Liquid Cooling vs Air Cooling - Which One To Choose When Buying A Pre-Built Gaming PC

What Is Air Cooling?

The first type of cooling we'll talk about is air cooling. Air cooling is a very simple heat-dissipating system consisting of two parts:

• Heat sink
• Fan

The way it works is quite straightforward. The fan sits either on top or to the side of the heat sink and has the purpose of dissipating CPU heat into the PC case.

Pros Of Air Cooling

1. Cost

Air cooling is considered the more affordable option simply due to its simple design, which does not require lots of materials or require an overly complex installation. If you’re looking to buy a budget gaming PC, a low-profile air cooler will do the trick just fine.

2. Maintenance

If you choose an air-cooled PC, you’ll be happy to hear there’s virtually no maintenance you need to take care of in the long run. At most, you can clean the dust out of your PC once every few months, but other than that, your cooling system is good to go.

Cons Of Air Cooling

1. Noise

While they don’t cause a lot of noise, air cooler systems are generally louder than liquid cooling systems. This can be distracting at times, especially during focus-heavy games.

2. Performance

The general consensus is that air cooling is not as efficient as liquid cooling. However, it is still a perfectly good option, especially if you are on a budget.

3. Visuals

Air cooler designs are fairly standard, meaning there is little to no chance of customising your PC after purchase. Those who are interested in an aesthetic build with transparent cases and RGB lights might not be satisfied with how bulky air coolers tend to be.

What Is Liquid Cooling

Liquid cooling, or water cooling, is another method of dissipating heat from the CPU. A liquid cooling system is a bit more complex, consisting of:

• Water blocks (attached to the CPU)
• Pump
• Radiator
• Pipes
• Reservoir (optional)

So, how does liquid cooling work? The role of the pump is to push liquid coolant (most commonly water, either purified or deionized) to and from the radiator through the water block. Water has high thermal conductivity, which allows the liquid pumps to take on heat from the CPU and pump it away through the system.

Because of this, liquid cooling tends to have a better cooling capacity, as it dissipates heat over a larger surface area. If there is a sudden burst of heat inside your PC case, liquid cooling can take care of it more easily.

Do I Have To Refill My Liquid Cooler?

A concern we see often is whether or not liquid coolers need to be refilled. The good news is - unless you are building your own custom liquid cooling system, you won’t need to worry about any long-term maintenance. Liquid CPU coolers are most often closed systems, meaning you won’t need to (or even be able to) tinker with them or replace the cooling liquid yourself.

Pros Of Liquid Cooling

1. Noise levels

Liquid coolers are quieter than air coolers due to the fans rotating more slowly.

2. Performance

Liquid cooling is ideal for those looking to push their gaming rig to its limits. For example, if you play games at maximum settings, this can overheat your system. The technology of liquid coolers is better equipped to cool down the CPU fast and avoid any potential damage.

3. Visuals

Most pre-built gaming PCs come equipped with All-in-One (AIO) coolers, which might be seen as more visually appealing than your average air cooler especially when combined with extra RGB elements.

However, the real aesthetic potential lies in custom cooling loops, which can turn your cooling system into an impressive arrangement of pipes and pumps. This does, however, require some PC building knowledge. Custom loops are most often not worth the time and effort - they don’t improve performance and are simply an aesthetic choice.

Cons Of Liquid Cooling

1. Cost

AIO cooling tends to be on the higher end of the scale compared to air coolers, due to increased performance and a more complex setup.

2. Maintenance

Air coolers are fairly simple to clean and maintain, as all you need to do is dust off the fans once in a while. Liquid cooling systems contain a lot more parts which increases the risk of something going wrong. However, if you are simply buying a liquid cooling pre-built PC for gaming, you will likely not need to worry too much about long-term cleaning and maintenance.