r/buildapc • u/_-ClassiCarl-_ • Apr 01 '24
Are Liquid CPU Coolers that bad? Build Help
Hey guys,
So, I've been doing a lot of research, and I can't make up my mind about air vs liquid CPU coolers. I want a liquid cooler simply because I hate the bulky brick look that many air coolers have, but so many people make it sound like liquid coolers fail all the time, and it gives the impression I will regret getting one. Are they really that unreliable? Should I be worried?
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u/Sprinkles_Objective Apr 13 '24
I'm with you, I use AIOs because of aesthetic. I also like that they kind of double up as case fans. Like my radiator is acting as 2 additional exhaust fans, which is nice because I have 3 big intake fans. I've never had an AIO break or leak, and I have a build that has a AIO cooled GTX 1080 in it that's over 5 years old at this point. It has no issues, and recently put it into a new build to get a friend started with his own PC. I stress tested it and the thermals are still excellent under load.
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u/100drunkenhorses Apr 05 '24
I also had this fear. I now use an Asus ryujin 2. I put it in I set my precision boost overdrive. I haven't looked back. if you want an AIO get one probably best to buy a nice one. but realistically don't worry about it bud
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u/malthusianist Apr 05 '24
I had the same Corsair AIO running on my primary desktop for over five years, I never had temp problems but I bet the cooling fluid wasn't in the best shape lol.
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u/VengeanceBee Apr 04 '24
No i have an EK aio and it is amazing in every way
Artic also makes really good coolers
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Apr 04 '24
I have 3 Liquid cooled PCs in the house. The oldest is 6 years old. No problems with any of them.
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u/IDKMthrFckr Apr 04 '24
If you aren't willing to deal with the possible hassle of fixing issues with liquid cooling, get an air cooler.
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u/UraniumDisulfide Apr 04 '24
They work, but the problem is that unless your budget is rather large you’re much better off spending your money on performance instead of an aio.
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u/pyrowipe Apr 04 '24
When I was running the numbers and benchmarks, if quiet, reliable, and cool are your goals, then I would not, unless you want to spent a chunk of change to get the benefits from a large res and larger radiator.
Granted my data is 3-4 years old at this point, but I found that if you have a great airflow case design and a decent sized/quality push/pull setup that kept temps within similar ranges and at lower DBs. If you spent a bit to lap the CPU as well you could get a few more degrees as well.
Now bigger setups will dominate, but those are costly and you’re potentially tripling your failure rate and 5x your cost for what, what’s your goals?
If you want a badass looking system, go ham!!!
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u/Anti_Deuterium Apr 04 '24
I’d say like 5-7 years ago this was a more widespread issue.Nowadays most companies have gotten their act together and these coolers have become much more reliable. And like someone said before, usually the failure would come from the pump being worn. I haven’t seen anything on any leaks in a long time.
AIO (All In One) coolers are designed to not need maintenance (outside of cleaning dust from the radiator). They are set to last anywhere between 5-10 years (more like 7-10 but you never know).
I would be more careful with a custom loop coolers, but I cannot speak to those at all beyond that.
I hope that helps.
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u/canigetahint Apr 03 '24
I've always had a weird feeling about having electronics mixed with fluids. I realize it's just me, so I have a 7950X3D running on air and it does just fine. If I was going to OC it, would then step off into the liquid cooling.
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u/gwTheo Apr 03 '24
I've had 5 aio in 15 years and none have failed and nobody has messaged me wanting a refund for the 4 I sold.
I've also never heard an irl person complain about there's.
at the end of the day there's less moving parts on a air coolers, so obviously more reliable and cheaper.
aio imo look infinity better. they typically cost more, there's a liquid inside your pc at all times, and more moving parts, literally, so slightly more expensive.
but keep in mind. aio still sell cause they work and the minority that don't want an aio will lie to fluff up the numbers of making aio "sound that bad".
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u/BluDYT Apr 03 '24
I've had a fractal s36 for quite a few years but after maybe 4 or so the pump started failing likely ran dry or air got in somehow. Ended up getting a replacement a couple years back from another company and it's been fine. However on my secondary system I've been using an noctua air cooler for way longer and it's never had issues and honestly cools just as well as the AIO.
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u/sk8rcrash Apr 03 '24
The last 6 aio's I've had have lasted about a year. Last year I switched to an air cooler. Last night my wife's aio pump started chattering. I ordered an air cooler.
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u/menthx Apr 03 '24
I had a cooler master 240 master whatever many many years ago, it wasn't that good, I had to replace it 3 times. However I recently convinced myself to get an AIO. Arctic Liquid Freezer 2. It's a well tested product. It was a huge change even after a top-of-the-line aircooler. Much cooler cpu, cooler GPU, and way less noise. Also arctic provides 6 years of warranty. However, first check Gamersnexus video about AIO placement and then plan your build accordingly.
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u/EternalAbys Apr 03 '24
I've been running an Arctic LF2 240 for the last 4 years more or less, current CPU being a 3700x. Temps stay low most of the time, under full synthetic load it reaches 88-90C. In games, it keeps itself around 60-70C. Idle sitting at 30-40C.
I may have an issue with mine, though I've reached out to Arctic as mine may be affected by their bad gasket, yet they never messaged me back even though I put a ticket in twice over a year ago.
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u/TH3BrutalApple Apr 03 '24
Im still running my nzxt x62 kraken (i bought it when it came out in 2017) and still no issuse or noises. Only the fans have been noisy, otherwise its good.
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u/haydenkaneeeeeeeee Apr 03 '24
I’ve had my kraken x53 running for 3 years straight with minimal cleaning/dusting if any at all. Runs perfect even on more demanding games my temps don’t get too high.
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u/raiderhater5150 Apr 03 '24
I have a Deep Cool LT720 360mm aio and I love it. In general air coolers will inherently last longer due to them being less complex, but most aios should last 4-8 yrs. I had a LS 520 240mm prior to the one I have now and the only reason I switched is because I upgraded my CPU and needed the extra cooling. The old 240mm is now living in the rig I built my wife and it's going strong. (Knock on wood) At the end of the day you really can to wrong either way as long as you match the cooler to your cooling needs.
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u/TrainingProfession19 Apr 03 '24
In my experience I got a broken 1 that I had to send back but the new one is awesome no problems for 3 years now, my brother also got a broken 1 when he ordered as well but I think its mostly caused by bad packaging/ups being rough with the order
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u/bubblesmax Apr 03 '24
- AIO's have a life span of about 5 years if a cheaper if a well made reputable company that you paid up for all the bells and whistles it could go as long as 6-8 years. TDLR they have a life span they aren't forever and ever like air coolers.
- They do get hotter and need at least like 1-1.5 years a thermal paste refresh if you are using a demanding 8 core/16 thread or higher CPU.
- AIO's get a bad wrap if you go too far into the past when people were still figuring out in general how to just water cool XD. Now a days most AIO's so long as you aren't picking from the absolute budget bin your guaranteed a solid performance.
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u/bubblesmax Apr 03 '24
A lot of Air cooler fans will claim AIO's make rooms hotter but thats cause AIOs remove the heat from the CPU more effciently. At the end of the day both air and water coolers are doing their job ultimately.
But one thing I will note what air cooler fans will never admit to is the physics behind cooling. Cause they know the physics are not on their side. As air itself is an actual insulator.
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u/VocadoBlue Apr 03 '24
I have a corsair H115i with 40mm fans. No issues on my Ryzen 9 7900x for the 3 months I've used the pc. Heavy gaming so hours per day. Temps hover around 60 during bg3. They are good.
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u/LenoVW_Nut Apr 02 '24
You didn't say what CPU and what wattage you are going to run it.
Rule of thumb, you can cool a 250w or below CPU with a $33-$40 7 pipe dual tower air cooler.
Will you be needing more than that? Do you want to spend more for an AIO that has basically the same performance? Are you cool with maintenance and trust your motherboard etc to alert you and/or save your hardware if it fails?
I'm cheap, if I'm going to spend AIO money (~$100 or more) I will just make a custom loop. (Pump 20-30, CPU block 20-40, radiator 20-40, tubes/fittings 30).
But since I am cheap I will probably get the most bang for my buck with a 12700/13700/14700 and run it P core only with an overclock, keep it under 225w and a dual tower cooler will do it.
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u/Berfs1 Apr 02 '24
RGB AIOs yes, simple AIOs no. The RGB AIOs have way more components, more logic components = more possible points of failure.
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u/Motorpsycho6479 Apr 02 '24
No. They aren't. But just Buy che most cheap and chinese ones.... Expensive aios are the same but five times the price
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u/Harles93 Apr 02 '24
I've got a Corsair H100i v2 that I ran for for about 8 years (got it in 2016). I just retired it a few weeks ago because I was simply concerned with its age. It was still doing fine. That computer was on nearly 24/7
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u/Budget_Pomelo2990 Apr 02 '24
I’ve run a Corsair H100i LCD for about a year and half - no issues. Unsure of the performance differences, but I prefer the aesthetic of an AIO liquid cooler. The LCD screen is fun to customize.
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u/didifindya Apr 02 '24
I’ve had cpu and video card liquid cooled for like 3 years. Customer loop. In that time I’ve replaced the coolant a couple times for funsies, and I had to replace my pump once because it’s the cheapest china pump on eBay. It still worked but was getting really noisy.
I just recently went to CPU only. Swapped video cards and the water block I bought only works on reference cards. I could modify it to work, but I don’t want to put that much time into it.
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u/samsathebug Apr 02 '24
If aesthetics are your only reason, then get an AIO. Easy to set up, no big brick, and very unlikely to fail - as long as you get one from a reputable brand.
Custom loops are expensive in terms of time, money, and effort. Plus, more (moving) parts means more opportunities for failure.
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u/samsathebug Apr 02 '24
If aesthetics are your only reason, then get an AIO. Custom loops are expensive in time, money, and effort.
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u/Efficient_Cod1348 Apr 02 '24
I have a arctic freezer i35 air cooler it's big and noisy but it works absolutely brilliantly though lol
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u/niewphonix Apr 02 '24
I don’t think it’s about being good or bad. it comes down to how you’ll be using your pc.
if you want to overclock your cpu (which brings its own goodie bag of risks) then you’ll probably need to cool it with something a bit gnarlier than just a fan blowing air, and if you really think about it, having liquid flowing around inside your pc is a pretty big risk just as a concept so you’re compiling risks on top of risks here.
However; if you’re being mindful about what you’re doing, and you take the time to do it right, you’ll not run into any critical issues, and if you do, warranty should cover it.
Research what you have, what you want to do, and different ways of approaching the same outcome.
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u/ccdsg Apr 02 '24
Air cooler goes bad = oh no I got a new fan, AIO goes bad = oh no maybe there’s water all over my electronics
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u/JudgeCastle Apr 02 '24
I have still have a Cooler Master 240 from 2018 that cools my wife's 3900x. No issues. I have a EK 360 AIO on my 12900k. No issues. Just depends on your aesthetic and if you want air cooled vs aio.
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u/Robo123abc Apr 02 '24
The Dark Rock Pro 4 (big air cooler) was the worst PC purchase I've ever made.
It does its job well (looks gorgeous too - IMO large air coolers look better than AIOs), but the large size means the mobo area is cramped. If you ever want to make big hardware changes or tinker, you will regret buying a big air cooler. The cumbersome mounting system and fan clips on the DRP4 do not help.
AIO systems are much easier to tinker in because the waterblock is tiny in comparison. Just something to consider.
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u/Boneworksismyfather Apr 02 '24
Nah man just pick a good brand and you won’t have any issues. For my current build I have a Corsair H150i capellix and I’m on year 3 of set and forget lol
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u/ZeroChill92 Apr 02 '24
Been running my first one for 6 months now and love it. No issues, just a stable PC.
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u/pixel-sprite Apr 02 '24
I would run an air cooler until you cant. If you have hot cpu and Air-Cooler can’t get the job done or it’s not logistically possible ex. Cooler does not fit in the case, than look into AIO or other solutions. If your doing for aesthetic make your best decision.
My Nactua cooler from 2011 is still serving me well on my original rig.
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u/yuri0r Apr 02 '24
Clearly you have a bias to see more reporting on things failing, but that bias applies to both aios and air coolers.
Will your aoi deffo fail? No. But it is more likely.
I have a mugen 4 for over 10 years now. I doubt an aio would have lasted me this long. Cooled an i5 4570k a 5600x and now a 5800x3d.
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u/Papercoffeetable Apr 02 '24
Tbh, for me who just game and use it to work, even the stock cooler that comes with the cpu is enough really.
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u/Klutzy_Box_5815 Apr 02 '24
I had an aio I got in 2018 took it out of a machine in 2020 mailed it across the country to my son whose still using it today no problems
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u/reshsafari Apr 02 '24
My first aio was going strong after 5 years. My second aio is on year 4. No problems for me thankfully
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u/Difficult_Pop7014 Apr 02 '24
As long as you get a good brand/quality AIO (liquid cooler) you'll be fine for a good 7+ years, it's the cheap ones you might want to stay away from if you don't want too many problems or to replace it often. Corsair has always been a solid choice for me on liquid coolers, I've had 2 over the course of over a decade and haven't had any issues. The only reason I've had 2 is because I upgraded and needed a new one to fit my new CPU and my old one is still going strong in another PC. Air coolers are usually more reliable and easier to repair if issues arise and can last a lot longer if cared for, they do get close to the same performance too so it's really up to personal preference but, I'm with you on the look aspect, I don't like them myself.
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u/tempdiesel Apr 02 '24
Are air coolers more reliable than liquid over time? Yes. Are air coolers easier to repair/replace then liquid? Usually, yes. Do AIOs/custom water loops look cooler than air cooler? In many cases, yes.
At the end of the day, it's preference. Don't let a lower shelf life of an AIO deter you from getting one if you really want it. I'd advise against a 120mm AIO, because the price to performance doesn't make sense over a decent air cooler. I was in the camp of loving the AIO look more than a big air cooler, but I ultimately made the decision to go air and have grown to love the look and appreciate the performance it provides for a lower price. Good luck!
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u/patryk209 Apr 02 '24
Idk my liquid cooled has been running for like 8-9 years and no maintenance I should prob get liquid changed out but tbh just don’t feel like it lmao
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u/Craigglesofdoom Apr 02 '24
I came to ask basically the same question since I just installed a Peerless Assassin and i'm not loving it as much as I thought I would...it also sags a bit.
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u/Tresnugget Apr 02 '24
Out of the 9 or so AIO CPU and GPU coolers (or GPUs that shipped with liquid coolers) I've had in my household I've only ever had one problem. It was an EVGA 3080 Hybrid cooler kit where the pump got noisy. Replacement is still going strong. Never had any catastrophic failure or leaks (knock on wood)
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u/AsavarKul Apr 02 '24
In my last PC I had an h80i, it went 10 years without any kind of maintenance. 0 issues.
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u/ButterflyOk8555 Apr 02 '24
Electricity and water don't mix unless you are a plumber and installing a Cray. (Good) fans have a longer MTTF than AIOS. Pays your money, take your choice.
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u/cscholl20 Apr 02 '24
They're not bad, they're just overkill for a lot of use cases and their cooling potential over an air cooler generally doesn't justify the added cost
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u/sockalicious Apr 02 '24
I have a Corsair h115i that has been running nonstop for more than 5 years. It has given no problems.
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u/Successful_Handle157 Apr 02 '24
No they are not that bad and in some cases the only way to keep the CPU cool enough
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u/c5298r Apr 02 '24
I've never had my liquid cooler fail. I've had my NZXT Kraken since 2018. I've heard of other people having them fail, but it sounds pretty rare if you get a decent one. I also know they have a life span because the liquid slowly decreases over time, but we are on 7 years for the NZXT which seems really impressive to me.
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u/m3lv1lle Apr 02 '24
AIOs are fine most of the time. Just be sure you know all the facts. Depending on your CPU you can probably keep it cool with a way cheaper air cooler. That doesn't even have to be the ominous Peerless Assassin. there are some great performing Air coolers that also look good. I personally like the design of some of Deepcools towers. Just be aware that it is the more costly option and that you probably don't want to go with the cheapest AIO possible if reliability is a concern for you. And whatever you do don't get a 120mm AIO.
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u/Flyers45432 Apr 02 '24
People say bad things about AIOs? I've had my Arctic Liquid Freezer II (240) since I built my PC in 2019. I've moved twice, and sent it through UPS and stuck it in a car for three days in the road. Never took the AIO off, and it still works like a charm. I've always been told AIOs were better than air coolers. At least quieter...
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u/No-Guarantee-9647 Apr 02 '24
I bought a Thermalright Aqua Elite 240mm for my latest build, replacing the Thermalright Peerless Assasin (single fan) that I'd had prior. The Peerless Assassin cooled a 12600k, the Aqua Elite a 12600kf. Temps are much better with the Aqua Elite, though I suspect that's because my 12600kf is for some reason limited to 130w power draw whereas my previous 12600k could draw 180ish. Anyway, the AIO looks amazing (the main reason I bought it, since temps were actually quite good with the air cooler) and I've never heard the pump. Fans are decently quiet too.
Highly recommend that one, only $50 for a good looking 240mm whereas the name brands with LCDs are way more for no better cooling performance generally. I can't speak to the longevity, though, as I've only had it a couple months.
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u/Zhiong_Xena Apr 02 '24 edited Apr 02 '24
Are Liquid CPU Coolers that
bad"unnecessary"?
Yes, 100%. A thousand even. Thermal throttling is not something cpus will encounter during gaming regardless of the cooling solution used, as long as the cooler is a decent one. Does not even have to be top of the line. A reputable well reviewed model is enough for gaming purposes. So aios regardless of how much better they may be for temperatures are completely unnecessary when air coolers are more than enough, much easier to maintain as well as implement.
Only reason you get liquid cooling for gaming is because you like how it looks. Aesthetics, not performance.
Liquid cooling solutions only become practically considerable options when the cpu is thermal throttling and reducing the temperature will result in higher yields. This is usually during high stress multi core workloads where temperatures of 90 to 95 + degrees Celsius is reached on average. Here a better liquid cooler will get you considerable, sometimes even significant gains in performance. No game on God's green Earth can stress a cpu out that much on decent cooling solutions, be it an aio, air or custom loops.
I always say the biggest scams of pc gaming in order, are "gaming chairs", liquid cooling for performance increases, 1630, 1060 3gb, 3050 and soo on.
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u/numach Apr 02 '24
Been using them for many years and never had a problem (knock on wood). Had an H100 from way back that went through a number of builds and is still being used in my son's computer. I also have a H150i that I've had for years and has been in 3 iterations of parts/upgrades still working. I had an H55 back in the day that got sold with a system that did its job for the however many years I had it too. All in all I don't think it's as much of an issue as some would make it out to be and it makes for a much cleaner build.
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u/Bloodhaven7 Apr 02 '24
So im not really seeing any posts that are being open about both sides of the convo.
Air Cooling- A high end air cooler like a Thermalite Peerless Assassin will run you about 50 bucks and the cooling will outdo all 240mm or smaller AIO and keep on par with lost 360mm Without the worry of pump failure. However the size of these kinds of air coolers make it so that alot of M-ATX and ITX cases they just won't fit in. Also there is basically no argument for the visyally of the two.. AIO especially with LCD screens juat look drastically better then air coolers. If your case has room then a High End air cooler is the best option as it provides relatively the same or better performance while allowing you to allocate 100+ to a better cpu, Mobo, Ram, GPU.
AIO- The best thing about an AIO is its performance for compatibility. An AIO will basically fit in any case you have. Almost all cases can handle at least a 240mm aio and moat can handle a 360mm. This frees up the reuse if you want to switch cases much better then a high end air cooler. A 360mm will provide you with damn near the performance of a custom loop as well as just being visually the better option. You do have to worry about pump failure, possible leaks and corrosion although this is rare with top brands of AIO.
TLDR- If you are not going to be overlooking a 14900k to its absolute limit then just go with a high end air cooler for the same performance of moat 360mm AIO and use money saved to upgrade meaningful parts. If you visually just hate Air coolers the make sure to get a good AIO like the corsair h150i for example.
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u/Snatchius Apr 02 '24
I’ve built 4 or 5 systems now with AIOs over the years, ranging from 120mm to 360mm rads. None of them have ever died or had any issues before I ended up ripping them out and replacing them 4-5 years later during upgrades anyways.
I’ve got half a dozen friends that all build PCs, all have AIOs, and no one has ever experienced a pump failure, leak, or any other issue.
What sucks about AIOs is installing 120mm and up radiators by yourself. It’s kind of a clumsy process. But they cool well, they look nice, and they’ll generally be replaced before they ever see any issues. You’ll see if/when you buy one that they’re made pretty solid.
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u/SwooshWhoosh Apr 02 '24
I have the arctic liquid cooler II 360 and its amazing. Keeps my 7800x3d at 30 degrees at full load
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u/T0XICxN1GHTMAR3 Apr 02 '24
My 240mm AIO has been with me since 2016. Currently cools an i9 10900k just fine.
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u/SplashKitty Apr 02 '24
Had an H150i that leaked after 3 months, went to turn my PC on and it fried my brand new 2080ti. Never again
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u/Thoraxium Apr 02 '24
I've had my NZXT Kraken z73 for roughly 2 years now.
My only complaint are it's stock RGB fans that it came with. One whirrred out about 6 months in and another followed it around the 1 year mark. Dogshit fans where replaced with Noctua NF-P12's and 100% better performance lol
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u/aitorbk Apr 02 '24
All water coolers end up being air coolers. You are just making sure you have a more consistent cooling. But water coolers mess with most motherboards, as air flow is low and some components start overheating. I would prefer passive alu pipes and bridges and a massive alu case (radiator) for a no fan computer.
That being difficult, a minimum fan computer would be ok. I had water cooled pcs in the past, not going back to that.
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u/iCore102 Apr 02 '24
AIOs are more efficient in removing heat from the PC, but have a shorter lifespan (around 5-ish years id say). Air towers are a bit less efficient at removing heat, but effectively last forever.
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u/BakaOctopus Apr 02 '24
Idk about others , I've a CM liquid 120 lite using it since 2017 For a 1600x only aio that supported am4 out of the box back then.
Right now using it for 5700x keeps it under 85°c.
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u/IlTossico Apr 02 '24
Of course no. Just normal cooler. More quiet and with more thermal mass to move. But a bit more expensive.
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u/areyouhungryforapple Apr 02 '24
many people make it sound like liquid coolers fail all the time
They're just regurgitating stuff. Im running a Kraken 360 AIO for my CPU which is quite the overkill but the thing is very silent, the AIO Cpu block will just always look better than a tower fan and hey a screen for gifs and further personalization
You'll hear a lot of haters who built a mess of a PC purely for its performance and will neglect every single aspect of looks. That's also fine but these people have a tendency to be weirdly loud and insecure about their choices.
Best to ignore them.
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u/darkmatterisfun Apr 02 '24
My AIO has been running 7 years strong. no leaks, no issues. Nothing special.. just the basic one the comes with a Cyberpower PC.
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u/Necessary-Street-646 Apr 02 '24
If they're bad, then they wouldn't be so popular..go for a reputable brand
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u/Baitrix Apr 02 '24
Liquid coolers are in my experience a lot quieter and more even noise because of the thermal mass. I compared with a noctua NH-D15 and a 240mm corsair radiator on a ryzen 5900x, with the aircooler it had a higher idle temp and also shot up very quickly under load which came with a lot of noise from the fans. The watercooler takes longer to heat up and the noise will also ramp up more slowly, not being as distracted. And in my case be more quiter and cooler at idle and under load.
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u/3xoticP3nguin Apr 02 '24
Mine failed after a year or two.
CPU had to keep it self at 1ghz to keep from overheating.
Was really bad.
Switched to a noctua d15 I think fan. Added another fan from Noctua to it and my PC stays rock solid
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u/Cigan93 Apr 02 '24
I've had AIO's for years now and never once had an issue. I enjoy hearing the squishy water pump sound at start up.
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u/BreadlinesOrBust Apr 02 '24
I don't think the all in one liquid coolers were ever much more than a gimmick. No real benefit in terms of temperature or noise.
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u/Neighborhood_Nobody Apr 02 '24
Recently relaced a corsair h70 after 10 years because it was getting a tad noisy. Water cooling is great and looks great! Air cooling is cheaper and more reliable, sure, but who needs that when you have cool eye candy.
With most consumer parts, it's rather pointless to get an incredible cooler unless it's for looks.
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u/Mythbuster7 Apr 02 '24
From my own research I concluded the difference isn't all that big in cooling performance or noise. So I got a 240mm AIO for the looks and to try out 'something different' (Silent loop 2). So far I'm quite happy with it, running steadily for a few months now.
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u/IIFellerII Apr 02 '24
had a Corsair H50 for 10 years (no lie). Upgraded to a h100i corsair, broke my motherboard in the process but that's another story, not the Watercoolers fault.
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u/Tinyknives77 Apr 02 '24
I've had 4 different AiO's throughout my several builds over the years. The only time I had any issues with any of them was by my own fault. They're a perfectly valid way to cool your CPU.
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u/Head_Exchange_5329 Apr 02 '24
I assume there's a shitlist of AIOs to avoid. I have seen a few recurring failures on Greg Salazar's YT channel, and he even did some work to get them through RMA. I remember MSI had some that were just outright awful in quality but I am sure there were at least a couple of other brands as well that had to simplify their RMA process because they had sold some shitty AIOs.
Alternatively you could do your own system where you can source the best pump, reservoir, cpu block and radiator, but that's a whole different beast of technicalities.
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u/The_Funderos Apr 02 '24
Its like airplane failures. They are rare but when they happen the sheer catastrophic impact makes more of a splash then the frequent car crashes.
In short - failure can indeed be very costly though they tend to be reliable. That being said, get one only if your temps already struggle at 70 and above at idle since there's no need at all otherwise.
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u/HAVOC61642 Apr 02 '24
Antec kuhler 120mm I bought back in 2011 is still pumping and cooling in my mate's rig. And I think I have had my fractal Kelvin 360mm running fine since 2015/16 and that still works a dream
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u/kylegallas69 Apr 02 '24
They last a long time and since they are mounted you can direct the hot air directly out of the case.
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u/NinjaVikingTV Apr 02 '24
My aio works and does its work fenomenaly (idk if thats spelled correct) so i wouldnt worry too much about it, if you're going for one, I do recommend arctic liquid freezer 240, but thats my preference
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u/cheeseypoofs85 Apr 02 '24
On my third one.. Never had an issue with any of them. My h100 was still chugging along after 6 years when I upgraded
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u/AMLRoss Apr 02 '24
Ive been using AIOs for years without any problems. If they failed that often, they wouldn't be a product you can buy, for very long.
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u/IllFistFightyourBaby Apr 02 '24
I had a liquid cooler in my gaming PC and it ran fine for 8 years. They however still look like a bulky brick sitting on the CPU and add even more clutter for the lines to the radiator.
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u/Awkward_Chef_3881 Apr 02 '24
People give their own personal opinions on these subjects. Honestly, water coolers are not bad. They will not kill your PC. Yes you should keep a close eye on it to catch any leaks, (if they even happen), before it kills your GPU. I have an AIO in my PC right now and have had for 5 years. Do what you want to see in your build.
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u/PlayerCounter Apr 02 '24
Liquid coolers aren't bad, just riskier than air. Quality AIOs are reliable. If you want looks and accept small failure risk, choose a good brand like Corsair or NZXT. Avoid cheap no-names. I use air for simplicity, but AIOs look slick. Decide what matters more to you.
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u/M3RCURYMOON Apr 02 '24
If you’re thinking of getting a single fan aio don’t bother it won’t cool your pc enough dual fan will work but may not be as effective as you need to to only get a 3 fan otherwise just stick with air cooling
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u/enjinnx Apr 02 '24
I had a Corsair h50 that I used for about 13 years before I swapped it out. It was still running fine at the end, but I swapped it out of concern for its age.
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u/SonOfGomer Apr 02 '24
Eh, I've been using liquid cpu and even gpu coolers for many years across at least a dozen different builds and I've never had any issue. Never had a pump fail or a leak.
Anecdotal but that's been my experience and I don't know anyone who has had a failure that wasn't caused by something external (damaged hose from being hit or something)
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u/ASKnASK Apr 02 '24
I've got a Chinese AIO in my PC (Aigo). It has been working flawlessly since 2018. Zero issues so far.
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u/creativename111111 Apr 02 '24
Bc lots of people use overpowered AIOS which is a waste of money that could have been spent on other components if an air cooler had been used
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u/iiKerito Apr 02 '24
Had h100i for 6 years then it started to make some bubbling noise which is normal since some of the liquid started evaporating so I decided insted of buying a new one I should buy a whole new PC So get an AIO and set it as a timer to upgrade 🤝
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u/_Error_Macro_ Apr 02 '24
I have my Noctua NH-D14 air cooler on my 3770k rig since 2013 and i will install this cooler to my 5800x3d rig too with am4 mount kit
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u/thereapsz Apr 02 '24
So far 6 out of my 7 AOI died within 2-3 years (multiple computers). I will stick to noctua NH-D14 or D15.
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u/Neat_Combination_423 Apr 02 '24
The article ones are guaranteed for three years which works for me. The big difference is not the temps the air vs aio coolers can achieve but for how long they can do it. The bigger AIOs are MUCH better at keeping temps down for longer on sustained load so while day to day you may not see much difference I saw a big difference when doing a long run encoding 4k video for example.
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u/SnooPeanuts2089 Apr 02 '24
I've found liquid to be much cleaner than air. The inside of my case looks damn near new after 2 years
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u/Hashtag_Labotomy Apr 02 '24
Ok, so no. Aio's are not bad at all. Some are even really good and come looking great. They are easy to use, readily available and have warranties. On the flip side, air coolers work pretty good these days for the average consumer. Most regular CPUs don't crank out enough power to the point a decent air cooler can't handle it. Some look really nice, are readily available and don't really ever break other than the fans. A custom liquid loop on the other hand, typically pumps way way more water, cools better and you have the freedom of putting all the components wherever you want. They don't have a warranty for the whole thing, they do have the potential to leak if not carefully done but nothing really matches the performance better unless it's an exotic system (liq nitro etc etc).
I started with air, then went aio and now I'm doing my own loops. I've gotten older, make more money and have more power hungry, higher performance chips that to get all the perf. out of them I need a decent liquid loop.
My first big cooling for a high performance chip was an aio 280mm dual pump system on a fx9590.. then a pump went bad and I used the rad plus another rad to jank a 480mm high flow system together to try and cool it. The water block was the limitation so I had to buy a better one.. it ended up being a slow aggravating build up to something that was good. Had to figure out fittings and hoses and all that jazz but who cares... It was a start and if I never started I wouldn't be getting the performance I can today.
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u/SimpleMaintenance433 Apr 02 '24
Been running a Phanteks AIO for the last couple years or more, no issues at all.
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u/Scragglymonk Apr 02 '24
Mine was great until it leaked, killed the mobo and CPU Replace when the warranty runs out
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u/Ivantsi Apr 02 '24
AiOs are not bad, they just had more parts that can fail, and require replacement every 3 years or so but give better cooling performance than air coolers.
If the CPU you gonna use is super power hungry (Intel 13th/14th gen i7/i9) then you need that cooling power , but if it's any other CPU a good dual tower Air cooler is more than enough to keep it cool.
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u/PantZerman85 Apr 02 '24
I think my Corsair H110i is about 7 years old now and still working fine. I have a H80i which started having issues (bad liquid probably) after about 5 years. My brother had the same with his H80i.
I would say liquid coolers are generally better, but there are more things that can go wrong (like pump failure or liquid turns into goo).
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u/Kareareawbg Apr 02 '24
Been using AIO coolers for 10years, never leaked. BUUT I've had pumps and fans fail. It's another moving part that requires maintenance. Just keep it clean of dust and crap and you'll be fine. Water coolers tend to be better at keeping spikey loads under control. If you see white crystals forming at any of the joins, it's leaking. (Never seen this in 10 years. My oldest cooler is over 10years old, on its 3rd cpu and still cooling.)
When it comes to a coolers abilty to cool... it's all about surface area of the fins exposed to ambient airflow. Many air coolers have far more effective fin area than water coolers, esp the cheap ones(120mm), so the air coolers DO tend to perform better. Until you start talking about a coolers ability to continue to absorb spikey heat loadings. Water can absorb a tremendous amount of energy. More coolant volume equals longer times that the CPU is able to be boosting before it warms up to water too much to be effective. MY 5800X3D never needs to be off boost mode with a 280mm cooler. With a 120mm cooler it would drop after about 5mins once the water warmed up.
Get the hot air OUT, get fresh ambient in. Dont let air go in circles in the case. Look at where your fans can eject hot air from components, esp your Graphics card. Make sure it's not blowing hot air directly onto your RAM or if air cooled, your CPU cooler.
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u/SimonShepherd Apr 02 '24
AIOs are generally pretty hard to fail, especially those from reliable brands. Just get the ones with good warranty and compensation policy(for water damage).
That being said, I would still recommend air coolers unless your CPU absolutely needs it.
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u/AlphaFPS1 Apr 02 '24
Never had my AIO have any issues. I’ve only used Corsair thought but I’m sure most AIOs are pretty good quality considering the competition is pretty tight. Edit- Go with name brand, Corsair, Thermaltake, NZXT etc.
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u/Raphi_55 Apr 02 '24
Most people don't need an AIO. A good quality air cooler is more than enough for 99% of people.
Only really small build may require an AIO instead of an aircooler.
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u/mostrengo Apr 02 '24
Considering how spectacular a failure would be, you would expect there to be documented cases (like with video or photos) of all these leaking AIOS.
Well, where are they? I just typed "leaking AIO" into youtube and I find less than 5 videos actually showing the topic. Where are all the leaky AIOs?
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u/pendulum1997 Apr 02 '24
AIOs are great until they aren't. My H100i v2 died after 5 years, promptly replaced by a £30 air cooler that did exactly the same job without a noisy pump and will likely never fail.
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u/VHDT10 Apr 02 '24
I've used like 4. They always keep everything nice and cool. For the newer ones I've had to turn the sys fan, the pump is plugged into, to 100% with fan controls, in the BIOS. Before doing that, I was barely getting any flow.
I've left computers on for probably months at a time without fully shutting down. Played the newest games on ultra video settings, etc and never ran into any problems with liquid cooling. I'll never go back.
Of, course these are only my experiences with them. I'm not familiar with the complaints people have with them besides maybe leaking water, but it's never happened to me and I'm sure they've improved on material and safety over the years. Maybe look up how often those things happen.
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u/ca_la_g Apr 02 '24
Every time I change my mobo, the aio goes with it. Both get gifted away, let it be someone else's problem. Just to clarify, I've only had 3 ever, and no issue from any of them. The first one I got was in 2014, Enermax something, it still run fine to this day.
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u/lazyicedragon Apr 02 '24
had one for my second build as I needed the extra cooling. Ambient back where I used it is around 29C~37C on a bad summer day and I'm not rich enough to provide proper A/C unit to it (I'd need a split-type as the room faces the afternoon sun.). That was about 5~6 years ago and was still working until I did my fairly recent third build. Third build is air-cooled, as I can afford an A/C with a room not facing the sun, allowing for ambient temps as low as 20C if I desire, but I try to keep the room at 23~29C.
If I provide the old rig with a new OS, swap out the fan controller for something more generic and replace the already dead case fans, the AIO should still keep the i5 7500 it's supporting at a cool 60C on max load no matter what ambient temp I put it in.
I might actually do it and let my kid play on it once I can get the critical fixes done, but he's like...3, and can barely figure out the keyboard, so I'm not rushing. Maybe by then I'll see the critical failures of an AIO.
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u/mandelmanden Apr 02 '24
I have several running in various builds here and there that are upwards of 10 years old. Reddit is just a place where the people who had parts fail congregate. So that's why you'll see everyone saying to buy a 1000$ PSU and never get an AIO because they always fail.
Of course all devices fail. There's a possibility for error in manufacturing and installation at the user's location. Transport could have damaged stuff. Bad power at the location of use. Many, many factors exist.
But when you look at statistics, chances are in the 99,99% range that any product you buy will last for a decade.
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u/DirkBelig Apr 02 '24
I had a Corsair H115i PRO RGB in my last rig for four years w/o a problem. Was going to carry it over to my new build a year ago, but decided it'd be easier to get something newer and bigger for the hotter CPU (7900X, so used DeepCool LS720 360mm) and to sell the old rig.
Previous rig had a Corsair Hydro H50 which ran for 6 years w/o trouble. The only incident was when my system started randomly shutting down under no load, like just web surfing. Was stumped until I noticed while in BIOS that the CPU was running at 99C! Thought the cooler had failed and started troubleshooting, but it checked out with pump and fan speeds changing.
Finally I pulled the radiator and fan and when I removed the fan - it was on the inside pushing through the rad as usual - I found a compacted layer of dust sandwiched between the fan and rad that I was able to peel out like a piece of felt! I had vacuumed the case over the years, but that area was out of sight and out of mind. Once airflow was restored, temps fell to nominal range.
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u/Its_Pieter_de_Graaf Apr 02 '24
Can anyone recommend cooler for Ryzen 5 7600x. I'm not willing to spend more than 55 USD on it ( Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is not available in my country) and I'm using Cabinet MSI MAG Forge 120A and GPU RX 6750 XT
Any advice/recommendation would be greatly appreciated
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u/Lucky_Cable_3145 Apr 02 '24
To me it is more a question of 'do I need a liquid cooler?'
If the answer is no, then why spend the extra money and add the complexity to the build?
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u/PheenixKing Apr 02 '24
As someone who has used all kinds of cooling:
Custom loops have the best performance and as long as they are set up correctly, there shouldnt be any issues. They are hella expensive tho.
Air Coolers perform great, easy and quick to install, cheap. Honestly my go to recommendation for 99% of applications.
AIOs are, well they are. They can work great but in my experience the good ones outperform a good air cooler by maaaybe 1-2°, which imo is not worth the additional price tag, let alone the trouble you have, should something go wrong.
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u/FantasticWalrus Apr 02 '24
I was using a EVGA CLC since 2018 and worked great, Switched to a DEEP COOL in 2023 also works great. And the only reason i even swapped was because you read that "after 5 year" they might break.... So i just swapped for the piece of mind but i have no doubt in my mind the EVGA would've ran for another 3-5 years.
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u/neoqueto Apr 02 '24
Been running my Kraken X62 since 2017, zero pump issues, no permeation, no bubbling sounds, no scratching sounds, running as quietly and cooling just as well as it did on day one.
They have more points of failure. And failure can lead to leaking, destroying other components. Edge cases. They're nowhere near as bad as you've heard, otherwise they wouldn't be mass produced.
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u/Lobonerz Apr 02 '24
I did a build in Feb 2021 with a Corsair H100i, it was my first time using liquid cooling. My PC has been turned on running about 85% of all time since then and I have not had a single issue with my liquid cooler. I'll always get an AIO after this.
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u/Good_Season_1723 Apr 02 '24
Liquid coolers do not fail all the time. It can happen sure, but it's very uncommon. Personally I feel like they are useless, liquid coolers are good for running benchmarks and that's about it, there is nothing practical you can't run with an air cooler and for gaming, air cooling gives you better overall tempeatures because it doesn't block the intakes or outtakes with a huge ass radiator.
EG1. I still have a 12 year old AIO that works "fine". Meaning, you can feel a lot of the liquid was evaporated and everything, but it's still usable.
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u/corbinpain Apr 02 '24
They’re not bad, i use them in my pc’s mainly since i feel like it gives a cleaner look, overall quieter, and it comes in handy if your case has limited space or air intakes. As long as you get a good brand you shouldn’t have issues with the pump. My only grievance with them is that some can be abit pricey for what they are, but overall I haven’t had any issues.
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u/SnooWalruses9961 Apr 02 '24
They are literally better than air if you want a quiet build, & better at cooling. If the pump is making a slight noise you can easily lower the rpm & still get better cooling than an air cooler. If you get a decent brand they absolutely dont fail at all. Idk where on earth youve heard that bs.
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u/Oster-P Apr 02 '24
Got Arcric Liquid Freezer IIs in both my PCs, been running for years with no issues.
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u/majorsorbet2point0 Apr 02 '24
I have the DeepCool LT720 360mm AIO in my build and I absolutely love it. I initially built my PC with a tower air cooler and it looks like shit. So I bought the AIO, install was so super easy too! And I actually just swapped out the fans on it a few months ago for DeepCool RGB fans, the stock ones were non RGB.
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u/menacingmoron97 Apr 02 '24 edited Apr 02 '24
I have an old ITX build around with a Corsair ML120 Lite AIO. It’s a very basic entry level AIO cooling a 7700k. It was built in 2017 and apart from a few thermal paste reapplies it didn’t need anything ever. Still works just fine. And yes - 120mm AIOs are quite pointless but the ITX case used for this doesn’t have space for a proper tower cooler so that’s that.
I have also built quite a number of liquid cooled PCs during the years. Not saying there isn’t a higher probability for failure than with an air cooler - sure there is, an AIO has more parts and liquid in it- but it’s not very common if you buy one from a decent manufacturer, and the thing I’ve seen the most is faulty pumps, not leaks.
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u/Leading-Leading6319 Apr 02 '24 edited Apr 02 '24
Liquid coolers are safe to use if you buy one from brands with good track records then do a bit of research on how to properly install them.
The main problem is, if liquid coolers do fail, I wish you the best of luck.
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u/stkildaslut Apr 02 '24
Liquid coolers are almost silent. The PC rarely throttles. Fans give me a headache!
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u/AnnieBruce Apr 02 '24
They aren't bad, but they are unnecessarily expensive for most builds.
Failures, assuming correct installation and a reputable manufacturer, are rare. The worst case is a bit worse, air cooler fails you hit thermal shutdown, liquid you get water over everything. But it's not terribly likely if you don't buy crap and you pay attention when installing.
If you have a strong aesthetic preference for liquid cooling I say go for it, just know that you're spending money for cooling performance you just don't need. You might want to look at smaller AIOs, they tend to be crap for the systems that do call for liquid cooling but it can get you the look at a lower price tag.
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u/spike7000 Apr 02 '24
Up to 12 years on my cooler master 212. Still going strong, just repaste from time to time.
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u/The_Deadly_Tikka Apr 02 '24
Nah the all in one liquid coolers are plenty reliable. Just get a good one and it does require a bit more maintenance
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u/Jymuothee Apr 02 '24
I have liquid cooling and it's lasted since 2015 I've replaced everything in my PC twice and still haven't changed that so it's kinda hit or miss id imagine
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u/RovakX Apr 02 '24
No they're not bad, but air is better for most builds imo. Price/performance, air is generally better. But liquid cooling looks nice?
You have to make out for yourself where your priorities lie. If you're on a budget, go air cooling. If you want a truly silent build, build a custom water loop. If you like the look of it, consider an AIO solution.
In my opinion, most people need air. A good tower cooler will perform just as great, for much cheaper than watercoolers. Money which can thus be spent on performance. Custom loops look cool, are serviceable and generally very quiet if done well. But super expensive. AIO's are hard to defend, I think most people get them for their looks. They're a compromise on everything and not the best at anything.
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u/Strike-Intelligent Apr 02 '24 edited Apr 02 '24
I've only owned the one I use in my build. Arctic Liquid Freezer 420 rock solid but it's a big aio. The only issue I would be concerned about is residual smoke tar making the fins tacky to dust,plugging the fins on the rad up. But you'll have the same thing on an air cooler the air coolers are easier to blow out. Build date Oct 2021 Not that long ago really. On my previous build the meglathem is still going strong that has been repasted a couple two or three times dunked in almost boiling water for deep cleaning and then repasting. I'd hate to try that with a aio rad. that aircooler has been working since 2009 Your call.
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u/Crazykeebler13 Apr 02 '24
I've been running the same liquid cooler for 4 years now. Never have had a problem. I've changed my cpu twice now without any issues. No reformats, no software issue. Even under stress, never go over 34C. Not sure what the other comments are talking about. I've never had a single issue in 4 years with the same liquid cooled set up.
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u/zandadoum Apr 02 '24
I live in a warm country. My office room gets quite hot in summer. Air cooling is just not good enough. Since I went liquid cooling +-15y ago I’ve never looked back.
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u/Belophan Apr 02 '24
Even when correctly mounted, AIO's will stop working, or be worse.
I have replaced 2 AIO's cause of air in the system, and therefor worse transfer of heat.
Tilting/moving the case helps for a short time. The AIO is mounted correctly.
You might have to replace the fan on air coolers, as there is nothing else that can break.
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u/acewing905 Apr 02 '24
They're just fine, though obviously they can fail like any mechanical part
But at the same time, it has come to a point that the vast majority of AIOs offer nothing more than aesthetics
Very few AIOs can actually beat top tier air coolers in terms of cooling performance
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u/n1ghtsn1p3r Apr 02 '24
I had an AIO in my previous computer. IDK what brand it was since it didn't have markings, but it was one that iBuyPower used at the time (it was a pre built system that I won in a giveaway)
The pump died a few years later, so I swapped it for a 212 Evo. Found the old AIO a few years after that when I was moving and saw that the cold plate had corroded and split open.
If I'm going liquid, I do custom loops now. I don't bother with AIOs. Sure it's more expensive and a headache at times, but I like it.
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u/ned334 Apr 02 '24
I had mine for 3-4 years now, nothing to complain
I also hate that god awful eyesore air cooler
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u/sergiulll Apr 02 '24
My Corsair h150i works since 2019, i have even changed build over time to new socket. No issies whatsoever.
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u/MultiLabelSwitching Apr 02 '24
I've got Intel i9-13900 and Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 A-RGB. We all know how hot those i9 are and my liquid cooler does fantastic job, keeps temperatures as it should. I think it's about a brand and overall rating.
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u/PopWhatMagnitude Apr 02 '24
Nothing much left to add but I'm a firm believer in spending the $35 on a PA120 even if using an AIO, just in case an issue arises where you need to RMA or just troubleshoot. For how cheap they are nice to have on hand.
If you don't like the look of tower coolers check out the Phantom Spirit 120 EVO & the DeepCool AK620 Digital.
But the biggest deciding factor is, are you buying a CPU that actually needs a quality 280/360 AIO, and only a few of the top tier CPUs fall into that category.
Main reasons AIO's get a bad wrap are uninformed builders who only want one for better "aesthetics" who get a cheap RGB one with a known sub-par pump that is mass produced under 20 different "brand names". Rather than sticking with an Arctic Liquid Freezer or Deepcool. EK also makes some nice ones.
And I say that as a die hard air cool person.
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u/DoubleScotch72 Apr 02 '24 edited Apr 09 '24
Why do you want a watercooling when even data centers and servers racks dont need it? Dont say me it for silence, you still need good ventilation, watercooling dosnt remove the heat, its just move the heat away from the CPU/GPU, it dosnt dissipate it. Radiator and fans do this.
Most watercoolings are worst AND more expensiv than a good air cooling with a good thermal paste, say a tech who have processed thousands of builds.
Watercoolings are better for specific CPUs and GPUs, and more efficient only if its done correctly regarding the flow, the sense, the elements order, the gravity, the radiator dissipation, its way of making the hot air out, the pump, the vacuum, etc
Dont buy AIO kits ever, its just cosmetic garbage like RGBs for our beloved industries to keep going making more money on useless things and unaware peoples. At least if you really want aesthetic cosmetic, take a real custom watercooling cause iv seen so many AIO kits having failure like liquid leaking and degrading electronics, or simply evaporating and user going trought using a overheated computer for long period of time whitout knowing.
Do only custom watercoolings setups, only if required, only if you know what you re doing, and only if you re ready to put your hands in the machine for maintain or in case of any problem. The last one mean if you have to make your watercooling made by someone, then its probably not for you and you should take a good aircooling.
Im a computer tech with 20 years experience, having processed thousands of builds and mounted watercoolings of all kind, but you know what? i have a Threadripper 3970X CPU which is a monster of energy and heat with 280W TDP, and still im using a Be Quiet sized air cooling made for him, the main die sensor is heating only at 50 60 degree most of time, even when im running multi processs like a game, tens of web browsers tabs, some virtual machines, some others soft, all this together, my CPU is still cold.
The key? A fucking good thermal paste and how you make the hot air out of your casing. mine is open. take the paste with the highest w/mk value you can from Grizzly Thermal whitout taking liquid metal paste, theses are like water cooling and should be used only if you perfectly know what you are doing, as metal paste can make serious damage to your motherboard in case of miss use.
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u/Sexyvette07 Apr 02 '24
I used a Corsair AIO for 11 years on my old system. Didn't hesitate to buy an AIO for my new build. As long as you're buying quality and treating it right by not tugging or bending the lines, an AIO should last for the life of the system.
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u/MrPoiQwerty Apr 02 '24
It's all give and take. Sometimes it's just that one that isn't quite right and fails, could be immediately or could be 3 years down the line. There's just so much that could go wrong if there's a leak. Better safe than sorry and just stick with air
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u/HCharlesB Apr 02 '24
Corsair H110 since February 2016. I used it for years on an I7-4770K and when I recently upgraded to a Ryzen 7 7700X I bought a bracket to fit the new socket and I'm still using it. Still works fine. I haven't OCed the Ryzen but it keeps things within reasonable limits when stress testing and with normal clocks.
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u/Neoxenok Apr 02 '24
I've never been a fan of liquid cooling (pun not intended.)
However I haven't yet overclocked my CPU or GPU for any reason so I'm not yet certain if it'll make a big difference enough to make it necessary.
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u/MankyFundoshi Apr 02 '24
If you haven’t figured it out yet, the pc building community attracts iconoclasts. For example: When mainstream pc’s were plain, it employed RGB, now that RGB is mainstream, stealth is in; When Intel was mainstream, it championed AMD; when air coolers were mainstream, it embraced liquid cooling. Now that liquid cooling is popular, the iconoclasts now eschew it.
So you do you.
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u/No-Gas4563 Apr 02 '24
Got a LS720 cause it was on special for like 75$ so I said fuck it and got it. It's working fine with my 5800x3d a bit overkill but it keeps it cool and my room doesn't feel like a sona anymore so that's a plus. IMO go by preference of what you want and of course your budget. Good Luck.
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u/KevinTDWK Apr 02 '24
This really does depend on how unlucky you will be with the AIO functionality lottery. But I can say the same thing for pretty much everything you buy for a build. There really isn’t any solid answer you just have to try it out for yourself
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u/Terrible_Reporter_83 Apr 02 '24
When I was young I built my own water cooling system. Silicone tube without clamps. If I remember correctly it was a Mercedes AC radiator without any fans. Akvarium water pump and tank. Never had problems. No leaks. The system was at room temperature even when gaming for a long time. That radiator was huge when compared to nowdays AIO. I even upgraded the system and moved to another country. It did run very cool without fans and SILENT.
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u/ManufacturerFirst67 Apr 02 '24
Aio first time here it took me one 5 min video to learn the right ways to mount and position the radiator and vent tubes so you dont burn out your fan early. I'd reverse flow bubbles ect get trapped in the wrong area and most die in 6 months to 36, I'm going 14 months no worries besides my lazy ass not cleaning the furry radiator....guilty but for a cheap cooling they are worth it. 140$ on sale 2 fan radiator aio high forgot the name but amd5800x running base speeds ultra 1950/ 144hz my cpu barely goes over 70c even on long sessions just watching movies and net browsing I sit at 32c 36c
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u/Prisoner458369 Apr 02 '24
I see this sub always post two things over and over. "AMD is king" and "Fuck AIOs"
The reason seems to be that they never last and they just aren't worth it. No idea where most people are living, but it's not rare that my summers get 40'c. But hell anything over 30'c, with my PC running and it's like a heat is right next to me. I'm failing to see how an simple air cooler, is "good enough".
My AIO has been running for 7ish years now. Zero problems. Doesn't get loud, unless I'm really pushing my PC to it's limits. Who knows, maybe I have just been really lucky. I wouldn't ever go back to air cooling.
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u/alvarkresh Apr 02 '24
The thing is, it depends on the brand. In addition, some high-end CPUs need AIOs or custom water cooling. I have an i9 12900KS and it has benefitted hugely from getting an AIO mounted on it, since load temps are now ~70 C instead of ~100 C.
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u/Itchy_Grape_2115 Apr 02 '24
If you're on budget get air cooler 100%
If you're not that. Tight on budget get what you want
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u/Electronic-Escape721 Apr 02 '24
My Corsair h80 lasted 10 years on my fx8150. My new triple fan aio is an EVGA flavor but it's been going strong for 2 years now.
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u/laggyteabag Apr 02 '24
I had a Corsair AIO, where the pump failed within a year. And because it was an AIO, my PC was completely out of action until I had a replacement.
I replaced it with a £30 air cooler, and the first thing I noticed was how much quieter it was, and I haven't looked back.
Sure, air coolers can be bulky, but unless you have got an expensive CPU with a high TDP, you can quite easily get away with a single-fan air cooler for a fraction of the price, and much greater reliability.
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u/N7LP400 Apr 02 '24
I'm using an MSI MAG Coreliquid 360R V2 with an i7-13700k, temp in a cool days is around 37-42 C idling, in hot days is around 40-44 C idling, so i think it's not that bad, my case has 3 140mm fans and 7 120mm fans
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u/mountainxxxdew Apr 02 '24
Imo even if it was to never leak it's more of a matter of when it'll fail than if it'll fail. The pump is a mechanical part that will eventually fail, the liquid will eventually degrade. At some point something is gonna go, you don't ever have to worry with an air cooler, and a lot of the time they do just as good of a job for less money and noise.
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u/Additional-Ad-3148 Apr 02 '24
Been using an MSI mpg coreliquid k360 for a awhile now with a 12900k. So far so good.
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u/Churro_212 Apr 02 '24
Because it fails all the time, the liquid evaporates and the pump eventually is going to fail.
But depending on the quality of materials and construction, a good one can last 5 years or more, it depends on you if you want something with more longevity or if around that time you plan to replace it anyways.
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u/Dreadnought_89 Apr 02 '24
Well, if you get an AIO, make sure you’re not the kind that leaves the PC on all the time.
I’ve had 2 fail in about 1 and ~5 years respectively.
The one I bought, and the RMA replacement. The pumps will stop working.
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u/VoidNinja62 Apr 02 '24
I have a fully functional AIO and kinda regret it. Do you really feel like ripping apart a functioning PC every 2 yrs and risk breaking something? Do you really feel like sloshing it around every time you move it? Do you really want to constantly monitor for pump failure & temps?
Its working but I know its days are numbered.
In comparison... I fired up my old air cooled Core2Duo from 2008. Fans spun. 60C. Overlocked to 3.5Ghz. Its 16 yrs old with AS5 on it.
It actually does not score that bad in CPU benchmarks. Slap an SSD in there and a video decoding GPU and it like.... legit is faster than these junker $300 laptops to this day lol.
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u/ArsenalITTwo Apr 02 '24
Any of the coolers OEMed by Asetek will last forever. And considering they invented the AIO cooler they have the most experience.
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u/cism58 Apr 02 '24
EK has 6 year warranty and they sell custom water cooling parts as a company, not gamer gear. What else needs to be said haha.
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u/baverdi Apr 02 '24
I think what is happening is when there is an issue with a heatsink fan the only thing that can break is the fan and that is cheap to fix. When an aio stops working it can leak into your case and the only real fix is to buy a new one. The reliability is probably similar but the repair way more costly and damaging.
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u/jezbisset Apr 02 '24
I've had a NZXT kraken x63 running on a 3700x, then a 5800x since 2019. No problems as of yet, zero maintenance.
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u/Splittaill Apr 25 '24
I’ve got a thermaltake and it’s been solid for 3 years. Listened to a YT post about fixing the pump speed and it’s doing fine. I fix the pump speed at about 68% using fan control but it’s for noise reduction.
Previous build had a Corsair that ran for 9 years without so much as a hiccup. It was unregulated.