No, it's a fact top tier air coolers cool as well as CLCs at same noise levels as long as they are supplied the same temperature of air.that's just nonsense.
Several years ago PC-Cooling tested Silver Arrow SB-E (comparable to other top tier coolers but 17cb quieter) H100 (comparable to other 240mm radiator CLCs) and Silver Arrow SB-E Extreme (similar noise level to CLCs like H100) with open bench test station so all were using same temperature of air. Air cooling running 17dB quieter was only 1c warmer and when runnng 1dB louder air cooling was 8c cooler.
PC-Cooling video review above data came from:Silver Arrow SB-E, Silver Arrow SB-E Extreme vs H100
I7 [email protected] Temperature in Delta
Cooler . . . . . . . . . Delta . RPM . RPM . dB(A) . Fans
H100 . . . . . . . . . . 41c . . 2500. . . . . . . 55 . . . . 2x
SA SB-E. . . . . . . . 42c . . 1000 & 1300. 38 . . . . TY-150 & TY-141
SA SB-E Extreme . 34c . . 2500 . . . . . . 56 . . . . 2x TY-143
H100 is 1c cooler than Silver Arrow SB-e but makes more than 3 times the noise doing it
Silver Arrow SB-E Extreme is 7c cooler with fans making similar amount of noise as H100 does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6xrsuPwDbo
Anyone who has done any actual testing of air cooling vs CLC has similar results to above. Thing is most air coolers do not have the extreme fans Silver Arrow SB-E (& IB-E) Extreme have. Only one I know of is Silverstone HE01/HE01-V.2
True, but it's one easily resolved with only a little knowledge of what to look for. Most cases only need a fan or two added to have good airflow. It's not rocket science and only requires a couple minutes of reading to know what is needed. Below is link to basic guides for how airflow works and how to setup case airflow.The trouble with air coolers is that you need fans on the cooler AND fans on the case. Without good case airflow they are toast because the dirty-hot air stays inside the case, affecting the other components and gradually ramping-up temps. That's a lot of fans.
With an AIO you can get the dirty-hot air straight out of the case without it going anywhere near the other components, with just the fans on the rad. This means fewer overall fans, which is good. Neater, quieter and more efficient, especially in small builds where there either isn't physically enough room to fit a decent air cooler and/or all the required fans, or if you did it would look like arse or make accessing the other components very difficult.
Anyway, everyone knows this already, it's old news.
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/t...-i-put-my-temp-sensor.18564223/#post-26159770
With CLCs is more often user mounts it as intake then brags about how much cooler CPU is .. but never mentions GPU and other component temps are often 2-6c higher.
Your last 2 paragraphs are not old news, but false news:
- No, there are not fewer fans, CLCs add an additon of 2x 120mm / 2x 140mm fans mounted on radiator that are also functioning as additional case fans.
- Yes, there are a few cases/builds that will not work with anything but CLC, AIO or small custom loop, but they are the exception, not the rule.
- As for neater many of use thing the 2 black snakes are much uglier than a good air cooler. Just look at obitalwalsh post #48 to seen what I mean about black snakes. Sorry, orbitalwalsh, you have a nice cool system but it definitely is not neat and tidy.
- CLCs are definitely not quieter than air cooling. There is almost always some pump and coolant noise invovled at idle that does not exist with an air cooler.
- CLCs are also not more efficient than air coolers, neither in performance or in costs. Air cooling cools as well or better, is more dependable/lasts longer, and is lower cost.
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