Optimal Cooling and Acoustics for NCase M1 and LOUQE Ghost?

[Lordhumungus]

So, when I built my gaming PC in ~August of last year, I got what at the time I believed to be the best SFF solution for my needs, which was an NCase M1. I really like the case and have nothing but positive things to say about it, but I did hem and haw for quite some time over the most optimal cooling solution for both CPU/GPU that would provide extremely high performance as well as be very quiet.

What I settled on is a Corsair H75 for the CPU and a EVGA SC2 Hybrid GPU. I went with this primarily because all of the air based CPU coolers I found seemed just slightly too big and would block off the second intake spot and I was concerned that any of the big slot cooled GPUs would either not fit or turn the case into an oven and the Founders cards were going to be loud as hell.

With that said, through the magic that is the passage of time, we now have some new components available and I wanted to re-evaluate my options.

The first item that has come up on my radar is the Alpenföhn Atlas CPU cooler. From what I can tell, this little guy is a monster at 200W TDP cooling capacity, but still fits well inside the NCase. I could then either leave the GPU as-is or possibly change that out as well to a big slot cooler of some sort, although the options are still somewhat limited due to the depth (not thickness mind you) of the card (a FTW3 for example I don't believe will fit).

The second piece of kit that is now starting to make the rounds is the LOUQE Ghost S1 case. I know basically only reviewers have had hands on time with this, but I think there is enough info available to at least start this discussion. It looks damn nice and like a pleasure to build in (where the NCase was kind of a pain), but I'd give up some of the flexibility I have in the NCase, front panel I/O, and basically be required to use a 240mm AiO for the CPU to achieve optimal performance. The question is, would it be worth it?

So to summarize the questions are:

1. Is the Alpenföhn Atlas a meaningfully better CPU cooler than the Corsair H75, specifically for use in the NCase M1 (better in this case being more performant at relatively similar acoustic levels)?
   
2. If the Alpenföhn Atlas is a better CPU cooler, is there a better GPU option to pair with it than the SC2 Hybrid?
   
3. Will I get noticeably better cooling performance from a LOUQE Ghost with a single top hat and 240mm AiO/Big slot air cooled GPU than either my NCase as it exists today or with the above Alpenföhn Atlas options?
   
4. Would there be enough of a change in cooling capacity/acoustics in any of the above options to warrant the trouble of changing it, either now or in the future (please note that price is less of a factor here as I am already in the "this stuff is annoyingly expensive" bracket)?

Let's hear what you all have to say!

 

[Lordhumungus]

See them tumbling down
Pledging their love to the ground!
Lonely, but free, I'll be found
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds...

Seriously though, no one has any thoughts on this? I'd love to even just start a back and forth of some kind to maybe spark my own ideas and get the creative/thought juices flowing.

Maybe I'm too early on the LOUQE?

 

[ClockHound]

Too early on the LOUQE? Probably. ;-)

The Noctua C14 is what I use in my M1. Still seems better performing than the Alpenföhn Atlas. And much better than the H75.

The LOUQE does offer some better rad options versus the M1, it offers worse air cooler support. The better 140mm pancake coolers like the C14 aren't supported. It's also a too stingy for even the svelte 74mm high Cryorig C1 140mm. 66mm is the height limit for the Ghost.

If cost is no object and you like the looks of the Ghost vs the M1, consider putting a custom loop in the Ghost for both the CPU and GPU.

 

[Lordhumungus]

Thanks for the response!

Before purchasing the M1 I did quite a bit of research on my cooling options, including the Noctua C14/U9S, Be Quiet! Dark Rock TF, Scythe something or other et al. What I kept coming back to was the fact that all/most of these coolers seemingly needed to be mounted in a way that the second side vent fan slot would be unusable (primarily because I am using Ryzen/AM4).

With that in mind, I was worried that these solutions cause nearly all other components to bake as there was nothing directly pulling fresh air in or pushing warm air out.

Possibly time to revisit this assumption/conclusion?

As for the LOUQE with full custom loop, cost likely wouldn't be an issue (I considered a custom loop for the NCase as well with the 240 on bottom and 92 on back), but I think it may be slightly more effort and maintenance than I want AND more importantly, I would only want a single top-hat due to trying to keep it within a specific size limit.

That said, I'm open to having my mind changed on any of this. The ultimate goal for me is to have the best balance possible for everything and not cause any one component to be taxed for the benefit of another.

 

[ClockHound]

Have a puny little Intel 5775c in my M1 and even more heretical, no GPU. It's a basic web/work unit though.

Even with the C14, you have the option to use a 92mm exhaust or a 120mm up top as exhaust. As much as I'd want to, can't really speculate whether the C14 would perform better than the Alpenföhn Atlas with your system components.

Can't advocate too hard for a custom loop solution either, because I'm lazy - a custom loop demands regular maint. Also not a fan of most AIO options either - because of poor noise-to-performance ratio or unreliability. Corsair have drowned a couple of my systems in the past. Noctua have only spilled air on them.

The only sure way to find out what will work best for you is to purchase more coolers than you need. I have a drawer for the extras right beside my extra fan drawers. Experimenting with cooling on the internet is fun - experimenting with cooling options in situ is more effective. ;-)

 

[AntonioHG]

Spoiler: Wall of Text

So, when I built my gaming PC in ~August of last year, I got what at the time I believed to be the best SFF solution for my needs, which was an NCase M1. I really like the case and have nothing but positive things to say about it, but I did hem and haw for quite some time over the most optimal cooling solution for both CPU/GPU that would provide extremely high performance as well as be very quiet.

What I settled on is a Corsair H75 for the CPU and a EVGA SC2 Hybrid GPU. I went with this primarily because all of the air based CPU coolers I found seemed just slightly too big and would block off the second intake spot and I was concerned that any of the big slot cooled GPUs would either not fit or turn the case into an oven and the Founders cards were going to be loud as hell.

With that said, through the magic that is the passage of time, we now have some new components available and I wanted to re-evaluate my options.

The first item that has come up on my radar is the Alpenföhn Atlas CPU cooler. From what I can tell, this little guy is a monster at 200W TDP cooling capacity, but still fits well inside the NCase. I could then either leave the GPU as-is or possibly change that out as well to a big slot cooler of some sort, although the options are still somewhat limited due to the depth (not thickness mind you) of the card (a FTW3 for example I don't believe will fit).

The second piece of kit that is now starting to make the rounds is the LOUQE Ghost S1 case. I know basically only reviewers have had hands on time with this, but I think there is enough info available to at least start this discussion. It looks damn nice and like a pleasure to build in (where the NCase was kind of a pain), but I'd give up some of the flexibility I have in the NCase, front panel I/O, and basically be required to use a 240mm AiO for the CPU to achieve optimal performance. The question is, would it be worth it?

So to summarize the questions are:

1. Is the Alpenföhn Atlas a meaningfully better CPU cooler than the Corsair H75, specifically for use in the NCase M1 (better in this case being more performant at relatively similar acoustic levels)?
   
2. If the Alpenföhn Atlas is a better CPU cooler, is there a better GPU option to pair with it than the SC2 Hybrid?
   
3. Will I get noticeably better cooling performance from a LOUQE Ghost with a single top hat and 240mm AiO/Big slot air cooled GPU than either my NCase as it exists today or with the above Alpenföhn Atlas options?
   
4. Would there be enough of a change in cooling capacity/acoustics in any of the above options to warrant the trouble of changing it, either now or in the future (please note that price is less of a factor here as I am already in the "this stuff is annoyingly expensive" bracket)?

Let's hear what you all have to say!

I use an air cooler because I can count on it to not fail and I can have the fans stay off til 40C for complete silence while browsing the web. I use a Dark Rock TF, but I can't recommend it because the mounting system is a complete PITA. The Dark Rock TF works really well with NB e-Loops at 1100RPM on the side intake.

The Noctua C12 and 14 (as far as I know) are no longer available and if you go with the NH-L12, you're probably gonna lose a bit of performance. The C14s will not fit without some extras, like 120mm x 15mm fans or with the ATX bracket, an ATX to SFX adapter and your PSU mounted sideways.

The Alphenfohn's got smaller, probably louder, fans vs your H75 which could be setup in push/pull with lower RPM fans. I think sticking with your current setup is your best bet, IMHO.

Also, you brought up that the 2nd fan slot would be blocked by a top-down heatsink, like the Dark Rock TF, and yes, it is slightly too close to the 2nd to mount an AIO for my Z170 setup with the heatsink mounted with the end of the heatpipes facing down towards the GPU. If I turn it 90 degrees counter-clockwise, it's definitely over the memory and blocking the fan slot.

That said:

You could avoid that by using an air cooler for your GPU, like the AC Accelero 3, but it might not be quieter than the hybrid setup at load especially if you're using a Ti model with all the warmth that thing would have to dissipate. With the hybrid setup, again, push/pull two fans and use a lower RPM and it would be pulling fresh air directly from the side. Using the bottom fan mounts would mean you either have to pull air through the system down into the bottom or pull air through the vents where's minimal clearance. Air could be quieter at idle if you zero out the fans using the card's fan header or your motherboard's fan profile. I stopped using the hybrid on the 1080 because I could hear the damn pump. If you're not bothered by it or cannot hear it, you're good to go.

As for the Louqe Ghost, you would definitely get better thermals and acoustics with a giant 240mm in the roof for your CPU, but for sure you cannot mount a card with an air cooler more than 2 slots in thickness so that would prevent you from using the giant aftermarket heatsinks like the Raijintek Morpheus II or AC3. Models like EVGA 1080TI FTW 3, do not have better acoustics and the other cards with better acoustics are pretty thick and taller so they might not fit either.

 

[Lordhumungus]

That's pretty much all in line with my thoughts and research. I'm thinking the best bet at this point is to just stick it out with what I have for a while until it's time for an upgrade and then maybe re-assess what all is available then. I'm willing to give up some of the quietness (I've never really heard a decent CPU cooler that was too loud for me) if it gained me some performance, but the one thing I am not willing to do is go blower style cooler on the GPU as that definitely annoys me.

Unlike most people I don't have a strong affinity one way or the other for air vs water (I think they both have their place). Instead I am trying to come at it from the "right tool for the job" perspective where I can meet at the best crossroad of noise and performance.