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how does liquid cooling work?


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so i noticed i can get a Corsair H60 bundled with an i5-2500k. im not sure if i would even get liquid cooling, im happy with buying a 3rd party fan (Hyper 212+) but i just wanna learn about liquid cooling.

 

i looked up videos on how to install, but it all seemed too simple lol. is the liquid already inside the radiator and whatnot? is it something i have to add, is it something id have to replenish after awhile? if so how often does it have to be done? does it still use thermal paste? all these question and any more info you can provide me would be great. also if i would ever pursue liquid cooling, it would just be for my CPU and none of the other stuff.

 

thanks all :)

Edited by hoofhearted4
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The H50/60/70 (I think there's an 80 or a 90 too...) Corsair coolers have the liquid inside them already, and I don't think you should change it since it's not supposed to be changed. At least not often, anyways.

 

Any and all CPU coolers use thermal paste, it's there to have the little metal plate of the cooler make better contact with the CPU so the heat can transfer more easily.

 

There are many Youtube vids that, if I recall correctly, explain this stuff pretty well (remember, the H50/H70 are exactly the same as the H60 when it comes to how they work)

Edited by Nysba
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so i noticed i can get a Corsair H60 bundled with an i5-2500k. im not sure if i would even get liquid cooling, im happy with buying a 3rd party fan (Hyper 212+) but i just wanna learn about liquid cooling.

 

i looked up videos on how to install, but it all seemed too simple lol. is the liquid already inside the radiator and whatnot? is it something i have to add, is it something id have to replenish after awhile? if so how often does it have to be done? does it still use thermal paste? all these question and any more info you can provide me would be great. also if i would ever pursue liquid cooling, it would just be for my CPU and none of the other stuff.

 

thanks all :)

 

The most basic description of water cooling is the cpu heats up the water, which travels a down a tube to a radiator that a fan is blowing air through, then returns to the cpu to repeat the process. Actually it would be more accurate to say that the heat travels through this system rather than the heated water because there is water throughout the whole system. The two biggest advantages are that they are quiet(one less intake fan to pull air in), and cpu's are usually able to be overclocked further because water heats up slower the metal heatsinks in air cooling. The two biggest disadvantages are that the cpu temps will never be less that room temperature, and the possibilities of leaks(it is water after all.) With an all-in-one solution like the one that you mention, you don't replace the water/anti-biological mixture at all(you couldn't anyway)s. You might need to replace the mixture with a custom built system, but that is a real pain(understatement of the century). As for thermal paste, yes it is needed just as much for liquid cooling. While you need one less intake fan, proper air flow is still essential. The air needs a clear path through the case and through the radiator fan. Here is a link that details more abouth liquid cooling, please be sure to read the whole article(it is three pages long):

 

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/how-tos/build_it_three_water-cooling_techniques_detailed_and_constructed

 

On one final note, the custom built water cooling solutions can be built to include the graphics cards.

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yea i knew HOW a water cooling system worked (heats water, water is cooled, etc) just didnt know about the fine details. its something i might consider if it needed no maintenance (changing/filling water, etc) who knows. i dont really need it. i dont plan on OCing to the extreme. i figure with a 3rd party fan (Hyper 212+) i could get my i5-2500k to 4.0 (from 3.3) with no issues.

 

but i do like quieter. i do like cooler. so ya, something to consider down the road

 

any more pros or cons i should consider?

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There are not much cons about these kind of liquid coolers.

 

They don't need maintenance or filling, and you don't have to worry about RAM with high heatspreaders.

Edited by Erik005
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I wouldn't dare to touch a watercooling system.

It's water, around electricity. I wouldn't even install one if someone gave me the best for free.

I know I'm being paranoid, but still better safe then sorry.

 

And I think you need to do some kind of services yearly. Not sure though.

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I've read a lot about these Corsair's watercooling systems (because I have one, don't kill me lulz) and I haven't really come across anything about leaks. Therefore I assume they're very rare. And I also read that they will refund any broken parts, even if they're not Corsair's. But don't know how true that is... Though I've heard only good about Corsair's warranties in general sooo...
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ya i honestly wouldnt be paranoid about leaks. though it would blow major donkey nuts if it leaked.

 

im just curious if you need to do maintenance or what?

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