# Liquid vs. Air -- basic question



## Tim Enchanter (Feb 7, 2011)

I'm going to be building a rather high-end gaming system. I would rather avoid much heat from the beginning, rather than put things together and then try to fix a heat problem.

From what I've read recently trying to get current on computer modules, liquid cooling (standard stuff without going nuts with nitrogen or anything), is yet to outperform good air cooling. Is that right?

Thx!

Tim


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## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

It depends on which units you're comparing. The best liquid coolers outperform many of the air coolers. The best air coolers are absolutely massive and may not fit all cases. Not all liquid coolers will fit all cases.

Here's a review of the Corsair H70 up against a lot of other coolers.
Corsair H70: Next-Gen Self-Contained Liquid Cooling : Liquid Cooling For The Mainstream


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## Tim Enchanter (Feb 7, 2011)

Thx JMPC,

I read the article. Looks like I'll be staying with air cooling. I don't mind spending any additional $ to get the best air solution, and I think I'll have the room in the case for a pretty tall fan.

I guess the same general outcome as that article on CPU cooling would apply for liquid cooling video cards or RAM?

Thx!

Tim

P.S. I've been looking at a lot of cooling videos getting ideas. You just have to see this one at 2:18 to 2:41 into it.









YouTube - Custom Gaming Computer Setup Liquid Cooled


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Air will always be cheaper, water will always be more risky.

Water will tend towards a slightly higher minimum temp, but will drastically cut maximum temps and provide more stable cooling (less variation, and less extreme variation). Things like the H70 are just kinda a go-between for water and air. They don't show any of the major advantages of either, but nor do they show many of the disadvantages.

A loop on a 340 or bigger rad will keep things cool and stable. Very good for overclocking, but also very good for opting in to slightly higher stable temps for much less computer noise. More than a few "extreme" overclockers opt for air for the lower cost and the challenge of keeping everything stable on a cooling system that can be highly variable.

Keep a few things in mind about water:

It's very expensive ($300+ to start with quality components for a CPU loop)
It takes up a lot of room (rad, res, pump, tubing, blocks, fans. Even more with multiple loops.)
It can be very risky (and even more expensive when you pour water across your MoBo and/or GPU)
It requires more maintenance than just a can of air.

As far as GPU? If I were to buy one of the high-end Fermi cards right now, I'd probably run a loop for it. Super high-temp cards!


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## Tim Enchanter (Feb 7, 2011)

Oh c'mon guys. Check out that above video.

I can't believe the guy intentionally caught his girlfriend laying on the bed half naked, probably without her knowledge.

Tim


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

IMO that rig is very loud...Would drive me insane. The only way I could tolerate that is if the girl came with it :grin:


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Earplugs and sunglasses required for that rig! I'll take the girl and her laptop!!!:grin:


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Too many fans for a water-cooled rig. And way too many lights. 

I would put a water-block on the NB, SB, RAM, CPU and GPU and put a monster radiator with a 22cm fan and a whisper quiet pump...

And one would stop to ask... With a pretty lady in bed, what is he doing running around taking video of his PC for?


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