Liquid Cooling Systems
A liquid-based cooling system refers to a system of pumping water around the chassis.
- used for:
- PCs used for high-end gaming may generate more heat than basic thermal management can cope with
- PCs used where the ambient temperature is very high may also require exceptional cooling measures
- Water is a more effective coolant than air convection
- a good pump can run more quietly than numerous fans
Open-Loop Liquid-Based Cooling System
An open-loop, liquid-based cooling system uses the following components:
- The water loop/tubing and pump push the coolant added via the reservoir around the system
- Water blocks and brackets are attached to each device to remove heat by convection
- attached in a similar way to heat sink/fan assemblies and then connected to the water loop
- Radiators and fans are positioned at air vents to dispel the excess heat
- open-loop system will usually need draining, cleaning, and refilling periodically
- important to keep the fans and radiators dust-free
- system should also be drained prior to moving the PC to a different location
Info
There are also simpler closed-loop systems that install to a single component (CPU or GPU) only.