Which CPU Cooler do I go for, Standard AMD or otherwise?
- Thread starter James1579
- Start date
SpyderTracks
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It's not really possible to comment on individual components as they all interlink and are reliant on others.
If you post your full proposed spec, what it's for and what your max budget is then we can give some advice.
Also what monitor are you pairing it with, what resolution and refresh rate or make and model if you're unsure?
Case
NZXT H511 MID-TOWER GAMING CASE (WHITE)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (4.5GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Graphics Card; https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TZ69CWF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
PC Monitor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZJS519V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ideally I just want to play min-mid games, such as CSGO, PUBG, R6S, etc. I originally opted for the standard AMD CPU Cooler, however I was wondering if this would be sufficent enough? or do I need to switch to a better CPU cooler just to be sure? The above build is already in pre-production, but I was wondering if I should change the CPU Cooler, or keep it the same? or change to the PCS FROSTFLOW 80 SERIES HIGH PERFORMANCE. I may also want to do some over clocking in the future, whether it be minor or very little.
NZXT H511 MID-TOWER GAMING CASE (WHITE)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (4.5GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Graphics Card; https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TZ69CWF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
PC Monitor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZJS519V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ideally I just want to play min-mid games, such as CSGO, PUBG, R6S, etc. I originally opted for the standard AMD CPU Cooler, however I was wondering if this would be sufficent enough? or do I need to switch to a better CPU cooler just to be sure? The above build is already in pre-production, but I was wondering if I should change the CPU Cooler, or keep it the same? or change to the PCS FROSTFLOW 80 SERIES HIGH PERFORMANCE. I may also want to do some over clocking in the future, whether it be minor or very little.
Hi there, thanks for coming back with the updated info. To be honest, you’re coming into the market at a funny time, we’re about to have the next generation of Nvidia GPUs released which will give us a whole heap of power at a very competitive price point. You’d ideally want the 2070 Super to run that monitor, those cards may become cheaper in the near future. Or wait and see what kind of performance the upcoming 3060 will have...
For your uses, the standard AMD cooler would be absolutely fine. However, there are a few things on your build which could be tweaked. The case isn’t bad at all but the airflow could be better, there are options where you won’t need the extra case fans (which are budget and known to be a bit noisy).
I’d recommend keeping the 3600XT that you originally specced, it’s a very capable gaming chip and won’t struggle with the games you’re playing.
I wouldn’t scrimp on the PSU or the motherboard, the CV series are serviceable but pretty low end and the B450 is at the end of it’s lifespan. If you can budget for it, the following build will safeguard you for future upgrades.
Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (4.5GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation
NONE
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Price: £965.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/0M6bDT!07d/
For your uses, the standard AMD cooler would be absolutely fine. However, there are a few things on your build which could be tweaked. The case isn’t bad at all but the airflow could be better, there are options where you won’t need the extra case fans (which are budget and known to be a bit noisy).
I’d recommend keeping the 3600XT that you originally specced, it’s a very capable gaming chip and won’t struggle with the games you’re playing.
I wouldn’t scrimp on the PSU or the motherboard, the CV series are serviceable but pretty low end and the B450 is at the end of it’s lifespan. If you can budget for it, the following build will safeguard you for future upgrades.
Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (4.5GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation
NONE
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Price: £965.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/0M6bDT!07d/
Is that case mandatory? I'm certain the airflow is better, but I prefer the look of the NZXT personally.
I'm a bit unsure when it comes to PSU, is 750W premium really needed for my type of build? I'm not on a budget but I was just curious to if it's really necessary or not. Like say if I upgrade my GPU in the future?
Are you certain that I don't need a CPU cooler and the stock is fine? Just don't want to have any temperature issues!
I noticed that you changed the Wireless/Wired Networking, why?
So you're saying that I don't need those extra two fans?
Is there a major difference between B450 AND B550, besides NVME 4.0?
In terms of Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 5 3600 XT, there is only a 3-4 FPS increase at most when watching comparisions, so for an extra £70 I don't believe that's worth it?
I apologise for all the questions, this is my first custom build and I want to get it right!
I'm a bit unsure when it comes to PSU, is 750W premium really needed for my type of build? I'm not on a budget but I was just curious to if it's really necessary or not. Like say if I upgrade my GPU in the future?
Are you certain that I don't need a CPU cooler and the stock is fine? Just don't want to have any temperature issues!
I noticed that you changed the Wireless/Wired Networking, why?
So you're saying that I don't need those extra two fans?
Is there a major difference between B450 AND B550, besides NVME 4.0?
In terms of Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 5 3600 XT, there is only a 3-4 FPS increase at most when watching comparisions, so for an extra £70 I don't believe that's worth it?
I apologise for all the questions, this is my first custom build and I want to get it right!