Need a good Air Cooling Unit

Hardware Hub Cooling
1

Hey guys, I'm gathering parts for my first PC build and I'm going to have a i7 4790K CPU and I can't decide whether to get a AIO liquid cooler or an Air cooler.

For the liquid cooler I have done research and even the best AIO coolers like the Corsair H110I GTX have problems like high CPU temps, short life span, etc... I have also researched the H240-X CPU Liquid Cooling KiT as it is probably the best option and it has it's problems too.

I'm looking for a good air cooler that will keep the CPU running cool in idle and in continuous hours of heavy gaming (4-6 hrs).
Price is not really a concern, I just need a good air cooler that will keep my CPU nice and cool.
(Preferably if someone has that air cooler and can vouch for it's performance)

P.S. Sorry if this post is long, it's my first post and need some help. :)

2

Air:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608045

AIO:
http://predator.ekwb.com/

3

Hey thanks for the suggestions.
Do you own the Noctua NH-D15?
If you do I was wondering, what are your usual CPU temps?

4

With air coolers there's 3 I'd recommend, each for different needs.

Cryorig R1 -performance + aesthetics
Dark rock pro 3 - silence + aethetics
NH-D15 - silence + performance.

5

I have the NH-U14S, which uses the same 150mm fan. Kept my 125 Watt TDP FX-4170 under 38 on full load as well as keeping my FX-8320E (90 Watt TDP) under 35 under full load (or under 40 with 30 degree ambient temperature). Completely overkill because I do not overclock, but I like the 6 year warranty, which means that the cooler will stay with me for the next two upgrades. The 4790K has only a 88 Watt TDP, how much are you going to overclock?

If price isn't really a concern and you are not overclocking something like a 5960X with 140Watt TDP an air unit should be fine and quieter.

You have to think about RAM clearance if you go with one of @SpaceCat s big dual tower coolers. A smaller cooler might be enough for you.

6

I'm probably not going to overclock my CPU anytime soon, maybe in the later years when games are more demanding. I will stick to the 4.0 Ghz, so I will probably invest in the NH_D15.

7

Well, you get 6 years of warranty on cooler & fans. Austrians are known for being conservative. That is a lot more of worry-free time than any AIO cooling unit will provide. If you remember the video about Logans rig he stated that he needed the AIO for the extra 100Mhz in overclocking (of a 5960X mind you), sooooo you will be fine on air. Plus noctua will provide you with mounting hardware for upcoming sockets so you can reuse the cooler if needed.

8

Ok, thanks for the help.

9

Logan just did a stock, and overclocking performance test on the D15S (a slightly modified version of the D15 to allow for extra component clearance), which may be worth checking out