All computers generate heat during operation-heat that can kill their precious internal components unless properly cooled. As a result, many enthusiasts choose to upgrade their systems with liquid cooling loops. While these upgrade paths carry some risk, they can yield better overall performance and quieter operation than traditional air-cooling systems. The decision between an all-in-one liquid cooling system and a custom water cooling loop comes down to personal preference and the specific use cases of each computer.
The primary function of a PC liquid cooling system is to transfer heat away from the computer’s sensitive internals as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is accomplished by taking advantage of the natural phenomenon that heat moves from warmer objects to cooler ones. A liquid cooling system uses this principle by using a combination of radiators, fans and coolant. The main components of a liquid cooling system are the pump, reservoir, tubing and radiators. The tubing connects the various parts of the system, with the pump driving coolant around the loop. The reservoir holds the liquid and provides easy refilling. The radiators pull the heat out of the fluid and disperse it into the environment. The coolant then re-enters the system through the CPU/GPU block and begins the process over again.
Most PC liquid cooling systems require distilled water to be used, as regular tap water can contain contaminants that will cloud the water or clog the channels in the water blocks and radiators. A liquid cooling system also requires a high-performance CPU cooler with an intermediate heat exchanger, which is designed to remove the heat from the coolant before it reaches the CPU.
Depending on the system design, a liquid cooling system may have a single or multiple water blocks that sit on top of the computer’s motherboard and other components. These blocks have a metal baseplate that is connected to the IHS-the metal exterior of the processor’s I/O sockets-with a layer of thermal paste. The baseplate is then attached to a specialized water block, which is filled with coolant and mounted on the computer’s motherboard. The water block is connected to the CPU with tubes that connect to the radiator, and one or more water blocks are connected to each other in a daisy chain.
A pump drives the coolant through the system, which is a closed-loop water cooling system. Tubes run from the pump to the inlet of a water block. Another set of tubes connects the water block to a radiator, and the last set of tubes runs from the radiator to the reservoir, which often sits in one of the CD-ROM bays of the computer case. The radiators and the pump are connected to each other with quick-connect barbs that make it easy to disconnect or replace them in the future. The tubing inside the case is usually a thin 1/4-inch tubing, while outside, Y-branches connect to the water block and to the VGA chipset with thicker Tygon tubing. off line cooling system