1700 Mini ITX CPU selection

[Onyx Turbine]

the new pc i look to build in a fractal meshify nano case will have a mini itx intel board 1700,
i just cant be concinved to choose amd due to fears of stability issues.

Now im struggling to choose a cpu, following cpus are considered:
13400, 13500, 13600, 13600K or 14600K or to be released 14400/14500

My current processor i7 3770 is in a sff case and gets to hot easy due to poor ventilation. New build should
have a quieter experience especially when gaming in the weekend several hours uninterrupted.
As it stands now i find the 13400 very appealing due to its low heat output and has 20% plus what is needed for e.g. grand theft auto 6.
Also getting a tower cpu cooler is not convincing me (in terms of aesthetics) and im looking to get a top blower noctua l9.

Electricity price here is quite high so im interested in advise comparing current i7 3770 if im exxagarating what power consumption
and that when gaming in fps with 75hz e.g. a 14600k is not that bad to cool?

 

[Vayra86]

1. You don't have a clue yet what GTA VI really needs, NEVER buy or scale a system based on unreleased games.

2. Rule of thumb for air cooled cases, the Meshify is a regular/well ventilated case in that sense, is that above 400-450-500W of continuous power, depending on your ambient temps, you will need a bit more in airflow than than just a 2x-3x intake and an outtake fan to keep things in check. You could run with that for now, just add up the TDPs of each part to get a ballpark idea. More fans = more wiggle room, but there is also a noise / cost of cooling to take into account then.

3. 130-150W worth of CPU and 250-300W worth of GPU can be handled properly on air cooling. Above that, you will have to improve cooling beyond the norm, and no, just an AIO with 120mm rad won't make a difference.

4. If you are looking towards games that release somewhere in 2025-26, better get much more CPU than you need today. I'd lean towards the 13600k, that's a CPU you can easily get another GPU upgrade going on without lacking CPU grunt; the 13400 is a LOT less CPU.

 

[Toothless]

To add to the above post, one can power limit the 13600k to keep thermals in check until needed upgrades are purchased down the road. I was able to keep a 12600KF cool with a single tower IDCooling 224 or whichever.

 

[Onyx Turbine]

Ok interesting it makes sense i than would consider the 14600k due to small price difference here..
Will a noctua l9 low profile do the job?

 

[Vayra86]

To add further... the efficiency of top-flow CPU cooling is not quite as good as a tower model, in general. You will find topflow to generally have a somewhat lower recommended max TDP.

Also in a desktop case situation a topflow CPU cooler adds cooling to the VRM, but your standard airflow direction gets impeded a bit. There is no other advantage. But you already have the needed airflow over VRMs regardless if you have a tower cooler, and there is less turbulence in doing so.

Top Flow is designed to cater to low-height where towers are not an option. They're not better than towers.

EDIT: I just read properly, Meshify NANO. I see Still, I read you have 16cm of clearance.

I've been on the fence for this one, it looks SO badass and its pretty good too. 230W rated, probably the beefiest topflow you can find still.

be quiet! Dark Rock TF2 review (Page 7)

We take a look at another be quiet! This time around, the Dark Rock TF 2 is a rock solid cooler. This cooler has a wonderful black appearance and is designed for a large size. It has BIG.little radiat...

www.guru3d.com

 

[Onyx Turbine]

To add further... the efficiency of top-flow CPU cooling is not quite as good as a tower model, in general. You will find topflow to generally have a somewhat lower recommended max TDP.

Also in a desktop case situation a topflow CPU cooler adds cooling to the VRM, but your standard airflow direction gets impeded a bit. There is no other advantage. But you already have the needed airflow over VRMs regardless if you have a tower cooler, and there is less turbulence in doing so.

Top Flow is designed to cater to low-height where towers are not an option. They're not better than towers.

EDIT: I just read properly, Meshify NANO. I see

Agree so considering the case take advantage of the better airflow being able to fit a tower cpu cooler, but which one you recommend that is not to loud and not to expensive (not cheapest, thinking about a bequiet or a noctua redux) for the 13600K/14600K?

To add further... the efficiency of top-flow CPU cooling is not quite as good as a tower model, in general. You will find topflow to generally have a somewhat lower recommended max TDP.

Also in a desktop case situation a topflow CPU cooler adds cooling to the VRM, but your standard airflow direction gets impeded a bit. There is no other advantage. But you already have the needed airflow over VRMs regardless if you have a tower cooler, and there is less turbulence in doing so.

Top Flow is designed to cater to low-height where towers are not an option. They're not better than towers.

EDIT: I just read properly, Meshify NANO. I see Still, I read you have 16cm of clearance.

I've been on the fence for this one, it looks SO badass and its pretty good too. 230W rated, probably the beefiest topflow you can find still.

be quiet! Dark Rock TF2 review (Page 7)

We take a look at another be quiet! This time around, the Dark Rock TF 2 is a rock solid cooler. This cooler has a wonderful black appearance and is designed for a large size. It has BIG.little radiat...

www.guru3d.com

the case has as you know a side panel and a top blower looks much better than a tower cooler,
as the airflow is so good of the case due to two preinstalled fans i think there is still enough air pressure to have some airflow from front to back

 

[Vayra86]

I think the U9 is too little, U12 might cut it but only just for >130W of CPU.
I like BQ too, but you'd have to move to a Dark Rock Pro, which is bigger at 162,5mm, pretty risky, that - but that's definitely the beefiest air cooling you can fit, if only just.

If you're willing to step away from Noctua or BQ there are more cost effective options that cool similarly and are just at or under 160mm which I'd recommend.

And yes, in small enclosures topflow is definitely an option, did you see that TF2?

 

[Onyx Turbine]

I think the U9 is too little, U12 might cut it but only just for >130W of CPU.
I like BQ too, but you'd have to move to a Dark Rock Pro, which is bigger at 162,5mm, pretty risky, that - but that's definitely the beefiest air cooling you can fit, if only just.

If you're willing to step away from Noctua or BQ there are more cost effective options that cool similarly and are just at or under 160mm which I'd recommend.

And yes, in small enclosures topflow is definitely an option, did you see that TF2?

yes that TF2 is bad*ss really like it but the 13600k and 14600k temps are a bit daunting for me and undervolting..(14600k can autoclock but also auto undervolt?) i think it will be a 13400, 14400 or 14500.. depending on temps and performance.