Why users prefer heatsink instead of liquid cooling

Most users prefer an air sink than liquid cooling. Why? For various reasons that we tell you inside.

When it comes to CPU cooling, the same dilemma always comes up when buying a heatsink . Air or liquid cooling? In the end, everyone ends up opting for the air sink, so we asked ourselves in Professional Review why? We think we have found some reasons for this, but we encourage you to participate in the comments section. Let's get started!

Heatsink

For starters, we are going to talk about air sinks and how they work. They are the oldest in the PC world, so we believe it is necessary to explain how they work. In principle, they are installed on top of the microprocessor chip along with thermal paste.

The thermal paste will be the one that will transmit the heat from the processor to the heatsink. The heat will rise through the normally copper tubes that go to the aluminum sheets where the heatsink fans are installed. Finally, the fans blow the heat out.

As you can see, it is a very simple operation, so it is cheap to produce and its prices are affordable. The price will vary depending on the fans, technology, lighting or some other element that improves the performance of the heatsink.

This solution is the best value for money on the market because it offers great dissipation at an affordable price. However, we are not going to get the best cooling on the market in terms of performance.

Liquid refrigeration

First of all, we would like to differentiate between “ custom ” liquid cooling and AIO (All In One) or pre-installed.

On the one hand, the AIO has a water pump that is installed on top of the processor and has extraction tubes that go to a radiator with fans that are installed on top of the PC case. Its extraction form is very simple and attractive for those who do not know much about computers.

On the other hand, custom liquid cooling is a closed circuit with water or coolant that is made up of the following:

• Block of water. It is installed on top of the processor to transfer its heat to the liquid that flows through the pump. It is an essential part of the circuit because it will allow more or less overclocking. Deposit. Its task is to retain extra water in the circuit to allow air bubbles to be replaced little by little by water as it circulates. We can buy tank packs and pumps, how to do it independently. Mention that it is key to the circuit and has a high role in its maintenance. Bomb. It provides the circulation of the refrigerant in the circuit, pushing the liquid towards other components. It could be the heart. Radiators and fans. They cool the liquid that circulates inside the circuit. As the liquid circulates, the radiator blades absorb heat from the water; later, the same blades are cooled thanks to the fans that the radiator has. Joints or closures. They are used to connect the tubes with other components. Through the joints we can close or open the circuit.

Liquid cooling offers better performance than air dissipation, allowing extreme or hard overclocks.

Why is the air sink always chosen?

There are several reasons that allow users to dismiss liquid cooling as a purchase. We have decided to collect them all to show you, as well as to remove doubts from the undecided who do not know which refrigeration to choose.

Price

Mainly the price. Air coolers are much cheaper than AIO liquid cooling kits. If we go to the custom kits they skyrocket. Keep in mind that most people want to have their chip refrigerated so that it does not give them problems with temperatures, instability, etc.

With an air sink you have that need more than cover. In fact, we can overclock and operate at very high frequencies, without being extreme.

Complexity

Those who don't know what a liquid cooling kit is, or have never had one, quickly freak out. The reason for this is the complexity of a custom kit for the average consumer. Normally, they get lost to so many pumps, water blocks, and radiators.

Therefore, they end up going to a simpler component to avoid possible installation or maintenance failures.

Maintenance

The only maintenance the air cooler requires is changing the thermal paste. However, liquid cooling does require some maintenance, especially custom kits. The maintenance of AIO cooling is a relative thing because there are hermetic models that do not require maintenance. It depends on the specific model.

In the case of custom kits, maintenance is laborious because the tank and the entire circuit must be emptied well, among other things. Here we leave you a tutorial on maintaining a custom kit. This process is not very expensive, but it is already much more expensive than air cooling.

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Installation

Here we leave you our tutorial on how to set up AIO liquid cooling.

Air coolers are easy to install, having to remove the motherboard for installation from the bottom of it (if necessary). In the case of AIO kit installations it is simple because we only have to attend to the upper part of the box and the water block.

The same does not happen with the custom kits, which require a laborious installation and a box of certain dimensions that accommodates the water pump, the tank, radiators, fans and the entire circuit. This is what pulls most users back.

Fissures

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It is the story of never ending and something that has become more of a myth than anything else, but it is a possibility that is there. For many years, one of the reasons users do not go for liquid refrigeration is the possibility that the tubes will crack. This could cause irreparable damage to the components of our PC, if the liquid is poured into them.

This happens when things are not done well and when good maintenance or installation is not done. Having a kit of this type requires having a duty of diligence, that is, supervising a little the condition of the tubes or the circuit. For more inri, this is not covered by the warranty.

I know of close cases that, years ago, had this mishap and lost more than € 1, 000 of investment in components. It is a very expensive lesson, but there is no other way to learn in this case.

Requirements

Installing liquid cooling will require, at a minimum, that the case or chassis have a top that is compatible with the installation of the radiator and fans. If the kit is custom, surely you need a good box, which translates into many euros. This causes the flight of users who were considering purchasing a kit of this type.

We hope this information has helped you and that you have dispelled your doubts. If there are more reasons for you, comment below and share your experiences with us.

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What do you think of these reasons? Do you agree with them? What experiences have you had with liquid cooling?