PC Building Guide: What is AIO Liquid Cooling and Should You Use It?

For first-time PC builders, the choice of cooling solution can be a major concern, especially when purchasing new CPUs that do not come with bundled coolers. Should you use air cooling, AIO, or custom water cooling? In this article, Mytour will delve into AIO cooling and its pros and cons to help you make a decision.

What is AIO Liquid Cooling? When Should You Use It?

AIO Liquid Cooling (abbreviated for all in one) is a CPU cooling solution that utilizes liquid cooling, manufactured and packaged ready for use. It can be considered as a more compact and convenient version of custom water cooling, yet much more complex than traditional air coolers.

The components of an AIO liquid cooler typically include a CPU Block containing a pump, a radiator consisting of thin metal fins, and cooling fans. The tubes connecting the CPU block to the radiator form a closed-loop cycle, and the cooling liquid is pre-contained, so you don't need to worry about pumping the liquid yourself.

In terms of performance, liquid always absorbs heat better than air, so an AIO liquid cooler can cool the CPU much more effectively than when you use air coolers. Mytour recommends PC builders to equip an AIO liquid cooler if they own a modern, high-speed CPU – especially for professional workstations like 3D rendering, graphic design, or gaming. Having an efficient cooling system will help keep the CPU temperature low, preventing performance degradation and ensuring the stability of expensive components.

However, if you're a regular user, only building a PC for simple activities like web browsing, Word and Excel processing, email, watching YouTube or TikTok, without heavy gaming, then an AIO liquid cooler is unnecessary. A standard air cooler at a very affordable price is enough to meet your needs. If the computer room is well-ventilated or air-conditioned, an AIO liquid cooler is also unnecessary.

Advantages of AIO Liquid Cooling

AIO liquid coolers are selling like hotcakes in the high-end computer market due to their numerous advantages. Here, Mytour will list the benefits of using an AIO liquid cooler for you to consider.

Despite being much more complex than air coolers, AIO liquid coolers are still very easy to install and use, and they don't require frequent cleaning and maintenance like custom water cooling systems. All you need to do is remove both the CPU block and radiator, then use a can of compressed air to blow away dust from the fans and metal fins on the radiator.

On the other hand, with custom water cooling systems, users need to thoroughly clean the components and tubing, change the coolant every 1-2 years, and ensure there are no leaks or trapped air inside. This can be quite challenging for those without skills and experience.

You won't find any air cooler that can compare to the efficiency of an AIO liquid cooler. The liquid inside an AIO cooler has superior heat conductivity compared to the heat pipes of air coolers, and the heat dissipation area of AIOs is usually much larger. The larger surface area for air contact helps dissipate heat faster, so you won't hear loud noises coming from the radiator.

When comparing the CPU block of an AIO cooler to a CPU air cooler, the air cooler's heat sink is often bulky, thus affecting airflow circulation inside the case. Installing an AIO cooler helps release airflow inside the case, not only keeping the CPU cooler but also 'cooling down' other components.

With an AIO liquid cooler, the interior space of the case is much cleaner, improving the aesthetics of the case. The liquid inside AIO coolers also looks visually appealing when illuminated. Many AIO coolers come with built-in RGB LED lights to turn the case into a visually stunning light show for users.

Downsides of AIO Cooling

Similar to other components, AIO cooling also has a few downsides that users need to be aware of when using it.

The cooling fans on the radiator of an AIO cooler can be used as intake or exhaust fans, meaning they either pull air from outside the case to cool the CPU or push air from inside the case out, cooling the CPU in the process. Each mounting orientation will have different fan airflow directions, so you need to pay attention to the fan's orientation to avoid misalignment and achieve optimal cooling efficiency.

The radiator unit of an AIO cooler typically occupies 2 to 3 fan mounting positions on the case, along with the thickness of the metal heat fins, making it much larger than air coolers. You'll need a sufficiently large case with enough fan mounting positions to accommodate an AIO cooler for your PC. Additionally, some cases feature holes for water tubing (usually at the rear) to allow you to mount the radiator unit externally to address space constraints.

Although not as pricey as a custom water cooling system, equipping an AIO cooler still incurs significantly higher costs compared to a standard cooling fan. However, the investment is worthwhile when considering the superior cooling performance you'll get after building your PC.

Conclusion

In conclusion, with an AIO cooler, you'll trade cost for superior cooling performance and the smooth operation of all components inside the case. Therefore, if you're considering building a powerful PC with expensive components to meet your entertainment or work needs, an AIO cooler is the top choice. If you have any questions after reading this article, feel free to leave a comment at the end of the post for further clarification!