Liquid Cooling - What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Status
Not open for further replies.

TheCalifornian

Beta member
Messages
2
I plan saving up my earnings to build a semi-high performance system. With such high performance parts, I know they tend to overheat. This is why there are fans. I want to take it one step further and get liquid cooling system. What are the advantages and disadvantages with such a type of system? I have built computers before. I have never built a high-end computer. My uncle is good when it comes to high end performance, so he will assist me. Thank you all for your time.
 
Advantage of it, is that it keeps it cooler than air but the disadvantage is if it leaks well, your SOL.
 
Advantages:
Cools better than air

Disadvantages:
more points of failure
The pump can die as well as the fans.

The water level most be kept at the right level.

Extra cooling will be needed on passively cooled motherboards.
 
So if I purchased expensive parts, install the liquid cooling system, and then it leaks, am I screwed? Would my best bet be to go with fans and memory Coolers and chipset Coolers stuff?
 
Unless you buy a prebuilt kit, which i highly reccomend, the individual parts might be warrentied from breaking, but if you dont put it together correctly and it leaks, theres no insurance policy against your hardware.

On to the advantages,

Noise, Fewer Fans=Less Noise
Cool Facotr, Water cooling is sweet!
Performance, Water=Colder

Disadvantages,
Cost, Costs hella bank usually between 150-250 for a low to mid range loop
Skill Required, Not easy, took me approx. 6 hours from start to finish


oh, and on a final note, pump failure is probably the least of your problems, most pumps are guarenteed for 50,000 hours or about 5 years.
 
Well, when you first assemble the loop, you run the pump off a shorted psu or an at one, and let the water cooling run for about 8 hours. During this time, you stuff the entire inside of your pc with copious amounts of paper towels and toilet paper. If when the time is up everything is dry, then you have nothing to worry about.
 
TheCalifornian said:
So if I purchased expensive parts, install the liquid cooling system, and then it leaks, am I screwed? Would my best bet be to go with fans and memory Coolers and chipset Coolers stuff?

The solution is non conductive. If it leaks, you'll need to clean your system, find the leak and fix it - which can be a lot of trouble. But most sets are built well enouph that you shouldn't have to worry about a leak.

It won't wreck your system like H20.
 
Also you don't need watercooling for a "semi-high performance system"...only if you plan to do some serious overclocking.

There are plenty of less costly, easier, and very effective air cooling solutions.
 
Lord AnthraX said:
for me in watercooling Id just be afraid if anything that my clamps were not tight enough :amazed:


The tubing should be tight enough to run with out clamps. Clamps are an added safety factor.


Water cooling is great but with the quality of aircooling products on the market you can have a great performing setup with out water. Although water does have the pimp looking factor. Also my water cooling has gone from platform to platform without much change. Some times all it takes is a new top for the water block. A new top is much cheaper then a new heatsink.

Stick to quality components, and make sure you use distilled water and you will be fine. I have had leaks before (crappy component failure or trying to finish putting my computer back together at 4am and not paying attention) but I have never lost anything.

Do your research, and then choose. Either way is great, they both have advantages and disadvantages.

Good luck!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom