Which is lower maintenence: Air cooled or water cooled

LoBlo · 07-10-10, 02:33 PM

Anyone here have a water cooled system? I was wondering if its was higher or lower maintence than an air cooled system. With the water cooled system is dust build up inside the tower as much of a problem as with an air cooled system.

FIREWALL · 07-10-10, 02:41 PM

Been LC for over 2yrs. Use Aquagate system. Dust free.

Top off liquid when level is low. Not that often.

I also have a highly filtered HUGE fans case. Cooler ACTI 840

btw it's a special liquid coolant. Not water.

There's alot more to this so there's not a simple answer.
1. do you smoke ?
2. do you leave windows open ?
3. is your room above 72oF ?
There's always going to be some kind of maintenance.

LoBlo · 07-10-10, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

1. do you smoke ?
2. do you leave windows open ?
3. is your room above 72oF ?

Thanks for the reply. Nope, not a smoker and I rarely have an open window. I do however have my temperature above 72 (sometimes 75-80 degrees) often.... does that change the required maintenence?

FIREWALL · 07-10-10, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoBlo

Thanks for the reply. Nope, not a smoker and I rarely have an open window. I do however have my temperature above 72 (sometimes 75-80 degrees) often.... does that change the required maintenence?

No. LC would keep your CPU and Vid card and Chipset cooler.

CaptainHaplo · 07-10-10, 07:43 PM

Both require maintenance - air cooling its easy to forget to open things up and blow em out. So for the typical user - air is better because they don't think to do anything - at least until dust builds up and chokes things out and then everything overheats and becomes junk.

Watercooling systems almost all have an audible warning that your coolant is low, thereby saving your equipment. Since the water system is failyr well sealed - there is little loss over time.

Plus water works better.

Zachstar · 07-11-10, 03:56 AM

Computers are dust magnets it is just a fact of life. Also the superiority of water cooling has been shattered as of late by highly effective copper air cooling solutions.

Konovalov · 07-11-10, 10:51 AM

My personal preference is for air. Pretty easy to open the case and go to it with an air blower once every few months or when required. At the end of the day fans are still used in water cooled systems and I think it is pretty difficult to have a 100% complete dust free system. You can go air cooling over 4Ghz with ease and the cost is far less than a proper water cooled system. Also by proper water cooled I mean not one of these self contained water cooling setups such as the Corsair H50. At the end of the day go with what you feel comfortable with.

Zachstar · 07-11-10, 09:45 PM

Some people have even gone 4ghz on stock cooling (Don't try this tho as the experiments were controlled and the ambient temp was lower than most homes.)

Also there is a point I forgot to bring up. Most if not all modern chipsets require airflow to remain cool. Exhasust air from the CPU cooler usually does this right. However some water cooling kits do not come with the ability to cool chipsets. Quite a few expensive motherboards were fried because of this.

07-24-10, 01:06 PM

one thing i could never get past was you still need to air cool the radiator so even liquid cooling uses air cooling that puts out a lot of heat into the room and requires cleaning so if your trying to avoid dust cleanup your radiator will be the dust collector and you will still need airflow for the hdd and ram cooling.

maybe i have it wrong but IMO liquid cooling is only for overclocking systems with a lot of heat to deal with and things like maint/cleaning issues shouldnt be a deciding factor but just a side note

papa_smurf · 07-30-10, 04:19 AM

Im thinking of going air cooled when I next upgrade, as I'm constantly having to clean out all the dust every few weeks that builds up inside.

CaptainHaplo · 07-30-10, 01:12 PM

Not all water cooling uses fans/air flow to cool. Some, like the Reserator - uses passive air cooling.

WernherVonTrapp · 08-15-10, 05:33 AM

I'm an avid fan of air cooling. Not simply because I think it's more efficient but, water cooling requires more parts. That equates to more things that can break down or go wrong with the system. It's sometimes more easy to facilitate upgrades since there's less things in the way, or, that is, things that have to be moved out of the way first. But, that's just my opinion.

Fish40 · 08-15-10, 01:16 PM

My new rig came with the Asetec liquid cooling system already installed. It is a completly sealed unit. No need to add liquid. I also have several 120mm fans throughout the case, one of which blows air over the heat exchanger of the Asetec unit. The whole thing, fans and all is actually very quiet. See it here:http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oG76.wLm...ww.asetek.com/

FIREWALL · 09-02-10, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish40

My new rig came with the Asetec liquid cooling system already installed. It is a completly sealed unit. No need to add liquid. I also have several 120mm fans throughout the case, one of which blows air over the heat exchanger of the Asetec unit. The whole thing, fans and all is actually very quiet. See it here:http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oG76.wLm...ww.asetek.com/

Nice rig Fish40

I hope LoBlo does some more research away from this website.

To the rest ... Ignorance is bliss.

JU_88 · 09-02-10, 05:29 PM

TBH the only real maintiance needed for and air cooled system is an $5 can of compressed air - use it to blast all the dust away every 3 months or so. (best done out doors for obvious reasons

Liquid cooling is nice if you need a silent rig or want to overclock a crazy amount (or both)

07-10-10, 02:33 PM	#1
LoBlo Subsim Diehard Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas! Posts: 971 Downloads: 78 Uploads: 3	Which is lower maintenence: Air cooled or water cooled Anyone here have a water cooled system? I was wondering if its was higher or lower maintence than an air cooled system. With the water cooled system is dust build up inside the tower as much of a problem as with an air cooled system. __________________ "Seek not to offend or annoy... only to speak the truth"-a wise man

07-10-10, 02:41 PM	#2
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	Been LC for over 2yrs. Use Aquagate system. Dust free. Top off liquid when level is low. Not that often. I also have a highly filtered HUGE fans case. Cooler ACTI 840 btw it's a special liquid coolant. Not water. There's alot more to this so there's not a simple answer. 1. do you smoke ? 2. do you leave windows open ? 3. is your room above 72oF ? There's always going to be some kind of maintenance. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ??? Last edited by FIREWALL; 07-10-10 at 02:53 PM.

07-10-10, 07:43 PM	#5
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Both require maintenance - air cooling its easy to forget to open things up and blow em out. So for the typical user - air is better because they don't think to do anything - at least until dust builds up and chokes things out and then everything overheats and becomes junk. Watercooling systems almost all have an audible warning that your coolant is low, thereby saving your equipment. Since the water system is failyr well sealed - there is little loss over time. Plus water works better. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

07-11-10, 03:56 AM	#6
Zachstar Sea Lord Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Shreveport, Louisiana Posts: 1,956 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Computers are dust magnets it is just a fact of life. Also the superiority of water cooling has been shattered as of late by highly effective copper air cooling solutions. __________________

07-11-10, 10:51 AM	#7
Konovalov Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks, UK Posts: 2,811 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	My personal preference is for air. Pretty easy to open the case and go to it with an air blower once every few months or when required. At the end of the day fans are still used in water cooled systems and I think it is pretty difficult to have a 100% complete dust free system. You can go air cooling over 4Ghz with ease and the cost is far less than a proper water cooled system. Also by proper water cooled I mean not one of these self contained water cooling setups such as the Corsair H50. At the end of the day go with what you feel comfortable with. __________________ "In a Christian context, sexuality is traditionally seen as a consequence of the Fall, but for Muslims, it is an anticipation of paradise. So I can say, I think, that I was validly converted to Islam by a teenage French Jewish nudist." Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad (Timothy Winter)

07-11-10, 09:45 PM	#8
Zachstar Sea Lord Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Shreveport, Louisiana Posts: 1,956 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Some people have even gone 4ghz on stock cooling (Don't try this tho as the experiments were controlled and the ambient temp was lower than most homes.) Also there is a point I forgot to bring up. Most if not all modern chipsets require airflow to remain cool. Exhasust air from the CPU cooler usually does this right. However some water cooling kits do not come with the ability to cool chipsets. Quite a few expensive motherboards were fried because of this. __________________

07-24-10, 01:06 PM	#9
Webster Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	one thing i could never get past was you still need to air cool the radiator so even liquid cooling uses air cooling that puts out a lot of heat into the room and requires cleaning so if your trying to avoid dust cleanup your radiator will be the dust collector and you will still need airflow for the hdd and ram cooling. maybe i have it wrong but IMO liquid cooling is only for overclocking systems with a lot of heat to deal with and things like maint/cleaning issues shouldnt be a deciding factor but just a side note

07-30-10, 04:19 AM	#10
papa_smurf Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2,851 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Im thinking of going air cooled when I next upgrade, as I'm constantly having to clean out all the dust every few weeks that builds up inside. __________________

07-30-10, 01:12 PM	#11
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Not all water cooling uses fans/air flow to cool. Some, like the Reserator - uses passive air cooling. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

08-15-10, 05:33 AM	#12
WernherVonTrapp Admiral Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Now, alot farther from NYC. Posts: 2,228 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 0	I'm an avid fan of air cooling. Not simply because I think it's more efficient but, water cooling requires more parts. That equates to more things that can break down or go wrong with the system. It's sometimes more easy to facilitate upgrades since there's less things in the way, or, that is, things that have to be moved out of the way first. But, that's just my opinion. __________________ "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Miyamoto Musashi ------------------------------------------------------- "What is truth?" -Pontius Pilate

08-15-10, 01:16 PM	#13
Fish40 The Old Man Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yonkers, NY U.S.A. Posts: 1,507 Downloads: 154 Uploads: 0	My new rig came with the Asetec liquid cooling system already installed. It is a completly sealed unit. No need to add liquid. I also have several 120mm fans throughout the case, one of which blows air over the heat exchanger of the Asetec unit. The whole thing, fans and all is actually very quiet. See it here:http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oG76.wLm...ww.asetek.com/

09-02-10, 05:29 PM	#15
JU_88 Silent Hunter Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK Posts: 3,803 Downloads: 11 Uploads: 0	TBH the only real maintiance needed for and air cooled system is an $5 can of compressed air - use it to blast all the dust away every 3 months or so. (best done out doors for obvious reasons Liquid cooling is nice if you need a silent rig or want to overclock a crazy amount (or both)