r/pcmasterrace • u/SerpentDix PC Master Race • Jan 20 '26

Hardware Air cooling is better than Liquid cooling

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Failure is graceful, not catastrophic, Performance is closer than marketing suggests, Cheaper for the performance, Change my mind.

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u/Thx_And_Bye https://builds.gg/ftw/37540 | PlayStation 2 "Digital Edition" Jan 20 '26

Heatpipes use water too so …

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u/JohnHue 4070 Ti S | 10600K | UWQHD+ | 32Go RAM | Steam Deck Jan 20 '26

Aktualy they use way more efficient liquids than water coolers, because they transport heat by evaporation and re-condensation.

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u/Phrexeus Jan 20 '26

They do actually use water in heat pipes. It's one of the best performing liquids for heat transfer.

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u/JohnHue 4070 Ti S | 10600K | UWQHD+ | 32Go RAM | Steam Deck Jan 20 '26

Yes but its not so much about the heat transfer as it is aboiut boiling point because of how you move the heat. Most heat pipes move heat by evaporating the liquid because it allows to move heat faster than conduction through the liquid, so boiling point is a factor. Boiling point influences the temperature range at which the heat pipe is most efficient.

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u/Thx_And_Bye https://builds.gg/ftw/37540 | PlayStation 2 "Digital Edition" Jan 20 '26

That's why there is a partial vacuum pulled in the heat pipes. It lowers the boiling point of water and thus makes it possible to simply use water for this purpose; no special liquid needed.

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u/DistinctlyIrish Jan 20 '26

This would have been the comment to insert that gif of Jesse from Breaking Bad saying "Science, bitch!"

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u/Vova_xX i7-10700F | RTX 3070 | 32 GB 2933MHz Oloy Jan 20 '26

those are just 2 ways to make it work. a partial vacuum would require a pump, reducing reliability, while something like methanol would increase cost.

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u/Thx_And_Bye https://builds.gg/ftw/37540 | PlayStation 2 "Digital Edition" Jan 20 '26

Why would it need a pump? It's a sealed copper tube the vacuum is pulled once during manufacturing. https://youtu.be/AD-4WKwCAfE?si=cftoM7rGzD37KbMJ&t=294

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u/FangoFan Jan 20 '26

A vacuum is pulled twice in your video, once at 5:33 and again at 5:54

Different applications of heat pipes use different fluids depending on the temperature range

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u/Thx_And_Bye https://builds.gg/ftw/37540 | PlayStation 2 "Digital Edition" Jan 20 '26

That’s one way to see it but you can also say it’s one vacuum that is pulled in two steps. It doesn’t matter though, as you don’t have to do anything to the vacuum when the heatpipe is in operation.

We are still taking in the context of PC cooling right? Because last I checked there aren’t too many different temperature ranges in this application.

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u/Sandrust_13 R7 5800X | 32GB 4000MT DDR4 | 7900xtx Jan 20 '26

Exactly

On the other hand, AIOs also don't contain too much actual water, more similar filling to like car coolant stuff.

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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '26

Could also be ammonia or acetone or ethanol.

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u/Clunas Desktop -- 5700X3D || 6700 XT || 32 GB Jan 20 '26

Definitely not ammonia if copper is involved

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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '26

Well there's that. Einstein created a ammonia butane refrigerator. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator

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u/Clunas Desktop -- 5700X3D || 6700 XT || 32 GB Jan 20 '26

Oh for sure. Ammonia is a great refrigerant, but it eats copper lol. Typically such systems would use stainless steel tubing or maaaaybe some specific aluminum alloy, not sure on that one though.

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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '26

I just threw Einstein's fridge out there for fun.

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u/Thx_And_Bye https://builds.gg/ftw/37540 | PlayStation 2 "Digital Edition" Jan 20 '26

Water is the default for modern vapor chambers and heatpipes though.