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Should I Even Use Liquid Cooling?

H

harryhoudini66

n00b
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
4
Is there any reason to use liquid cooling if I dont plan to overclock and my idle temps are 25c-30c? I built a system in a Silverstone SG08 case. Using the stock fan, my idle temps can be as low as 25c and they max at 50c during gaming.

Now, I happen to have a Corsair H60 that is in my son's PC. He has a dual core processor which is also not overclocked. I installed it mostly to reduce noise. Thinking of snatching it but only if it is worth it.

Is there any real reason besides reducing noise maybe to install the H60? I have my first ITX build which belongs to the wife now (reason to upgrade my machine). On that machine the temps were super high so I installed an H50. That was a no brainer. Just wondering about my SG08. I have read that it takes water cooling like 30 minutes to reach its full potential cooling wise. Air can hit it in 30 seconds. I saw some people on Youtube indicating they get 30c using H60 or H70 so the difference is minimal. Thoughts? If you have an SG07/SG08 please post your temps.
 
No reason to switch imo. Personally, I find the pump on those things to be very noisy lol, but my fans run 250-400rpm :p
 
That's the conclusion I came to as well. Built a new system recently and when I thought about all the liquid cooling setups I've had, I could always hear the pump over my fans. So I switched back to an air cooler.
 
Synomenon said:
That's the conclusion I came to as well. Built a new system recently and when I thought about all the liquid cooling setups I've had, I could always hear the pump over my fans. So I switched back to an air cooler.
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Not in my experience; all the pumps I've ever heard have been quiet.

But since OP has both an H50 and an H60, he can judge that one for himself...

And to answer the original question: no. Those temperatures are well within spec. (Actually, I don't know which spec, since OP didn't mention which processor? But the CPU with the lowest thresholds I know of is the AMD Phenom series, where they don't recommend you go above 55°C for long-term use. And OP's max is under that...)
 
I've used three different H50 in three different builds. You should not be able to hear the pump unless your ear is right up next to it. If you can hear it over fans you definitely have a bad unit. This has been discussed all over the net in many forums. As far as the H60 I don't know. I have yet to use it myself. They are suppose to be really good. Antec also makes one that is quite good. Either unit should run cooler and more quiet than a Intel/AMD stock HSF at both idle and at load. The idle temps won't be a huge difference but under load it should be a considerable difference. And the noise levels will certainly be much lower. For those not overclocking this may be the main benefit of a hydro cooler.
 
Calroth said:
Not in my experience; all the pumps I've ever heard have been quiet.

But since OP has both an H50 and an H60, he can judge that one for himself...

And to answer the original question: no. Those temperatures are well within spec. (Actually, I don't know which spec, since OP didn't mention which processor? But the CPU with the lowest thresholds I know of is the AMD Phenom series, where they don't recommend you go above 55°C for long-term use. And OP's max is under that...)
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Sorry, here are the specs:

Silverstone SG08
Asrock Z68M ITX-HTPC
Intel i5 2500K
16 Gig Corsair 1333 Memory
Intel 520 120 Gig Cherryville
MSI 560 Ti OC 2 Gig Twin Frzr II
 
After just throwing in the towel after having built water-cooling systems for the past 7 years, I'd say categorically no, it's not worth it, especially if your temps are already good on air. It's just not worth the time and money (and extra risk) for a somewhat cooler and quieter system.
 
Not to mention, for a SFF system, running a WC rig prevents carry-on air travel (and your bag will definitely get pawed through if it's checked).
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. Sounds like there is no real point at this time. Lets see if the temps change during summer.
 
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