Cooling Alphacool NexXxoS ST20 HPE, 280mm thin for i5-13600k and RTX 3080?

[RAAM]

I have reached a point where I need to upgrade my graphics card from the RTX 3060ti and the 3080 seems to be the best in value and performance to match my system. But, the Fractal Ridge case which I really like and need to stick with a slim tower will only allow a 2 slot max graphics card and 20mm/slim fan AIO setup and the Alphacool NexXxoS ST20 HPE is the biggest radiator I can fit.

For all I really use the system for the Shadow Rock LP does just fine on the CPU but I am having fun learning to tweak the whole system, just swapped to a Z690 board so I can undervolt and OC the CPU and it is not enough cooler....

Not sure I can fit any 3 fan units in and have room for the water lines so started looking into a water cooled GPU/CPU setup. With the shorter length of a water cooled GPU I might have room for a small reservoir but might not....

Also I would need to find the best lowest price pump, lines and fittings, just black is fine, no RBG wanted, etc...clear lines OK.

Only did one AIO, CPU only, quite a few years ago so I have somethings to learn about this, more fun

Let me know what you think, know, etc....and Thanks!!!

Rick

 

[RAAM]

More tweaking, undervolted a different way, dropped 10-15c and gained a bit of performance but not much even mild overclocked. Not able to overclock much more as it crashes on some tests but not others yet the CPU does not get above 50c and closer to 40c on graphics focused tests. On CPU stress tests it maxes at 100c in a couple of minutes on mild overclock and then throttles back or has crashed if more aggressive overclocked.

So far I have found no game I am interested in playing that would not run great on this system though I am strarting to look at something that would be pretty demanding but mainly used to get an idea of what this system can do in real gaming. Just not a gamer, never was, liked real pin ball, real pool, and lots of other actual physical activities and sports, just not into games on a computer, etc.....

All that said, looking into water cooling just does not seem an area I could gain anything useful to what I use a computer for, nor a faster graphics card, etc...far more into playing with the hardware than software so not sure I will water cool it after all.

 

[RAAM]

CORSAIR iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT, 280mm , used but mint from great seller on Ebay, $48 delivered, worth giving it a try though a little longer than I wanted only one 280 would fit in my case and it was not a good brand so I can just cut the back opened up a bit to get it in place.​

The pump/block is thin enough I can install a 120 or 140mm fan onto the case side and try blowing in or out to see what helps keep the VRM cooler...if sucking in I will keep the dust filter installed.

I get to have some fun for very low cost to see if I really want to go with liquid cooling then decide on keeping the FR case or getting something like the A4-H2O or FormD T1 then work from there.