# Air cooling vs. liquid cooling



## LPide (Feb 7, 2018)

Hope I can get some advice here. I have been curious on how to decide to go with air cooling or liquid cooling. 

The factors to consider would mainly be performance, noise and price?


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## ZenZimZaliben (Feb 7, 2018)

If you can afford (time and money) a custom water loop than that is the best. Otherwise a good air cooler is within a few degrees of closed loop water cooling. Also if you can do a custom loop then an external loop is probably the best..except for mobility.


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## EarthDog (Feb 7, 2018)

LPide said:


> Hope I can get some advice here. I have been curious on how to decide to go with air cooling or liquid cooling.
> 
> The factors to consider would mainly be performance, noise and price?


Yep. 

Id honestly only go custom water or AIO if you are overclocking heavily. Otherwise air coolers will do a similar job and cost less. 

What are you cooling? Overclocking? Details....


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## phanbuey (Feb 7, 2018)

AIOs are also quite a bit easier to install on the socket than the typical high end air cooler... less issues with ram clearance etc.


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## holyprof (Feb 7, 2018)

I swapped my EVGA GTX960 SSC (it has one of the best air coolers in the GPU world) for a water cooled EVGA GTX 1080. The result is - GPU runs 5-10 degrees cooler (40 C under load vs 50 of the old air cooled card), but is much noisier because you can lower or even tun off fans but the pump is clearly audible producing an annoying hum. If i had opted for the air-cooled GTX1080 from same brand, it would have the same performance, a bit higher temperatures (but still far from dangerous), produce less noise and save me 20 or 30 euros.
I guess the same can be applied to CPU coolers - my mildly overclocked CPU (i5-4690k) runs at 40 degrees at load, hitting 50-60 with synthetic benchmarks. All that using an inexpensive mid-class air cooler.

So i should say the same as EarthDog: only get water cooling if you plan to overclock heavily, otherwise air cooling is simpler, cheaper and safer.


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## eidairaman1 (Feb 7, 2018)

Custom loop water cooling requires maintenance of topping off, anti algae, distilled water or coolant. Aios are sealed units-no mx can be done to them. I notice in some aio the pumps do go out quicker thus requiring complete aio replacement. Air cooling you typically replace just the fan, a good example of a cooler that can oc decently yet not block ram is my cooler in my system specs, there are other slim style coolers out there too or bulky coolers that are offset to preven ram blocking too. Just really depends on how much you want to spend or risks involved, afaik aircoolers tend to cost less than most AIOs


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## John Naylor (Feb 7, 2018)

I'll start off with ... there is not a single CLC type unit that I can recommend.  As and engineer, the idea of deliberately assembling aa consumer product with a copper block and aluminum radiator is just something I find offensive at a very basic level.  And since I have yet to see one that can beat a comparable prices air cooler, they simply have no "Raison d'être"

The alumiunum rads not obly reduce thermal efficiency thereby exacerbating the need for high sepeeed / high noise fans, but the inability to autment the system's corrosion inhibitors is a problem.  These inhibitors have a usable life of 18 - 24 months and when they cease to perform at the end of that usful life, the process described here begins in earnest  ... warning: pics may be diusturning to some viewers 

https://martinsliquidlab.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/corrosion-explored/

So we are left with three Options:

1.  The top air coolers (Cryorig R1 Ultimate and Noctua NH-D15) will outperfom any CLC Type AIO at comparable prices, and it's rare unit that can even compete on a perfomance / noise ratio basis ... and I'm talking Units with 2 - 3 fans here However, the Sythe Fuma ($45) and and Scythe Mugen max ($37) have shown an ability to meet or beat the Noc and Cryo units.

2.  OLC Type AIOs - Swiftech is the most well known in this category.  Their 2 x 140mm H240 X2 unit for example outperforms the Kraken C62 while being cheaper to boot.  It differs from CLC type units in many ways:

All copper system
No Mixed metals
No galvanic corrosion cell
Pump is 10x more powerful
Is expandable, can add Water, RAM, SSD water blocks if it strikes ya fancy
Has reservoir
Is serviceable
Can use "designer" colored fluids
Component quality same as custom loops as they are just that only "pre-assembled" at factory

3.  Custom loops - As a person who appreciates artistry in a build, I love that a custom loop provides this option.  How well it performs ... how cool it keeps things, how quiet it is , etc is all up to you.  You can spend $300... you can spend $2,500 and there's still room above that.  CPU cooling wise, there is a limitation in how much heat the water block can transfer and other than delidding, there's not much you can do about that.  But if you want a system that when you sit in front of it while it's running a series if CPU and GPU test ... you can't tell that the system is on or not because the fan noise is below audible, this is your only solution.



eidairaman1 said:


> Custom loop water cooling requires maintenance of topping off, anti algae, distilled water or coolant. Aios are sealed units-no mx can be done to them.



It needs to be said that custom loops, OLC type AIOs and CLC type AIOs all require maintenance, you just can't perform it on CLC types.   It's like buying a car by which you can't change any of the fluids.  It may take five years for something to crash and burn but it will happen.  The laws of chemisty are called "laws" for a reason.  If there was a corrosion inhibitor that CLC manufacturers were using that continued to work for more than 18 - 24 month, it would be available to use in custom loops.  It's just that no such item exists.   The CLC warranty is essentially an insurance policy that the aluminum ions leaving the rad won't result in leakage and your copper block won't be this bad before the warranty is up.

https://martinsliquidlab.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/corrosion3.jpg

https://martinsliquidlab.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/copperaluminumcorrosion.jpeg


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## peche (Feb 7, 2018)

LPide said:


> Hope I can get some advice here. I have been curious on how to decide to go with air cooling or liquid cooling.
> 
> The factors to consider would mainly be performance, noise and price?


1. air coolers are cheap, perform well, they requiere minimal maintenance, availability is amazing, 

2. Water or liquid coolers are a biug family to meet, but there is great news, AIO or CLS water coolers are pretty cheap now days, you can find several price range, they also requiere minimal maintenance, such as dusting of and cleaning fans, like air coolers,  and the big brother of the familly, Custom watercooling lops, they are bigger, expensive, need moar knowledge and time, also some bleeds and water replacements,

For normal / gaming and moderate use air coolers are enough, easy to have and less risky, watercoolers share all the same risk, leaks, 

watercooling are meant also for big setups, heavy clocks and overclocking, bench marking or aesthetics on most builds, but as stated before, there are entry levels of AIO's watercoolers

So let us know moar about your needs / plans and also fill sys specs here


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## the54thvoid (Feb 7, 2018)

It depends what you are cooling, CPU or GPU?

It's very hard to liquid cool a modern GPU to increase its clocks over baseline better than a good custom cooler (i.e. Asus Strix type).  But, a good custom loop with a pump on a rubber plate to dampen vibration will give you overclocked silence at a steady temp far lower than a fan.  So for graphics, water cooling is all about noise.

On a CPU, you'll get better mileage on overclock with a good water loop.  That being said, it depends on the CPU.  I have a very good air cooler (it's huge) and keeps my Ryzen 1700X at 3.8Ghz on all 8 cores. On water I might get 4Ghz but that's the silicon lottery on these chips.  On an Intel CPU you might get better overclocks on water and the accompanying drop in noise volume.

Don't use water for extreme overclocks - it's pointless.  But if silence is key, water is good but not that much better than a very good air solution. 

That being said, my GTX1080ti at 2Ghz is inaudible with a dual rad and Vario D5 pump.  The CPU fan is louder and it's not even loud.


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## mastershake575 (Feb 7, 2018)

For everyday gaming/task, CPU's have been stagnant in regards to requirements. My 5 year old 3770K barely goes above 60% usage while gaming, streaming, and recording at the same time. 

Unless you have a very specific/demanding use for your CPU, a decent air cooler will be all you really need


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## LPide (Feb 8, 2018)

EarthDog said:


> Yep.
> 
> Id honestly only go custom water or AIO if you are overclocking heavily. Otherwise air coolers will do a similar job and cost less.
> 
> What are you cooling? Overclocking? Details....



If i consider air cooling vs. AIO, I see there are huge air coolers like  Noctua NH-D15 and Cryorig R1 Ultimate that that cost 89.99 on Amazon vs. Corsair H80i for around the same price and all say are good for overclocking, then how do i decide?



phanbuey said:


> AIOs are also quite a bit easier to install on the socket than the typical high end air cooler... less issues with ram clearance etc.



so you are saying its just a matter of easier to install and less interference? then why would anyone buy air cooler?


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## EarthDog (Feb 8, 2018)

By reading reviews and see how they perform against each other. 

Which there, the NH-D15 is the same or better than the H80i. To beat high end air like that, you really need 2x120mm worth of radiator.


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## crazyeyesreaper (Feb 8, 2018)

LPide said:


> If i consider air cooling vs. AIO, I see there are huge air coolers like  Noctua NH-D15 and Cryorig R1 Ultimate that that cost 89.99 on Amazon vs. Corsair H80i for around the same price and all say are good for overclocking, then how do i decide?
> 
> 
> 
> so you are saying its just a matter of easier to install and less interference? then why would anyone buy air cooler?


R1 Universal is better than the Ultimate on Mainstream platforms the R1 universal has 100% memory clearance and performance is the same as the Ultimate. That said AIOs offer typically good performance but generally are rather loud compared to most high end air coolers. This is starting to change but generally speaking AIOs can leak or the pump can die which while very unlikely is still a possibility meanwhile heatsinks still dissipate heat even if a fan dies. There are pros and cons to both.

That said depends on the build really and what a person is going for.


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## LPide (Feb 8, 2018)

EarthDog said:


> By reading reviews and see how they perform against each other.
> 
> Which there, the NH-D15 is the same or better than the H80i. To beat high end air like that, you really need 2x120mm worth of radiator.



So, you are saying air is maybe even better than AIO?



peche said:


> 1. air coolers are cheap, perform well, they requiere minimal maintenance, availability is amazing,
> 
> 2. Water or liquid coolers are a biug family to meet, but there is great news, AIO or CLS water coolers are pretty cheap now days, you can find several price range, they also requiere minimal maintenance, such as dusting of and cleaning fans, like air coolers,  and the big brother of the familly, Custom watercooling lops, they are bigger, expensive, need moar knowledge and time, also some bleeds and water replacements,
> 
> ...



Basically, water coolers are intended for bigger setups and better performance then?


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## EarthDog (Feb 8, 2018)

The top end air coolers are better than the 1x120mm AIOs, yes. Not better than 2x120 mm though. 

Water can cool anything. It doesnt have to be performance or bigger setups.


Do not make this complicated.


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## phanbuey (Feb 8, 2018)

LPide said:


> If i consider air cooling vs. AIO, I see there are huge air coolers like  Noctua NH-D15 and Cryorig R1 Ultimate that that cost 89.99 on Amazon vs. Corsair H80i for around the same price and all say are good for overclocking, then how do i decide?
> 
> 
> 
> so you are saying its just a matter of easier to install and less interference? then why would anyone buy air cooler?



Air coolers are generally cheaper for the performance  (up to a certain point) -   They are also the preferred cooling for pure silence enthusiasts since there is no pump/ liquid moving around.  A $40 air cooler can cool as well if not better than a $75-$80 120/140MM AIO.

Generally:
120mm/140mm AIO - only advantage over air is ease of install and space, cools slightly worse than high end air - generally on par with larger $35-$55 tower coolers - much easier to install and fit into portable builds.  Also better for builds that you will be lugging around driving to friends houses etc.  If you have a choice between a low profile or small air cooler and a 120mm aio, then go AIO.
240/280 mm AIO - cools better than air setups, on par with ultra high-end air (Noctua D15) but usually at quieter DBs, especially if it is the intake in your case (and not using warm case air to dissipate heat).
360mm AIO - cools better than high end air air but worse than a comparable water loop... good if you have the space but don't want to deal with water.  Otherwise you should really start considering a loop here.

Most custom system builders and high end OEMs don't ship with huge high-end air heatsinks since they are more likely to cause damage during shipping.  So when you look at the Cyberpowers and Alienwares of the world most of their mid to high-tier systems will ship with an AIO instead of a heatsink, and their low tier systems will ship with either stock, or relatively small heatsinks.

For most of my builds for other people, I generally use the corsair H105 240mm - or equivalent 240/280mm cooler - best overall balance -  if I was to rebuild my delidded 7820x system i would go full water or 360mm since the H105 is just barely enought to keep that monster cool.

The longevity arguments personally have never applied to any of the systems I worked with (pump failure, corrosion, etc etc).  But I also don't generally reuse an AIO cooler if it's more than a year old, whereas with a water-loop i reuse everything but the tubing and blocks.


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## shak100a (Jun 10, 2018)

We consider air cooling to be the cheaper and simpler method of cooling your PC system as it only relies on two key components: a fan and a heatsink. The heatsink is made from aluminium and copper and its use it to draw heat away from processor. The fan will sitting on top of the heatsink and will continually spin to bring in cool air through the heatsink stopping it from overheating. High end users would be satisfied with CPU cooling fans from some of the biggest manufacturers like cooler master, corsair or NZXT.

There are disadvantages with air cooling as some of the coolers are large in size and might not be able to fit in your case unless your make some modifications wasting time and money. Noise can also be an issue with some cooling fans. 

Liquid Cooling
Liquid cooling is a cooling solution to give your more customisable choices but is a lot more complex than air cooling. Liquid cooling involves more parts and they have to be joined together. These parts consist of a pump, radiator, hoses and a fan. Water or liquid will be pumped through the connected hoses to the CPU and lastly kept from overheating with the radiator. Liquid cooling can be considered a more efficient way to cool your CPU as it is quieter and less demanding than a CPU cooling fan.

There are some major disadvantages with custom liquid cooling as any leaks are dangerous and can damage your hardware. Having your own customer water cooling solution can also be expensive as it requires you to purchase tools to install the liquid cooling system. You also need the knowhow on how to install the liquid cooling system.

All in one liquid cooler can also be purchased to keep things safe and simple, all-in-one liquid cooler that provides all the benefits of water in one package. This type of liquid cooling includes everything you would get out of a custom liquid cooling solution without the need to bend tubes, adjust fittings, or drill holes in your PC case.


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