edit 2: He has bought the air cooler!
He will be running the 9800X3D, which I don’t think gets hot enough to require an AIO. We are choosing between Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 (AIO) and the Peerless Assassin 120 (air cooler)
Benefits of choosing an AIO (Arctic Liquid Freezer III) is better temperatures, nicer aesthetic. Downside of going with AIO is the possibility that it will leak/wear out over time, shorter lifespan compared to air cooler (which can pretty much last forever)
He will be getting a Lian Li case (the O11 Vision Compact) with the RGB fans set, meaning he could go with the cheaper 5 fan set instead of 8 if he decides on AIO. Combined with a decent sale on the AIO in my region, the price difference isn’t that large.
What do you guys think?
edit: Mmm the internet people seem to disagree with each other
AMD CPUs sip power compared to Intel. This is even more true for x3d CPUs. The temperature difference between a good air cooler and AIO is going to be around 2-3C and performance difference well under 1%. AIO will be significantly more expensive and much less reliable - it’s not worth it.
Edit: this is coming from someone who has a custom water cooling loop that is heavier than the rest of their PC (2 pumps, 4 thick 480mm rads outside PC case, etc - beyond silly)
Edit 2: the only valid reason to use AIO on AMD CPU is trying to squeeze it into a tiny case.