WATER COOLING - WHAT USE IS IT?
1. MOVING THE HEAT TO AMBIENT AIR
Whether you are direct air cooling or water cooling, don't you have to run the same thermal load into the ambient air whether through the air based fins or the water based fins to dispose of the heat into that air?
So then don't you need the same amount of air current to do so, at least on a sustainable basis?
And doesn't the water pump just add additional noise?
2. BENCHMARKED PERFORMANCE
Here look at the frostytech rankings
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.c ... 501&page=5
The highest ranking water cooler is the CoolIT Domino ALC. It is out performed by a fair number of top line aircoolers, and it is loud! It is about 17db louder than the top ranked air cooler.
This is with a 150 watt thermal load.
I don't know how good or bad the CoolIT Domino ALC system is. It does perform well in the Frostytech rankings, but it is loud. And there are direct air systems that out perform it. And these direct air systems seem to be able to handle the heat load generated by any of todays CPUs, even overclocked ones.
3. COST
At NCIX:
the Noctua NH-D14 sells for $89.99 Canadian
the Sunbeam Tuniq Tower is 58.08 Canadian
the Zalman CNPS10X Extreme is $85.99 Canadian
4. AGAIN
Don't you have to move the same amount of air whether you are water cooling or using direct air?
Why would it be quieter moving this air through a water cooling radiator?
5. SAFETY
If your pump breaks what happens to your computer?
If one of the three fans on a Noctua NH-D14 breaks, what happens to your computer?
6. CAPACITY
Xbits has some data on the Noctua and the IFX 14
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cooler ... d14_7.html
Their test platform is a challenging one:
Core i7-920, 4.01 GHz 1.36875
Their delta at full load using Linpack 64 is about 46C (70-24) using two 2000rpm fans. Delta at idle was about 10C (34-24). Probably you can get the same performance with less noise using 3 Apache PWM fans.
Three Apache PWM fans loping along at 500rpms under light to moderate load, probably generate almost no noise. They will kick in only under high stress conditions, and even then won't be that noisy. And light to moderate load probably includes gaming.
A Prolimatech with 2 Apaches will perform almost as well. As will a stock single fan Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme
Here is the performance data on stock single fan Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme performance at high and low speeds (using the single stock fan that comes with the heat sink):
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.c ... 480&page=5
Note that at low speed it handles 150 watts just fine and is quieter than a standard Noctua Tower cooler.
7. WHAT AM I NOT GETTING? WHAT AM I MISSING?
I don't own a watter cooling setup. I admit I may be missing something. But what?
No one has yet articulated to me what I get in return for the greater complexity, cost, maintenance headaches and likelihood of failure?
And when a water cooling systems fails, it is likely to be a more catastrophic failure than losing one fan of two or three on a high end air cooler. Nothing good can come out of water leaking on a motherboard.