Advice needed - Buying an i5 12400F / Is the stock cooler enough?

[Frank the Tank]

As per title I am purchasing a new PC it comes with an i5 12400F and comes with a stock intel cooler, I checked a few forums but not concise answer whether the stock cooler is going to be ok under high game loads and high CPU loads?

I have the option to get an aftermarket cooler with the purchase (DeepCool AG400 Air Cooler) and was considering buying it as different folks on forums were complaining about temps with the stock cooler (or did those users just apply the stock cooler wrong)?

thx

[nullable]

Well I'd be of the opinion you can try it with the stock cooler and make up your own mind. If you're happy great, if not, replacing the cooler is certainly an option.

The other thing to consider is enthusiasts (and I'm guilty of this) are a little bit too fussed over temps. The stock cooler may run the CPU hotter than one would be thrilled over, but it's going to be within operating limits so it's fine. Having a CPU top out at 60C is nice and all, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter as long as you're not experiencing throttling.

Some people just craft the narrative that it's necessary and right for the CPU to be running as cool as physically possible. I prefer it myself, but there's millions of PC's running on generic stock coolers just fine.

If you're not going to want to replace the stock cooler once it's on and don't want to gamble, then sure a modest after market cooler is a good compromise and not really outrageous or ridiculous to do.

[A&A]

If I'm not mistaken, nowadays most boards come with the power limiter disabled, so it will potentially hit 90C

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

I would get the Deepcool. Intel stock coolers have always been trash.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Regardless of how well or not the stock coolers perform, they are loud and obnoxious for both Intel and AMD CPUs.

[Talby]

agree the go-to is the Thermalright Assassin X these days, but the AG400 is decent have used the older models in the past and they work well.

[_I_]

stock cooler is better than no cooler
it may not reach max turbo, or hold it for long

pretty much any tower cooler is better than stock

if you get an aio, make sure its 240+mm rad any 120mm rad is about as good as stock

[Carlsberg]

Personally I would run with stock cooler, (my amd machine runs with stock cooler), and replace it if its not performing as i would like.

[Karumati]

Originally posted by Carlsberg:

Personally I would run with stock cooler, (my amd machine runs with stock cooler), and replace it if its not performing as i would like.

never used amd stock cooler,it's better to have something stronger.

[D. Flame]

It should be. If its not, try something like:
https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/coolers/cpu-liquid-coolers/masterliquid-ml120l-v2-rgb/

Then just replace your rear exhaust fan with it.

I use that with an i5-13400F and sit at around 30c normally, and around 50c underload. It is probably overkill, but I had originally bought it to work with an Older CPU that ran much hotter, and just repurposed it when I upgraded my CPU and Mobo.

And as long as you get the thumbscrews tight enough, it is basically silent.

[_I_]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

It should be. If its not, try something like:
https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/coolers/cpu-liquid-coolers/masterliquid-ml120l-v2-rgb/

Then just replace your rear exhaust fan with it.

I use that with an i5-13400F and sit at around 30c normally, and around 50c underload. It is probably overkill, but I had originally bought it to work with an Older CPU that ran much hotter, and just repurposed it when I upgraded my CPU and Mobo.

And as long as you get the thumbscrews tight enough, it is basically silent.

120mm rad clc is worse than the stock cooler

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by _I_:

Originally posted by D. Flame:

It should be. If its not, try something like:
https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/coolers/cpu-liquid-coolers/masterliquid-ml120l-v2-rgb/

Then just replace your rear exhaust fan with it.

I use that with an i5-13400F and sit at around 30c normally, and around 50c underload. It is probably overkill, but I had originally bought it to work with an Older CPU that ran much hotter, and just repurposed it when I upgraded my CPU and Mobo.

And as long as you get the thumbscrews tight enough, it is basically silent.

120mm rad clc is worse than the stock cooler

I can confirm from first hand experience that it is not, assuming one is smart enough to use the correct mounting bracket. I've seen too many people use the wrong bracket then complain that their CPU is overheating. Like there is an actually visible air gap due to their own negligence.

And again, we are not talking about high end CPUs that need a bigger radiator. A 13400F runs at 65W as a base and maxes out at 148W. A 12400F has a base of 65W and a max Turbo of 117W. A single fan radiator is perfectly fine for this tier of CPU.

[_I_]

the 120mm rad cannot cool a 100w cpu at full load

it may do ok at short bursts, since the fluid takes time to saturate all the heat it can, but the 120mm rad cannot remove it

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by _I_:

the 120mm rad cannot cool a 100w cpu at full load

it may do ok at short bursts, since the fluid takes time to saturate all the heat it can, but the 120mm rad cannot remove it

I have played using a 13400F and a 4060TI and an M2 drive all dumping heat into my box for a 12 hour session and a 16 hour gaming session using this exact cooler and my CPU temps never exceeded 70C, and it usually sits around 50C.

Ambient air temps were around 24C (75F).

Games were DD2, RE4r, Armored Core 6, and Final Fantasy 14.

Case: Mid tower
Additional airflow: 2 fans on front (intake), 3 on top (exhaust), PSU intake

If 16 hours is a short session to you, then all I can say is, "seek help."

https://youtu.be/3ZeyTBHgcV0?si=I644ROf6xFcUMN36&t=571

https://youtu.be/NLmqNpgYwws?si=0KxS0Ehrejx1D8R5&t=35

And just for reference that 5600X in the video also has a base/Default TDP of 65W like the 13400F and the 12400F.

[Frank the Tank]

ty all for the information and time taken, I think best to go with the after market cooler as we get hot temps in summer where i live and i really hate the plastic clip things intel uses on its stock cooler they always break.