Benefits Of An AIO

venomx · February 25, 2021

Apart from aesthetics, is there any benefit ?
I heard the cooling isn't as good as a high end standard heatsink. I'd also be very weary about putting water into the computer

Also would you need to use the " pump " fan header or can you just use the standard " case fan " ones, or even the cpu fan header and use a splitter

NattyKathy · February 25, 2021

AIOs are a mixed bag and not for everyone. It's true that an average AIO is only as good as a high-end heatsink, but the AIO does have the advantage that the rad can be mounted as an exhaust so the hot air goes out of the case where it belongs. I don't think the risk of leaks is that high, at least I have heard very few reports of ppl suffering catastrophic failures (custom loops are riskier because proper assembly is on the user). Reliability however is a big concern; a heatsink will last forever and fans are easily replaced but when the AIO pump dies (they last anywhere from 3-10 years) the whole unit has to be replaced or undergo high-skill maintenance/modification. Performance-wise where AIOs do shine is with really high dissipation (like 250W up) and on GPUs. Personally I'm hooked on them- my current system has AIO cooling on CPU & GPU-but like I said, not for everyone.

Boyohan · February 25, 2021

I recently upgraded my PC with new GPU, case and CPU cooler.

My previous case was a Lian Li O11 Dynamic with a H150i Pro 360mm AIO cooler + 9x 120mm Corsair HD fans

New case is a BQ Pure Base 500DX with a NH-D15S cooler + 3x 140mm Noctua NF-A14 fans

I tested my CPU (9900K 5.0ghz all core) temps with Cinebench and Prime95 before and after I rebuilt my PC.

Old setup had a max CPU temp of 88°C.

New setup had a max CPU temp of 84°C

But the biggest difference is the noice level, the new case is much more quite.

A good air-cooler is usually more quite than your average AIO.

LogicalDrm · February 27, 2021

AIO can be bit better in hotter environments, or with very crammed cases. But thats about it. Except if you have personal preference.

AIOs have been around for years at this point. Faulty units, to point where they would leak, are very, very rare. Like 1 unit in every 100 000. Its more likely for pump to break than them to leak. So safety-wise, you are more likely to spill your drink than have issues with AIO.