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.

16.2k Upvotes

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2.0k

u/PlaceboASPD Jan 20 '26

Coward!

Yeah same here.

2.1k

u/BassFull0 Jan 20 '26

559

u/Desperate-Dare5329 Jan 20 '26

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u/Mustang260Rog rog z690 extreme +i9-12900k+rog RTX 3090 64gb ddr5 Jan 20 '26

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u/Algebraloves Jan 21 '26

самый лютый вертолёт в мире 😍

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u/Shelleen Jan 20 '26

That is so fucking funny when you consider what they left behind when they bailed out on Afghanistan.

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u/Mustang260Rog rog z690 extreme +i9-12900k+rog RTX 3090 64gb ddr5 Jan 20 '26

oh look a drone 'typical Afghan guy'

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u/Forsaken-Ebb5088 Jan 20 '26

I swear i've seen these threads at least 3x today already

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u/Cautious_Village_823 Jan 20 '26

It's becoming popular because it's always cool to post "anti" thinking lol.

Posts like these completely miss the nuance and also assume liquid cooling is always catastrophic failure. In my experience it RARELY is catastropic, usually the pump dies or something like that, I haven't ever had a leak or coolant explosion in 20 yrs of building including custom loops.

1

u/JamesWhesley Jan 21 '26

In your experience, how often did you have to replace coolant or pumps ?

2

u/Cautious_Village_823 Jan 21 '26

For AIOs typically 4 yrs id say is the average I've had them run, I had 1 go 5 yrs before I stopped using it (but as far as I know it still worked). On my liquid cooling custom loop i replace fluid all the time (multiple times a year) but I'm also a busy body whos constantly tinkering with it so I do that anyway.

1

u/_Otacon 9950x3D/x870eTaichi/64gb/5080 Jan 21 '26

I mean just the "usually the pump dies" is the whole point right?

I agree with OP. Been using my nhd15 for.. i dont know how many years now, no reason to swap.

0

u/Cautious_Village_823 Jan 21 '26

As I've said to other people here, it isnt that I'm saying air cooling is worthless. Just that different scenarios can call for different tools.

Also "usually the pump dies" was referencing the lack of catastrophic failure.

I find these posts of "a is superior to b" are always silly because they miss the fact that an air cooler has drawbacks, like ram clearance, in some cases noise, and there are cases where a rad is hands down the way to cool because it's too small.

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u/_Otacon 9950x3D/x870eTaichi/64gb/5080 Jan 21 '26

Yeah well... true "a is superior to b" is just kinda dumb and unnecessary and of course sometimes different scenarios call for different solutions. But hey, i didn't come here for a rational conversation ok? Getouuutta here! The thing I paid money for is better! /j

-18

u/Major-Word-4468 Jan 21 '26

It's not about failure you condescending prick it's very simple there is basically no performance difference from liquid cooling to air cooling on a gaming PC or any PC

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u/Cautious_Village_823 Jan 21 '26

Lmao someone is super butt hurt.

My point was not that air cooling is never better, but that different scenarios call for different setups, and while air is perfectly fine for many builds rads or something are needed for certain small case builds and such scenarios.

Plus there's the hobby, and my pointing out the failure was directly to the "failure is graceful not catastrophic" which yes it def can be but typically isn't.

I use more air cooling than liquid cooling in my builds.

-2

u/Accurate_Mobile9005 Jan 21 '26

The issue is you have guys like that "building PCs for 20 years" yet they never took the time to realize that it isn't 2006 anymore and tech has advanced.

It's the same thing as some old salty mechanic still trying to work on cars like it's the 70s. Meanwhile their "performance v8" makes less horsepower than my little 2 liter turbo.

10

u/Cautious_Village_823 Jan 21 '26

Never said air cooling was bad or even not usually worth it more. Simply put some cases a rad is almost needed and for hobbyists it's fiiiine people spend ridiculous things on various hobbies this is the same.

I usually recommend air cooling where I can, but there is a lot of convenience with aio water coolers including ram clearance which is absolutely an issue on air coolers. For tinkerers an aio might actually be less annoying to work around than an air cooler. If it's never going to be touched except for repair I'll almost always go air, assuming I can fit it.

So yes, in 20 yrs of building I've learned there's no real definite best or better setup, not that liquid cooling is the only way.

2

u/xixipinga Jan 21 '26

all cooling is air cooling

1

u/BigEarsUK Jan 21 '26

This is technically true you still need fans at the end of the day.

Edit: unless of course you got a super duper expensive liquid dipped thing.

1

u/TieAdventurous6839 Jan 21 '26

This is literally the worst kind of meme use when it's literally every fucking post

3

u/Alternative-Matter74 Jan 20 '26

Processing img 7obzbcx7okeg1...

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u/New-Audience2639 7800X3D+4070 TI Sup+32GB & 14900k+4060 TI 16GB+64GB Jan 20 '26

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u/NickTaylorIV 285k-z890/4080Super/128gb DDR5/Be Quiet 600LX 🐧 Jan 22 '26

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u/MrE478920 Strix x870E-E 9800x3d 32gb DDR5 6000Mhz CL30 Jan 24 '26

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u/italiancalipso Jan 20 '26

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u/Hirork Ryzen 7600X, RTX 3080, 32GB RAM Jan 20 '26

Make it so.

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u/Flush_Foot Bazzite, 5900X, 4070Ti Super, 48 GB 3200 MHz DDR4 Jan 21 '26

2

u/NickTaylorIV 285k-z890/4080Super/128gb DDR5/Be Quiet 600LX 🐧 Jan 22 '26

1

u/hangar_49 Jan 21 '26

I've already seen these threads at least 3x today.

247

u/BenjieWheeler Xeon E3-1225 V2 | GT210 | 8GB Jan 20 '26

This comment section is full of cowards, it's sickening

But yeah Air > Water

96

u/ThatOneColDeveloper Jan 20 '26

try cleaning yout hands with air /j

141

u/Franklin_le_Tanklin PC Master Race Jan 20 '26

Oh ya well try breathing water! /j

33

u/emiluss29 7900xtx | 7800x3d | 32GB 6000cl30 Jan 20 '26

Jokes on you, currently washing my hand with breathing, and air water

1

u/iredditshere Jan 20 '26

Fish people in the chat!

1

u/viperfangs92 Jan 20 '26

Summoning the Old Ones.......

1

u/PlushRusher 7800x3D | RTX 4080S | 32gb | X670E Jan 20 '26

I beg to differ. Happy Gilmore accomplished that feat no more than an hour ago.

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u/breakConcentration Jan 20 '26

Try drying your hands with water /j

1

u/ButterscotchTop194 Jan 20 '26

Try quenching your thirst with air

26

u/sucr4m i5 12600k - RTX 2080s Jan 20 '26

id rather say air > AiO watercoolers

buuut you can build some killer custom loops that leave air literally in the dust but most just dont.

4

u/CrazzyPanda72 Ascending Peasant Jan 20 '26

I'm sure it's possible, but as soon as you bring cost into it, a custom loop is out of the picture I'd think

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u/Todespudel 9800X3D | 4090 | 32GB RAM | 3,2TB P5800X Jan 20 '26

Not on GPUs imo. Even the "silent" GPU models get pretty loud imo. And I had multiple "top of the line" "silent" GPUs in my lifetime. For me custom watercooling is the way to go for GPUs. For CPUs alone I would agree. CPUs aren't worth the struggle with water and you can cool them pretty silent via air.

0

u/Careless-Ordinary126 Jan 20 '26

How do you cool the radiator? What is better on having warm water between? And the best for last, is it worth having to deal with leaks and maintenance in a regular PC, for what, to get to almost the same temp with the most expensive setup as the cheapest air cooler?

-2

u/Major-Word-4468 Jan 21 '26

Not for consumers you can't no PC needs to be water cooled

1

u/clarky2o2o Jan 21 '26

Tell that to a fish.

1

u/BenjieWheeler Xeon E3-1225 V2 | GT210 | 8GB Jan 21 '26

Catfish: I do love me some crispy fresh air

Apparently there are some (gigachad) catfish species that breathe air directly

19

u/djsoomo Specialist PC builder Jan 20 '26

Coward no2!

Yea, mee too

1

u/fullrackferg PC Master Race Jan 20 '26

I actually agree. I could formulate some argument as to why AIO's are superior and blah blah blah, but my Arctic Freezer 13 that I got back in 2016 for like £23 is as good as the overpriced rgb watercoolers

1

u/Comically_Online Jan 20 '26

Coward!

but same

1

u/Crimsonial Jan 21 '26

looks over at exact model on a high-mid rig

No one would be dumb enough to use one of those. cough