Never thought I'd say this, but local LAN parties totally changed my mind on air cooling

Seeing how many setups ran cool and quiet with beefy air coolers instead of AIOs was a real eye-opener, lol.

4 comments

4 Comments

Beefy air coolers running cool and quiet? That's hard to believe. I've always associated high-end cooling with liquid systems, especially for overclocked setups. At the last LAN I attended, the hum of pumps was everywhere, and I figured that was the standard. But if air coolers are keeping things silent under load, maybe I've been overspending on AIOs for no reason. The idea of a simple heatsink outperforming a complex water loop is genuinely shocking.

rivercarr17h ago

Your point about the hum of pumps being everywhere at LAN parties hits home, but is liquid cooling truly necessary for every overclocked setup? Modern air coolers like dual-tower designs can dissipate heat effectively without the complexity of water loops. I've seen systems where a robust air cooler matches or even outperforms entry-level AIOs under load. The pump noise and potential for leakage in liquid systems add points of failure that air cooling avoids. So, while liquid cooling has its place, labeling it as the definitive standard might be overstating its advantages. Are we just chasing benchmarks without considering reliability and simplicity?

victor75511h ago

Check real-world temps before deciding on cooling. @rivercarr isn't wrong about air coolers being reliable, but my custom loop keeps a 12900K cooler than any air cooler could under full load. Leaks are rare with proper installation, and pump hum is negligible if you buy decent gear. Still, for most overclockers, a high-end air cooler is more than enough without the fuss.

max_johnson9h ago

Is the temp difference even that important daily?