liquid cooling questions

[usktech]

hi,

i am an amateur gamer and was just wonderingwather i should liquid cool my
PC, and therefore had a few questions:
-first of all what is the risk of inslatting a liquid cooling system in a PC (that is if
you install it correctly)??? i will be bringing it to LANs every other month.
-how much does a no-risk liquid cooling system cost???
-do i need to empty it out when bringing it to LANs (is there any risk moving it
while it is full)???

thx

 

[deesal]

Hello usktech. I was faced with the same dilemma and I went with liquid cooling.

The risk you face with liquid cooling is burning up components. Any leak in your liquid loop can cause burnt up equipment. The use of non-conductive liquid can help with that problem. It is not as good as distilled and antifreeze, but pretty close. I have to ask why you want liquid cooling? Are you overclocking? If you are just gaming, why not just use a Zalman or Artic Freezer? I don't see the point of liquid cooling for just gaming with no overclocking. Are your temps high now? Plus, going to lan parties with liquid cooling can be a big hassle. You don't have to drain your system, but it is advised. Plus, depending on the connectors you use in your loop, constant traveling and the vibrations can loosen connectors. You will have to be careful and check your connections after each move.

As far as "no-risk" liquid cooling, there is none. Learn from my mistakes on this one. You get what you pay for. I first bought a Thermaltake Bigwater 760i because of its ease to install and clean look, but now I want a different system. It does cool better than my Zalman, but it needs a bigger pump. I'm looking at a Swiftech kit now and that runs about $250 for just the CPU.

Final thoughts: If you are not going to overclock, don't get a liquid kit. A good air cooler like Zalman or Artic Freezer will do you good. Also, if your computer is running hot, you might just want to spend the money on a better case with better air flow and a good cpu cooler.