with PPT settings, PBO and UV to perform like magic, but still want the best for the aforementioned purpose.

D15 or Deepcool Assassin 4 for 5800x or even the 7800x is overkill. Do not waste money on this. I have ASUS Strix RTX3090+5800X+Deepcool AG620. Cabinet is LanCool 215x. I have never seen my 5800x hit max temps and throttle in normal use. Do not fall into 'best cooler for CPU' trap. I was crazy about D15 and wanted to buy it. I went through lot of reviews and finally understood that AG620 is more than enough for my CPU. You can use that saved money for a better cabinet or bigger SSD.

 

[YeAhx]

Currently running a 2700X that is already planned for a sale deal. Looking for a 5800X or higher core count CPU.
This is for my gaming rig with a 250W+GPU which in due time will become a 24x7 all purpose workstation / server / encoder etc. Hence, want a cooler that can handle everything - and I am ready to oversize for better temps and stability without full-time air conditioning.

I understand that AM5 Zen4's are extremely efficient, and can be tuned with PPT settings, PBO and UV to perform like magic, but still want the best for the aforementioned purpose.

Even for 24/7 running workload you really don't need that big of an air cooler. For how efficient they are and for the processors you mentioned you can go with any mid range one you like. Don't need to go all in even if you want to future proof. Also pc case air flow will matter more and if your case is being choked, not able to remove warm air thats pushed out by the air cooler fast enough then it will just keep getting warm.

If you just to know which of either air cooler I would buy if I was in your place then my answer is Deepcool Assassin IV simply because Noctua's brown colour scheme is ugly (imo). I probably don't need to tell you this but check out area clearance for your big tower before you make a choice.

 

[desiibond]

Exactly. I have 3 front intake fans, one bottom intake, two top exhaust and one rear exhaust fans. These along with ag620 are doing tremendous job. I did splurge on Unifans I wanted ease of installation and aesthetic for fans.
So, get a cooler like pe120 or ag620 and use saved money for good airflow and you are giving better cooling to every component.

 

[Fenix]

Adding to what @desiibond said, I have 11 fans running in my cabinet - Enthoo Pro II. Artic 120's - non RGB (silent ones) plus the AK620 Digital with side panel closed. That too keeps the temps under control.

 

[Psycho_McCrazy]

I sincerely thank @desiibond @Fenix @YeAhx for their insightful inputs regarding sizing of cooler and the case airflow condition required for best overall performance.

Going thru' the link of the Peerless assassin shared by iBose / Mann, I also found the Phantom Spirit 120 Evo, and checked its review at HW Canucks (luckily released just yesterday). While not so good at lower noise levels, the higher peak revs of the fan make it GOOD at max speed. Further, its aesthetics are also spot-ON in black, perfectly complementing my all black X570 Unify Board.

On the topic of aesthetics of the Noctua, my sight is on the Chromax.Black, so the ugly brown is not in the picture.

Now I'm more confused, with the Phantom Spirit EVO throwing a spanner in the works!!!