I can't decide to go with Air or Water cooling

sethwilliam · Jan 10, 2016

Building a new computer and selling my old one. This is what I have settled on so far.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($416.83 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z170A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM EDITION ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($298.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Primo White ATX Full Tower Case ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1485.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-10 16:29 EST-0500

The main problem for me is deciding to go with air vs water cooling. As of now I am stuck between this Noctua NH-D15 vs a Corsair 110i gt. I love how the water cooling option makes my case so clean looking however the downsides I've heard thus far include loud noises and possible leakage/failure. I would combat the noise problem by upgrading the fans to a quiet version though I know that won't get rid of the problem 100% and I'm fine with that.

The Noctua NH-D15 on the other hand has great reviews, is cheaper, relatively silent, easier to install, and doesn't pose a danger of frying my other components. However, it is bulky, has ugly fan colors and makes my case look cluttered.

I'm at an impasse here and can't decide what to do. I'd very much like to go the water cooling route, however I don't want to have to deal with loud noises and leakage/failure.

Dylan Smit · Jan 10, 2016

If you dont want to overclock your cpu a lot go aircooled, with a small overclock you can eazly use the air cooler! For higher overclockings go with water, if you dont like the noise search for another all in one watercooling kit, there are plenty

giantbucket · Jan 10, 2016

Porsche ditched air cooling and went liquid cooling back in the 996 era. you really should follow suit.

sethwilliam · Jan 10, 2016

giantbucket :

lol, any recommendations on following that? The Corsair one I found seems to be a decent one so I am highly considering it.

lindsay24 · Jan 10, 2016

Both of the coolers you mentioned will work fine for an overclock. The NH-D15 performes nearly as well as the original Corsair H110. I'd imagine there may be a bit more of a gap with the H110i GTX though. Check out this article to see how it stacks up:
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Noctua/NH-D15/6.html

If you're mainly worried about leaking, Corsair is a very safe brand to go with. The coolers come pre-filled and sealed. They are also not expandible (which is the downfall for most people) but as a result, they are built to never ever come apart. I have an H80i GT installed in my computer right now and I haven't had regrets.

It mostly comes down to whether you are willing to pay a bit more for a cleaner looking build, and the bragging rights that your computer is water cooled. For me, it's totally worth it, but it's a very personal decision.

sethwilliam · Jan 10, 2016

lindsay24 :

By all means I would choose water cooling over air any day simply because of the cleaner looking case and performance. I guess it's just a matter of finding the right one that isn't too loud. Going off of reviews I think I will go with the H110i GT as it has much better reviews vs the H110i GTX version. Too combat the noise I will upgrade the fans to a quieter version.
Also I'm curious if these things were to leak where is the most common spot that the water drips out from? Would it be the block, the radiator, or the tubing? In my case I can mount it too the right of the motherboard up top so that if it does drip it won't hit anything (I don't have any HDD, so there is nothing below it).

lindsay24 · Jan 10, 2016

sethwilliam :

lindsay24 :

By all means I would choose water cooling over air any day simply because of the cleaner looking case and performance. I guess it's just a matter of finding the right one that isn't too loud. Going off of reviews I think I will go with the H110i GT as it has much better reviews vs the H110i GTX version. Too combat the noise I will upgrade the fans to a quieter version.
Also I'm curious if these things were to leak where is the most common spot that the water drips out from? Would it be the block, the radiator, or the tubing? In my case I can mount it too the right of the motherboard up top so that if it does drip it won't hit anything (I don't have any HDD, so there is nothing below it).

I've never had a leak, so I really can't tell you. Haha! If it leakes from the block, you're screwed no matter what. So you might as well be safe from a radiator leak, good call. Best of luck with your build!

sethwilliam · Jan 10, 2016

lindsay24 :

sethwilliam :

I've never had a leak, so I really can't tell you. Haha! If it leakes from the block, you're screwed no matter what. So you might as well be safe from a radiator leak, good call. Best of luck with your build!

Thanks I'm going for the Corsair H110i GT as it seems to beat out almost every other corsair AIO on the market in most reviews and only for about $10 more.

Search

I can't decide to go with Air or Water cooling

sethwilliam

Honorable

lindsay24

Dylan Smit

Honorable

giantbucket

Dignified

sethwilliam

Honorable

lindsay24

Reputable

sethwilliam

Honorable

lindsay24

Reputable

sethwilliam

Honorable

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page