# does high aio liquid temperature affect its lifespan?



## Tucct (Aug 15, 2021)

I got an nzxt z53 aio, liquid temperature usually sits around 40-44Celsius when idle. But if I do some heavy task load, especially when graphic card's fans spinning up. the liquid temperature goes at a maximum 54Celsius.(because my case design makes all of the hot air must be exhaust through the aio radiator, which is heating the entire water loop.)
I wonder if keeping the aio in such a condition will affect its lifespan or, even worse.. leaks?


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 15, 2021)

54°C is not high. I would not even call it very warm. It is just warm. Nothing to worry about. 

In any case, even if much warmer, the motor is not submerged in the hot liquid so still not a problem.

And if your case design forces all the air through the case to go through the radiator, I say it is time to get a new case.


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## outpt (Aug 15, 2021)

from what i have read high temperature's are bad for the pumps life span.


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## GorbazTheDragon (Aug 15, 2021)

The problem with AIOs is generally that the coolant evaporates through the (mildly porous) tubes over time, logically this is accelerated with higher temperatures. Coolant loss can also be accelerated by bending certain types of tube too sharply.

Sufficient coolant loss can damage the pump due to it ingesting air, usually it will be quite obvious when it happens though. Also, from what I've found, unless the cooler has obviously been abused, they will replace it under warranty if it suffered from such coolant loss.

Leaks should not happen from high operating temperatures within reason.

In general this is expected behaviour and you can't really do anything about it.


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## elghinnarisa (Aug 15, 2021)

> The maximum ambient temperature is 50°C, the maximum normal operating temperature of the radiator (coolant) is 60°C, and the maximum abnormal temperature of the radiator (coolant)  is 70°C.





			https://www.datocms-assets.com/34299/1617975039-krakenz-digitalmanual-english.pdf
		


Seems like its fine, they state a maximum normal operating temperature of the coolant to be 60c and you are still under that, so it should be fine.
Less would be great of course, but I wouldn't see it as a problem.
If your nosing on 60c however, I would start thinking about it.


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## DeathtoGnomes (Aug 15, 2021)

elghinnarisa said:


> https://www.datocms-assets.com/34299/1617975039-krakenz-digitalmanual-english.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> ...


To add to this, airflow counts. Depending on the case and current fan configuration, and how the AIO is mounted, adding extra case fans may or may not help.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 16, 2021)

outpt said:


> from what i have read high temperature's are bad for the pumps life span.


That is true. But 54°C is NOT a "high" temperature. And remember, the pump's motor itself is not in the water. And remember also, that 54°C happens only when the OP pushes it with a "heavy task load". 

Does that mean everything is hunky-dory? Maybe not. Because depending on the ambient (room) temperature, 44°C seems a bit high for idle. A typical air cooler normally does better than that. But I quickly add, depending on your hardware and other variables, 44°C is not "abnormally" high for idle - especially since your high temps peak at only 54°C which is very good, if not excellent for peak temps. 

Still, if only for peace of mind, I feel Tucct needs a different case, one that supports better air flow through the case instead of forcing all air through the radiator. 

Just a little be of thought needs to be put in to this folks. Certainly there are many many users out there with CPUs and GPUs that generate a lot more heat! If they are using a AiO, where is that heat going? Into the pump and then through the system. So no doubt many AiO systems encounter and endure considerably higher temps with no problems. 

Having said all that, @Tucct - please fill out your System Specs so we have a better idea of what we are talking about. Also, what is your ambient temp. If your room temperature is high to begin with, that would explain your elevated idle temperatures.


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## amit_talkin (Aug 19, 2021)

Been using Laing D5 pump for like 11 years now, with almost 10 hours a day CPU usage. Still working fine with my CPU reaching 70c . Ambient is always warmer side here.
So, imo, no, it doesn't affect your pump's life.


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## GerKNG (Aug 19, 2021)

the higher the temperature the higher the permeation rate.
at around 60°C the plastics get soft and can cause leaks and irreparable damage in the long term


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 19, 2021)

GerKNG said:


> at around 60°C the plastics get soft


No way! If that were close to being true, the outer shell of my toaster and for sure, my coffee pot would have melted off the counter and on to the floor.

PVC plastics are often used in hot water pipes. As seen in this chart, PVC has a softening temperature of 92°C and there are many plastics able to tolerate much higher temps.

The ideal temperature for hot coffee and espresso is between 195-205°F (90.5 - 96.1°C) and there are plastic coffee cups. It would be lawsuits waiting to happen if the cups could not handle the heat.

There are even many plastics that are microwave safe!!! Surely you have peeled back the corner or poked a hole in the plastic film of many microwave food items?

Certainly there are some plastics that have lower softening and melting points, but AiO coolers are designed to be used with heated coolants. So of course those plastics will have much higher softening and melting points.

It is not uncommon for CPUs and certainly GPUs to hit 90°C or even more. It would not make sense if the product designed to dissipate that heat could not even handle it - and worse, if it started spewing liquid all over the motherboard. 

Edit comment: fixed chart link.


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## Fangio1951 (Aug 19, 2021)

As Bill Bright said = PVC plastics are often used in hot water pipes. Not all plastic pipes are the same !!!

I was a Plumbing Design Engineer for 25 years and plastic pipe started to supersede copper piping, mainly due to lower initial material cost and speed/flexibility of installation = big cost saving.


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## freeagent (Aug 20, 2021)

I don't know about todays AIO, but on the older ones if you had the TDP you would see performance start to taper off after about a year or so if you ran some kind of distributed computing program. I kicked the piss out of mine because it was awesome.. till it wasn't. And it was a quick degradation once I noticed. Especially in the summer. I am not talking about puny quad cores either, 6 cores and up.. old school muscle   

That one experience soured me on the whole idea of AIO coolers. I would rather run an open loop. One day I might..

I still have my old one, I should empty it into a measuring cup.


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## mtcn77 (Aug 20, 2021)

GorbazTheDragon said:


> Leaks should not happen from high operating temperatures within reason.


The biocide fouls in prolonged high temperatures. From there, it is a quick time before failure.


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## DeathtoGnomes (Aug 20, 2021)

freeagent said:


> I still have my old one, I should empty it into a measuring cup.


I did that exact thing with the old CM 280 Neptune, what was left after 7+  years was just over 8oz.


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## GorbazTheDragon (Aug 20, 2021)

mtcn77 said:


> The biocide fouls in prolonged high temperatures. From there, it is a quick time before failure.


This should result in a pump failure, not a leak


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## ThrashZone (Aug 20, 2021)

Hi,
Need more info on the build case/.... 10c increase to max temp is actually pretty good and 54c isn't all that hot 44c at idle well not great but hardly damaging thesde aio's do have usually 5 year warranty so really no big deal.

First thought in the blind would be try switching the fans on the rad to intake but since you say case limits to exhaust makes me wonder which case is solid on the back to where no air can escape or be pushed out


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## mtcn77 (Aug 20, 2021)

GorbazTheDragon said:


> This should result in a pump failure, not a leak


Who said a leak was the more pressing issue?


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 20, 2021)

freeagent said:


> I don't know about todays AIO
> 
> if you had the TDP you would see performance start to taper off
> 
> And it was a quick degradation once I noticed. Especially in the summer.


I don't understand what "_if you had the TDP_" means. If you mean the system ran at or near maximum TDP for extended periods, then cooling efficiency dropping could have been due to many reasons - even if not running taxing programs. For starters, ambient (room) temps play a major role is system cooling, even with water cooling. Ambient temps naturally rise in the summer if the room is not environmentally controlled to maintain a constant year-round temperature. You have to get into "active", thermostatically controlled, alternative cooling solutions (such as refrigerated cooling options) before ambient temps don't matter.

Plus, age can easily affect the impellor rotation speeds which will affect cooling too. And TIM (thermal interface materials) efficiency drops a few degrees (typically ~5 to 6°) as they age. Other factors include, but are not limited to fan rotation speeds as the bearing age, and dust.

Point is, what you noticed is typical, regardless the age or even type of cooling. Even as a characteristics of electronics in general, efficiency tends to drop with age.



mtcn77 said:


> The biocide fouls in prolonged high temperatures.


Well, first, nobody is talking about "prolonged" high temperatures.​Second, the temps the OP is experiencing are not even "high".​Third, a primary advantage to AiO coolers is that they are sealed, closed loops straight from the factory. Fouling, or contamination occurs when oxygen gets into the system. Unless other physical damage occurs that creates a leak, that won't happen in a sealed, closed loop.​


GorbazTheDragon said:


> This should result in a pump failure, not a leak





mtcn77 said:


> Who said a leak was the more pressing issue?


Well, you did reply to a leak comment. 

In any case, this should not be a problem anyway, in a sealed, closed loop! Not unless, somehow, the loop became unsealed. And that would be an exception to the rule, not the rule. And for the pump to fail from this, the toxic biohazards  growing inside that system would have degraded cooling performance long ago - to the point, surely, the user would have (or certainly should have) noticed unacceptable temps and done something about it.


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