Honestly I'm so done with this setup right now. I just got the new i9 and my old air cooler is just screaming and the temps are hitting 100c instantly. It's so frustrating because I have a huge deadline for a freelance video project this Monday here in Chicago and I can't even render a 5 minute clip without it thermal throttling and slowing down to a crawl. I tried this cheap 240mm AIO I had lying around thinking it would be better but it's actually worse somehow. My logic was that any water cooling is better than air but man was I wrong. Now I'm scrambling to find something that actually works because I'm losing my mind with these fan noises and the constant lag. I have about $200 to spend and I need to order something tonight so it gets here by Friday. I was looking at the Arctic Liquid Freezer III or maybe one of those Lian Li Galahad ones but there are so many reviews saying different things and I dont want to waste more money on something that wont work. Does anyone actually know which AIOs are legit the best for these new chips that run hot as hell? Like what is actually going to keep this thing under 85c under load? I need something reliable fast...
Man, those new i9s are basically space heaters. Trying to cool one with a 240mm is just asking for trouble, honestly. I would suggest you go for at least a 360mm radiator if your case can fit it, or you are gonna keep hitting that 100c wall during your renders. Be careful with the Arctic though because the radiator is much thicker than standard ones and it might not fit in every case. Here are the ones I trust for heavy workloads like video editing:
Regarding what #1 said about those i9s being space heaters... he's totally right but I actually disagree that just any random 360mm is gonna fix the issue. You really need a unit with a high-performance pump for those heavy video renders or you'll just heat-soak the loop! I am totally obsessed with the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Dark right now. It is seriously amazing and the build quality is just top-tier for professional reliability. If you want something that feels super safe, the DeepCool LT720 360mm Liquid Cooler is fantastic because of that patented anti-leak tech... it gives so much peace of mind when you have a huge deadline looming! Quick tip tho: definitely check your case airflow direction. If your intake is blocked by dust or bad fan placement, even the best AIO will struggle. You can totally do this, just get the right gear and you'll be rendering that project in no time!
^ This. Also, everyone is basically saying you need massive surface area and a top-tier pump because these i9s are just relentless. I went through a similar headache last year with my own build and it was honestly such a letdown. I bought this expensive unit thinking the price tag meant better cooling, but unfortunately, the pump was weak and it performed worse than my old air tower. It really sucks when youre on a deadline and your gear fails you like that. Basically, the thread consensus is: