Liquid cooling is widely used in computer builds because of its more appealing nature. Today in the market there are many liquid coolers available from mainstream brands that cater to the needs of the users.
Liquid coolers come in all sorts of shapes, designs, and sizes. These coolers offer something different for the consumer and the price disparity among liquid coolers is also massive. They can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. All this poses a question that is liquid cooling worth it when all the factors are accounted for.
In this article, we’ll take a look at:
Is Using Liquid Cooler Risky?
The first and main concern associated with liquid coolers is the risk factor. Since this method uses liquid or water to achieve the transfer of heat rather than air so it is prone to leakage if any fault develops in the mechanism of the cooler. This leakage can harm the cooler and the CPU and may also cause the malfunction of other components of the computer.
Fortunately, the AIO or Closed liquid loop coolers available today have a robust and solid mechanism. The manufacturers have gone to lengths to ensure the anti-leakage of the cooler. In modern AIOs all the seals are reinforced and all the gaskets are enclosed with a great deal of care. The tubing is also sleeved this all combined prevents the mishap of leakage.
So the risk factor is not present is liquid coolers today, yes there might be a few coolers that are prone to failure but on the mass scale, they work completely fine for a long period. For these reasons we can recommend a liquid cooler today granted you buy from a reputable manufacturer with a great track record.
Advantages of Liquid Cooler
Liquid Cooler has some distinct advantages over its air counterpart. The first and foremost advantage is the size of the cooler. While the air coolers tend to be on the bulkier side of things, liquid cooler maintains a compact footprint and are perfectly suited for smaller builds. The size also provides the cooler with great versatility.
The other advantage of the liquid cooler is the aesthetics it provides. A liquid cooler comes with a lot of RGB bling which gives the cooler a more prominent stance in the case and catches the attention of people. A liquid cooler also makes for a unique look inside the case due to its design while the air cooler sticks to a more typical design language and is instantly recognizable.
These are also other advantages of the liquid cooler and if you want a more comprehensive breakdown you can check out our article here on Air vs Liquid cooling. In that article, we have taken a deeper look at what both air and liquid coolers can offer.
Drawbacks of Liquid Cooler
The liquid cooler also has its drawbacks which can hold back the consumer from buying the product. The most crucial being the entry price of an AIO liquid cooler. A good entry-level AIO liquid cooler costs twice or thrice the amount of a competitive air cooler.
There is also the fact that buying a liquid cooler is comparatively more confusing because of the research required when buying a liquid cooler. This fact coupled with the bad build quality of the budget liquid coolers makes it even more difficult. These are just a few as previously mentioned you can check out our article on Air vs Liquid cooling for a more comprehensive breakdown.
Is the High Price of Liquid Coolers Justifiable?
This depends solely on the consumer. There is no alternative to a liquid cooler on the market which looks aesthetically pleasing and also has practical performance. So if you want both performance and the looks you have to pay a premium. It is up to you to decide whether this is worth it or not for you.
Is Liquid Cooling Worth it?
To answer this infamous question well it depends. For the deal hunter folks out there who value performance for a bargain more than anything, it may too expensive when compared to an air cooler with similar performance. But for the people who want their PC to look unique and stand out a liquid cooler may be a worthwhile buy. So the answer to this question solely depends on the perspective of the eventual consumer.
