Custom Loop Water Cooling – Tell me why you do it

[Design1stcode2nd]

So I’ve been looking into all of the amazing builds on here and PCPP among other sites and I’m trying to understand the reasoning behind custom loop water cooling. First off I in no way want to start a flame war, I’m just trying to get a better understanding for the motivation, benefits and so forth.

I mean I get it to a degree, it looks really cool, pun intended and it’s a bit like sleeving your own cables it’s a step in the hobby to see if you can do it or give yourself a greater sense of accomplishment. I’ve watched videos of sleeving cables and I have a great appreciation for those that do it but that is not something for me, I’ll buy them.

From a performance/value perspective I don’t see the reasoning. Granted you have a niche of computer or gaming enthusiasts that will buy a $1200 Caselabs case and put 4 top of the line GPUs in it and push the limit of OCing to see what is attainable but that is very small amount of the CLWC builds I’ve seen.

You could say the cooler temperatures prolong longer life of the components but who are we kidding, if you are pushing the envelope this much you are not going to be satisfied with a last gen card. Then it’s the next gen card new water block, etc, etc so component life is not a concern.

So for your average custom lop person (is there such a thing?) what is your motivation? Why did you say hey this is something I want to do (you can easily spend a grand or more on cooling so adding another GPU or saving that for next year’s parts is the better value proposition).

 

[Gam3r01]

Here is my logic behind custom cooling.
It is technically the best consumer way to cool a PC, it provides the best temps out of any readily available systems out there. For some people, that alone justifies the extra costs.
Another reason is for the looks, and again, that alone is enough reason for some people.

I personally do not see a point for custom loops unless you have some extremely high end hardware. People who water cool and i5 and say a 980 are fairly unreasonable, as the extra money could have been invested in better components etc.

I say for average loops start with an open loop cooler (H240x2, EKWB Predator) and go from there if you need to.

 

[capt_taco]

I don't personally think it makes sense - from a value proposition, as well as the demands on my time, it just is not a favorable choice at all.

But it's understandable that it appeals to some people, because there is no denying it looks cool, and there is a certain sense of accomplishment and pride from successfully doing it.

IMO you have to look at it for the hobbyist appeal, not a dollars-and-cents thing, or how practical it is for day-to-day use. Not my thing, but then again neither is super-clean cable management.

 

[coozie7]

We all have reasons, mine was silence. With just two 140mm 19DBa fans and a pump you'll not hear, my rig is virtually silent, no matter how it's loaded-and the R9 Nano hasn't yet gone over 47C, so the temperatures are also very good. Bear in mind my own system, if air cooled would need at least: One CPU cooler fan, one GPU fan, two front case fans and two top/rear exhaust fans and it's currently running with icy temperatures off just two!

Some will do it as a hobby, maybe showing it off to peers or friends, just the way customisers will with cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles and, of course computers.

Another reason to go liquid is weight, big CPU air coolers are fantastically effective and the best can rival even custom liquid loops for temperatures, but they are heavy. For those that regularly move their systems having a heavy cooler attached to the motherboard is a big risk-more than a few have moved systems with big air coolers only to find the cooler has damaged the motherboard-so going liquid here makes sense.

As with any crafting, there is a sense of achievement when the loop runs smoothly, is quiet and cool, and adding those little touches like hand sleeved cables that are routed 'just so' adds to the feeling.

There are downsides, of course.
Custom liquid loops are complicated, it's a steep learning curve at the beginning and even seasoned builders can get caught out.

Expense, yep, it can be very expensive but it depends on your aims, a 'workmanlike' system with basic rad, fittings and hose isn't going to win any awards but it can run the system at lower temperatures and noise levels.

Maintenance and leaks, good quality parts well assembled won't usually leak, but there's always that risk while selecting the wrong coolant can lead to algae build up in the system and shifting THAT is a real pain.

Case issues, a great many cases just can't handle a full custom loop, which can add to the expense and certainly adds to the complexity.