Have AIOs killed custom loops?

[Makaveli]

When you say reference model, what do you mean ?

I'm using a reference Sapphire 7900XTX so stock cooler. So replacing that with an AIO would be worth it. If you have an AIB model like a Nitro+ then not necessary.

For most of my games the stock cooling is fine but I do have a few games that push it and the noise does go up.

 

[Dragam1337]

I'm using a reference Sapphire 7900XTX so stock cooler. So replacing that with an AIO would be worth it. If you have an AIB model like a Nitro+ then not necessary.

For most of my games the stock cooling is fine but I do have a few games that push it and the noise does go up.

Right, that works a bit different with team red.

I'm curious, how come you decided to get a reference model when getting a 7900xtx ?

 

[Makaveli]

Right, that works a bit different with team red.

I'm curious, how come you decided to get a reference model when getting a 7900xtx ?

Because reference cost me $1200 in april 2023 and AIB model would have been $1500-$1700

 

[Dragam1337]

Because reference cost me $1200 in april 2023 and AIB model would have been $1500-$1700

Crazy difference. Sorta understandable in that case.

 

[wheresmycar]

I'm more interested in seeing how much of a difference a custom loop makes vs a high performance ~$150 360mm AIO.

As for custom loops i'd still fancy one to tie in the GPU as well but the higher expenses + maintenance is uninviting (well for me anyway). I ended up going for 2 AIOs, one for CPU and then second for the GPU with a G12 bracket. I did this on my 2080 TI ditching the heatsink for a G12 topped with a Kraken X72. OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD performance difference... i was hitting around ~85c which got reduced to 65c'ish and that too with a lowered rad fan curve to keep things quiet. Which begs the question what happened to modding AIOs on GPUs... i don't see much of that going on anymore or hardly any newer mounting mechanisms like the G12 to keep the dream alive?

 

[Makaveli]

I'm more interested in seeing how much of a difference a custom loop makes vs a high performance ~$150 360mm AIO.

As for custom loops i'd still fancy one to tie in the GPU as well but the higher expenses + maintenance is uninviting (well for me anyway). I ended up going for 2 AIOs, one for CPU and then second for the GPU with a G12 bracket. I did this on my 2080 TI ditching the heatsink for a G12 topped with a Kraken X72. OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD performance difference... i was hitting around ~85c which got reduced to 65c'ish and that too with a lowered rad fan curve to keep things quiet. Which begs the question what happened to modding AIOs on GPUs... i don't see much of that going on anymore or hardly any newer mounting mechanisms like the G12 to keep the dream alive?

A highend intel cpu should be used for that test.

And as someone that had a G10 bracket I agree.

 

[Jism]

I'm with watercooling since Socket 462... and that is dating back to the Athlon XP Axia days for those around long enough. I'd say that AIO at this point is far more conveniant, you buy, slap it on, and run it for years. With a high end water loop, you benefit from better performance, but obvious at the expense of maintaince, noise and such. The pumps for example in AIO's are weak - it's really a small piss compared to the strong flow you can create using custom loop.

It all breaks down to the selection of components in regards of custom loop. It needs to be high end and costs can run into 3x that of a normal AIO. I'd pick water all day anyway over air cooling. But i'm sure a custom will beat a AIO in performance.

 

[gurusmi]

i've had 3800X - 5800X and now 5800X3D and I don't find any of them generates enough heat to warrant the cost.

If it warrant or not is mainly a story of the case.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

I water cooled for the last 5 or 6 years, and have concluded it is probably not needed and a waste of money, unless you have a HEDT maybe. Too much messing about, too much risk, too much money. I set mine up to turn off the pc if the pump rpm goes zero or water temp goes over 60c, but how many water cooled users do the same? You can't sit with you powered on pc 24/7 can you, so a failure can mean destruction of your pc.
An aio is a compromise as imo they are marginally better than a high end air cooler with the same risk of failure as a custom loop.
I'm quite happy now on air cooling, my pc is no noisier than with the loop and I can leave it on all day with no risk. I admit my temps are not as great on load but I can live with that. Still for gaming they are still good enough.
The only aio I would use are the ones that are expandable so you have that option art a cheaper cost than a full loop.

 

[dgianstefani]

I water cooled for the last 5 or 6 years, and have concluded it is probably not needed and a waste of money, unless you have a HEDT maybe. Too much messing about, too much risk, too much money. I set mine up to turn off the pc if the pump rpm goes zero or water temp goes over 60c, but how many water cooled users do the same? You can't sit with you powered on pc 24/7 can you, so a failure can mean destruction of your pc.
An aio is a compromise as imo they are marginally better than a high end air cooler with the same risk of failure as a custom loop.
I'm quite happy now on air cooling, my pc is no noisier than with the loop and I can leave it on all day with no risk. I admit my temps are not as great on load but I can live with that. Still for gaming they are still good enough.
The only aio I would use are the ones that are expandable so you have that option art a cheaper cost than a full loop.

All modern chips power off if they overheat so there's zero risk there.

AIO's have higher risk of failure than custom loops due to being much more cheaply made.

If your PC on air is the same noise as a custom loop, the custom loop wasn't set up properly or you've set it up to run at minimal noise while your chips throttle/are frequency limited.

I'm not sure how much messing about there is? I change coolant every year or two, that's about it. A well constructed loop doesn't corrode or anything.

 

[Dragam1337]

All modern chips power off if they overheat so there's zero risk there.

AIO's have higher risk of failure than custom loops due to being much more cheaply made.

If your PC on air is the same noise as a custom loop, the custom loop wasn't set up properly or you've set it up to run at minimal noise while your chips throttle/are frequency limited.

I'm not sure how much messing about there is? I change coolant every year or two, that's about it. A well constructed loop doesn't corrode or anything.

They will just throttle, and then continue to overheat even more when they can't throttle anymore... sure, at 115c they power down, but at that point, they may already have been cooked for so long as to have taken permanent damage / drastically reduced lifespan.

And you'd have to be delusional to say that there aint more messing about with building and maintaining a custom loop vs using an aircooler... but i guess that's pretty standard for you.

 

[taka]

Back in my WC days when Athlon XP was the new thing (Barton) i did regular loop full maintenace each 8-9 months. The coolant used then water and glycol tend to get dirty from clear look.
Cooper and brass was all metal used and plastic tubes.
I never used dye or colored coolants. Maybe new stuff is better and don't change aspect or color, i dont know.

 

[Makaveli]

If it warrant or not is mainly a story of the case.

Heat output is the case.

Why spend hundreds of dollars on a custom loop for a CPU (3800X) that puts out 91 watts on average when loaded. When playing games the load will be less than this on average also.

 

[Vya Domus]

I'm more interested in seeing how much of a difference a custom loop makes vs a high performance ~$150 360mm AIO.

What do you mean, you can't make a custom loop for 150$. There is no comparison the be made, people still don't get it, it's not a matter of cost or even performance.

 

[67Elco]

I've spent way too much on this already, but I'm liking it so far. If I had to settle for a AIO I would not have bothered with a glass front case.

 

[taka]

That look sick AF, nice done. BTW i like the pump jack!

 

[FoulOnWhite]

They will just throttle, and then continue to overheat even more when they can't throttle anymore... sure, at 115c they power down, but at that point, they may already have been cooked for so long as to have taken permanent damage / drastically reduced lifespan.

And you'd have to be delusional to say that there aint more messing about with building and maintaining a custom loop vs using an aircooler... but i guess that's pretty standard for you.

Or melted the block/s or tubes causing a drastic water leak. They would never turn off instantly like mine was set up to do.


Also dgianstefani, my pc is pretty quiet, but not silent as I don't think it's possible with 11 fans in it. I had my fan control setup really well imo using a Octo and ramp via water temp. So I don't possibly see how it could have been quieter either with air or water as the fans have to ramp up with temps either way. Maybe you are much more of an "expert" than me to say I had it set up wrong. Next time I will pm you for your expert advice.

 

[Vya Domus]

Even if the fans were dead silent the pumps are usually louder than low RPM spinning fans not to mention other things like coil whine. No matter how quiet I try to make my system the coil whine is always louder, there is no point in trying to run my fans lower than 50%, it's still quieter vs when it was on air but it's not like it's inaudible.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

The sound of mine was very similar, but obviously temps where miles better on the loop.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

I've spent way too much on this already, but I'm liking it so far. If I had to settle for a AIO I would not have bothered with a glass front case.

View attachment 333282

Liking it?

It's gotta be one of the nicest builds I've seen in a hot minute.

Everything else is RGB for the past decade. It's nice to see some actual plumbing work without getting retna flash.

 

[dgianstefani]

Or melted the block/s or tubes causing a drastic water leak. They would never turn off instantly like mine was set up to do.


Also dgianstefani, my pc is pretty quiet, but not silent as I don't think it's possible with 11 fans in it. I had my fan control setup really well imo using a Octo and ramp via water temp. So I don't possibly see how it could have been quieter either with air or water as the fans have to ramp up with temps either way. Maybe you are much more of an "expert" than me to say I had it set up wrong. Next time I will pm you for your expert advice.

Melted... the blocks?

At thermal shutdown temp of 115 C?

Water/component temp will also never get as high as the silicon, not even close.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

Melted... the blocks?

At thermal shutdown temp of 115 C?

Water/component temp will also never get as high as the silicon, not even close.

They don't have to, I've seen plenty of posts on here of melted blocks or warped tubes from pump fails. There is a reason most warnings are 60c max water temp, even running benches I never saw a water temp that high. I'm pretty sure though if the CPU is at 115c with a failed pump the acrylic block is going to be higher than 70c which is asking for a big problem

 

[wheresmycar]

What do you mean, you can't make a custom loop for 150$. There is no comparison the be made, people still don't get it, it's not a matter of cost or even performance.

~$150 referencing a 360mm AIO, not a custom loop.

Well it does by default achieve excellent thermal "performance" and opens up more headroom for a whisper quiet build. Something i've been aspiring to + the enthusiast aesthetic value or just running a river in tubes behind a glass window

Unfortunately for me, "cost" is a factor. Many times i've attempted to put together a custom loop on paper and the choice of parts are highly reflective of prioritising aesthetics (i wouldn't have it any other way) and each time its fallen on its head with high costs. Someday maybe!

I've spent way too much on this already, but I'm liking it so far. If I had to settle for a AIO I would not have bothered with a glass front case.

View attachment 333282

Black and gold, never gets old!! love it!

 

[lexluthermiester]

If it warrant or not is mainly a story of the case.

No, not really. Sub 100w CPU's just don't need high end cooling. Proof you say? Just look at the cooler AMD boxes in with them, and those coolers work well.

 

[Vya Domus]

~$150 referencing a 360mm AIO

Yes but comparing against what ? My loop has 4 radiators, will it be better than a 360mm AIO ? Probably and also much more expensive. Even a loop with a single 360 will be way more expensive, that's why it makes no sense to compare them.