Air
Air cooling — dual tower
AiO-class performance without a pump
Air
- Heat handled
- 180–280 W
- Noise under load
- 26–36 dBA
- Typical price
- PLN 300 – PLN 600
Two fin stacks and usually two fans. This class matches 240 mm liquid coolers on heat removal while keeping the simplicity and reliability of air.
The cost is physical: these coolers weigh 1.2 to 1.5 kg and can occupy a third of the width of the case. Check your case specification for maximum cooler height before buying.
Strengths
- Performance comparable to a 240 mm radiator
- Still no pump and no liquid
- Very quiet when the fans are allowed to run slowly
Trade-offs
- Significant mass hanging off the motherboard
- Often overhangs the first memory slot
- Needs a case at least 165 mm wide
Community opinions
„I moved from a 240 mm AiO to a dual tower and my load temperatures went up by two degrees. In exchange the pump hum is gone and I paid half what the AiO cost.”
ThermalBudget · Tom's Hardware Forum