All-in-One Watercooling advice needed

[Agrippa]

I've never touched water cooling due to the added hassle, but these days, with the plethora of well-performing all-in-one sets available, I've started thinking about getting one of them. The many reviews available are all well and good, but what they naturally never mention is the longevity of such sets.

What I'd like to know, if anyone can tell me, is how long I can count on a water cooling set to go on working without needing intervention or a swap. The reason I've never bothered with water before is because I want my computer to be as no-hassle as possible. Every air cooler I've ever had has worked flawlessly for years; the last one for almost five years of continuous operation. And that's what I'm wondering - if, say, a Corsair Hydro, Cooler Master Seidon or a NZXT X60 will do the same.

Anyone?

[theanalyzer]

Ive used the Corsair H50 for 5 years before it gave me any hint of trouble. Was a very loud noise coming from the pump. Nevertheless, it lasted quite long (i think i used it for 3-4 different CPUs).

They are pretty reliable.

[Agrippa]

Thanks a lot, that's good to hear. I leave my PC running 24/7/365, including when I'm away on holidays and such, so I have to know they're dependable over time before I bite.

Anyone else?

[kweiming]

Hey there, The Corsair H100i is very popular but keep in mind that they use a 240mm radiator (2 x 120mm) with fans so make sure your case can handle it.

But, I've seen another AIO (all in one) water cooling solution called SilverStone Tundra Series TD02, same configuration but this one seems to be built to a higher standard and reviews, some at least, say that it cools a few degrees cooler than the H100i.

from what I've seen Swiftech's H220 is said to be Maintenance free for 3 years, but the added benefit of the H220 is that the pump is 6w, mean that it should be powerful enough to accommodate an expansion, for example to include a GPU water block into the same loop if you desired it in the future.

There are plenty of reviews for AIO water cooling solutions. I am personally going for the SilverStone Tundra Series TD02 due to reputation, performance, aesthetics and build quality.

ps I recommend looking on youtube for lots of reviews.

[qazzaq2004]

Corsair has great customer service support. I've been running my H100 since 2010 summer and it's still chugging a long.

[Spreadie]

I've never touched water cooling due to the added hassle, but these days, with the plethora of well-performing all-in-one sets available, I've started thinking about getting one of them. The many reviews available are all well and good, but what they naturally never mention is the longevity of such sets.

An all-in-one liquid cooler is no harder to fit than a standard HSF

If you're not sure, try picking up a refurbed H80 or H100 from Scan for £40-£45. Dirt cheap for great cooling performance. I believe Corsair offer a one year warranty on the refurbs now too.

[kweiming]

An all-in-one liquid cooler is no harder to fit than a standard HSF

If you're not sure, try picking up a refurbed H80 or H100 from Scan for £40-£45. Dirt cheap for great cooling performance. I believe Corsair offer a one year warranty on the refurbs now too.

here is a link: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/corsa...ator-plus-2-fa

[james111333]

My H50 is still running sweet and now in my sisters PC, I got that basically on day one of AIOs hitting the market (5 years?). It has had a lot of use and never been of any trouble.

[Agrippa]

Thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate it! I've decided to give the Corsair H100i a go, although I need to muster the enthusiasm to actually fit it first. I'll probably wait until I upgrade the graphics card in December or January.

[james111333]

Good choice, my neighbours h100i surprised me a lot and performed really well on a 4770k
Sooooo quiet when you swap the fans for the corsair SP series fans, huge difference over standard!

[Agrippa]

Thanks for the tip, that's very good to know. I use six Corsair SP fans in my case (along with some Antec TwoCools) and have been very pleased with them. Since noise is a major concern of mine I'll make a point of getting some more when I get the H100i.

[james111333]

forgive me as i'm not totally sure but it may be worth using 2 of the sp fans you have on the rad (maybe even 4) and picking up some of the af range as I believe they are better suited for case fans? Same total cost but more tuned and quiet cooling

[Agrippa]

Actually the S(tatic)P(ressure) fans are ideal for my use. If you have a look at the case I use (Lian Li PC-D8000), those six fans are pushing air in between hard drives which are mounted fairly closely, creating significant obstruction to the air flow. Hence fans capable of high static pressure are optimal. If I used the A(ir)F(low) fans, more air would simply take the easy routes left or right and contribute less to cooling the drives.

Cooling the inside of the case itself is not a particular concern, as you'll understand if you have a look at it.

[james111333]

Ah I see, makes a lot of sense with the HDDs, I was thinking more rear / top / side fan usage as you said 6. They are great fans either way

[CrispiusBaconus]

Just don't go for anything less than a dual 120mm rad as you can outperform the single rads for less with air coolers.