Downsides to water cooling?

gregorius

gregorius

gregorius

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I'm thinking about putting together a mini-ITX build in the near future and am thinking about cooling options (for a mild overclock).

For a small system, watercooling seems attractive; but what I don't know is whether there are any down-sides to it. So, are there any?
 
leaks

block corrosion

tubing clouding up

etc etc


there are a lot of pitfalls but if done properly it is fantastic
 
Plenty if done poorly (as panyan has said). If done properly though, the only things to watch for are:

- Leaks if this is a system that will be moved around a lot
- Tubing cluttering up the inside of an already small case

Everything else can be avoided by researching your components and build approach thoroughly.
 
For me the downsides were the pain it is to change out a components, the constant clouding of my clear tubing.
But ultimately, looking at the cash i had put into watercooling to have a marginally better performing PC that was only slightly quieter. It just didnt add up. I might have gained a few FPS here or there, but nothing over the leap of a new GPU / CPU.
So i went back to air.
 
The only thing off the top of my head is that water is slower to react to changes in temperatures applied to it. Following a period of high activity the fluid temperature remains higher longer and the CPU temp does not drop back to typical idle temps so quickly. Depends on quality of airflow through the rads. Probably not really a downside, just an observation.

tintin82 said:
But ultimately, looking at the cash i had put into watercooling to have a marginally better performing PC that was only slightly quieter. It just didnt add up. I might have gained a few FPS here or there, but nothing over the leap of a new GPU / CPU.
So i went back to air.
Click to expand...

I am also back on air at the moment. Pump broke and was returned.
 
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I haven't so much as looked at water cooling a rig since my ITX builds. It's just not necessary half the time anymore.
If I were building a decent sized main rig that was gonna be putting out some serious heat again, I'd probably run passively like I used to with my old Prescott system back in the day.
Ford Sierra radiator and an Eheim pump bolted to the desk for the win!
 
Space Monkey said:
The main downside I found was that its addictive and once you pop you can't stop :D
Click to expand...

Same here. I need to build more loops now, one in each colour of Mayhems Pastel would be great :D

It's an expensive hobby, regardless of whether or not the extra cooling performance is justified I'm a sucker for aesthetics.
 
Downside is when it comes to upgrading but I guess it saved me money.

I would normally have upgraded my 680s to Titans or at least 780s by now but because they are watercooled and linked up with no quick disconnects I just can't be bothered.
 
tintin82 said:
For me the downsides were the pain it is to change out a components, the constant clouding of my clear tubing.
But ultimately, looking at the cash i had put into watercooling to have a marginally better performing PC that was only slightly quieter. It just didnt add up. I might have gained a few FPS here or there, but nothing over the leap of a new GPU / CPU.
So i went back to air.
Click to expand...

I've just removed my loop for this exact reason - the performance gains are good, and were worth it for me whilst running a dual GPU card, but it becomes so much more hassle to fit new components as well as having additional costs. It also needs more care and maintenance than air cooling, so I'll be sticking with air for the future - still glad I did WC at least once though :D
 
The only downsides I can think of are:

* Component upgrading - As mentioned above, if you're a regular upgrader who has to have the latest and greatest on each iteration then disassembling your loop and putting it back together can be a real pain in the a**. Although if you are the type to only change a component here or there every 6+ months or so (like me), then careful planning can alleviate a lot of stress as you can get away with only partially disassembling your loop :)

* Weight - If you are building a loop in a bigger case, then dont expect to be moving it around a lot. I think my 800D weighs close in on 35KG - not LAN friendly.

* Maintanence - Although if you take your time and plan and execute your loop well you'll only have to change fluids out every year or so, some even longer.

* Cost - This is the main downside IMO, if you are looking to build a custom loop, it can get really pricey as anybody here will tell you.

Downsides like leaks etc will only occur if you rush job your loop and don't plan it properly.
 
As previously said... It is ADDICTIVE :D

And personally I find it so addictive that I will always start to look for customization on making the perfect loop for myself :D

Windows mod... nice fittings... engraving backplate etc :D

But hey, you learn a lot of things from planning WC loops :D
 
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