When looking for the best liquid coolant for keeping your PC cool, there are only two options to choose from: custom loop cooling or all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling. Which is better? Before making a choice, one will need to consider price, installation requirements, function performance, susceptibility to leaks, and aesthetics.
First of all, it is best to look at the price of cooling solutions since personal computers can be expensive, and cooling will add to that cost. So when it comes down to it, AIO liquid cooling has the more affordable pricing. AIO solutions cost at most $200 while custom loop cooling costs upwards of $500. However, price isn’t everything, and buying at a lower price can sometimes lead to more problems regarding function or quality.
Next, you will want to look at installation requirements, leak prevention, and function performance. This means that you will need to look at the space it will take up in your PC and plan accordingly. When working with AIO, you will get the whole cooling system pre-built. With custom loops, you will have to put them together yourself. A custom loop will be more susceptible to leaks because of the many fittings that one will need to put together, leaving far more points of failure. Finally, you have function performance, which is generally the same for both. However, going with a custom loop allows more customization options.
In the end, it would seem that your best choice for a liquid cooling system would be the AIO liquid cooling due to its more affordable pricing, lower chance of leaking, easy installation, and pre-assembled system.
Written By: Miles Beazer from the Gamertech Team
