We can all agree that the last 12 months have been challenging and stressful for everyone, and I wanted to utilise Kitguru in a positive way for a great cause. Over the next two weeks, we are holding a silent auction via email for our readers and supporters, with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. Additionally KitGuru will be donating the same amount as the winning bid, effectively doubling the donation to the charity. This is a very worthy cause that we want to support this year and everyone who enters will know that they are potentially going to help children in real need.
Watch via our Vimeo channel (below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
The NI Childrens Hospice has been helping children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions as well as their families for over 35 years. It is a cause that we are very much in support of and we hope many of our readers will be interested in getting involved on some level. We discussed possibly holding this auction on the UK’s biggest platform – EBAY, however we really wanted to involve as many of our readers as possible, without directing it towards the mass public who are not associated with the KitGuru audience. I didn’t want this system going to a random person in the UK who doesn’t really understand what we are trying to do.
KitGuru will be matching the winning bid for the chance to own this Gaming PC, doubling the overall amount we donate. KitGuru will also give the winner a full 1 year warranty directly. So if any component or peripheral was to fail in the first year, we will replace it and it will be shipped to your door, completely free of charge.
In the gallery below, you can see the gaming PC and accompanying peripherals that make this build, including a 144hz gaming Monitor.
Here are the full specifications for the system:
AMD Ryzen 3800X CPU
Asus ROG Strix B550-F (Wi-Fi)
Gigabyte Gaming OC 5700 XT
T-Force Xcalibur 16GB kit (2X8GB) DDR4-3600
Cougar Trofeo Case
Cougar Aqua 240 AIO Cooler
Cougar GEX 650W PSU
Cougar Attack X3 Keyboard RGB
Cougar Bunker mouse Bungee RGB
Cougar Revenger S mouse RGB
Cougar Neon mouse mat RGB
Viper VPN100 1TB M.2 SSD
AOC 24G2U 24” 144Hz monitor
While the prices of these components are constantly changing, the current market value as we go live to print today is around £1700. Special thanks to all the great companies involved that jumped at the chance without questions to help such a great cause.
Entering is really simple. If you want to be in with a chance to get this system delivered to your door just send your single best ‘bid’ to ‘[email protected]‘. Subject field ‘Bid for Hospice Charity System’.
Please do not send your address or any personal information in the email – we just need to know your final bid for the system in pounds sterling – please only submit a bid you can afford and will be able to send when it ends. There is no minimum bid you can offer, but the more you can bid, the greater your chances of winning the auction.
If you have an email client installed click here to enter
Please do not send multiple entries with various bids from the same email, and only submit a bid that you can afford. We do not want anyone to have financial problems due to entering this auction.
At the end of the auction period, we’ll contact the person with the best offer – get payment sent to our business account directly over bank transfer then KitGuru commits the same amount – effectively doubling the donation – which we directly send to the Children’s Hospice.
The charity auction will end 10th Of March and the winner will be announced by 15th of March and contacted directly by email.
Shipping information: We can only accept submissions inside the United Kingdom due to complex and troublesome Brexit terms which came into play January 2021. Kitguru covers all of the shipping costs inside the United Kingdom – all of the hardware will be shipped UPS tracked and insured directly to the winner. From date of delivery KitGuru will cover the cost and replacement of any hardware that fails inside a one year period including any related shipping costs.
Terms and Conditions: In compliance with GDPR, all emails and correspondence will be deleted from our servers once the auction ends. We do not keep or store your personal data and you won’t be signed up to any mailing lists by entering. No personal data is shared with any companies. We value your privacy as much as we value our own.
KitGuru Says: Thanks to all who participate in this charity auction. Good luck to everyone who enters – Allan ‘Zardon’ Campbell. KitGuru Editor In Chief/Managing Director.
Home/Component/Cooling/MSI announces MPG Coreliquid K series AIO liquid coolers
João Silva 7 hours ago Cooling, Featured Tech News
MSI’s latest addition to its CPU cooler portfolio is the MPG Coreliquid K series, featuring Asetek’s 7th generation pump design. It will also come with two radiator options – 240mm or 360mm.
Both the MSI MPG Coreliquid K240 and K360 AIO liquid coolers come with Torx Fan 4.0 fans (2x for the K240 and 3x for the K360) to cool the radiator and dissipate heat quickly. The radiator is connected to the pump-block with evaporation proof tubing made from three layers of netted plastic and a reinforced mesh exterior.
The pump-block combo features an additional 60mm fan inside to cool the VRMs heatsink, which could improve CPU stability and overclocking potential. Additionally, the pump-block combo also has a 2.4-inch screen that users can customise to display hardware information such as clock speeds, fan speeds, and GPU usage. Custom images and other widgets are also supported.
Using MSI Centre, users will be able to customise fan speeds, RGB lighting, the cooler’s LCD display and other functions. The software also lets users choose different preset modes, one of which is ‘Gaming Intelligence’ mode, which adjust fan speeds based on CPU temperature while gaming.
The MSI Coreliquid K series CPU coolers are compatible with Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 1366, 2011(-3), and 2066 as well as AMD AM4, FM2(+), FM1, AM3(+), AM2(+), TR4, and SP3. Pricing and availability has not been shared yet.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the latest AIO units from MSI? Do you like the new trend of adding LCD displays on the pump-block combo?
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The Cooler Master ML360 Sub-Zero appeals to enthusiast system builders burdened with deep pockets, seeking sub-ambient temps and ease of installation. It does well, but also comes with some distinct caveats.
For
Easy install
Single digit (or lower) idle temps can be possible
New high-flow pump
Against
Expensive
Supports only LGA1200
Under sustained loads, doesn’t cool overclocked CPUs as well as normal AIOs
High power draw during use
Features and Specifications
The terms Peltier and thermoelectric (TEC) cooling have brightened the eyes of many would-be overclockers over the years, with the promise of sub-ambient cooling under the highest of loads. But with these solutions often came the demand for required liquid cooling systems and a dedicated power supply to in order to operate, keeping them off the list of best CPU coolers for most people. The thermoelectric cooling of yesteryear was certainly interesting and saw scattered use in the most committed of overclocking and cooling forums on the web.
Enter the Cooler Master ML360 Sub-Zero, a 360mm AIO with a built-in thermoelectric cooling plate powered by an 8-pin auxiliary adapter from a standard PSU. If your power supply has the rating and available power cables, it can support this cooler in your build. Well, your system also has to be an Intel 10th Generation Intel CPU seated in a socket LGA1200 motherboard, since the Sub-Zero is limited to a specific list of hardware. Support for Rocket Lake-S will of course come once those CPUs arrive.
Ironically, while the cooler is advertised as being a Cooler Master and Intel partnership, which encourages the use of Intel’s powerful desktop overclocking software suite, Cooler Master recommends against overclocking powerful i7’s and i9’s with this cooler and suggests sticking with single core overclocking or factory boost speeds. It performs well in some respects, but this isn’t the uber-overclocking device that enthusiasts have dreamed of with peltier coolers of the past.
Specifications
The Cooler Master ML360 Sub-Zero looks the part of an ultra-high end cooling solution, with its sleek blacked-out design and a touch of opulence from the chromed Cooler Master silhouette logo across its brushed pump face. A single LED indicator light illuminates the lower corner of the pump housing, offering the working status of the cooler’s Peltier cooling system. HAL-9000 would be proud.
Thickness
1.10″ / 27.9mm (2.25″ / 57.15mm w/fans)
Width
4.75″ / 120mm
Depth
15.5″ / 394mm
Pump Height
3.75″ / 95.3mm
Speed Controller
BIOS/Software
Cooling Fans
(3) 120 x 25mm
Connectors
(4) 4-Pin PWM,
(1) 3-Pin tach,
(1) SATA
Weight
82.5 oz / 2340g
Intel Sockets
LGA1200 (only)
AMD Sockets
N/A
Warranty
5 years
Web Price
$350
Features
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Box contents for the ML360 Sub-Zero include just enough mounting hardware for Intel’s LGA1200 platform CPUs, allowing for the Peltier unit atop the CPU socket to have the tension screws integrated into the housing. A motherboard backplate, threaded standoffs and SATA power cable are included to keep things mounted and powered up, while a micro USB to 9-pin header provides the link to your best motherboard. For now at least, software support with Intel’s Cryo Cooling Technology is limited to the following silicon: i5-10600K, i5-10600KF, i7-10700K, i7-10700KF, i9-10850K, i9-10900K and i9-10900KF.
Cooler Master covers the ML360 Sub-Zero for a warranty period of 5 years.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The ML360 Sub-Zero makes use of an integrated Peltier or thermoelectric cooler (TEC), a specialized semiconductor which makes use of DC current to create a temperature differential between specific electrical junctions, using high volumes of current. In short, one side of a Peltier gets very cold while the other gets quite hot. The ML360 Sub-Zero relies on the cold side to maintain cooling against the integrated heat spreader (IHS) of the CPU, while the hot side is cooled by the rest of the AIO cooler itself.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
As an example, the cooler can easily get idle CPU temps down to actual freezing temperatures, far below ambient room readings. Normal air or liquid cooling can never allow a processor to reach sub-ambient temperatures due to the physics involved, but phase change and thermoelectric cooling makes this possible.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Requiring the use of an 8-pin auxiliary power, often used to power graphics cards, the ML360 Sub-Zero uses DC power from your power supply to power the thermoelectric Peltier cooling unit. This also requires a beefy power supply, as the cooler alone is rated to draw up to 200w by itself. So make sure to account for overall system load usage and count on investing in a high-quality, high-wattage power supply.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The base of the ML360 Sub-Zero ships with a pre-applied patch of thermal compound over a base shaped like a copper pyramid with a leveled, plateau face. Power cables from the Peltier DC controller extend down the side of the cooler, where they meet the TEC at the base.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The perimeter of the cooler features an integrated rubber boot, which is designed to create a barrier or curtain around the CPU socket once the cooler is installed. This is meant to prevent comparatively warm ambient air from circulating near the base of the copper cold plate, allowing condensation to collect near the motherboard socket. This has long been the danger of Peltier coolers, as temperature differentials causing water to form on exposed electrics is obviously very bad. The angled copper base is the area where the greatest threat of condensation or frost collection might occur and possibly drip onto motherboard circuitry below. Hence the rubber barrier around this area.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Cooler Master utilize a new pump design, which is situated in-line between the Peltier unit and radiator. The pump itself is quite significant in both size and mass, giving every indication that it is far more powerful than what is used in standard, everyday AIOs. In fact, when accounting for noise levels, strength of vibrations and tubing pulses, it appears to encroach into custom watercooling pump territory, although this claim would require several standalone tests to confirm.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
A trio of 120mm PWM fans and an aluminum radiator make up the heat exchanger portion of the ML360 Sub-Zero. The cooling fans are devoid of any aRGB/RGB lighting effects, sticking instead with a stealth theme for discreet sub-ambient operation.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The flattened of the cooler is expertly milled to rest atop your favorite Intel LGA1200 socket CPU.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
This milled base provides for a quality mount for the ML360 Sub-Zero, making for an even distribution of thermal compound when tension is applied during the cooler installation.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With the ML360 Sub-Zero up and running and with Intel’s Cryo Cooling Technology software installed, operation of the thermoelectric cooler is relatively simple. Select the service icon in the taskbar and choose whether to run in Cryo or Unregulated mode.
Cryo mode is the standard cooling mode when the system is under standard loads, beyond idle desktop or light web browsing. The Peltier unit will cycle into this mode and briefly off as needed based on environmental variables to maintain system safety and prevent condensed water from collecting.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Unregulated mode allows the cooler to operate to full effect, which does prompt a warning box that condensation could collect around the cooler and the motherboard, causing permanent damage. In short, clicking the box to acknowledge this warning is the electronic form of signing a waiver and understanding the consequences. Unregulated mode is typically reserved for brief sessions of cooling where an all-out assault on thermals is required.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
As 360mm coolers go, the Cooler Master ML360 Sub-Zero radiator fits a normal mount location as any other AIO we’ve tested. The standalone pump uses a pair of machine screws to mount within a set of standard chassis eyelets. While USB link cables are rather common for many AIOs, having an additional power cable running to your cooler adds a bit of extra clutter to an otherwise uneventful installation.
Choosing the best thermal paste may sound simple, but a dizzying array of options can turn this seemingly easy choice into a time-consuming task. Thermal paste is designed to minimize microscopic air gaps and irregularities between the surface of the cooler and the CPU’s IHS (integrated heat spreader), the piece of metal which is built into the top of the processor.
Good thermal paste can have a profound impact on your performance, because it will allow your processor to transfer more of its waste heat to your cooler and continue operating at a high clock speed for longer while a mediocre product will force your system to throttle in order to avoid overheating. Even the best CPUs are made better by good thermal paste.
Performance enthusiasts often swear by a favorite brand of paste, but new recipes crop up from time to time. We’ve conducted extensive testing of some of the top thermal pastes on the market, and if you’re on the hunt for more exotic pastes that are off the beaten path, we also have plenty of historical data below covering 90 different pastes (and yes, we’ve even tested toothpaste).
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Thermal paste can go by many names, such as “thermal compound,” “thermal grease,” or “TIM” (Thermal Interface Material). Most pastes are comprised of ceramic or metallic materials suspended within a proprietary binder which allows for easy application and spread as well as simple cleanup.
These thermal pastes can be electrically conductive or non-conductive, depending on their specific formula. Electrically conductive thermal pastes can carry current between two points, meaning that if the paste squeezes out onto other components, it can cause damage to motherboards and CPUs when you switch on the power. A single drop out of place can lead to a dead PC, so extra care is imperative.
Liquid metal compounds are almost always electrically conductive, so while these compounds provide better performance than their paste counterparts, they require more focus and attention during application. They are very hard to remove if you get some in the wrong place, which would fry your system.
In contrast, traditional thermal paste compounds are relatively simple for every experience level. Most, but not all, traditional pastes are electrically non-conductive. We have a detailed breakdown of the best methods for applying thermal paste here.
Here are the best thermal pastes, along with our complete test results. Keep in mind that you don’t always get what you pay for as some budget pastes come awfully close to or overtake their more-expensive competitors.
Electrically Conductive: No | Thermal Conductivity: 11.2 W/mk | Ease of Use: 4.5 (1=difficult, 5=simple) | Relative Performance: 4.0 (1=poor, 5=excellent) | Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol | Price per gram: $3.60
Stability
Easy to use
Easy to clean up
None
Often hanging close to, but not overtaking, liquid metal compounds in our tests, PromilaTech PK-3 Nano Aluminum paste is a moderately viscous thermal compound integrated with aluminum and zinc oxide. The paste provides good stability, making it easy to apply to all surfaces as well as simple to clean up. You really can’t go wrong with this paste — it is sufficient for most CPU applications.
Electrically Conductive: No | Thermal Conductivity: 12.5 W/mk | Ease of Use: 4.5 (1=difficult, 5=simple) | Relative Performance: 4.0 (1=poor, 5=excellent) | Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol | Price per gram: $9.99
Stability
Easy to use
Easy to clean up
Price per gram
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is a mildly viscous thermal compound with good stability, making it simple to work with while also resisting drips and runs. This paste is very easy to apply and clean up, making it a favorite among system builders.
Best Budget Thermal Paste
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
3. Noctua NT-H1
Best Budget Thermal Paste
Electrically Conductive: No | Thermal Conductivity: Unlisted | Ease of Use: 4.5 (1=difficult, 5=simple) | Relative Performance: 4.0 (1=poor, 5=excellent) | Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol | Price per gram: $2.26
Price/performance ratio
Easy to use and clean
None
Noctua’s NH-H1 is a relatively viscous and stable compound that applies easily and allows for easy clean-up. A screw-on cap syringe maintains compound longevity to prevent drying and is priced as an attractive paste for those on a budget. You really can’t go wrong with this paste — it is sufficient for the majority of builds.
Gelid GC-Extreme (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. Gelid GC-Extreme
Runner-Up: Best Budget Thermal Paste
Electrically Conductive: No | Thermal Conductivity: 8.5 W/mk | Ease of Use: 4.0 (1=difficult, 5=simple) | Relative Performance: 3.5 (1=poor, 5=excellent) | Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol | Price per gram: $3.70
Consistent spread
Value pricing
Easy to use and clean up
Requires some pressure on the syringe to apply correctly
Gelid GC-Extreme is a moderately viscous compound, making it very stable during application and it spreads consistently, although it requires slow consistent pressure on the syringe plunger for correct placement. This TIM is relatively easy to use and simple to clean up.
Electrically Conductive: Yes | Thermal Conductivity: 73.0 W/mk | Ease of Use: 2.0 (1=difficult, 5=simple) | Relative Performance: 4.5 (1=poor, 5=excellent) | Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol | Price per gram: $22.99
For extreme overclocking
High performance
Price
Difficult to apply
Electrically conductive
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid metal thermal compound has a very thin, runny consistency and is applied to the CPU integrated heat spreader with a syringe delivery system and capillary needle applicator tip. Excess material can be siphoned off using a special extraction tip (by pulling the syringe plunger to withdraw excess liquid metal).
CoolLaboratory Liquid Pro (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
6. CoolLaboratory Liquid Pro
Runner-up: Best Liquid Metal Thermal Paste
Electrically Conductive: Yes | Thermal Conductivity: 79.0 W/mk | Ease of Use: 2.0 (1=difficult, 5=simple) | Relative Performance: 4.5 (1=poor, 5=excellent) | Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol | Price per gram: $24.94
For extreme overclocking
High performance
Price
Difficult to apply
Electrically conductive
CoolLaboratory Liquid Pro is a liquid metal compound that is applied with a syringe and capillary tip to the CPU integrated heat spreader, and it ships with a scouring pad and alcohol swab for prep and cleanup.
Application and spreading of the liquid metal are made easier with cotton swabs and generous pressure for even distribution. Liquid metal can cause reactions with some metals, such as aluminum, and some reports of reactions with copper are also documented by end-users.
Best Budget Liquid Metal Thermal Paste
Phobya Liquid Metal Compound LM (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
7. Phobya Liquid Metal Compound LM
Best Budget Liquid Metal Thermal Paste
Electrically Conductive: Yes | Thermal Conductivity: Unlisted | Ease of Use: 2.0 (1=difficult, 5=simple) | Relative Performance: 4.5 (1=poor, 5=excellent) | Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol | Price per gram: $9.00
For extreme overclocking
High performance
Relatively inexpensive for a liquid metal paste
Difficult to apply
Electrically conductive
For a compound that costs less than half as much as leading competitors , Phobya’s Liquid Metal Compound LM offers impressive performance, often besting the the CoolLaboratory Liquid Pro or Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut in our tests.
Liquid Metal Compound LM ships as a syringe with a capillary applicator tip. Spreading the compound is made easier with cotton swabs and generous pressure to develop a consistent coating on the CPU IHS. Can cause reactions with aluminum and other metals.
Thermal Paste Performance Rankings
Here’s a breakdown of our recent testing, and we’ll be adding new pastes to this list over the coming weeks and months. A bit further down, you’ll find our original round of testing with 85 different pastes, some of which we’ve revisited in this new performance hierarchy. That should give you a good idea of how other pastes that we haven’t retested yet would compare to the newer pastes.
We’ll go into our breakdown of how we test these thermal pastes below, but the key takeaway here is that a single thermal compound can perform differently based upon several variables, such as what type of cooler and mount you use. To cover all the bases, we’ve tested every thermal paste with three variables:
Low-tension Noctua NH-D15 mounting to model an air cooler without a backplate (like an Intel stock cooler, or push-pin coolers)
High-tension Noctua NH-D15 mounting to model higher-end air coolers with a backplate
High-tension mounting with an all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler
Below you’ll find the temperatures we measured on our standardized test bench, and as always, lower temperatures are better. We’ve also included value charts in the album below as well.
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Thermal Paste Test Results
As shown in the slides above, the outcome of the different testing scenarios resulted in some interesting comparisons among the compounds. We’ll look at the overall thermal load averages for each, as well as the relative performance value of each in terms of price-per-gram.
Air Cooling – Low Tension Mount Liquid metal compounds make their way to the top of the temperature chart with slightly cooler values than the traditional pastes. Interestingly, the difference between the top and bottom of this chart is less than 4C.
When we look at each compound in terms of unit cost-per-gram, liquid metal compounds are generally more costly, making their overall performance value more of a luxury than a necessity. However, Phobya LM bucks this trend as it shows you can get good liquid metal compound performance at bargain pricing.
Air Cooling – High Tension Mount Liquid metals are again at the top of the list, and again, there’s a relatively small 4C delta between the top and bottom of the list. Only a few minor changes to the pecking order have occurred, and these easily fall within the tight margins of standard deviation.
Small differences in temperatures jostle the chart a bit, but overall the more budget-friendly compounds show much more promising performance value due to relatively close load ranges. We see a trend that most good and great thermal compounds perform very similarly, but might be worlds apart in price per gram.
All In One (AIO) Liquid Cooler – High Tension Mount It’s no surprise that the liquid metal compounds once again sit atop the thermal comparison. Still, a 6C difference between all 15 thermal compounds tested shows there isn’t a lot of variation, even with a 360 all-in-one cooler with a push+pull fan setup for performance.
The performance value chart shows most of the liquid metal compounds with a poor value-per-gram rating, but once again, Phobya LM proves to be the outlier for that sub-category with its budget price tag.
We’re also seeing the trend of larger gram-per-package for thermal pastes (2-5g syringes) along with lower price proving to be stiff competition against the more expensive liquid metals (0.5-1.0g syringes) that cost upwards of twice as much, or more.
Key Takeaways Thermal compounds might always be compared and debated over, but the simple fact remains: PC system building needs thermal compounds to effectively dissipate thermal loads. Without them, our beloved gaming and content-producing machines would struggle to keep components cool during heated frag sessions, heavy workstation computations, or just simply browsing the web.
Not every system will need the most expensive compound, so even the most budget-minded system builders can rest easy knowing that even lower-cost pastes can still prove very effective. You can see our historical testing results with far more pastes after the test setup.
For our thermal compound tests, we use the same hardware, overclock, and configuration for each and every test to minimize environment variables in our testing.
We tested each thermal paste with a low-tension air cooler mount, high-tension air cooler mount, and a high-tension AIO liquid cooler mount. Each application was given a 1-hour burn-in using Prime95 with ten load and cooling cycles over the course of the hour; six minutes each with a ten-second cool-down between. Each testing load session was then executed for a one-hour load period, again using Prime95.
For the air cooling low- and high-tension tests, we used a large Noctua NH-D15 air cooler. We created the low tension mount environment by torquing the mounting screws to 1.13 Nm (10 in/lbs).
The low tension mounting tests help simulate cooler installs that might not use a backplate (like push-pin coolers) or those that do not allow high tension and compression across the CPU integrated heat spreader. Also, repeated tests are not consistently possible with push-pin mounted coolers: The pins can degrade after several mount cycles, which meant we needed to simulate these to maintain consistent test results.
Our high-tension air cooler mount involved tightening the mounting screws fully to the mounting plate and shows thermal paste performance with air coolers with backplates that allow for tighter mounting.
We used the EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB for the liquid cooling tests with all fans in a push+pull configuration. We performed these tests with the AIO pump block fully tensioned (tightened). We didn’t test the AIO with a low-tension mount because liquid coolers almost always employ a backplate that allows a high-tension mount.
Overall, each compound was evaluated and stressed over a regimen cycle covering six hours with two different coolers and different mounting tensions, making for no less than 90 hours of compound testing for our initial round of tests.
Legacy Thermal Paste Testing – 85 Pastes Tested
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Here’s our legacy thermal paste testing chart that we generated back in 2017. As you’ll notice, many of the same popular pastes in 2017 are still on the market, making it into our new round of 2021 testing.
We do have new testing equipment for our updated tests, such as a more modern CPU, motherboard, and coolers for our tests, but we adhered to the same test methodology employed in these prior tests. That means that you can use these legacy tests as a decent approximation of how the newer pastes compare to the older pastes, too.
We’ll be adding more thermal pastes to our new hierarchy; stay tuned.
Fractal Design’s Meshify 2 Compact offers an excellent foundation for thermally demanding ATX gaming systems. And although it’s a bit expensive, it’s a very well thought-through chassis that ships with three good fans.
For
Thoughtful interior and classy design
Ships with three quality fans
Great cable management
Excellent thermal performance
Easy filter access for cleaning
Against
Strong competition
Materials could be better
Sticky power button (at least on our sample)
Fans don’t have PWM control
No RGB (a pro, for some)
Specifications and Features
When Fractal Design launched its Meshify 2 chassis, it impressed us so much that we had no choice but to award it a rare five stars. So you can imagine that I was quite excited when the company reached out asking if I wanted to review the new Meshify 2 Compact. In essence, it’s the same case but a little shorter, cutting back on the extreme storage or radiator setup possibilities, but offering the same basic design.
Because of this, the Meshify 2 Compact is arguably the more mainstream case suited to standard ATX setups that don’t need a ton of space – the vast majority of gaming systems. However, priced at $110, it’s not the most budget-friendly option, and it’s competing in a crowded segment. Let’s find out if Fractal Design has what it takes to earn yet another spot on our Best PC Cases list.
Specifications
Type
Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX
Dimensions (HxWxD)
18.7 x 8.3 x 16.8 inches (474 x 210 x 427 mm)
Max GPU Length
14.2 inches (360 mm)
CPU Cooler Height
6.7 inches (169 mm)
Max PSU Length
6.5 inches (165 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
2x 3.5-inch
2x 2.5-inch
Expansion Slots
7x
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm Headphone, 3.5mm Mic
Other
(Removable) Tempered Glass Panel
Front Fans
2x 140mm (Up to 2x 140mm, 3x 120mm)
Rear Fans
1x 120mm (Up to 1x 120mm)
Top Fans
None (Up to 2x 140mm)
Bottom Fans
None (Up to 1x 120mm)
Side Fans
✗
RGB
No
Damping
No
Warranty
1 Year
Features
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For this review, I asked Fractal Design to send us the gray option as I was curious to see how this color option would turn out. We had already seen the black color on the full-size Meshify 2, and white wasn’t available just yet.
Circling around the case, it’s immediately clear that this is a Fractal Design chassis – if not from the ‘Fractal’ text on the front mesh’s door handle, you can tell from the folds in the mesh and the grille pattern that’s also unique to Fractal Design.
The sheet metal isn’t particularly thick, nor is this a heavy case. If you’re after a tank-type case, perhaps the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh is more up your alley. But the thin sheet metal here is only really noticed when you’re handling the case. Once sat in place, the Meshify 2 Compact looks like a quality piece of kit and the design efforts stand out beautifully.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
That being said, Fractal Design goes out of its way to make the case look good, almost to a fault. At the top IO, you’ll note that the tolerances between the removable top panel and the ports and buttons is extremely tight. This looks great, and for the ports it isn’t an issue, but it’s a little bit problematic on the power button. Our sample had a sticky power button. If you pressed it near the top, the button would get stuck in the down position – and yes, it did shut down our PC when we weren’t paying attention.
We didn’t experience this issue with the bigger Meshify 2, so it’s very possible that it’s something down to our sample. But if you have the same issue, don’t hesitate to ask Fractal Design for a fix . A sticking power button shouldn’t happen with any case, especially not one that costs $110.
Otherwise, top IO comprises discrete headphone and mic jacks, a USB Type-C port, and two USB 3.0 ports – all very complete.
To pull off the side panels, you simply pull them from the rear tab and take them off the case – it’s that easy. With that, we move on to the case’s internals.
Internal Layout
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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When it comes to the interior layout of the Meshify 2 Compact, there’s very little worth mentioning – it’s all very industry standard with a main motherboard compartment with room for GPUs up to 13.4 inches (341 mm) long with the front fans installed (14.2 inches, or 360 mm without), CPU coolers up to 6.7-inches (169 mm) tall, two 3.5-inch drives in the PSU compartment and two 2.5-inch drives behind the motherboard tray.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
What I also appreciate is the cable management system. The case comes with rubber grommets on almost all access points to the main compartment, which goes a long way to making things look tidy on the inside by hiding the clutter behind the motherboard tray.
Cooling
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You can fit up to a 240mm AIO at the top of the case, along with up to a 360mm AIO at the front. The PSU shroud will be in the way of longer radiators on the intake, but it has removable pieces to make space for bigger coolers. Just note that if you do install a large radiator at the front, you’ll have to bump the HDD tray to make space. That said, 280mm radiators will fit fine without this sacrifice.
Of course, the Meshify 2 Compact’s strength is in cooling. The chassis comes from the factory with two 140mm fans on the intake and one 120mm fan at the rear exhaust, which is very complete indeed. That’s more than most cases, but it should be for $110.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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Filtration is provided on every possible intake location, including the top exhaust. The front filter is easily removed by swinging the door open, pulling it out of its hinge, and then removing the filter. You can access the top filter by pulling off the top panel from the rear.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Another detail we appreciate is the bottom filter, as it’s removable from the front of the case. If you’re like us and have the back of your PC stuck near a wall, you know how annoying it can be to have to move the entire chassis to get to the PSU’s filter.
In recent years, several representatives from PC case companies have told us that mini-ITX cases are a niche, without enough interest to be worth heavily investing in. Yet oddly, over that same period, more and more companies seem to be churning out these compact small form-factor (SFF) chassis.
The latest entry into the mini-ITX case space is the Meshlcious, from Ssupd (Sunny side up design), a new spinoff brand from Lian Li. As you might guess by the name, the Meshlicious is all about mesh–or nearly, as the case ships with one tempered-glass side panel, which can be attached to either the GPU or CPU side of the case. It will also be available in either black or white. Our review unit arrived dressed in black.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
At 14.17 x 9.65 x 6.55 inches, the Meshlicious is similar in size to the Jonsbo A4 case we used for the
RGBaby build
last year (the A4 is 13.39 x 10.75 x 6.65 inches), and much smaller than the last ITX case I built in,
Asus’ ROG Z11
(20.9 x 7.6 x 15.2 inches) pictured above. At $119 (MSRP) the Meshlicious is also much cheaper than either of those cases, while offering up lots of versatility (within the confines of its 14.67 liter volume), as well as a riser cable for showing off your graphics card. To help keep your components cool, it has mesh covering four of its six sides (or five if you spend $30 on a second mesh side panel to replace the glass side that ships in the box). As I found during testing, though, you’ll probably want to add at least one front intake fan.
Despite its small size, the Meshlicious supports graphics cards up to 12.6 inches and four-slots thick, thanks to a motherboard tray that can be slid forward or back to make room for thick cards. Just note that, as with all cases this small, there are a whole lot of limitations due to space constraints. Installing a long graphics card limits space for SATA storage, for instance. And while you can use a full-size ATX power supply, you may want to opt for a modular SFX PSU just so that there’s less excess cabling to hide. There’s really nowhere to hide excess bulky power cables.
Specifications
Type
Mid-ITX Tower
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX
Dimensions (HxWxD, vertical orientation)
14.17 x 9.65 x 6.55 inches (360 x 245 x 166.4mm)
Max GPU Length
12.6 inches (320 mm)
CPU Cooler Height
2.87 inches (73mm) with 3-slot GPU, 2.09 inches (53 mm) with 4-slot GPU
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
Up to 2x 3.5-inch and 3x 2.5-inch with SFF GPU, or 3x 2.5-inch with full-length GPU
Expansion Slots
1x
Front I/O
1x USB 3 Type-A, 1x USB-C
Other
Tempered Glass Side Panel
Front Fans
None (2x 120/140mm supported)
Rear Fans
None
Top Fans
None
Bottom Fans
None
Weight
8.16 pounds (3.7 kg)
Warranty
?
Panels Galore
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Working in the Meshlicious is fairly easy for an SFF chassis, thanks to its easily removable panels. Every side save for the bottom has one, and by default, all are mesh except for one side which is tempered glass with a moderate tint. As noted earlier, you can pop that glass side on either the motherboard side or the graphics card side, depending on which you want to show off.
Metal push pins hold all the sides on, and they stay on snugly and pop off with ease. This is a mechanism I wish more case makers would use, though I’m sure it works much better with small panels than it would with large full-ATX towers. The case and side panels are all steel (save for the glass panel) and reasonably thick and rigid. Nothing feels cheap or flimsy, which is nice given the case’s relatively low price for an ITX chassis.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With the side panels off, the Meshlicious becomes a minimal shell, housing a PCIe 3.0/4.0 riser cable for vertically mounting your graphics card, and a few cables for the top-panel connections. (The $119 version we tested has a PCIe 3.0 cable, but a $159 version with a PCIe 4.0 cable will also be available.)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Speaking of the top ports, things are fairly minimal (like the rest of the case’s design), with one USB 3 Type-A port and one Type-C. There’s no real need for an audio jack in a case this small, given that the audio ports around back are inches away from the front, and will generally deliver better audio than external ports would anyway.
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The included accessories are also minimal, and include a bracket for mounting SATA drives, which you’ll need to leave in the box if using a long graphics card — as I did for this build. Also included is an angled HDMI cable, which you’ll need if using a full-size graphics card, as the Graphics card ports are at the bottom in this layout. The cable I got was quite short at just over three feet (not quite enough to make it to my arm-mounted test monitor), but a company rep told me Ssupd would make a change to include a longer cable (and larger zip ties) on future shipments, although initial versions will likely include what you see above. The zip ties included aren’t nearly big enough to wrangle the excess mess of power cables I encountered with my ATX power supply.
The silver aluminum bar above is a shorter mount for the motherboard tray. You’ll use this if installing a four-slot graphics card, to shift the tray more toward the motherboard side. Keep in mind that doing this also minimizes the cooler clearance, which is also quite limited to begin with. You get 2.87 inches of CPU cooler clearance as standard, which shrinks to 2.09 inches if you make room for a thicker card. That means if you’re using a 4-slot card, there will even be some AIO coolers you’ll need to avoid. As I used a slim Noctua air cooler (more on this below), the limited space here wasn’t an issue.
The 2.5-slot Zotac RTX 2080 Amp Extreme I used fit without adjusting the motherboard tray, but left little room between the side panel and the case fans. So I’d recommend either opting for the mesh panel on the GPU side or moving the motherboard back. 240 or 280 mm radiators (or just 120/140mm fans) are supported in the front for cooling your CPU. But note if adding a fan and radiator, things will likely get very tight, since this is also where your excess power cable slack also needs to go. Even if you just install intake fans here, you may have issues with cables pushing up against your fan blades. So you’ll need to take extra care to keep this from happening.
The case supports either SFX or larger ATX power supplies, although the bracket of an SFX power supply comes pre-installed. And I’d recommend using one of these smaller supplies if at all possible, since it will give you extra space and you’ll likely have less cable slack. I used a modular ATX Seasonic Focus PSU and wound up with a big ugly bundle of cables zip-tied together and no place to hide them.
The Meshlcious supports basically two distinct component layouts, each with a mini-ITX motherboard. You can either use a small-form-factor graphics card mounted horizontally, up to 8.3 inches (or less with a front radiator), or a longer full-sized GPU up to 12.6 inches mounted vertically (which is what I installed). With the former, you can also install a drive rail system for 3.5 or 2.5-inch drives. With averically mounted longer GPU you’re limited to mounting two 2.5-inch drives on the bottom of the case. Rather than go over the full details of possible layouts, here are a couple of diagrams, direct from Ssupd.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The build scenario I went with was a combination of these two, using an air cooler like in the image above, left with a long GPU (below, right).
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Building in the Ssupd Meshlicious
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With the four sides popped off in a matter of seconds, building in the Ssupd Meshlicious was fairly straightforward, at least at first.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
For the sake of simplicity, I carried over the core components from the Asus ROG Z11 case story, including an ROG Strix B550-I Gaming motherboard, an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, a low-profile Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 chromax.Black CPU cooler, and the aforementioned Zotac RTX 2080 graphics card. We would have loved to upgrade to a Rzyen 5 CPU and a 30-series graphics card. But in case you haven’t noticed, both have been extremely scarce since launch, and for our purposes here, the existing parts work just fine.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I dropped the motherboard in first, complete with the cooler and RAM. Next I tried to jam the ATX power supply in before realizing the SFX bracket comes pre-installed. I removed that via four screws, then slotted in the Seasonic ATX PSU in the area to the right in the image above. That went without issue, until I realized the GPU riser cable wasn’t fully extended on the other side, and was stuck behind my power supply. So I had to remove the PSU momentarily and secure the PCIe slot near the bottom of the case for the vertical RTX 2080. For smaller cards mounted horizontally, the cable gets mounted near the top.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
That done, I was ready to install the graphics card and the sole SATA SSD for this build, an attractive Team Group T-Force Delta Max RGB model that added some extra RGB to this case that ships without lighting or fans. In this configuration, another 2.5 inch drive can be mounted on the bottom, in a tight spot below the power supply. But for that you’ll need remove the PSU, or install it and connect the cables before installing the power supply. Again, for those who want to install more than two 2.5-inch drives here, you’ll need to use the drive bracket, which necessitates you also use a much shorter graphics card, mounted horizontally. But given many ITX motherboards include two M.2 slots (one often hidden on the back like with our Asus board), plus the ability to install two 2.5 inch drives on the floor of the Meshlicous, that should suffice for most setups. If you’re looking to install lots of storage drives, you probably aren’t also looking for a super compact case.
With everything installed in the Meshlicious,it was instantly clear that I had a bunch of excess cabling, mostly from the power supply, but some from the SATA drive (which also requires a USB cable for its light show). And given that the case is so small, there was no place to effectively hide the mess. Had I installed a radiator and fans in the front and used an SFX PSU with shorter cables, perhaps I could have hidden the cables along the back edge of the radiator. But of course the radiator, pump and fans would have introduced more cabling and taken up a fair amount of space itself.
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For the sake of hitting the launch day on this case, I bunched the cables together hastily with a few zip ties and velcro straps and called it a day. I clearly could have been a bit neater, but with the cables near the CPU/motherboard side of the case, they aren’t all that visible with either the tinted tempered-glass side over the GPU area, and even less so if you opt for using the mesh panel here.
Gaming and Conclusion
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Given that most of the sides on the Meshlicious are mesh, you could get away without adding intake fans for plenty of builds, as I did here. But adding at least one in the front would be a good idea. Either that, or if you’re using a large and powerful GPU, you might want to consider buying a second mesh side panel to replace the glass one — even if just during long gaming sessions. The panel can be popped off and replaced in just a few seconds.
After about a half hour of playing Borderlands 3 at high settings with the glass panel on, the panel got surprisingly hot, which isn’t exactly surprising given how close the fans are to the un-vented side panel. And while you could swap the side panels and put mesh in front of the graphics card, that would mean your glass panel is going to sit right up against the intake of your power supply. I don’t have to tell you that restricted airflow like that — at the very least — isn’t great for the longevity of your PSU.
Moving the motherboard tray back nearly an inch, as noted earlier, could alleviate this issue somewhat, but not if you’re using a graphics card that’s 3 slots or more thick. It would have been nice if Ssupd had included at least one fan to mount in the front, but I can also see why the company didn’t. Most people will likely either want to install a front radiator (which will come with a pair of fans on its own) or use specific fans, be they RGB or, say, quiet and efficient Noctua spinners.
And again, for many more modest builds with graphics card TDPs south of 200 watts, you could likely get by without any added fans. After all, the Meshlicious gets its name from the fact that three of its sides are all mesh by default. Opt for a fourth mesh side panel for an extra $30 and your CPU and GPU coolers shouldn’t have an issue dissipating heat themselves.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Just don’t expect the Meshlicious to be any quieter than your components of choice, especially if you opt to put the mesh panel in front of your graphics card. Just as small cases like this involve tradeoffs in terms of component support, a mesh-covered case is going to trade some noise for better thermal dissipation. You should always choose your components wisely. But if building in this Ssupd case is your aim, you’ll want to spend extra time making sure your parts will … mesh well with the Meshlicious.
One of the most important decisions when building your PC, especially if you plan on overclocking, is choosing the best CPU cooler. The cooler is often a limiting factor to your overclocking potential, especially under sustained loads. Your cooler choice can also make a substantial difference in noise output. So buying a cooler that can handle your best CPU’s thermal output/heat, (be it at stock settings or when overclocked) is critical to avoiding throttling and achieving your system’s full potential, while keeping the whole system quiet.
If you already have an idea of what you’re looking for, check out our tested list of the Best CPU Coolers. If not, we’ll help you identify what type of cooler you need for your desktop PC, depending on your CPU and the things you do with it. Are you a heavy overclocker or do you prefer silent operation (or both)? Do you like a plain appearance or lots of RGB lights?
CPU Coolers come in dozens of shapes and sizes, but most fall into one of three primary categories: air, closed-loop or all-in one (AIO) coolers, or custom / open-loop cooling setups. Note that open-loop coolers are by far the most complex and expensive choice, though they can deliver unparalleled cooling results and unsurpassed looks. For a prime example of what can be achieved with a custom loop, see our Mirror Maze build, with its clear coolant and many mirrored surfaces.
Those looking to build an open-loop setup for the first time may want to check out Corsair’s HydroX lineup. It simplifies the process by walking you through selecting the right parts for your case, and provides video tutorials to ease installation. Don’t expect a HydroX setup to be anywhere near as affordable as a closed-loop or air cooler, however. Custom cooling setups are expensive, no matter whose parts you buy.
Air coolers, made of some combination of metal heatsinks and fans, come in all shapes and sizes and varying thermal dissipation capacities (sometimes listed as TDP). High-end air coolers these days rival many all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers that have become popular in the market over the past several years.
AIO or closed-loop coolers can be (but aren’t always) quieter than air coolers, without requiring the complications of cutting and fitting custom tubes and maintaining coolant levels after setup. AIOs have also become increasingly resistant to leaks over the years, and are easier to install. But they require room for a radiator, so may require a larger case than some air coolers.
If a high-end air cooler or AIO isn’t sufficient for the clock speeds you’re trying to achieve, the next step would be to go for a fully custom cooling loop with larger radiators able to remove even more heat from the system. In general, the larger the radiator on the AIO or custom-loop cooler, the better it will perform (although things like flow rate and fin density also come into play). But if you aren’t aiming for the best possible overclocks with a powerful high-end desktop (HEDT) CPU, there’s no practical reason to opt for a cooler with a massive three-fan radiator. For most mainstream platforms, something more modest will suffice.
Performance isn’t the only reason people look into buying a new cooling device for their PC. Quiet operation is often also a key consideration, especially if you’re building or upgrading a media PC for the living room or an office PC in an environment where fan noise would be disruptive. Plenty of enthusiasts and gamers prefer a quiet system.
The included coolers bundled these days with most AMD and Intel CPUs (Intel’s unlocked “K” SKUs notably don’t come with coolers) will generally do an adequate job, but Intel stock coolers, in particular, may not be as quiet as you’d like, even at stock CPU settings.
Here’s a quick comparison of some of the pros and cons of air and liquid cooling, to help narrow down your considerations. If you know what basic type of cooler you’re after, be sure to check out our picks for the best coolers of 2020. There you’ll find all of our favorite options for air and liquid cooling, based on years of testing hundreds of models.
Liquid Cooling Pros
Liquid Cooling Cons
+ Highest cooling potential
– Price is generally higher (and price to performance ratio is typically lower as well)
+ Fewer clearance issues around the socket
– (Slim) possibility of component-damaging leaks
Air Cooling Pros
Air Cooling Cons
+ Price is generally lower (better price to performance ratio)
– Limited cooling potential
+ No maintenance required
– Increased fitment issues around the socket with memory, fans, etc)
+ Zero chance for leaks
– Can be heavy/difficult to mount
Own a recent Ryzen CPU? You may not need to buy a cooler, even for overclocking. All Ryzen 300- and 2000-series processors and some older Ryzen models ship with coolers, and many of them can handle moderate overclocks. If you want the best CPU clock speed possible, you’ll still want to buy an aftermarket cooler, but for many Ryzen owners, that won’t be necessary.
Check clearances before buying. Big air coolers and low-profile models can bump up against tall RAM and even VRM heat sinks sometimes. And tall coolers can butt up against your case door or window. Be sure to check the dimensions and advertised clearances of any cooler and your case before buying.
More fans=better cooling, but more noise. The coolers that do the absolute best job of moving warm air away from your CPU and out of your case are also often the loudest. If fan noise is a problem for you, you’ll want a cooler that does a good job of balancing noise and cooling.
Make sure you can turn off RGB. Many coolers these days include RGB fans and / or lighting. This can be a fun way to customize the look of your PC. But be sure there’s a way, either via a built-in controller or when plugging the cooler into a compatible RGB motherboard header, to turn the lights off without turning off the PC.
How much can you spend?
Budget is probably the first thing you should consider. In general, air coolers start out much cheaper than alternatives, at around $25 (£19) less than any AIO, and the most expensive air coolers (around $100 or £78) can still be cheaper than many comparable AIOs. In short, you’ll usually get more cooling performance per dollar with an air cooler.
AIO coolers start off a bit higher than air, around $60 (£45), and can run well over $150 (some models in the UK cost over £200) depending on the brand, size, and features. In general, the larger the radiator and more RGB LED fans and lights, the more it will cost. AIO coolers typically work well in RGB LED ecosystems, with their fans supporting not only their own brand’s ecosystem/software but compatible with software from board makers as well.
Finally, building a custom liquid loop will cost the most money by far. Between the radiator, pump, tubing, fittings, and the CPU block, the total cost is going to be significantly higher than a closed-loop kit. What does this increased cost get you? Depending on the configuration, you can can get better performance, as well as the ability to customize the setup completely, with different coolant or tube colors, and the possibility of adding cooling to other components, like the graphics card, as well.
But custom water loops aren’t for everyone, regardless of price. The chance of a leak in a custom system is a lot higher than in a closed system, especially if you don’t have experience building custom cooling loops. That said, when done right, the overall risk of a leak is low.
How do I know what will fit in my system?
Whether you’re opting for air, an AIO, or custom water loop, you need to make sure it’s not too big. Factors here include the CPU socket as well as any potential chassis limitations for things like cooler height or radiator size. Most air coolers and closed-loop coolers offer a wide range of support for both AMD and Intel processors/sockets.
Typically, these devices include mounting hardware for several sockets, increasing compatibility across a wide range of sockets. We usually see the most popular models support Intel 1200, 115x, 2066, and 2011-v3 sockets. On the AMD side, support often includes AM2/AM2+, AM3, AM3+, and AM4.
The notably larger Threadripper processors have their own mounting and larger cold plate areas to better cool the acreage on the integrated heat spreader, so support for those is limited mostly to coolers designed for them, which often have the socket (TR4) name in the product. See, for example, the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3.
On the case side, it’s important to look at specifications for what size heatsink or radiator is supported. Chassis manufacturers usually list the maximum cooler height allowed, and heatsink makers will always list the dimensions of their coolers. Another consideration with air coolers is the amount of clearance under the cooler for the RAM slots. If you plan to use DIMMs with tall heat spreaders on them, you must make sure that your cooler allows enough clearance above the motherboard for your memory.
Below is an example of how dimensions are often listed, from a Noctua cooler manual.
(Image credit: Noctua)
For liquid cooling, either AIO or a custom loop, the number and size of radiators your case will support is key for deciding how many radiators you can install and how big they can be. Case manufacturers also typically list the radiator mounting locations and sizes.
Be careful with top-mounted radiators, because the total height of the radiator and your chosen fans can interfere with the top of the motherboard and its 8-pin power connector. Even if you have enough room, you’ll probably need to make sure that power connector is plugged in before installing your radiator and fans.
What Type of CPU Cooler is best for me, air or water?
If price and ease of install are your primary concerns, an air cooler is likely your best choice. Cooler Master’s under-$40 Hyper 212 RGB offers better performance than stock cooling solutions without adding much to your build budget. For a bit more, one of the best air coolers on the market is the be quiet! Dark Rock 4 ($75).
However, if you want a quieter PC with lower CPU temperatures, a water-based cooler is probably for you. Just plan to spend more money. A high-end AIO with a 280mm or 360mm radiator (like the CoolerMaster MasterLiquid ML360R RGB) will outperform–albeit sometimes not by much–most air coolers on the market. But unless your case is quite large, a three-fan radiator may not fit in your PC anyway.
(Image credit: Cooler Master)
There are also expandable kits available on the market like the Swiftech Drive x3 AIO ($165) which lose the CLC (closed loop cooler) nomenclature, allowing you to expand the cooling loop to other components, much like a custom loop than a sealed kit.
If you’re paying mid-range prices (less than $125) and don’t plan to set any records, both aftermarket air coolers and mid-range AIOs are plenty capable of keeping most processors within safe temperature ranges, including when overclocking. Key differences mostly come down to aesthetics and pricing. Products like the Corsair H100i Pro ($115) fall into this mid-range category, as does the Cooler Master MasterAir MA410M ($63) on the air-cooled side.
Whatever cooler you’re considering, check the TDP rating. In a lot of cases, air and AIO cooler specifications will also list the TDP rating (how much heat the cooler can dissipate), which is a good way to determine the capacity of the chosen unit. If the TDP of your processor is higher than what your cooler lists, chances are your CPU will throttle or your fan will run loud all the time (or both). But if the cooler is rated higher than the TDP of your CPU, temperatures should be lower and so should noise.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re looking to overclock your PC to its highest potential or just prevent throttling at stock speeds, you need to pay close attention to your CPU cooler. If you don’t have huge ambitions and you’re using a Ryzen chip, you may be able to save money by sticking with the stock cooler that came in your box. But otherwise, you should make sure you check the space and TDP requirements before choosing the right solution for your system.
Phanteks’ P360A is an excellent, affordable residence for a moderate build, and it comes with a whole lot of good-looking RGB too!
For
So much RGB
Includes well-featured standalone D-RGB controller
Chart-leading thermal performance
Excellent case for simple ATX systems
Just $65
Against
Materials are kinda cheap
No real intake filtration
Features and Specifications
Whenever a new case comes out with a price point that’s below $100, I get a little excited. When its $25 below that, it gets me pretty excited. So just imagine my joy when Phanteks sent me the P360A, which carries an MSRP of just $70 but is available for a few dollars less if you shop around.
Add to that an absolutely brilliant, vibrant, and lavish RGB implementation with two fans, an LED strip and a genuinely effective controller. My day has been made, and if you’re in the market for a case for a budget-oriented system but still want it to look good, this case is for you.
Of course, clear shortcuts have been taken to bring this kind of feature set to the table at this price. The sheet metal is quite thin, the paint job on the interior doesn’t ooze quality like more expensive cases, and the case doesn’t even include basic essentials such as a power LED, HDD LED, or a reset switch. There’s no USB Type-C to be found here, either.
However, none of those things really matter at this price – when finished, a system in the P360A genuinely looks good, cools well, and it’s easy to assemble. In case you haven’t guessed yet, the Phanteks P360A is easily deserving of a spot on our Best PC Cases list as Best Budget ATX case. Let’s find out why, shall we?
Specifications
Type
Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX
Dimensions (HxWxD)
18.5 x 7.8 x 17.7 inches (465 x 200 x 455 mm)
Max GPU Length
15.7 inches (400 mm)
CPU Cooler Height
6.3 inches (160 mm)
Max PSU Length
9.8 inches (250 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
2x 3.5-inch
2x 2.5-inch
Expansion Slots
7x
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm Audio/Mic Combo
Other
Tempered Glass Panel, D-RGB Controller
Front Fans
2x 130 mm (Up to 2x 140mm, 2x 120mm)
Rear Fans
None (Up to 1x 120mm)
Top Fans
None (Up to 2x 140mm)
Bottom Fans
✗
Side Fans
✗
RGB
Yes, Two Fans, LED Strip, D-RGB Controller Included
Damping
No
Warranty
1 Year
Features
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Touring around the exterior of the Phanteks P360A, it is immediately clear that this is a budget case. The sheet metal and glass panel are thin and the latter doesn’t quite line up with at the back of the case. And the PSU shroud is external, allowing for a smaller glass panel. Regardless, these shortcuts don’t take much away from the final look of the product, as the paint job on the outside is nice. The mesh intake is also well-manufactured, and as you’ll see later, there is a very nice RGB strip along the bottom of the side panel.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Phanteks doesn’t bother with a power LED, HDD LED or reset switches – all of that costs money and is rarely important anyway, so why bother when the funds can go to RGB instead? Front IO is covered by two USB 3.0 ports and separate headphone and mic jacks. The power button is at the center, and the two buttons you see below the USB ports are the RGB mode and RGB color selectors.
Internal Layout
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Inside the P360A there is space for up to an ATX motherboard and long graphics cards up to 400mm (15.75 inches), so you’ll be able to fit very powerful gaming systems in here. Storage options aren’t lavish, but then again that isn’t the focus of this chassis. There’s room for two 3.5-inch drives that slide in from the front, and two 2.5-inch drives behind the motherboard tray. You can buy an optional third tray to add a third 2.5-inch drive.
You’ll notice that on the interior, the paint job isn’t quite as nice as the outside, but it’s nothing to be concerned about.
The connectivity for the RGB is also found inside. The fans and LED strip all connect through Phanteks’ own 3-pin headers, but a ‘standard’ header is present to connect additional RGB devices not from Phanteks, and you can opt to connect the RGB to your motherboard and override the built-in controller. But in all fairness, what’s here is quite a good controller – there’s no need to shop for a board that has an A-RGB header, which can help you save some money.
Cooling
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Another spot where Phanteks cut costs is in the filtration – or rather, lack thereof. Of course, the marketing lingo is all about how the front panel filters without the need of a filter, but we both know that’s to cut the cost of a real air filter. The front has a 1mm perforation, which should take care of the worst offenders, but stuff will still get through more than a dedicated filter. Of course, the lack of removable filtration will be good for cooling.
That being said, you have to evaluate these things on a per-use-case basis. If you’re like me, and you run your PC for 12+ hours a day, you obviously want to pass on the P360A because you’ll be cleaning out the interior far too often. But if you only play games on it for a couple hours a day or so, the amount of dust that accumulates in the system will be far lower, so won’t be as much of an issue. Fortunately, there is a filter at the top above the radiator exhaust to protect from falling dust and debris, which will protect the system from passive pollution. The power supply also has its own filter to spare cleanup jobs there.
However, cooling is another area where the P360A differs from the P300A. It comes with two RGB fans instead of one non-RGB spinner, and the top radiator mount supports up to 240mm radiators instead of only a 120mm unit – something many buyers may appreciate. Theoretically, the case should also be able to fit a 280mm cooler at the top, but you’ll undoubtedly run into the VRM coolers or tall memory with the vast majority of motherboards, so I’d recommend you stick with a 240mm AIO at the largest.
If you’re dead-set on a 280mm radiator though, you can mount it at the front, but I don’t see why you would want to get rid of the pretty fans that are included.
When you think of Asus, generally, you only think of its as a motherboard, graphics card, and laptop manufacturer. But the company has expanded its influence over the past few years to include PC peripherals, PC cases, and AIO liquid coolers. So it should come as no surprise that Asus is entering the case fan market with its own ROG Strix XF120 120mm chassis fan.
The XF120 features high-end specs. Similar to the ML120s from Corsair, the XF120 comes with a MagLev bearing, reinforced fiberglass material, grooved fan blades with rounded edges, and anti-vibration pads.
The operating range for the XF 120 is quite good, with its minimum RPM targeted at just 250RPM and a maximum RPM of 1800RPM. This is perfect for a case fan, as generally, case fans don’t need to run at the same RPM levels as CPU cooler fans.
(Image credit: YouTube)
XF120 Specs:
Acoustics:
22.5dba
Cooling Stats:
62.5CFM/3.7mmH20
Longevity:
400,000 hours
For Asus’ first chassis fan, the specs for the XF120 are quite good; compared to big case fan brands like the Silent Wings 3 from Be Quiet! or the Fractal Design Venturi, the XF120 brings similar performance with better acoustics.
But compared to Asus’ biggest competitor, the Corsair ML120, that fan has better cooling performance specs-wise. But that fan also has a much higher RPM range and is optimized towards airflow and static pressure, whereas Asus’ XF120 is optimized purely for airflow, not static pressure.
The Asus XF120 looks promising, but we still don’t know what it will cost – all we know is a release target for April. Hopefully, we can get a few of these XF120s in our lab to test in the future.
This isn’t something you see every day: Artifact Studios has made a sneaker that has all the bells and whistles of a full-grown gaming PC equipped with an RTX 3080 Founders Edition and paired with NZXT components. If you’re a fan of high-end sneakers and PC hardware, this is a dream come true!
The shoe features a black and white color scheme, awfully similar to that of NZXT’s H710 computer case that comes in a black and white finish. There’s a CPU block on the side of the shoe that looks like the block from an NZXT Kraken AIO. The screen on the CPU block is fully functional, just like the real thing.
Inside the shoe, there’s a fully built PC inside that you can see through a fake-looking tempered glass, with a motherboard, four memory sticks, another CPU water block with another fully functional screen, and fans on the bottom of the “case.” It looks very realistic — you can even see a fake CMOS battery on the motherboard itself.
This shoe is definitely a work of art; for now, though it seems it is just a prototype. But maybe with enough hype, Artifact Studios will make a limited production run of the NZXT-themed shoe!
(If you haven’t caught on already, no, this shoe is not a real gaming PC.)
João Silva 36 mins ago Featured Tech News, Monitors
Philips has announced a new monitor featuring a minimalistic design for the workspace. The Philips 288E2UAE monitor features a 4K resolution and enhanced connectivity options to improve productivity.
The Philips 288E2UAE monitor comes equipped with a 28-inch IPS panel with a 4K resolution, 4ms G2G response time, and a 60Hz refresh rate. This IPS panel has an 8-bit colour depth, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 300nits of brightness, covering up to 106.9% of the NTSC colour spectrum and 119.7% of the sRGB colour gamut. The monitor comes factory calibrated with a Delta E < 2 (sRGB).
Featuring SmartImage game modes, users have a wide variety of colour presets to choose from when displaying content on the 288E2UAE monitor. It also features SmartContrast to automatically calibrate the contrast ratio based on the content being display, Adaptive sync to prevent tearing, and flicker-free technology and LowBlue mode to reduce the users’ eye fatigue and damage when using this monitor for extended periods.
This monitor has a pair of 3W speakers, a DisplayPort, an HDMI port, and a USB-hub with 4x USB-A 3.2 interfaces. The included stand allows the user to tilt (-5º to 20º) and adjust the height of the monitor by 100mm. Additionally, users can mount a VESA 100x100mm monitor arm on the back to improve the monitor’s ergonomics.
Pricing and availability of the Philips 288E2UAE have not been disclosed yet. You can learn more about this monitor HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you all think of the latest monitor from Philips? Are you considering jumping to a UHD monitor for productivity purposes?
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Asus to launch ROG Ryujin II 240 CPU cooler with a 3.5-inch display
Asus is readying up a successor to its ROG Ryujin AIO CPU cooler. The new …
In the course of his showcase event as part of the CES 2021 ASUS introduced the successor to the ASUS ROG Ryujin. The ASUS ROG Ryujin II is an all-in-one water cooling system with an integrated LC display and 240 – mm radiator. While the previous one on the screen was still on a diagonal of 1, 77 inches, the screen on the new model grew to almost double at 3.5 inches. Curiously, this is the same size as the iPhone 4’s display a few years ago. Juan Jose Guerrero III, Technical Marketing Manager, has also published the first photos of the AiO. For the fans, ASUS continues to use 113 – mm design from the Austrian manufacturer Noctua.
The Noctua NF-F used 12 PWM from the black industrialPPC series has a capacity of up to 2. 000 RPM. In addition, ASUS has installed a cooler / pump combination in the AiO water cooling system including a 200 -mm heat exchanger from Asetek. Of course, there is also RGB lighting on board, which can be synchronized with other components in the PC using ASUS Aura Syn. So far, ASUS has not announced the price or release date of the ASUS ROG Ryujin II All-in-One water cooling. However, since the predecessor is traded in the area around the 120, a similar price range for the successor likely. More details will certainly follow.
Home/Component/Cooling/Asus to launch ROG Ryujin II 240 CPU cooler with a 3.5-inch display
João Silva 39 mins ago Cooling, Featured Tech News
Asus is readying up a successor to its ROG Ryujin AIO CPU cooler. The new ROG Ryujin II 240 is fairly similar to its predecessor with one key difference – a massive 3.5-inch LCD screen on top of the pump.
Featuring a 240mm radiator and 2x 120mm fans, the upcoming ROG Ryujin II 240 also comes with a 3.5-inch screen that allows the user to see the temperatures of the system components or display custom images. The predecessor of this cooler, the ROG Ryujin 240, already featured a screen on the pump, but it was only about half as big (1.77-inch) and it was an OLED instead of LCD.
According to VideoCardz (via TechPowerUp), Juan Jose Guerrero III, ASUS Technical Marketing Manager, shared a photo of the unreleased ROG Ryujin II 240 mounted on a Z590 ROG Maximus Hero motherboard. Although the photo doesn’t show any RGB, this AIO CPU cooler will feature Asus Aura addressable RGB lighting, allowing users to synchronise it with other Asus Aura Sync compatible components.
Asus has not announced pricing or availability details yet but we should hear more on that soon.
KitGuru says: Have you ever owned an Asus AIO CPU cooler? Do you like the 3.5-inch display screen on the ROG Ryujin II AIO? Would you like to have this cooler in your system?
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Apple reportedly planning a niche VR headset launch for 2022
We’ve known for quite some time now that Apple is working on its own Virtual …
Hardwareluxx and case modding belong together like the beach and the sea. At our annual modding contest, for 10 years, there have been extraordinary creations that astonish even our editors. We have already seen topics such as “Gold Rush” or complex modifications that are more reminiscent of a work of art than a computer. Even if most of the participants in our contest rebuild their cases for the fun of it and can thus live out their hobby, there are always professional artists who let their creativity run free when rebuilding a computer.
So does Artifact Studios, which primarily specialize in customizing sneakers. Now, in collaboration with the manufacturer NZXT, artists have combined both worlds and turned a sneaker into a PC case. The work of art can not only be seen visually, but also has a lot to offer in terms of hardware. Among other things, an adapted NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card was used. To ensure that the computer is adequately cooled, Artifact Studios relies on a NZXT AiO Kraken cooler including an OLED display.
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It is currently unclear which other components were used. Although the video allows a glimpse into the inside of the shoe, it seems to be more of a rendered image than of a really functional PC. So it remains to be seen whether NZXT will publish further details of the artwork in the near future. But even if the sneaker is not a working computer, the creation by Artifact Studios is definitely an eye-catcher.
If you would like to admire other creations by the artists, you will find corresponding images on the studio’s official Instagram account.
Introduction to the EKWB AIO Elite D-RGB specifications by 360 mm
This is not the first time that we tested an all-in-one kit from EKWB , on the other hand, one of the most famous brands of custom systems and with a more varied catalog of exchange blocks, but It is also true that our previous experience was with a less massive system than this, although among our results lists it is still one of the most compensated that we have tested in recent months.
The EKWB AIO D-RGB of 243 mm we tested is very similar to this new kit, uses the same exchange block and has the same lighting capacity, but it is nowhere near as massive as mo the Elite model we tested today. This new model not only uses a larger radiator, of 395 mm, but also mounts six high-quality fans designed for liquid cooling systems to maximize low performance any circumstance.
Technical characteristics of the EKWB AIO Elite 395 D-RGB
Dynamic pressure: 2. 89 mmH 22 (at maximum frequency)
Fan Power Connector: 4-Pin PWM
Fan voltage: 12 v
Fan current: 0. 64 To
Set TPD: 350 w
Warranty: 5 years.
Radiator
This kit that we analyze today has an approximate cost of 240 Euros, is relatively inexpensive considering its characteristics, so perhaps some of the elements are not all “excellent” that we can see in customized solutions of this same brand. I am talking in this case of the radiator that opts for a more economical but efficient solution made of aluminum, but with the same design that EKWB uses in its more expensive and advanced copper models.
In this In case our test sample uses an aluminum radiator made of 360 mm, but the Elite range can also be found in a variant with a radiator of 350 mm which is also a great option since it mounts 4 fans of 1400 mm that will move more air with less noise. Even so, the version that increases the cooling capacity the most is still this thanks to the greater exchange surface of its radiator of 360 mm and its six 200 mm.
The radiator has the usual flat pipe design through which the coolant circulates connected with zigzag aluminum sheets to maximize the exchange surface. It is the same design that we see in any refrigeration system. One of the peculiarities of this radiator is that the support is completely flat and the connections used by EK, the connection fittings are made of aluminum with a turning capacity of 395 degrees .
In the model that we have analyzed, from 360 mm, we can mount up to six fans of 200 mm (which this kit includes) and the thickness of the radiator is 27 mm. It is very standard and should be able to be installed in almost any box that has been intended for cooling systems. With this configuration, with six fans, with this radiator, we could dissipate more than 350 w heat with very low noise levels.
Exchanger and pump
In this Elite kit from EKWB we see the same design as the normal models use the same pump set plus exchange block, except that this diffuser is dark in color and does not really have any type of integrated lighting, except for the EKWB logo that crowns the cover. The rest is identical to the model we already tested and that is good because EKWB has an excellent set that includes something that we love in this type of system, such as a variable speed PWM control pump.
The heat exchanger is completely made of copper to maximize heat exchange, on the one hand it has a micro-channeling design that increases turbulence and adds exchange surface and on the other, in the area of contact with the processor, a medium polish with the thermal paste already applied. EKWB adds extra thermal paste so that we can maintain our block at least a couple more times. It is a block, and a fixing system, designed for any processor on the market except AMD Threadripper processors.
The pump is a PWM-adjusted impeller, with 4-pin connector, mounted on a steel chassis within the exchange block. It has the possibility of adjusting the turning speed between the 1000 and the 3300 rpm with adjustment between 25 and the 100% of frequency. It is a tad faster and more powerful than in the normal models of the brand that mount a pump with the same possibilities, but with a minimum frequency of 450 rpm and a maximum of 3600 rpm. The increase in frequency does not add much sound load and if a performance plus.
The entire block is made of low permeability ABS, except for the aluminum reinforcement for the inlet of the tubes, and includes an anchoring system for any modern or old AMD and Intel processor. The only exception is the AMD Threadripper for which this model does not have mounting capacity, the pity is that this model has ample capacity to handle these processors and would be an economical option for users of these powerful processors.
Tubes
EKWB has used reinforced tubes in this kit, tubes of which they do not give more details about the specific material of their manufacture, although without a doubt we are talking ndo of synthetic polyamide tubes. The tubes have internal reinforcement to avoid pinching and are low permeability to avoid the maintenance of the system during all the years of its life, offering the manufacturer a five-year guarantee on this model.
The tubes also have a braided nylon cover to increase their resistance. This will prevent friction from damaging the tube inside the cover. The tubes, which we have not seen for a long time in an AIO (All in One) refrigeration system, end in aluminum fittings with 360 degrees. This material is rare to see in this type of assembly, usually they are nylon or ABS fittings to match the pump block cover.
The tube has almost 450 mm long, so it is perfect for mounting in modern Mid-tower boxes, both for side mounting, top mounting or on the same support plate plate. We should not have a problem mounting in any modern box of the right size and designed for liquid cooling systems.
Fans
EK adds some of its best fans, the Vardar S, to its Elite series of cooling kits A- RGB. The Vardar S is a fan of 120 mm specially designed for use in radiators. It has a static pressure achieved by the design of its seven blades. This model, to be A-RGB, uses the entire surface of the blades and rotor as a lighting diffuser.
Supports A-RGB connectivity, with built-in bridge and independent wiring, and PWM connection for the rotor. The working frequencies are between 600 and the 2200 rpm, so we must have a good control over them if we don’t want high noise levels. Produces up to 38 noise dBA at maximum rotation frequency.
Its only defect is that the fans do not have some kind of silentblocks integrated, although the flat surface of the radiator mounting system It seems to make a good connection and we have not noticed any vibration during our tests and in this case it is harder than in the model we tested previously that only mounted two fans.
Noise and temperature
Testing machine:
Processor: AMD Ryzen 3800 X
Memory: GoodRA M 19 GB DDR4 3600
Source: Seasonic Connect 751 w
Hard Drive: Corsair MP 600
Box: Seasonic SYNCRO Q 742
As usual we have tested this kit with our fully integrated liquid cooling system test bench. It consists mainly of an AMD Ryzen 7 3800 X with a TDP consumption of 100 W to which we let its turbo frequencies self-manage during stress tests.
Idle noise (dBA)
Load noise (dBA )
CPU Temp (Idle)
Idle (rpm)
Radiator Temp (charge)
CPU Temp (load)
Load (rpm)
Assembly
Another advantage of this Elite series, over the more standard models, is that they have a lighting concentrator and fans that we can easily hide behind the motherboard. It supports up to six fans and six ARGB connections and also has its own built-in ARGB LED for an extra pop of color. The anchor of this hub is that of a 2.5 ”unit, so we can mount it in any anchor for this type of units in our chassis.
Of this mode we will have a single connection for the A-RGB with our motherboard, and it supports all the first brands, and a connection for the CPU fan and that the motherboard manages all in the same unified way.
If I recommend using the dedicated connectivity of the most modern motherboards for the management of the variable pump, thus we will have the best performance and the lowest possible noise with a centralized management that the motherboard manufacturers have also worked very well to optimize our cooling.
The assembly of the block is really simple, both for AMD and Intel and it is just as accessible if we do it with the plate removed from the box or with it already mounted when we have to do maintenance. It has its own backplate anchoring system, which in AMD takes advantage of the standard one, and its four-point anchor is very easy to adjust and makes perfect contact thanks to its integrated spring system at each pressure point. Someone with experience can take time to assemble this kit in a box around the 31 minutes, most of that time locating fans and wiring.
Superb cooling, good price
The larger a radiator and the more fans we place, the better the cooling it produces, care must be taken in the vibration and noise that all this large number of fans can produce , we can also use several of them in the box and leave the block with three, for example, we will always have that option.
Be that as it may, and being a bit louder than other kits in our comparison, the performance of this unit in load is perfectly acceptable, not to mention that it is quite silent and above all it gives us an important extra cooling. It is quite a powerhouse when it comes to AIO systems and has everything we expect from a modern, high-quality system. All this with a very attractive price of just over 200 Euros.
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