While the process of cooling is important for any workstation, it’s key to understand the difference between the two main types: air and liquid cooling. Specifically, it is key to understand the importance of how liquid cooling plays such a vital role in keeping any system running cool and efficient. The main difference between the two types is that liquid cooling does a better job at relocating heat outside of the system rather than inside. The process of liquid cooling starts with a baseplate that is connected to the integrated heat spreader of the CPU. The metal surface of the baseplate is part of the waterblock that is designed to be filled with coolant to absorb heat from your desk side workstation. The coolant then moves through the waterblock into the radiator, exposes the liquid to air, and prompts the fans attached to the radiator to diffuse the heat away from the cooler. This cycle is repeated and works to cool your system to prevent backup of heat and keeps your system running efficiently.
When deciding whether or not to purchase a system with liquid cooling properties, it’s also important to understand the two categories of liquid cooling: custom cooling loops and All-in-One (AIO) coolers. The custom cooling loops allow for customization and the option to add other components such as a GPU into the loop if desired and additional support for builds of all shapes and sizes. Meanwhile, the AIOs are generally closed-loop solutions with mean time between failure (MTBF) like that of an air cooler but with a larger radiator and a mix of aesthetic /functional customization and controls fan speeds and lighting. Fortunately, for AIO coolers, BOXX is constantly increasing the size of its solutions to keep up with the wattage draw required by the processors; an important aspect to take note of before deciding which category is the best fit for your needs.