What Is a Custom Water Loop?
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The custom water-cooling or open-loop liquid cooling is an advanced method of cooling your pc. It’s something that allows you to choose which elements you wish to cool with water.
This option requires you to buy a couple of things: a radiator, pump, CPU, reservoir, and the GPU water block, such as the AORUS GeForce RTX 3080 XTREME WATERFORCE WB 10G. Do note that these are all separately sold, yet you’re supposed to connect all of them via soft/hard tubing.
As the method suggests, it’s quite challenging, especially for newbies. And considering that you’re working with liquid, there are big chances of spillage too.
Open or custom water-cooling comes with superior overclocking potential. This is something you won’t get from closed-loop liquid coolers due to their limited potential.
It’s not easy to deal with an overheating computer since a lot of factors increase the risks. After all, higher temperatures cause the reduced lifespan of components and can result in critical failures.
Additionally, custom water-cooling offers better aesthetics compared to closed-loop liquid coolers. Although the latter has a low-profile design, you can fully customise custom water coolers.
These are the areas where the custom water-cooling shines. Also, a positive airflow and a good combination of high-quality pump/radiators result in great temperatures on full load.
Is Liquid Cooling or Air Cooling Better for Overclocking?
For overclocking, people wonder which is better between liquid cooling VS air cooling.
Generally, air coolers are good for overclocking, though it’s better if you opt for a cooler that isn’t too cheap. Air coolers are alright for moderate overclocks. However, if you’re planning to push your chip to the max, opt for liquid cooling instead.
When overclocking, a somewhat large heatsink is best, however, don’t push too much on the throttles.
AIOs give you more potential for cooling compared to other mainstream air coolers out today. It’s ideal for cooling powerful components, and it’s great for overclocking as well.
If you’re aiming to get aggressive overclocks on high-end CPUs, then AIO coolers are the best option. Now, you’re probably asking, “how does liquid cooling work when overclocking?”
Liquid cooling helps keep overclocked hardware cool, so it won’t overheat and crash your computer. It’ll help prevent any unwanted damage to your hardware due to overheating.
AIO liquid coolers are also perfect for smaller form factor systems compared to larger air coolers which may not fit. Just make sure that your case has the right mounting points for the radiator, and the AIO will likely fit.
Additionally, these AIO coolers are an ideal fit for chassis with limited airflow. That’s because most of the heat’s contained in the coolant loop, and can be released from the case via radiator.
What to Consider About CPU Cooling when Overclocking Your PC?
When overclocking your PC, you should consider all core temperatures first. It’s so you have an idea of how hot the CPU gets when you utilise it.
If high-end air coolers or AIOs aren’t enough for the clock speeds you’re aiming for, opt for full-custom cooling loops. These come with bigger radiators that can remove more heat from your system.
Aside from performance, another factor to consider is quiet operation. Fan noise will be disruptive if you’re building an office PC. If that’s the case, it’s best to opt for a liquid cooler, which produces less noise.
Things to Consider When Building a Liquid Cooled PC
Before purchasing your AIO cooler, make sure of its compatibility with the rest of your rig. You can determine this by knowing the version of your CPU processor.
Since you’re opting for an AIO cooler, ensure that your chassis supports a radiator with the right size and density. Do note that the common sizes for radiators are 120, 240, and 280mm. At the high end, they can even be 360 and 420mm.
Another thing to consider when building your liquid-cooled PC is the fan and radiator pump speed. These two elements are crucial since they’re responsible for cooling your system. Mainly, they’re present to avoid your PC from overheating.
Additionally, you should opt for an AIO cooler that has low noise rates. Remember that faster and bigger fans are noisier.
But thankfully, numerous quality AIO coolers available today offer low noise rates. These are ideal for keeping things peaceful while you work or game.
You can also opt for an AIO cooler that sport RGB LED lights. This is perfect if you want to add some bling and the gamer aesthetics to your build.
It’s smart to check on the different specifications for the case, as well as the information for radiation support.
To answer the question, “which should I choose between liquid cooling VS air cooling?”, it basically depends on your needs. It also depends on what you plan to do with your computer.
For standard to moderate use of your PC, go for the air coolers. These are generally more affordable and can handle some for overclocking.
As for liquid or AIO coolers, they work similarly as the air coolers but they are often quieter and can produce some great cooling results. Liquid cooling is best if you plan to do some intense overclocking with your PC.
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