Is air cooler better than aio?
Pros and cons for each type really. I have air cooling but watched a few videos. Never used WC before but what I gather..
AIO Pros
Lower tempetures, but really best on very hot CPU's in the first place ie Intels. No point water cooling a 65W CPU for example as good air will be more than capable
Helps with case ventilation as well
Frees up space around CPU so clearence on tall memory modules, more space to fit/remove top NVME and GPU
Has dropped in price a lot ie £100 for triple 420 is a bargain
Cons
If it leaks (rare, but slightly possible) will trash motherboard, GPU and PSU.
Pump can be noisy ie not silent, if it fails CPU will fry as water isn't being moved around.
Need a case suitable for radiator fitting and correct placement ie rad at bottom is worst
Can have a slimmer case as CPU block isn't high (but rad's are still wide though)
VRM fan can be noisy, and non standard fan size type (would like standard 60mm/80mm fan ontop)
No alarms if pump dies
Finite lifespan in AIO, as the coolant evaporates through pipework over time decreasing the amount of liquid
Need to keep rad fins clear of dust, can damage fins etc
Rad can be very big
A single 120mm rad will be no better than decent air cooling.
Performance will degrade over time (years) things like sludge, growth in tubes etc. Ideally want a system you can top up, flush out and change liquid. You can't do that with Artic as they're disposable items after 10 years or so (which is still great value for money)
Air cooling
pros
Affordable, and if your CPU is mediu TDP output, air cooling will be sufficient
Can be quiet if choosing right fans
Can run without fan, as case fans right next to it might be enough for cooling
Basically once fitted there is no maintence apart from checking the CPU fan still works, clearing dust from fins etc
cons
Large and heavy, blocks GPU and NVME slot, fan gets in the way of memory
Makes cable routing a bit more tricky and working in the case
If you're trasporting PC, I'd probably remove HSF in case of damage, ie with some 1KG that's a lot of mass.