There are a lot of choices you have to make when building a new PC, and the debate between air cooling and water cooling is always contentious. Does it matter what type of CPU cooler you get from a laptop specials shop when building a computer? Let us discuss the details about water cooling below and discuss whether its right for you.
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What Is Water Cooling For A CPU?
Most CPUs use air cooling. In air cooling, a heat sink is attached to the CPU with thermal paste, and a radiator and a fan move heat away from the CPU, keeping this component cool.
Water cooling works a little bit differently. A special cooling block is attached to the CPU with thermal paste, and cold coolant is pumped through this block from a liquid reservoir. This coolant heats up and is pumped back toward a radiator and a fan, which cools it off before it re-enters the reservoir.
Basically, a water cooler does the same thing as an air cooler but it uses liquid instead of air. Why does this matter? Read on to find out. Also, look out for our great laptop specials for laptops with liquid coolers.
What Are The Benefits Of Water Cooling For My CPU?
Liquids such as water are denser than air and transfer heat more efficiently. Because of this, water cooling is more efficient at removing heat from a CPU. This allows the CPU to run at lower overall temperatures.
This helps prolong the lifespan of the CPU. It can also help PC enthusiasts overclock the CPU more effectively. Overclocking is the process of running a CPU at a faster speed than it was intended to use.
This enhances performance but creates a lot more heat. Since water cooling removes heat more effectively, overlockers often use it to squeeze more power out of their CPUs.
Finally, water cooling is usually quieter compared to air cooling, so if PC noise is a concern for you, it may be a better option.
Are There Any Drawbacks Of Water Cooling For A CPU?
Installing a water cooler is more complex, and they have more moving parts compared to an air cooler, so the risk of failure is a bit higher, though this can be mitigated by using a product from a reputable PC company. Water coolers are also more expensive than air coolers.
The biggest drawback is that water cooling can result in leaks if the tubing in the cooler wears out. This is rare but exposing a PC to water while its turned on could result in irreversible damage to expensive components like the processor, motherboard, RAM, GPU, or power supply.
Water Cooling Is Worth It If You Want The Best Possible Performance For Your PC
If you plan to overclock your PC heavily and do not mind spending a bit more on a CPU cooler from a computer shop, water cooling is worth it.
However, if you want a simpler installation that still offers good overclocking potential at a reasonable cost, an air cooler may be a better option. Either way, an aftermarket CPU cooler will always be better than the stock cooling unit so shop online at GTR Computers and get the PC cooling components you need.
