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The CPU cooler is one of the coolest gadgets on the market. As the name mentioned, the device helps to cool down the CPU by reducing the heat inside the machine with the help of a cooling system. This device works on the basic cooling principle with different methods, such as air, liquid, or custom loop. Everybody wants to keep their expensive CPU components safe from the extensive heat generated by the machine.
This cooler has a proper working procedure which is eventually used with different methods to get high efficiency or cost-effectiveness from the product. The device is stationed inside the PC near the processor, from which the heat is transferred through thermal paste via IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) to the base plate of the CPU. The same is then scattered in either a liquid or heat pipe to a blower, where it is fanned away from the CPU.
Types of Coolers
As the generation is evolving in the world of computers, CPU coolers have to keep up with the pace. To reduce the gap, there are different types of coolers available in the market. Let’s look at CPU cooler types, functioning & price.
Liquid Cooling
One of the most decent cooling systems has a very high-performance ratio as compared to the other cooling system present in the market. CPU coolers that work on the liquid cooling system have the same working principle as the Air cooler, but create a difference in efficiency, performance & result.
Most of the liquid cooling systems follow the AIO’s system applications. AIO systems have all the components required by an individual pre-equipped and just need to be screwed onto your machine.
To specify the functionality of liquid-type cooling it has liquid(coolant) that acts as heat remover for the system. As per the regular process, the heat is carried out from the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) of the CPU through a thermal paste to the base plate, and the other surface of the base plate is attached to a water block which is designed to be replete with coolant.
Thus the coolant absorbs heat from the baseplate, which is transferred through a water block, it then continues the regular process till the radiator is via pipes, and the same is then exposed to air which tends to cool it down with the help of a fan. Now The re-cooled coolant is then returned to the water block to be heated, and the cycle repeats.
Advantages:
- Noiseless Operation: Liquid cooling systems are considered more optimal in terms of acoustics. As the fans of radiators are meant to rotate in a steady manner which tends to create less noise as compared to other cooling systems.
- Effective Heat Management: Liquid cooling systems are known for their effective cooling regulation. Maintaining the temperature at its safest point eventually allows users to get the best performance from their PC components & avoid the risk of overclocking.
- Attractive Design: Many water-blocking systems are aligned with RGB & LED, which can be synchronized with the fans of the radiator or any other PC element to advance your machine’s visuals.
Disadvantages:
- Complex Installation : Handling any tool whose working principles depend on a liquid can be a tough job, So as it goes with liquid cooling systems. With the allowance of implementing customized systems, it makes the job more difficult to handle. It requires a collective set of tiny pieces to install it properly, which needs to be done more precisely.
- Expensive : With its advanced features, aesthetic looks & complicated installation, the liquid cooling system is considered to be more expensive than the other cooling systems. Even the basic models of AIO liquid cooling systems have an expensive budget as compared to their respective competitors.
- High Maintenance: Every high-performing device eventually has a great maintenance cost. Having all the best features & impressive tools to enhance the design and performance automatically increases the efforts to maintain it efficiently. Even the slightest leaks or damage can affect the working of the system, which automatically leads to low performance.
Air Cooling
Even being less competitive in the field of CPU coolers, Air cooling systems are well recognized for their optimal price range and efficient working. Also, air cooling systems are one of the most common product types used by many PC builders. These systems are more pocket friendly, consistent & easy to maintain.
One of the greatest advantages of having an Air cooling setup is one does not have to take any extra effort while setting up. Its pre-customized design and easy installation process have made the Air cooling system more user-friendly and cost-efficient.
Air cooling systems have almost the same working function as liquid cooling systems, As all of them follow the common process of CPU coolers. Once the heat is transferred through the IHS to the base plate of the CPU Cooler, it is then passed on via heat pipes which are the main transferring medium to exhaust the present heat. The basic principle of the Air cooling system, which differs from any other cooling method, is that they use fans to evaporate the heat present inside the CPU.
Advantages:
- Cost Effective: Air cooling systems are considered the most pocket-friendly cooling method to maintain a CPU temperature. Whereas the saved amount can also be utilized on other components to maximize CPU performance.
- User Efficient: Air cooling systems can achieve all the basic cooling tasks effectively. It won’t create a critical situation unless a user is trying to push the limits of their PC by accessing high graphic games(4K) or detail-heavy rendering.
- Easy Installation: Having no extra flaunting components makes the installation process quite handy as compared to the other CPU coolers. Just setting up some screw’s with proper fittings & a plug-in away, the device is ready to use.
Disadvantages:
- Noisy: As the system is completely dependent upon the fans to cool down the CPU, which can be a troublesome part while doing excessive use. As the system gets heated, the fans start rotating at high speed to keep up the temperature which can be quite noisy as compared to other cooling systems.
- Dedicated Installation Spot: Air coolers have a defined spot in the CPU which is right in the center of the case, which eventually makes the accessible space more congested and a tough task to handle other components like RAM.
- Low-Performance System: As compared to the other system, the Air coolers are less effective in a cooling manner, this can cause a huge problem if you are building a PC for high-end gaming use or other performance-intensive workloads. Overheating can be a major aspect in terms of failing your CPU components or making them lose their potential.
Custom Loop Cooling
Custom loop coolers are a type of water cooler, but as the name appears, it has the same functioning in terms of installation, operation & performance. This high-performing cooling system has a lot of advantages in terms of efficiency due to its customized components, such as a radiator, water blocks, reservoir, solid tube fittings, fans, and a pump. It includes the circulation of a liquid coolant via a close loop to the components in order to maintain the cooling.
Custom loop coolers have a similar working to the liquid cooler as they belong to the same cooling method genre. By using a liquid to flow through a water block carrying the heat, which is collected from the surface base plate via IHS, and this cooling liquid is distributed with the help of a pump that circulates it to the water blocks from the reservoir.
Just to add on, this liquid consists of qualities such as anti-corrosion, algae & fungal. This protects your system from extensive heat and takes care of the components from the risk of damage.
Advantages:
- High Cooling Efficiency: Custom loop coolers are more effective in terms of maintaining temperature. They have more space in order to exhaust the present heat as the amount of liquid used is greater as compared to the other liquid cooling systems.
- Less Noisy: In every cooling system, there are only two parts that create the loudest noise and i.e pump & fan. As these two are essential aspects of circulating the exhaust heat using liquid. Having more liquid in the custom loop reduces their task and automatically drops the noise ratio to a very minimum.
- High Performing: Custom loop coolers are widely considered nowadays for high-peak-performing computers. The liquid used in the system is made up of a mixture of distilled water and a specialized coolant. It not only allows it to cool down your heated CPU but also tries to save its component from corrosion and other affecting aspects, and eventually, it provides the best performance.
Disadvantages:
- Costly: Customization always makes things more complicated in terms of cost. Purchasing all the delicate components and installing them with proper concentration takes a huge amount of money and time. Custom loop coolers have a long list of components as compared to other coolers to make them effectively working.
- High Maintenance: With the increasing number of components and customizing the excessive use of liquid requires more attention and maintenance. Even a single loophole might destroy the complete working of this system. For example, taking care of reservoirs, pumps & water blocks are some major tasks.
- Complicated Installation Process: Handling a machine whose basic principle of working depends on a liquid automatically makes it difficult to install & use. On top of that, custom loop coolers have a huge list of parts that need to be fixed with the help of some tiny little parts, such as screws which can be a more complex installation. Another factor that can affect this is to have proper knowledge of custom loop coolers, as even a minor loss may lead to leakage, which can damage other parts of the system, such as graphic cards.
Factors to Consider
1. Overclocking
Overclocking is a practice of pushing a system up to its extended limits. In order to get the best performance from a PC, one can achieve it by increasing the clock speed of a CPU or of any other components beyond the specified limits. While practicing overclocking, one should keep in mind that it also generates a great amount of heat which can immensely damage the other components present in the case.
While considering this factor the best choice can be custom loop coolers as they have high efficiency in terms of providing cooling and maintaining temperature. As it consists of a specialized coolant with a combination of distilled water which actively maintains the temperature inside the system and also protects it from other damaging factors.
2. Cost
While building a custom PC, even professionals consider cost a significant factor as it actually affects the final product. One should have a clear mind about the purpose of building a new system and install only those components necessary for production. CPU coolers also have a variety of ranges and products in terms of efficiency and popularity, and it directly affects the performance.
If you are trying to build a PC for generic gaming with medium graphics and for regular use, one must consider air cooling systems. They are the most productive options currently available in the market and with the cheapest price range as compared to other coolers. The remaining money from the budget can also be used to purchase other components to make the system high performing.
3. Compatibility
Before purchasing any components for building their custom PC, one must check the compatibility at every stage, even at the start. For specifically CPU coolers, the compatibility depends on various factors such as socket type, cooler size, motherboard & TDP(Thermal design power). It ensures that your cooler provides efficient cooling and maintains the health of other components present in the case.
The most important thing, even in the factors of compatibility, is the TDP rating, as it is directly dependent on the type of cooler you should buy. However, socket type and available space can also be annoying parts if ignored before purchasing a cooler.
As you may already know, each CPU has a certain TDP rating which gives an idea about its power requirements as well as its temperature levels under heavy load. So the cooler must be capable of handling the temperature of the CPU based on its TDP requirements.
4. Performance
The CPU cooler has two major aspects which directly affect its performance which are the radiator size & the RPM rating of the installed fans. Let’s discuss both of these factors in detail. Once the compatibility is confirmed, it makes the image more clear to buy the CPU cooler.
Radiators are attached to the cooler and determine the unit’s overall size. A CPU cooler with fans larger in size eventually gives more cooling and can help to achieve better performance of your system.
RPM(Rotation Per Minute) is a standard unit of measurement for almost all types of fans. But when it comes to CPU cooler fans, you will notice that these fans are quite compact, ranging up to 120 – 140mm in size. Thus the RPM rating for these fans is much higher compared to other fans which goes up to 3000 RPM if not higher. Hence you need to specify the requirement before purchasing a cooler so that you can achieve the best performance from the system.
5. Noise Level
Many users have concerns about their system’s acoustics, while the major contribution to this aspect is contributed by the radiators and fans. Having a top-notch PC with all the high specs components will give you great performance, but it will also generate the same amount of heat. Which requires a cooler to cool it down & now, the situation might get complicated as the coolers also push to their limits in order to maintain the temperature. As the working of fans & radiators increases, there is also a significant growth in the volume.
Purchasing an Air cooler, one must understand the requirements of the PC. Installing high-performing liquid-based coolers can be useful, but only if there is a significant requirement present, as it directly affects the budgeting. If the user has a moderate usage purpose for building a PC, then they may opt for an air cooler. But it won’t be a good option for high-end systems.
Which is the More Expensive Cooler, Liquid Cooling or Air Cooling?
Well, the answer is quite clear from the above article, which is Liquid cooling, but let’s understand the reason behind it. Liquid cooling systems require more attention while installing and also for us afterward, but the necessity occurs due to the liquid being used as the main source of function. Which automatically enables the high cost. It does definitely provide the best cooling to your PC but also has a direct effect on your pocket.
The liquid is the primary and only source of cooling; the liquid coolers have specially designed parts & accessories to handle it as even a minor leakage may lead to a dropping of liquid on other components, which may damage them permanently, for example, a graphics card. This is exactly why liquid coolers are considered the most expensive. Even in liquid coolers, there is a wide range in performance, type & cost. For example, custom loop cooling systems are more expensive than normal AIO liquid coolers.
Do you Really Need an Expensive Cooler for Your CPU?
Everything revolves around what expectations a user has from a PC. Even professional PC builders take an ample amount of time to understand the use and the purpose, To achieve the best final product. If a person has really heavy use in terms of games or uses high-end software, they may opt for liquid-based cooling systems for a peaceful and productive performance. So it’s definitely a yes if you have such use or expectations as mentioned above.
Conclusion
CPU coolers are considered one of the most vital components in PC building. They tend to maintain the temperature by removing the excess heat in the system. This heat can directly affect the performance of the PC components or may damage them permanently if not removed. But there’s always one doubt which pop’s up whenever you are purchasing a new device i.e which one to buy?
By understanding the necessity of performance, one may opt for either liquid coolers or air coolers. But it is better to have a CPU cooler, irrespective of its type present in the system, to maintain cooling even in unfortunate circumstances.
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