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Basically just the CPU fan, case, and PSU (if you're lucky). If someone can figure out how to get Doom running on just those 3 things, young people will be able to ascend.
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this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2026
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They're also close to buyitforlife territory. Mine is >15 years old (1st gen i5!). The AM4 mount would've been free if I had the original receipt. But alas, I had to fork out $10 cause I was too dumb to have taken a photo of it back then.
I sent an email with a picture to them of the CPU and NH-D14 I got and they sent me AM4 kit for free. I bought the cooler used and use it still to this day.
I've been using Arctic fans. Are Noctua fans super amazing in comparison?
I built a CR Box fan too using 5 Arc Fans, but seen builds with Noctua fans to make it super silent.
I have been rocking the same noctua fan/cooler fan for +10 years.
If you still have the receipt they send you adapter kits for new processors for free.
Free in that you paid a $120 premium to get a $10 part every 5 years with an upgrade.
They make good stuff, but it just isn't worth the markup. If actually you need the level of performance to justify spending that kind of money, just go with liquid cooling.
The "premium" you are talking about were 60€ in 2015. It survived 3 builds until now, pretty good deal. If you need pretty LEDs and fancy colours you can always choose a competitor.
60 euro premium and how much money has it saved you versus buying something cheaper and an adapter at each upgrade?
I also use Arctic fans, and they're by far the quietest, best-performing fans I've ever used. Equivalent Noctua fans are like 4-8 times more expensive, so unless they can also give handies or something, I can't imagine them actually being worth the price.
All but the cheapest fans these days are buyitforlife material. The only thing really gonna fuck up a modern fan is epic amounts of dust binding up the ball bearings. And many fans these days use a newer magnetic type system where there isn't even any physical contact being made to wear anything down.