With the release of the latest ground-breaking generation of Intel CPUs, here at Overclockers UK, we have decided to compile this handy guide on the best water cooling AiO solutions for your new Alder Lake processor.
If you have questions such as, what are the advantages of water cooling? How does the TDP affect the type of water-cooling setup? What CPU water coolers are compatible with the 1700 socket? We will answer these questions and much more in due course. I’ve also selected some of our very best compatible CPU water coolers to tempt you into upgrading.
Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs:
Intel’s latest generation of core processors is their 12th Gen Alder Lake series. Featuring an exclusive hybrid core design, these CPUs boast enhanced cost-effective performance that has been expertly crafted to handle heavy-duty multitasking.
The intelligent hybrid core architecture includes a mixture of P (performance) and E (efficiency) cores. Tasks are effectively split between these two cores, with the dedicated P cores delivering powerful performance in lightly threaded applications. The E cores handle multitasking and any apps running in the background without causing any interruptions. All of which is managed by the built-in Intel Thread Director software.
If you want to find out more about Intel’s 12th Gen CPUs, take a look at our dedicated blog post?
Upgrade to The Next-Generation of Processor:
Intel Core i5 12600KF
- 10/16 Cores & Threads
- 3.70GHz Clock Speed
- 4.9GHz Single Core Max Turbo
- 20mb Cache
Intel Core i7 12700KF
- 12/20 Cores & Threads
- 3.60GHz Clock Speed
- 5.0GHz Single Core Max Turbo
- 25mb Cache
Intel Core i9 12900KF
- 16/24 Cores & Threads
- 3.20GHz Clock Speed
- 5.2GHz Single Core Max Turbo
- 30mb Cache
Does the CPU TDP influence the water-cooling setup?
The general rule of thumb is more power = more heat = more cooling.
This is where the radiator comes in.
What is the radiator in a water-cooled PC?
As the liquid coolant in your PC absorbs heat, it moves through the system, through the tubing, and into a radiator. The radiator is designed to cool down the liquid as the fins absorb any heat from the liquid coolant.
The larger the radiator, the more effective and better the cooling capacity it has. The rough guideline is usually, a 120mm radiator area can cool 100 W TDP. It’s best to be generous when selecting the right radiator configuration for your CPU.
It’s important to note that if you don’t select a cooler that can maintain the CPU’s max TDP, you will be at risk of the CPU thermal throttling under loads.
Take a look at the table down below which shows the recommended size for Alder Lake CPUs.
| CPU | TDP / Max TDP | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5 12600K/KF | 125/150w | 240mm |
| Intel Core i7 12700K/KF | 125/190w | 280mm |
| Intel Core i9 12900K/KF | 125/241w | 360mm |
What are the advantages of water cooling?
Notably, the benefits of including an AiO water-cooling system to your PC is a cool and virtually silent operation.
Whether you are gaming, streaming, or working, noisy fans can prove to be a distraction. But a well-tuned water-cooling loop will transform your PC into a cool, inaudible machine, even under heavy-duty applications.
Which CPU water coolers are compatible with the Alder Lake series?
The new Alder Lake series CPUs comes with an LGA 1700 Socket. With its release on the market, you can now purchase a mounting kit for this socket for most AiO water cooling configurations.
Lian Li Galahad AiO 360mm CPU Water Cooler
- 360mm radiator
- 3 X 120mm ARGB PWM fans
- Intel & AMD compatible
- Included Lian Li Intel 1700 Socket Bracket
NZXT Kraken X53 240mm AiO CPU Water Cooler
- 240mm radiator
- 2 X 120MM PWM fans
- Intel & AMD Compatible
- Included NZXT Kraken 1700 Socket Bracket
Corsair Hydro H150i Elite 360mm AiO CPU Water Cooler
- 360mm radiator
- 3 x 120mm PWM fans
- Corsair iCUE Commander Core included
- Intel & AMD compatible
- Includes mounting kit
NZXT Kraken Z63 280mm AiO CPU Water Cooler
- 280mm radiator
- 2 X 140mm PWM fans
- 2.36’’ LCD screen
- Intel & AMD compatible
- Includes NZXT Kraken Intel 1700 Socket Bracket
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- 4 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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