I hope this is the right place (it is a general type question)
What do you lot think of watercooling, do PCs need it i know of someone who is wanting to add a watercooler but to be honest i dont see the need for it. A quick search on a few sites also made me think that maybe modern computers actually dont really need it
Anyway what are your thoughts on this
Hi,
Full liquid cooling is a tad complicated :)
Just liquid cooling on the cpu is veryand quiet :)
Hydro Series™ H110i GT 280mm Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
Air cooling compared to water cooling is always in the category of (depends).
I will try to explain.
1. What are the cooling needs of the system?
2. What choice does one have to meet the cooling needs of that system?
3. How much money does one want to spend?
4. What capability does the computer tower (case) have for adding extra cooling.
*Top dollar aftermarket air coolers work very good to cool the CPU but take up a lot of room.
* All-in-One CPU coolers take up less motherboard room but need a place to install the radiator and fans.
Either choice is much better than a stock CPU cooler.
I personally have never used a stock CPU cooler on any computer I have ever had.
At the present time I have 1 PC with a Corsair H80 (AIO).
One computer with a self built water cooling system. (My System Specs).
In the past I have used top quality air cooling on some of my older system and they did meet the needs of the system.
If I was going to improve the cooling of said system and only wanted to spend $200.00 or less I would choose a AIO water cooling system for the CPU.
If the tower (case) has proper cooling a quality AIO CPU water cooler will meet most computers needs.
Now the fun part; building your own water cooled PC.
1. It takes a lot of research.
2. It takes a lot of money.
3. It takes a lot of time.
4. It is a lot of fun.
5. If done correctly every thing in the system will run very cool and quiet, no matter what load is put on the system.
6. Many like me do a self build more as a hobby rather than a need.
Note:
Computer cooling starts with proper tower (case) air flow and cooling.
I've used all 3 types of cooling and Layback Bear gave you excellent ideas and suggestions. In my experience, AIO coolers and a top of the line air cooler will give about the same Max temps. The AIO will bring the temps down quicker, makes the case look cleaner and will avoid any conflicts with tall heatspreaders on ram. But, your case will have to be able to hold the radiator. There is always some risk any time you put water inside a computer case. But, the risks are not real great, but still there.
Custom water cooling is in a whole different category than the AIO or Air Cooler. It takes the right case, a lot of planning, some maintenance and is much more expensive. But, it is way better at cooling than either of the other two types. Most people who do custom water cooling don't consider an AIO as water cooling. In the end it is all about what you want, what you need and how much work and money you want to invest.
Water coolers can be had for as little as $59.99. That's "very expensive"??? A high end fan and heatsink can cost that much or more!
I prefer an AIO water cooler over air.
Hydro Series™ H110i 280mm Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
Full water cooling is for the rich and famous :)
Expect to spend at least double that figure for a decent AIO water cooler. And you have to make sure that the radiator will fit in your case along with the required fans. An AIO is worth it, IMHO, as a comparable air cooler is large and heavy, and places stress on the motherboard when it's mounted and the PC is in a vertical position as most are with towers.
Keep in mind that any cooler is only as good as the case cooling behind it. You have to have good intake of cool air, and good exhaust of hot air. That's the first step.
The main advantage of H2O is that a regular big cooler on the cpu just dumps the heat in the case - thus requiring multiple case fans to get rid of it. H2O systems dump the heat outside, and so need less case fans. More case fans means more dust inside the case.
I recently swapped a massive Dark Rock cooler for an H2O system, and was able to turn off most of the case fans. The next time I opened the case for maintenance, it was almost dust free inside (instead of the usual knee deep in fluff).
I concur with Mellonhead about large heavy coolers - I'm always worried about damaging the socket when attaching something as heavy as a house brick to the mobo. Also big coolers encroach on the RAM.
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