introduction
In the era of pursuing high-performance computers, the heating problem of CPU and GPU has become a pain point for many players and professionals. Although the traditional air-cooled heat dissipation is economical, it is often inadequate under extreme load. At this time, Liquid Cooler (Liquid Cooler) becomes a more efficient and quieter solution. 
1. What is a Liquid Cooler?

A  Liquid Cooler is a device that uses liquid (usually water or special coolant) as a heat conduction medium to quickly transfer the heat of the CPU or GPU to the heat sink, and then dissipate the heat through a fan or cold row. Compared with traditional air cooling, liquid cooling has higher heat dissipation efficiency, especially suitable for high-performance PCs, overclocking players, and high-end workstations.
2. Types of liquid cooling heat dissipation
Liquid cooling heat dissipation is mainly divided into two types:
(1)AIO(All-in-One) integrated water cooling
-Features: factory pre-installed, maintenance-free, simple installation, suitable for most users.
-Structure: including cold head (touching CPU), water pump, water pipe, and cold row (with fan).
-Advantages: more efficient than air cooling, lower noise, suitable for mid-to high-end PCs.
-Representative brands: Corsair, NZXT, En Jie, Cooler Master, etc.
(2)Custom Loop (split water cooling)
-Features: DIY customization, strong scalability, suitable for enthusiasts and extreme overclocking players.
-Structure: independent water pump, water tank, cold head, cold row, and hard pipe/hose combination.
-Advantages: It has the strongest heat dissipation ability and a cool appearance, and can cool CPU, GPU, and other components at the same time.
-Disadvantages: complicated installation, high cost, and the need for regular maintenance (such as changing coolant).
3. Liquid cooling vs air cooling: who is better?
| Comparative item | Liquid Cooler) | Air Cooler) |
| Heat dissipation efficiency | Higher (especially high load) | General (depending on air volume) |
| Noise | quieter (low speed fan) | Possibly louder (high speed fan) |
| Installation difficulty | Medium (AIO simple) | Simple |
| More expensive | Cheaper |
| Low maintenance requirements | (AIO maintenance-free )| Basically no maintenance |
Applicable scenarios:
-Liquid cooling: overclocking, high-power CPU (such as Intel i9 and AMD Ryzen 9), compact chassis, and pursuit of silence.
-air cooling: limited budget, low-end CPU, pursuit of stability and ease of use.
4. How to choose the right Liquid Cooler?
(1) Look at the heat dissipation demand
-Ordinary users (grade i5/R5): 120mm/240mm AIO or high-end air cooling is enough.
-High-end players (i7/i9, R7/R9): 240mm/360mm AIO is recommended.
-Extreme overclocking/workstation: split water cooling can be considered.
(2) Look at the compatibility of the chassis
-Ensure that the chassis supports cold row sizes (such as 120mm, 240mm, 360mm).
-For split water cooling, sufficient space should be reserved for installing water tanks and pumps.
(3) Brand and after-sales service
-It is recommended to choose big brands (such as Corsair, NZXT, EKWB) for better quality and after-sales services.
-Pay attention to the warranty policy (some AIOs provide a 5-6 year warranty).
(4)RGB and appearance
-Many AIO liquid coolers have RGB lighting effects, which are suitable for players who like light pollution.
-Split water cooling can be matched with color coolant and transparent water pipes to create a personalized host.
5. Maintenance and precautions of liquid cooling heat dissipation
-AIO integrated water cooling: maintenance-free, but pay attention to the life of the pump (usually more than 5 years).
-Split water cooling: It is necessary to regularly check the coolant and clean the waterway to prevent blockage or leakage.
-Leak-proof measures: Do a pressure test before installation to avoid liquid damage to hardware.
6. Future trend: smarter and more efficient liquid cooling.
With the increasing power consumption of PC hardware, liquid cooling technology is also evolving:
-Smarter AIO: Some new products support software regulation, such as automatically adjusting the speed of the water pump and fan according to temperature.
-Phase-Change Cooling: It may enter the consumer market in the future, providing stronger heat dissipation capacity.
tag
Liquid Cooler has become the standard of high-performance PC with its advantages of high heat dissipation and low noise. Whether you choose AIO, which is easy to use, or split water cooling, which is highly playable, you can keep your computer "cool" in the fierce battle. If your computer often drops in frequency due to high temperature, it may be time to consider upgrading to liquid cooling!