Water cooling has become an integral part of high performance PCs. In this guide, I‘ll provide you a comprehensive overview of open and closed loop liquid coolers so you can decide which solution best fits your build.
A Brief History of Water Cooling
Before digging into technical details, let‘s quickly cover the origins of this vital tech. Back in the 1960s, specialty mainframes like the IBM System/360 relied on complex open loop coolant circulation to prevent CPU meltdowns.
Over the next few decades, liquid cooling remained exclusive to the rarified world of supercomputing. It wasn‘t until the early 2000s that closed loop self-contained units became viable for home builds.
Companies like Asetek and CoolIT pioneered compact 120-240mm designs requiring no maintenance compared to intricate open arrangements. This key innovation brought simple and reliable water cooling into the mainstream.
| Year | Key Water Cooling Milestones |
|---|---|
| 1964 | IBM System/360 pioneering mainframe deployment |
| 1990s | Enthusiasts hacking automotive radiators into open loop rigs |
| Early 2000s | Earliest internal OEM closed loop coolers come to market |
| Today | Mature ecosystem from entry level air-cooler replacements to ultra exotic open loop custom builds |
Now more than ever, liquid cooling can transform thermals, acoustics and overclocking potential compared to traditional heatsinks and fans. Let‘s explore your options.
Open Loop Cooling Offers Extreme Flexibility
For those seeking the absolute cooling edge, open loops allow completely custom configurations mixing and matching components. The benefit is flexibility to precisely tune the setup to your particular demands.
You choose everything including the:
- CPU & GPU water blocks
- Radiators (supporting multiple external)
- Pumps
- Rigid or flexible tubing
- Coolants
- Reservoirs
- Fittings
- And much more
With careful planning and component selection, open loops provide nearly unlimited potential for expansion and customization down the road.
For example, upgrading your GPU? No problem – integrate it into your existing cooling circuit without issue. Room to add more radiators as your system grows over generations? Open loops have you covered.
They also offer the outright best thermals, with external thick/long radiators paired with high static pressure fans that would never fit in a standard case layout. We‘re talking surface areas exceeding 1000cm^2 to dissipate 500W+ of heat output.
The Peak of Air Cooled Performance
| Test System Specs | Peak Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9-12900K + RTX 3090 FE | 85°C CPU Junction / 83°C GPU Hotspot | High end air cooler, aggressive fan speeds |
Liquid Cooled Thermals Drastically Improved
| Test System Specs | Peak Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9-12900K + RTX 3090 FE, Custom Loop, 480mm Radiator, 6 Fans, High Flow Pump | 62°C CPU Junction / 52°C GPU Hotspot | 22°C cooler CPU, 31°C cooler GPU |
And for cooling performance, it simply doesn‘t get better than an intricately crafted open loop. But this extreme capability comes at a cost…
The Reality of Open Loops
Open cooling requires very careful planning and component selection – easily wasting hundreds of dollars if done incorrectly. And support for open loop hardware simply isn‘t as mature or plug-and-play as closed loops. Expect tinkering and troubleshooting.
Hand bending rigid tubing between dicey compression fittings while hoping your obstinate PWM pump decides to cooperate can certainly test one‘s patience!
And unlike a sealed AIO unit, you must periodically change coolants and clean/inspect components. All custom loops suffer pump failures and leaks eventually – so proximity alerts are a good idea to prevent catastrophic damage!
For all these reasons, open loops remain a relatively small niche pursued by dedicated enthusiasts. But what you lose in convenience and accessibility is more than made up for by the joys of creation!
Closed Loop Coolers Offer Worry-Free Liquid Cooling
Closed loop CPU coolers have brought simple and effective liquid cooling into the mainstream with a virtually foolproof "install and forget" design.
These completely self-contained units come pre-filled and sealed from the factory. No maintenance or adjustments needed! Just mount the cooling plate to your CPU, attach the radiator and fans to your case, and connect the pre-routed tubing.
Closed loop coolers are by far the most popular liquid cooling solution – and with good reason. They offer 80-90% of the performance of open loops with 5% of the effort. I generally recommend a quality 240-280mm closed loop CPU cooler as the best combination of cooling, acoustics, reliability and value.
Top options in 2023 include:
Budget AIO Cooler
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L V2 RGB
- 240mm radiator, two RGB fans
- MSRP: $80
All-Rounder
- Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE LCD
- 360mm triple 120mm fan radiator
- Color customizable LCD screen!
- MSRP: $290
No Compromise Performance
- NZXT Kraken Z73
- 73mm thick 360mm radiator + triple 140mm fans
- Gorgeous full color display
- MSRP: $279
Making the Open vs Closed Decision
Choosing between open and closed loop liquid cooling need not be intimidating. Simply consider your cooling demands, budget, and desire for customization vs convenience.
For most mainstream users, a quality 240-280mm closed loop cooler like the Arctic Liquid Freezer II or Corsair H150i will provide exceptional thermals and acoustics for years of faithful service. Easy to install and 100% maintenance free.
But for those seeking the zen-like rewards of crafting a custom chilled work of art, open loops offer a world of opportunity. The sky‘s the limit to push benchmarks ever higher as you expand your arsenal of exotic cooling hardware! Just be prepared for a challenging build process.
Either way, liquid cooling transforms modern PCs. Stay cool out there!
