Whether you’re a first-time builder or a veteran enthusiast who is debating upgrading your PC, choosing the right type of cooling is crucial.
Air Cooling
Air cooling consists of several fans and a heatsink. Whilst the heatsink draws the heat away from the vital components, the fans help dissipate the heat and create a constant flow of air that circulates throughout your PC.
On some air coolers, especially OEM models, the fan is integrated and can’t be changed. However, with the majority of coolers, the fans, whilst included as standard, can be replaced. This means you can configure your cooler to perfectly suit your needs and PC. What type of fan you choose, is up to you. This can be either PWM or DC.
With PWM fans you can control the speed with the on/off cycles. Whereas, DC fans have a fixed voltage and will only perform at the maximum speed/RPM. If you want an in-depth look at PWM and DC fans, we’ve created a dedicated article with everything you need to know!
If you want an in-depth look at PWM and DC fans, we’ve created a dedicated article with everything you need to know!
Pros and Cons of Air Cooling
Advantages
- Cheaper
- Easier to install
- No risk of leaking liquid
Disadvantages
- Not as powerful: air cooling alone isn’t suited for high-end or powerhouse gaming PCs.
- Can be noisy
Our Top Air Cooling Hardware
be quiet! Pure Rock 2x FX Black aRGB 120mm CPU Cooler
- CPU air cooler
- 120mm PWM fan
- Maximum 150 TDP power capacity
- Integrated RGB lighting
- Compatible with both Intel and AMD CPU sockets
Alphenfohn Brocken ECO CPU Cooler:
- CPU air cooler
- 120mm fan
- Maximum 170W TDP power capacity
- Compatible with both Intel and AMD CPU sockets
be quiet! Light Wings ARGB 120mm PWM Triple Pack Fans:
- Triple pack of 120mm fans
- PWM
- Integrated RGB lighting
- Max RPM of up to 1700
Water Cooling
Gaming PCs with water cooling will have a liquid coolant to draw any excess heat away from your important components.
Water cooling consists of several different components:
- The pump: helps to circulate the liquid through the loop.
- Reservoir: stores the coolant ensuring there is always a steady flow of coolant in the pump.
- Water block: a type of heatsink which transfers heat away from the component. A water block will usually have two pipes connected, one with brings in cold water and one that removes any hot water.
- Radiator: helps to dissipate any heat created by the fluid.
- Fittings: responsible for connecting the tubing to all of the various components in the loop.
- Soft/Hard tubing: connected to your chosen components and cooling tech which the liquid coolant runs through. There is a plethora of different coloured coolants you can choose from to perfectly suit your aesthetic.
In addition to all of this, water cooling still utilises a selection of fans to effectively keep all of your vital hardware cool and performing at optimum temperature.
Pros and Cons of Water Cooling
Advantages:
- Powerful
- More effective due to the large surface area
- Lots of customisation options
Disadvantages:
- Can be more expensive
- Challenging to install
- Chance of the liquid coolant leaking on your other hardware
If you don’t want to install a full water cooling loop, why not opt for a dedicated AiO cooler instead?
Want to read more about why you should opt for water cooling? Check out our blog post.
AiOs
AiO stands for ‘All in One’. AiO coolers feature all of the same components of a custom water-cooling system, but with minimal risk of leaking and much simpler installation. These coolers consist of a radiator, pump, cooling unit, fans, and tubing.
Pros and Cons of AiOs
Advantages:
- Powerful cooling
- Easier to install
- Pre-built meaning you don’t need to build your own custom loop
- Cheaper than a full custom water cooling loop
Disadvantages:
- Limited customisation options compared to a custom water cooling loop
Our Top Water Cooling Hardware
We’ve picked out our top AiO cooler below, but you can also browse the full range of water-cooling options on our website by clicking the button.
Lian Li Galahad II Trinty SL-INF AiO 240mm Water Cooler:
- AiO CPU cooler
- 240mm
- 2 x 120mm integrated SL-INF fans
- RGB lighting
- Compatible with Intel and AMD
Air vs Water Cooling – Which One Did You Go For?
Air vs water cooling – which one do you have in your gaming PC? Let us know and why in the comments.
- 5 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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