› Noctua NH-U12A
If you want serious cooling, you go water (either
custom loop or an all-in-one), but if you want to stick
with air, Noctua is often the answer. Its beige-themed
range of CPU coolers may not look like much, but the
cooling on offer is always impressive. The NH-U12A
managed to keep our test Ryzen 5 2600X at a steady
60 C under full load, and idling at 30 C, while being
whisper quiet. It can be tricky to install on some
mobos, but well worth the investment.
$100 http://www.noctua.at
Reviewed: Vol. 24, No. 6, Page 87› NZXT H510 Elite
NZXT has produced some incredible cases over
the years, and the H510 Elite joins those ranks,
thanks to its clean lines and combination of smoked
glass and white base. This case boasts some
brilliant cable management, impressive lighting
capabilities, and thanks to that spacious bottom
compartment, can be the foundation of a brilliant
build. There is somewhat limited space for larger
radiators, and it is a bit on the pricey side, but it’s
still an incredible option.
$170 http://www.nzxt.com
Reviewed: Vol. 24, No. 10, Page 88› Phanteks Eclipse P600S
There’s a lot of subjectivity when it comes to cases—if you
don’t like the look of it, it doesn’t matter how good the airflow
is or how easy it is to build inside—even so, when we looked
at this case earlier this year, we honestly couldn’t find any
serious negatives against it. The layout is fantastic, the build
quality and material choices impeccable, and all for a lower
price than you’d usually pay for such a premium case.
$145 http://www.phanteks.com
Reviewed: Vol. 24, No. 4, Page 84gear of the year
30 MAXIMUMPC JAN 2020 maximumpc.com