I need help deciding between a top-end aircooler or a modular watercooler for my CPU.

C

Cyalume

New Member
I am getting a new rig soon, and I want to keep my processor cool at all times. I've spoken with a few other people, and some of them seem to suggest that the modular watercooler is risky, while others say that massive aircoolers can block the way to the installation of important parts, such as RAM.

The modular cooler in question is the Corsair H100i, while the aircooler is a Noctua NH-D14. You can click on each to be linked to their product pages.

Which would be the better investment? Eventual overclocking is planned, but not in the near future.
 
You're going to get great temps with either. There are other advantages/disadvantages with both. With the corsair, it'll look much nicer and can be quieter if you have good high-static pressure fans. But there is always the chance of leaking.

With the Noctuca, it performs great, but it is large and harder to install, and can potentially bend your motherboard. (Or, it has a greater chance compared to the H100i.)
 
As far as the best future investment, I think air-cooled is always a great way to go. You'll usually save money, and won't risk losing all of your components if an accident goes down. Usually my recommendation is that if you don't have the kind of money to afford to replace parts soon after putting it together, then go with air to be safe. Just my opinion.
 
I dare say there is always a chance of a leak with any water cooled system, but i think you are much safer with a sealed water cooler like corsair h60 or h100i, than a full custom water cooling setup with lots of connectors etc.
 
Isn't there a way that I can get great temps without risking damage to the parts inside? I don't want a leak ruining my new setup, and I don't want my motherboard warped/bent/cracked/split/broken either.
 
Be gentle and slow with installation, have had two people have h-series systems leak on their machines but no failures, the liquid inside is non conductive, and as long as you give the machine time to dry out and clean up all the oil, you are golden. I dont quite understand the phobia with water cooling, even if you do leak, you really arent in danger with non conductive coolants. though i know people are going to say, what about the dust! well yes the dust is conductive, but as long as you clean up well after a disaster, i think you are fine.
 
Non-conductive? Wait, so mean even if the H100i cooling unit did leak, it wouldn't damage my system, and that the chances of it leaking are slim to none in the first place?

Well, heck. I already ended up ordering this, because I had to get the rig ordered last night (I've been planning it for a while now). So, here's what I'm currently running with:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118003

35-118-003-03.jpg


It's a Zalman aircooling unit. Is any sort of future overclocking possible with this cooler? It seems decently high end, it usually sells for $51. A good many of the comments on the product page mention overclocking.
 
I wouldn't consider the coolants non-conductive at all. Even though they technically are, the moment they come in contact with metal, they will (increasingly become) conductive.

The air cooler you have is awesome, don't stress. I had the same one and it works great.
 
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