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Started by miha2 | | 31 answers
"Water" vs. "Liquid" vs. "Air" cooling
I'm (and I think a lot of people) interested in cooling. What's better,

"water" which is a self-made (distilled) water cooling system being an example,
"liquid" which is Corsair H60 being an example, or
"air", which is the most usual cooling system, stock cooler being an example*?

Of course, water is a definite winner, but "how" better is it? What makes each special, how low a temp can be with each cooler? If possible, a few benchmarks would be really nice and helpful.

*I heard that some (I think it's just 1 CPU, but may be wrong) AMD CPUs are sold with liquid cooling in a box, by default.
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a c 337 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 11:06:50 AM

Custom watercooling loops can be just about any size and volume you want. Water volume in the loop doesn't determine how well it cools, it simply allows you more time for warm ups and cool downs as well as any temp spikes as the water absorbs much more heat energy. Regardless, this means nothing if you don't have ample heat exchangers (radiators) in place to exhaust this energy into the ambient air. Heat reacts to ambient room temps the same way that the Sun heating the Earth causes wind and areas of higher and lower pressure. The greater the difference between these energies, the more efficient and quickly the energy is moved. Fans allow this by acting as an already present 'wind' to force heat exchange and dissipation from the radiator fins into the surrounding air.
October 14, 2014 11:00:11 AM

I have seen dual tower Heat sink Air cooler's beat AiO and are cheaper.

In regards to the Liquid Cooling v Water Cooling.

I think he is talking about the AiO Liquid cooling not using "water", whilst Water Cooling uses pure distilled water. But yes in the end its the same story that they use liquid to dissipate the heat.

AiO apparently uses Ethylene Glycol like liquid. evaporate rating not as quick as water but comapred to water, Water transfer's heat much better than Ethylene Glycol which is why people say Custom Water Loop is better than an AiO.

Have a read : http://www.legitreviews.com/120mm-water-cooler-round-up...

Its also interesting how much less of liquid they use on the 120mm. Also some liquid even have nano particles (I presume metal) to increase the amount of heat the liquid can carry). And dye them blue so they look nice LeL :D 
a c 337 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 10:32:00 AM

It personally wasn't my idea- I am not a huge fan of it either. I think there was a discussion one day when I wasn't available and there was a notable change in how the stickies were requested to be presented.

I'm currently pushing to get cooling separated out into sections like they used to be, so I'll definitely hang it up in there when that is updated. Not sure when that is going to be, but noticing that saint19 updated the meta-sticky, maybe he'll be OK if I remove it from there. I think people are missing some of these links altogether, but with how the forum is laid out now with tagging vs. actual structured 'walls', it isn't as much as a defined space as it once was.
a c 249 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 10:12:38 AM

rubix_1011 said:
Not at all. There has just been a lot of discussion in this specific thread where folks are making a case for/against the cooling solution and it always seems that one is dependent upon the other. I just wanted to toss it out there that you can do it 'just because you want to'.

Absolutely not directed at you; mainly to add it as a point of discussion as it often seems to be glossed over. My intent was to ensure that those engaged in the thread also took it into consideration. Honestly, you are the last guy here that I would feel that I have to explain that to. :) 


You had already linked the guy to the information he needed, but he seemed that just wasn't enough information, because he would have to actually read it to get anything from it, and that's typical. I only got involved after seeing what his overclocking goal was for his 4790K, 6ghz yeah Right! I couldn't get 6ghz out of it with my cooling!

I've always known why you water cool you like the setup involved in it, you like the looks and the improved cooling, and you are one of the most knowledgeable regarding water cooling here!

You've actually changed my view of water cooling, because there are more reasons to do it besides just overclocking! :) 

On another note;

I think the water cooling sticky consolidation was a bad idea rubix, it makes it harder for them to get to the information, the majority ignore the stickies anyway even though they're pretty much all current, consolidating them has made it even worse, IMO.

a c 337 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 7:54:44 AM

Not at all. There has just been a lot of discussion in this specific thread where folks are making a case for/against the cooling solution and it always seems that one is dependent upon the other. I just wanted to toss it out there that you can do it 'just because you want to'.

Absolutely not directed at you; mainly to add it as a point of discussion as it often seems to be glossed over. My intent was to ensure that those engaged in the thread also took it into consideration. Honestly, you are the last guy here that I would feel that I have to explain that to. :) 
a c 249 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 7:39:25 AM

rubix_1011 said:
I watercool because I can and because I like to...not because I need to nor because I overclock.

There isn't a necessity either way, so I'd like to also make that clear. You can do it just because you want to....and I do.


I've always know that, if that was directed at me?

a c 337 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 7:22:55 AM

I watercool because I can and because I like to...not because I need to nor because I overclock.

There isn't a necessity either way, so I'd like to also make that clear. You can do it just because you want to....and I do.
a c 249 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 5:56:45 AM

Ricardo Waitos said:
4Ryan6 said:
Ricardo Waitos said:
a full loop can go a fair way over $1000 upon optimization.


How do you arrive at those numbers?

Are you even water cooling your setup?






You take a snippet of my response and respond on that..... Just for those of you who haven't seen above, I said a loop starts at around $300 and CAN go over $1000.... I do love people like you ;) .

I have been involved in every type of cooling system I can think of at one point or another, even botched together loops before the coming of liquid cooling. I am not the type of person to chat bubbles if I don't know anything about the subject in hand... No I am not running water loop at the moment no, not even a closed liquid loop. I am running forced air at the moment because it is all my system requires to run at good temperatures. I am not one for overkill.


That's what I thought! :) 

October 14, 2014 5:49:54 AM

4Ryan6 said:
Ricardo Waitos said:
a full loop can go a fair way over $1000 upon optimization.


How do you arrive at those numbers?

Are you even water cooling your setup?






You take a snippet of my response and respond on that..... Just for those of you who haven't seen above, I said a loop starts at around $300 and CAN go over $1000.... I do love people like you ;) .

I have been involved in every type of cooling system I can think of at one point or another, even botched together loops before the coming of liquid cooling. I am not the type of person to chat bubbles if I don't know anything about the subject in hand... No I am not running water loop at the moment no, not even a closed liquid loop. I am running forced air at the moment because it is all my system requires to run at good temperatures. I am not one for overkill.
a c 249 K Overclocking
October 14, 2014 5:35:59 AM

Ricardo Waitos said:
a full loop can go a fair way over $1000 upon optimization.


How do you arrive at those numbers?

Are you even water cooling your setup?



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