AIO Liquid Cooling Stops Working

[VelikiPCguy]

Hey all, I'm building a new PC and thinking of getting a 360mm AIO liquid cooling system for my CPU. While I'm aware that the best air coolers compare fairly well with the best AIO coolers, from I've seen, it seems AIO coolers still inch out ahead by a small margin in terms of performance and quietness. Regardless, I've also heard that some people have had issues with AIOs in the past where the AIO just stops working (and doesn't notify you that it stopped), which causes the CPU to overheat and creates all kinds of problems.

 

Has this happened to anyone? Is this common, or perhaps just a feature of older / lower quality AIO systems?

 

Thanks!

[Dedayog]

3 years with my AIO, nothing has happened yet.

 

If the pump stops working, the CPU will overheat and thermally throttle.  It won't melt or damage it, or cause "all kinds of problems".

 

Leaking is the real issue AIO's can face but that's very rare.  It does happen though, so has to be taken into consideration when buying an AIO.

 

 

[Nathanpete]

It is uncommon, not rare, and some of us that have had the issue are lucky enough to still be under warranty. Because it isn't legendarily rare, u need to consider whether or now you want to compromise your build for an inch of performance or save money and reliability with a high quality air cooler. 

[VelikiPCguy]

13 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Leaking is the real issue AIO's can face but that's very rare.  It does happen though, so has to be taken into consideration when buying an AIO.

For real, even with a factory-sealed AIO? I mean unless you damage it or knock it around, why would it leak? 

[VelikiPCguy]

12 minutes ago, Nathanpete said:

It is uncommon, not rare, and some of us that have had the issue are lucky enough to still be under warranty. Because it isn't legendarily rare, u need to consider whether or now you want to compromise your build for an inch of performance or save money and reliability with a high quality air cooler. 

Oh seriously, so this has happened to you? Did your CPU get damaged or did it just shut off to prevent this?

 

I hate compromise!

[Dedayog]

2 minutes ago, NewwGuyy123 said:

For real, even with a factory-sealed AIO? I mean unless you damage it or knock it around, why would it leak? 

Factory sealed just means... sealed.  Factory or aftermarket... one is not better than the other.

 

Seals can break.  Rubber, plastic, whatever... can age and crack.  Manufacturing processes can be less than adequate.

 

I assume the overly dramatic post above ran into an issue and should expand on it for you,  but should also be more realistic about leakage rates (which are indeed rare, if not very rare).  Just because they had an issue, doesn't mean you will.

 

[Nathanpete]

5 minutes ago, NewwGuyy123 said:

Oh seriously, so this has happened to you? Did your CPU get damaged or did it just shut off to prevent this?

 

I hate compromise!

No it hasn't, but I have been around long enough to see it happen a couple times. You CPU won't get damaged by a failing AIO. It could very possibly be damaged by a leak, which is more common than a pump failure. Modern CPUs are very smart now about protecting themselves from damage, especially heat, and without modifying values in your BIOS it will shut down to protect itself 100% of the time. 

 

And you really sound like a kid. U will have to compromise a lot of times in your life, and you will enter stupid fights because of your stubbornness. And it really isn't a compromise. Your CPU would probably not benefit from a AIO, especially as large as a 360mm, any more than a dual 120mm cooling tower would do. 

[VelikiPCguy]

18 minutes ago, Nathanpete said:

And you really sound like a kid. U will have to compromise a lot of times in your life, and you will enter stupid fights because of your stubbornness.

Oh jog on, I was joking

[freeagent]

The real problem that no one really acknowledges is permeation. If your AIO doesn’t have a fill port, how do you maintain it? It’s probably not a big deal with some newer CPU’s that sip power and put out no heat.. not to be confused with runs hot.. But older CPU’s that actually put out real heat, or even modern high end Intels lol, by the time you hit the 2-3 year mark you would probably be considering a cooler change. Liquid cooled guys top their loop up every few months, so how an AIO can go for years with no loss in performance is amazing..

[VelikiPCguy]

4 hours ago, freeagent said:

The real problem that no one really acknowledges is permeation. If your AIO doesn’t have a fill port, how do you maintain it? It’s probably not a big deal with some newer CPU’s that sip power and put out no heat.. not to be confused with runs hot.. But older CPU’s that actually put out real heat, or even modern high end Intels lol, by the time you hit the 2-3 year mark you would probably be considering a cooler change. Liquid cooled guys top their loop up every few months, so how an AIO can go for years with no loss in performance is amazing..

Is this a problem for CPUs like the Ryzen 9 5950X?

[WoodenMarker]

1 hour ago, NewwGuyy123 said:

Is this a problem for CPUs like the Ryzen 9 5950X?

It's unlikely to be a problem for most users. A good AIO should last 5+ years without any major issues. 

[freeagent]

I got 4 years out of my H100, there is not much juice left in it these days.. not enough to handle a stock 7700K. I abused mine with an X5690.

[darknessblade]

The biggest risk with a AIO is how you mount the Radiator.

 

due 99% of the AIO's having the pump in the block, if you use a bottom mounted Radiator you risk the pump running dry.

 

the Be-quiet pure loop is a exeption as it has the pump in the loop itself. not forgetting you are allowed to refill it under warranty.

They even supply a bottle of 100ml of the cooling fluid