Latest Tech News, Product Reviews & Buyer's Guide
  • News
  • Reviews
  • How To
  • Hardware
    • CPUs
    • Computer Cases
    • Motherboards
    • RAM
    • GPU
    • PSU
    • SSD
    • Fans & Cooling
  • Gadgets
  • Laptops
  • Gaming
No Result
View All Result
Latest Tech News Today, Reviews & Guides
No Result
View All Result

Home » Buyer's Guide » Fans & Cooling

Best 120mm AIO Liquid Coolers You Can Buy Today

Anmol by Anmol
June 24, 2020
Best 120mm AIO Liquid Coolers You Can Buy Today
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

So, you’ve chosen the major components of your custom PC. You picked the motherboard, CPU, GPU, maybe even a power supply. And you decided on a case. Now you stumble onto heat regulation. There are all sorts of terms, AIO, Liquid coolers, and choices to make about sizes and fans.

Don’t be overwhelmed. We’re here to help.

All In One (AIO) coolers are compact liquid coolers that provide better thermal stability than air coolers. At times, it is even a better option for efficiency. They also don’t ask for the high prices custom liquid loops demand and are easier to set up by yourself. The 120 mm form factor is the smallest standard size, best suited if you have a compact PC case.

There is a range of options available in the market. Some have better aesthetics while others focus on performance or minimizing noise. Read on to find which 120 mm AIO cooler is the best for you.

Before You Jump In

First, let’s get back to the basics.

A cooling system is necessary to reduce the temperature of your internals, obviously. Higher temperature impacts the health of components is uncomfortable, and the big one: causes throttling. Your CPU and GPU generate heat. Thermal throttling protects the chips from harm, decreasing performance after a certain temperature threshold is crossed. This limit depends on the component; for example, the RTX 2080 is said to have a max temp of 88C, according to NVIDIA. A rule-of-thumb is to stay below 80 degrees.

There are different cooling solutions, as you might’ve heard.

  • Air coolers are simple and perform well in normal circumstances, i.e., spacious cases and light to medium loads. They are easy to maintain and are quite cost-effective. Your spacing needs to be proper, however, and they can often be noisy.
  • AIOs have more parts and complexity. They are also pricier in general. If one fails, your option in most cases is to replace it wholly. They fare better in smaller spaces, are more stable thermally, and have a likable aesthetic.
  • Custom liquid setups are the premium market. They perform exceptionally, allowing insane overclocking. When done well, they look classy. However, the downside is the cost, both of your money and your time. Regular maintenance will be necessary, and you’ll need to get your hands dirty.

So, if you want to go with the mid-market AIOs, there are a few things you should be aware of.

  • The most significant bits are the radiator, fan, and pump.
  • Before even reading any reviews, you need to check the size of your case and the wattages. A great AIO is useless if it doesn’t meet the clearances of your casing.
  • Merely buying a cooler will not be the end-all. You will need to place it well in your layout.
  • 120 mm is the smallest commonly available size, able to fit even cramped mini-ITX cases.
  • The fundamental trade-off is between temperature and noise. High static pressure and fan RPM will reduce the temperature, but be quite noisy. And vice versa.

At a Glance – 120 mm Square-off

Preview
Product name
Specs
 

Overall Best in Class

NZXT Kraken M22

  • Radiatior Dimensions: 120 x 152 x 27 mm
  • Fan Dimension:: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
  • Fan Noise Level (max):: 36 dBA
  • Fan Speed (max):: 2,000 +/- 300RPM
  • Fan Static Pressure:: 2.93mm-H2O
Check Price Read review >

RGB For Cheap

Corsair Hydro H60

  • Radiatior Dimensions: 120 x 152 x 27 mm
  • Fan Dimension:: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
  • Fan Noise Level (max):: 30.85 dBA
  • Fan Speed (max):: 2000 RPM
  • Fan Static Pressure:: 2.36 mm-H2O
Check Price Read review >

Best Silent AIO Cooler

Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L

  • Radiatior Dimensions: 157 x 119.6 x 27 mm
  • Fan Dimension:: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
  • Fan Noise Level (max):: ~30 dBA
  • Fan Speed (max):: 2000 ± 10% RPM
  • Fan Static Pressure:: 2.34 mmH2O
Check Price Read review >

Best Budget 120 mm AIO

EVGA CLC 120

  • Radiatior Dimensions:156 x 122 x 28 mm
  • Fan Dimension:: 120 x 120 x 25 mm
  • Fan Noise Level (max):: 32.1 dBA
  • Fan Speed (max):: 1800 +/- 10% RPM
  • Fan Static Pressure:: 2.13 mm-H20
Check Price Read review >

Overall Best in Class

NZXT Kraken M22

NZXT is a company that sells well-built, sleek products. And the Kraken M22 is no exception. It is pricey compared to the rest of this list at a hundred dollars but does the job nicely. And hey, they no longer seem to be collecting your data as much!

NZXT Kraken M22 - Overall Best in Class

Key Features

  • RGB pump lighting and infinity mirror design
  • CAM-powered software control
  • Aer P120 radiator fan
  • 3-year warranty
  • Supported Sockets: Intel Socket 1200, 1151, 1150, 1155, 1156, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 Core i5 / Core i3 / Pentium / Celeron
    AMD AM4, FM2+, FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2
    Ryzen / FX / Athlon X4 / Athlon X2 / A-Series APU / Phenom / Phenom II / Athlon / Athlon II / Sempron
Pros:

  • Good cooling
  • Simple software control
  • Ultramodern design
Cons:

  • Hefty price
  • Fans don’t have lighting
Bottom Line: The lack of fan lighting is somehow offset by the pump’s design, but it comes down to preference. It performs solidly, with average fan noise. The M22 is a no-brainer if your pockets are deep.
Check price on Amazon

Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L

RGB For Cheap

Despite its frankly ridiculous name, the ML120L ticks almost all boxes. It performs okay, has a reasonable price of $70, and has RGB to complete your hyped-up setup. Just don’t expect it to keep up when you overclock.

Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L - RGB For Cheap

Key Features

  • Pump and fan RGB lighting
  • RGB control via motherboard or manually
  • MF120R radiator fan
  • 2-year warranty
  • Supported Sockets: Intel 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066
    AMD AM3, AM2
Pros:

  • Well-priced
  • RGB
Cons:

  • Poor installation guide
  • Average performance
Bottom Line: Cooler Master’s offering is more suited for mood lighting than cooling. But if you aren’t likely to push performance limits out of your hardware and require flamboyance, the ML120L is an easy purchase.
Check price on Amazon

Corsair Hydro H60

Best Silent AIO Cooler

Corsair’s a big brand, for a good reason. Among their numerous Hydro offerings, we recommend Hydro H60 for price-performance balance. At around the $80 mark, you get a single fan cooler with great software control. While nowhere close to shabby, it’s not high in the design department. If you don’t have a transparent case or just don’t care, this might be for you.

Corsair Hydro H60- Best Silent AIO Coolers

Key Features

  • White LED-lit pump
  • 120 mm SP series PWM fan
  • 5-year warranty
  • Supported Sockets: LGA2066, LGA2011-v3, LGA2011, LGA1200, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366, LGA775, AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1
Pros:

  • Silent fans
  • Reliable performance
Cons:

  • No standout features
  • Average design
Bottom Line: If you like Corsair’s brand, get this one. It’ll not disappoint majorly but is also unlikely to wow, except in the noise department. Look elsewhere for glamor.
Check price on Amazon

EVGA CLC 120

Best Budget 120 mm AIO

This one’s a catch, at just around $64 currently. It even competes with the prices of air coolers without sacrificing capability. However, you’ll need to do some tinkering and DIY upgrades to get the most out of it.

EVGA CLC 120 - Best Budget 120 mm AIO coolers

Key Features

  • 120 mm PWM fan
  • 5-year warranty
  • Supported Sockets: Intel LGA2011/2011-v3/
    1150/1151/1155/1156/1366 and upcoming variants
Pros:

  • Great value-for-money
  • Commendable performance
Cons:

  • Poor software
  • Noisy stock fans
Bottom Line: If you’d like to have liquid cooling but like spending as little as possible, go buy the EVGA CLC 120. Then replace the fans with Arctic ones, spend some time tweaking things, and you’re good to go.
Check price on Amazon

Glossary and FAQs

Confused by some of the terms we used above? Have more questions? Here’s the answers to all your questions.

  • Radiator: A radiator is similar to a heat sink but bigger. Put simply, it is a device that sheds heat into its environment. In contrast to a heat sink, it has some sort of fluid or coolant within thin tubes. Poorly built radiators may start to leak, which is a safety concern.
  • Fan: An AIO fan is the same as a general cooling/computer fan. It focuses not just on optimizing but also on pushing air through. It uses electricity to actively draw cooler air from outside a case and expel warm air. It is characterized by static pressure and RPM. Depending on the build, it can be silent or noisy. Companies like to put lighting on it, sometimes.
  • Static Pressure: Static pressure is a measure of how much air a fan can push through. Basically, it is how much torque the fan can handle, since it needs to blow through the radiator in AIO cases.
  • RPM: Revolutions Per Minute indicates how fast a fan can spin. Higher RPMs mean noisier fans, but better airflow. CPU fans come at around 1000-2000 RPM.
  • Pump: The pump is attached to the heat source (CPU), from which it takes heat away into the water. The pump then sends this hot water to the radiator via tubing. If your radiator leaks, then its a concern. If your pump fails, however, it becomes a hazard. Just think of hot water spilling over your lovely motherboard. You don’t want that, right?
  • Tubing: As you might have gathered, tubing is the part that connects the pump and the radiator. AIOs have somewhat flexible tubing, to allow for fitting. But don’t bend them too much, or the flow will not be smooth.

Do I need to/Should I refill my AIO?

No. Most AIO coolers cannot be serviced. Period. Moreover, they are designed to be replaced. Companies make them so that the fluid doesn’t need to be refilled for its useful life.

Is AIO safe?

Yes. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be sold, right? The nasty problems, pump failure, and coolant leaking are practically guaranteed to never happen. You might run into fan problems or mounting problems occasionally, though.

Is 120mm right for me?

Maybe. This highly depends on your case and the space you have inside it. If you have space, going for 240mm is often worthwhile, while going 360mm has diminishing returns. If you have a small setup and don’t want custom liquid solutions, then 120mm might be your only option.

Does placement matter?

Yes. An AC placed on the trunk of a car would be silly, wouldn’t it?

Where do I put my AIO, then?

Depends. Not all case layouts are the same. You can find plenty of videos regarding AIO installation on YouTube, such as this.

Conclusion

So, there you go—a guide to the best All-In-One, smallest form factor products on the market. Your choice will depend on what is most important to you: silence, cooling, looks, or price. Take care of your PC’s airflow and temperature, and it will bless you with high framerates. If you are going to overclock, you better have an excellent cooling solution ready.

Have any questions, product rants, or recommendations regarding 120mm AIO coolers? Let us know in the comments section. Share this article with your friends if it helped you on the road to building your dream PC.

Tags: Fans & Cooling

Related Posts

Silverstone_Unveils_three_IceGem_AIO_Liquid_cooler
News

Silverstone Unveils three IceGem AIO Liquid cooler

October 9, 2020
Aerocool Mirage 5 Air Cooler
News

Aerocool Mirage 5 Air Cooler: AIO looking Air Cooler

September 19, 2020
GELID STELLA ARGB Dual-Ring Fans - An alternative cheaper ARGB fan
News

GELID STELLA ARGB Dual-Ring Fans – An alternative cheaper ARGB fan

August 30, 2020
5 Best PC Fans for 2020
Buyer's Guide

5 Best PC Fans for 2020

August 8, 2020
InWin Debuts Saturn ASN120 Case Fans
News

InWin Debuts Saturn ASN120 Case Fans

July 21, 2020
Best 140mm PC Case Fans in 2020
Buyer's Guide

Best 140mm PC Case Fans in 2020

July 9, 2020
Next Post
Fractal Design Compact 7

Fractal Design Compact 7 Review: A Sleek ATX Case

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure

© 2019 Tech News Today - Latest Tech News, Product Reviews & Buyer's Guide

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • How To
  • Hardware
    • CPUs
    • Computer Cases
    • Motherboards
    • RAM
    • GPU
    • PSU
    • SSD
    • Fans & Cooling
  • Gadgets
  • Laptops
  • Gaming

© 2019 Tech News Today - Latest Tech News, Product Reviews & Buyer's Guide