Cheapest VS. Most Expensive AIO: What you're ACTUALLY paying for...

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ID-COOLING FrostFlow X 240: geni.us/6FkAjS
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[@mistermcribbb1066]

For anyone considering this option, I recommend replacing the fans with arctic p12 fans, they make an argb version of the p12s as well and both come very close to noctua in performance while being $10 cheaper per fan

[@lifestorock]

In EU you can get a pack of 5 Arctic P12 fans for 25€ that's the price of 1 Noctua or Be Quiet fan. The Arctic Liquid Freezer II is also a good option if features or aesthetics doesn't matter.

[@creaturedanaaaaa]

@@lifestorock in the states you can also get 5 packs, they're usually 30-31 USD

[@lasmu8700]

I bought a bunch for my case cooling, but had to switch them out because they had a terrible resonance sound at a couple specific RPMs. They are cheap and do move air though.

[@gvazdas]

@@lasmu8700 THIS. The P12 resonance sound is goddamn dreadful

[@mistermcribbb1066]

@@lifestorock yep, the arctic p12 argb fans are $16 a piece but the plain black p12s can be found for significantly cheaper and the argb ones

[@pinoyxbox]

I was using an ID cooling aio 360mm with stock fans for about 2 years until i upgraded my system to a custom water cooling loop. All i can say is the id cooling is fantastic! It cooled my 5900x oc’ed to 4.6ghz and my cpu never go more than 70c under heavy load like rendering for hours and transcoding videos on handbrake. For $60 the performance is great!

[@btrayy]

ryzen 9 5900x boost clock is 4.9ghz i think, i have it and get that without oc

[@bismuth7730]

@@btrayy LOL, run a heavy load and then tell me it still sits at 4.9GHz....

[@Mo-kl4fb]

Only 7 gen ryzen reaches that under load@@btrayy

[@Anon69357]

@@bismuth7730 tested it agains a much more expensive kraken elite 2 and both were exactly the same

[@DDRWakaLaka]

Thanks for this. People never understood why I think most mainstream AIO CLCs are overpriced as hell.

[@criticalt3]

I second this.

[@haywoodjay385]

You can think what you want, its when you push you opinion on others..... Support people for their decisions, stop questioning them.

[@DDRWakaLaka]

@@haywoodjay385 weirdass comment

[@znaim88]

@@haywoodjay385 tf u on about?

[@chicken_person]

@@haywoodjay385 If you watched the video in the slightest you would know that the video wasn't intended to dunk on people's decisions if they decided on a more expensive cooler. It's to show that you get relatively minimal improvements in cooling for an over 400% price increase. Considering the difference in temperature above ambient, with stock fans in the RDR2 test, the Corsair did 17.9% better at 436.4% of the price. That's not opinion, and it's certainly not being pushed on others. It's the results of testing. And, as is shown in the video, upgrading the fans on the cheaper cooler would give the Corsair only a *7.1% lead* at more than double the price, assuming that your upgraded fans are less than $32.5 each. If the features of included RGB and being able to put gifs on an LCD screen on your pump block are worth the price to you, then go for it. But if you want the best bang for your buck in pure cooling performance, it's definitely not worth it.

[@dedsec69]

as a matter of fact, I'm currently using the ID-Cooling AIO (the exact one in the video) for about a year now, and it runs totally fine, better cooling than my cpu fan cooler

[@nxm_bops]

same here and i have swapped out the fans with the arctic p12s and i have had 0 problems or noise from my pc

[@OHCGAMEZ]

I have 7600x at 5.5 ghz and i stays around 60c and 76 is the most i have ever seen. I also use it as an out take so i agree that this is an incredible aio

[@RealSquigglyMDV]

@@OHCGAMEZ Idk what i'm doing wrong but whats your temps idl mine ranges from 50 - 70 idl

[@AvroBellow]

Better as in how? If the air cooler was keeping your CPU's termperature within spec, then you literally just threw your money away because you don't know any better.

[@dedsec69]

@AvroBellow whatever you say, Mr know it better

[@mattdagger1480]

Arctic 240 aio has always been affordable and under 100$ and performs just as good sometimes even better then the more expensive ones. 🤷‍♂️

[@GentlyUsedFrog]

than*

[@TheEchelon]

@Tajl3r They fixed that and you'll get a replacement kit if you already purchased one. It won't surprise me if more aio coolers have this problem, but it doesn't get addressed by the manufacturer.

[@cement_slab]

lf2, clc, ek elite and galahad are all aios that can be found for sub 100 even 360mm and will stop any corsair or rog aio to the ground

[@Asymmetrical-Saggin]

@@GentlyUsedFrog Oh jesus... 1 word spelled wrong. end of the world. gesuz dont yu think thatz a bit pathetik. seereoslee....

[@Asymmetrical-Saggin]

@Tajl3r send another or call. they deal with more than just you. You need to stay on top of it.

[@aquint5554]

With gpus finally making their plunge into affordabilty, itd be cool to see a budget build with some other “off brand” components that will get ppl looking to build started. Noticed many great alternatives from ID cooling Vetroo, Thermalright, making waves

[@aerosw1ft]

Thing is id cooling and thermalright aren't "off brands" AFAIK they're quite well known in the pc cooler market and have been doing business for long. Just not as popular as the more "premium" brands.

[@suhspicious]

Trusted my build to an ID and my temps are fantastic! Never have to worry about thermal throttling.

[@fansteboy7349]

I just bought 2 thermalright CPU coolers and holy moly I didn't expect that great performance per dollar

[@Katan4v]

mine's on the way. can't wait to see the difference 😃@@fansteboy7349

[@rndmbs]

the thermalright peerless assassin makes every other air cooler pretty much obsolete

[@gimpinmypants]

I bought the Frostflow X last minute and I was 100% motivated by price. I'm glad to see my budget pick holds up with the big boys on performance for the most part. For a first build I'm satisfied. Now that I have some experience my next build is going to be ridiculously decadent.

[@yosemitesam9576]

Custom waterloop?

[@lukijanox9254]

Which CPU do you have? I want to buy a 5600 and upgrade down the line

[@grumpyratt2163]

Came back to this review a week ago. When looking for a AIO for my partner's rig. Safe to say your review is 100% spot on. The ID frostflow is very capable AIO. Slapped two 120mm ML's I had kicking around. Even got the other half to install the pump block( she's and even bigger noob than me ).. The one cable coming off the pump made cable management simple. Would highly recommend the frostflow.

[@thebreatho]

Good video Kyle! Love to see you coming back into more sensible content, I could tell you were truly engaged with the subject! Keep it up!

[@pkpnyt4711]

I've had an ID Cooling 240 running since 2015 (they're worth it specially if you're looking for a white one or a cheap rad). It's worked on my 4790K OC'd to the walls and is now running on a 3700X with no issues. Max temps are around 74*C with my GT-AP15 (I have a ton of these lying around for rads) only running at 1100 rpm. It's a great rad for the money, especially if you have a ton of very good radiator fans lying around. I've also had Corsair, EK, and many other brands of radiators that have lasted long and some that died early. Remember, all these radiators come from 1 or 2 OEM's only, so they're basically the same. They're just branded (pumps and rads are all the same) differently and some add ons (like RGB, LCD, better fans etc.) for the more expensive ones. I'm currently running a Be Quiet Pure loop 280 for my 5700X and it's running great.

[@scottyzepplin8540]

running a 90 dollar id aio on my 3900x for 2yrs no issues.

[@MrBeetsGaming]

When I built mine last year I went with a Vetroo lurker 360 aio and have loved it so far. Got it because my previous system had the Vetroo v5 air cooler and it was surprisingly good for $30. Think I paid $90 for the aio but it went up by now I'm sure.

[@loganbates2657]

Yes I am very surprised my vetroo v5 air cooler actually cools better than my hyper 212 BE air cooler

[@warwick2420]

Also been running the vetroo 240 for multiple years with zero issues.

[@Mustanggt505]

@@loganbates2657 I was looking at the v5 but ended up getting a scythe fuma 3 huge improvement over the stock prism 3700x came with went from 90c to 60-70c on my games (cod, starfield, cyberpunk)

[@LorandHungary]

I would say the reason the avarage temp has been lower, but the max temp is higher is because the way the fans are set up, i believe they are set to ramp up at 69 degrees. In the future you should set them to a constant rpm for more accurate results.

[@19Blackskills97]

Yeah that's what I thought they programmed differently. This is deeper than it's seems

[@ObeyThePapaya]

my only issue is that using plug and play settings is what 90% of people are gonna want to do. Id rather focus on acoustics then, instead of strictly RPM.

[@konga382]

Fan curves are set by the motherboard bios, not the fans themselves, and the fans should ramp up at the same temperature points because of this. What may be different is the RPM they are ramping up to. Because fan curves work by using PWM percentages, 70% fan speed at 69C may be 1500 RPM for one set of fans but 1000 RPM for another set of fans, which produces different levels of cooling effectiveness at each point in the curve. The fans also probably have different airflow and pressure characteristics at different RPMs.

[@longstoryshortless]

I really like the idea to buy a 2 extra fans to improve the temps. By the way you can still use stock fans for improving the airflow in the case if you find place for them.

[@matthijs741]

yes me too

[@zahidshabir4038]

I don't really think its worth it since that Corsair AIO is really only that expensive because it has an LCD screen Corsair literally has similarly performing AIO's WITH RGB for under $130 and they would easily have a better warranty than IDcooling and also sometimes some retailers have sales on products and I have even seen RGB Corsair AIO's go for under 100. So getting $55 AIO and getting $25 fans for it seems to be a bad idea considering AIO's from more reputable brands with better fans and better and longer lasting warranties can be bought for that price. I would only recommend this cooler for someone looking for a cheap AIO not for someone who wants a cheap AIO and wants to upgrade its fans as the AIO may probably die way before the fans even make a dent in their lifespans. If you want a cheap AIO for $55 go for it but I would not get it to slap $25 fans on it unless I got the fans for free or something

[@longstoryshortless]

@@zahidshabir4038 Yeah. But are you sure that IDcooling has a worse warranty? Also, the fans, which you slap on the top are not need to be the best of the best you can find a good option as well for 15 to 20 $. I think the whole video was not about - buy a cheapest one, but that there are different ways of doing things.

[@PabzRoz]

Lol please don't do this people.... You can get a Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 for just under $100 on a mazon and it's one of the best performing 240mm AIO liquid coolers on the market. Already comes with better fans and a better pump, better build quality, 6 year warranty, and the peace of mind knowing it's not going randomly leak on your components😂 Comes out to the same price as if you bought this cheap ID-Cooling AIO and bought high end fans for it. Unless you already have a cheap AIO don't waste your money like that. There's plenty of AIO's around $100 that are better and already come with better fans.

[@HeyHey-fy5jd]

or u can just get a better aio to begin with for around the same price🤦‍♂ which will have a better pump, better quality, better fans already, etc.

[@docgiggs]

I have owned ID brand cooling AIOs before...the 2 I have both died after a year of use. I have also bought and tried few other cheap AIOs. Then I switched to slightly more expensive AIOs. Going to say durability of the more expensive ones is definitely a reason for the price differences from what I see. That durability is a major reason for buying more expensive AIOs for me. When the cheap ones go... they go at once and without warning. Sometimes it damages other parts too. Sure if the cheap ones go it tends to be less expensive to replace, but replacing other more expensive parts in the process sucks worse. For reference, one of the ID coolers that failed was hooked up to my 5950x. It was a 360 rad version. Because of the heat load of the 5950x that I was generating for long periods of time for work, it was running at a fairly hot temp even slightly undervolted. The issue turns out that the tubing didn't stop evaporation well enough for the ID cooler with the temps running at load for long periods of time. So if anyone is reading and following along, the temps got worse over time but I didn't notice until the pump seized from lack of enough water in the system. Seized right when CPU was a 100% and the system didn't shut down fast enough. Dead CPU. Personally, rather spend a little extra on an AIO where that won't happen than the difference of having to spend another $700+ tax on a CPU. Personally using the Artic Freezers now and they've done much better in terms of performance and durability compared to the ID coolers I had.

[@ascap2854]

It's why my 5900x is air-cooled by a Dark Rock Pro4, zero chance of failure. Never seen temps go over 65c but I only game on my PC. My 3080ti is water-cooled by a Alphacool Eiswolf 2 AIO though.

[@inoriya2382]

I seen multiple ID cooling and other cheaper aio failing after a year too in my pc group. You basically get flame got getting 1 over here lmao, expecting it to fail within a year.

[@SpaceLion949]

@@ascap2854 5900X just for gaming, seems so unnecessary haha

[@SpaceLion949]

Kyle's testing methodology leaves a lot to be desire. It's kinda entertaining to see how a cheap AIO stacks again a premium one, but I would not trust the results or conclusions. AIO's need to reach thermal equilibrium, and here we have a test that last less than 40 seconds. Let's say, he's testing under “realistic conditions”. I can see myself or any gamer playing for many hours in a given day. So you should, AT LEAST, test for a decent amount of time on each game, and you need to make sure, the cooler reaches thermal equilibrium. And as you say, durability is a big factor. Even though, I don't think you need to spend $200 on an AIO, you need to make sure that you get a solid one.

[@ascap2854]

@@SpaceLion949 It is but I wanted my computer to last me at least 5 years. My previous computer i7 4790k/980ti lasted around 5 but could really feel it's age it's last two years of use.

[@coffee-_-gamez6355]

As someone getting ready to build their first pc, thank you! This kind of content really helps me feel better about picking parts without over spending!

[@maxymk123]

I am glad that ID-Cooling is finally getting some attention. They have some great options from AIOs, to air coolers to fans. I got a 360mm cpu AIO for half the price of something of "name brand" and I have not gone anywhere else for cooling solutions. They also make a GPU AIO so if you have a stock blower card, you can easily upgrade cooling/overclocking performance. They are literally game changing if you're balling on a budget.

[@ElJuanoVideos]

So great to see someone actually talking about this. I have an ID cooling 360 and my PC temperatures are on idle at 35°-40° Celcius (Not because of the cooler itself but because of the horrible PC case with minimal airflow) and my brother had an MSI Water cooler 360 that had the same temperature but with a better PC case with lots of airflow. Also, his cooler broke because of manufacturing issues and changed to a standard Air Cooler from Cooler Master and went back to 35°. It's not always about the brand itself, but also the efficiency of it. You don't need the fanciest cooler to make your computer work, just the right components.

[@TheJames1842]

Great video ! Keep comparing and testing out products, i thought it was cool to see the actual outcome of these products before maybe a future purchase :)

[@Jaimzz]

love that you actually show the noise of the tower when it's running.. usually people just show fps and temps with coolers. Adding a decibel meter on screen would be helpful though

[@xNotJoey]

Bought the id cooling one just last week and so happy with it for the price(also my first non air cooler) glad to see this video backing it up

[@capitaldd3693]

great review - thanks for posting, always good to see an expensive product vs a less expensive one. I did notice the corsair warranty being 5yrs vs 2years of the ID cooling unit.

[@RaidenKaiser]

Can't be as bad as msi warranty....I'll never buy an aio from msi again.

[@joemarais7683]

the ID cooling aios I get routinely die around 3 years in. I still think that's better than buying a $120 aio that'll die in the same or a bit more time but it's obvious why the coolers are so damn cheap if you look at the innards

[@darrenmendez7262]

@@joemarais7683 how do you know if the rad die? My id cooling is 2 years old now

[@scottcoburn7528]

I went with the performance over flash when I bought the AiO I'm using now. I got the Fractal S36 Celsius, plain Jane cooler. No RGB, no frills, just good performance. I upgraded the fans later to RGB fans with high static pressure, but a did that after owning it for over a year. Arctic Cooling seems to offer some pretty reasonably priced AiO's that perform pretty well and have a little bit of flash to them.

[@roxannestone6273]

Great info! Saw this 4 days after breaking the bank with a Corsair purchase. Not sure I would have chose differently, but without a doubt I will be much more critical of AIO and other pc parts in the future. This is the second video of yours that I have watched. The 480 starter pack was classic! Color me subscribed.

[@wedgoku]

Recently I had the pump fail on my 280mm NZXT x63 AIO, I got tired of the hassle & went back to aircooling, I'm now using a Noctua NH-U12A. IMO aircooling is the way to go, my PC is now silent & my CPU temperature is just as good as the AIO!

[@carjunkyxl8018]

Die exactly the same. And the weird part is. Also from a x63 to the U12a. (Chromax) Very happy with the switch… and no water in the system. ;)

[@EinMeister]

Depends on the CPU maybe.

[@Dreami3Dude]

I’ve had the auraflow 240 before this cooling my ryzen 7 3700x and it was really a solid aio for budget builds. In SEA, ID-Cooling coolers are quite popular as their price-to-performance are pretty good imo

[@HennesTobias]

Not to mention their Aircoolers SE-224/226-XT are much better options than the budget coolers like Hyper 212 or deepcool gammaxx in terms of price + performance + ease of installation.

[@kaoe145]

What temps were you getting

[@LukCPL]

Have Ryzen 3700x and stock box air cooler, never hit 70C lol usually 55-60C under load.

[@kylesparrow9996]

I live in NA, and I also have and ID Cooling 240 AIO cooling a 3700x in white! Been running everyday for over a year and no complaints!

[@Mirsab]

@@LukCPL what are you referring to as load? Gaming or rendering?

[@GuillermoGully]

It really worked for me after I look and try some tutorials, yours is the one that worked. Owe you a lot.

[@OneBuckShort420]

Still using the original NZXT X62 for years now. Fell in love the first time I saw it just because the infinity mirror design on the pump. I slapped two Noctua's fan on the rad and it working amazing cooling my cpu. Worth the money.

[@mantid83]

I have the same AIO. Is replacing the fans that came with it worth it?

[@OneBuckShort420]

@@mantid83 yes if you replace it with a better one. Mine is replaced with Noctua NF A-14 fans. The cooling is great but it is a bit loud.

[@Harklein]

I think the mid tier AIO's like the DeepCool Castle 240EX or the Artic Liquid Freezer II 240 is a better buy since they are the literal middle ground of both budget and high end being not too pricey but also performs equal if not better than the high end in certain circumstances. And also take note that you don't need to buy an extra set of fans for the mid tier to perform good because the stock fans are good enough in that regard.

[@bob77576]

Or, you know, the h100i. The base model is 120 often on sale for 100. The price of the one tested intuit comes from the LCD

[@SenatorAri]

Can't go wrong with the Arctic liquid freezer

[@Chris-hw4mq]

Just buy a noctua air cooler and be done with it.

[@Harklein]

@@Chris-hw4mq Why are you even commenting an air cooler on a video about AIO??? This isn't about what CPU Cooler is the best one...

[@Chris-hw4mq]

@@Harklein because I just watched a bitwit video didnt come for the AIO. Problem with an AIO is that if you use it longer than 1 hour its like having an air cooler it just adds complexity to the system

[@carwynvan]

I personally much prefer the stealthy esthetics of the ID cooler, so that paired up with noctua chroma fans could be epic 👍

[@freen773]

Spending more on the fans than the cooler haha

[@carwynvan]

@@freen773 well he even said it in the video, the radiator/pump seems similar enough and it's the fans making the biggest difference for cooling performance. So yeah getting some really good fans to improve things even if they cost more

[@unholydonuts]

Or keep the stock id cooling fans. Up to 5 degrees higher average, less with a lower end cpu, isn't worth an extra $60.

[@theskywalker8416]

for a budget build like i5 12600k the id cooling will be more than enough i believe. Especially ppl with bigger case and more airflow ,you can run game for hours with stable 60 degree

[@mirthumos]

This is really a useful test for us to determine what we buy. I'm glad you took time to do this man. Thank you. Keep the good videos coming.

[@prendodaj]

I just watched ur video now and it was wat av been looking for bro..... thanks champ

[@wenderob]

"i dont like it" - has a gloriously aesthetic computer behind him.

[@pedropierre9594]

My H100 Corsair AIO lasted from 2013 to 2021, so that was great for me.

[@StreetKingz4Life]

8YRS WOW THAT'S A GOOD RUN👏👏

[@dijital4801]

wow wtf my AIO lasted about 2 years and i got a replacement under warranty (just) im defo going for an air cooler next time

[@ryanmcandrew3825]

Great video idea and very informative!

[@mrpimplenose6686]

What a video bro! Can't thank you enough! Thank you so much you made life so much easier!

[@MrLogic3]

Essentially, you can go buy the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 with P12 fans for about $100 and more than likely have equal/better (thicker radiator) performance to Corsair. The Arctic RGB variant is only $115 USD.

[@kalark]

Honestly ID Cooling has been killing it at the ultra budget end of the market for both AIO and air coolers, I've used a bunch of their coolers in the past few builds that I've done for friends and it's great value.

[@yangmaster24]

Cheap price, Looks Great/Neat, Performs decent

[@justincowans2677]

Great review, I've been using an ID cooler zoom flow 240 and its been great.

[@moronibarboza7051]

Great video as always!

[@nataliesantana3309]

Thank you for this video! I have the ID cooling and honestly, I can’t imagine why anyone buys the more expensive short of the LCD screen.

[@landmine36]

because 5-6C is the difference in thermally throttling or not in heavy use applications, as he also showed it helped reduce GPU temp, and it's better for the lifespan of your cpu/gpu, other factors that aren't covered in this video is cooler reliability/life span, is the ID more likely to leak, or pump fail than the other one. There's so many variables that simple "Benchmarks" cannot cover, that people need to research to make an informed decision, sure you might save $150, but at what cost if the AIO suddenly fails

[@landmine36]

@Clyde Martin a hater? No, i don't have either of these coolers, never used either, i just dislike how people run half assed synthetic benchmarks, and not real world scenario use cases. And while that's great, who knows, maybe the more expensive one is more likely to fail, but also run time and "running for 2 years" is not the same thing, if you run an AIO for 30 mins a day for 2 years, is not the same as running an AIO for 8-24 hours a day for 2 years. There's just so many variables to cover, and none of them were even touched upon here.

[@joemarais7683]

​​@@landmine36 oh no, the aio failed, thank God the computer made it obvious by shutting down die to high temps. guess I'll have to spend another 50 bucks on an aio and still have paid less than a $150 aio. so sad. I must be a hater for not being stupid and overspending on cooling.

[@AF29007]

I've run ID-cooling AIOs several times now, they've been really good bang for buck coolers.

[@leexu2073]

Wym by several times? Did it die and you have to replace it?

[@AF29007]

@@leexu2073 No, I've used them on several PC builds over the last 8 or so years. Haven't had one fail yet, they're still all going strong.

[@leexu2073]

@@AF29007 nice, I might go back to aios then

[@connorboccia1064]

I have the id auraflow 240 evo would you think it would run fine either the ryzen 7 5800x? I still haven’t built it yet

[@CoalitionGaming]

I really dug this! More like this pleaseeee?

[@Z-S-H]

Great vid Kyle excellent topic

[@VeeLazer]

I legit have the auraflow lol but I am only cooling a R5 3600. Its also just mostly for aesthetics :D I have had zero issues with it though for those who might care. Its almost the same as the frostflow but has RGB on the pump and the fans

[@thesolucian4]

I got the white Frostflow for my white build and it works great. R5 5800X.

[@HennesTobias]

My zoomflow 240x's pump died after a year. Bummer. Also know that I probably got unlucky with a bad stock but it still scarred me and I'm back to sticking to Air coolers lol

[@__whitehawk__]

I use the auraflow on my 5800x and have no complaints at all either

[@darrenmendez7262]

@@HennesTobias my frostflow 240 is still alive today, bought it back in 2020 September

[@mattjones4285]

I have the H100i, the display is pretty cool and I'm using the commander it came with to run all my case fans (supports up to 6 fans including the two on the radiator), mine has some audible pump whine though. Not something I'd expect from an expensive AIO. Your results may vary, I've seen people say it's completely silent and others with pump whine on this and it's sister the CAPELLIX.

[@allhack7660]

back in and recently got soft soft again, it felt strange and i had previously just taught myself the software. Finding your videos is helping

[@Thedakshkumar]

Woah, great video mate!

[@bricktronics]

I appreciate this side by side review. The cooling performance is marginal and I would go with upgrading fans on a more affordable aio. However comma, I trust corsair products for longevity. I wouldn't want a customer build to melt down 6 months or longer after purchase because I took some financial shortcuts. Most of my builds include a midrange h100i or h150i.

[@lukethmpsn]

So for a hobbyist, saving the cash with a potential risk of replacing the AIO is not a bad deal considering it's not a difficult fix and relatively cheap. Agree you wouldn't want to sell a PC with that maintenance required, but for a hobbyist, it's cool to save that cash and add some maintenance.

[@bricktronics]

@@lukethmpsn yeah, I'd go cheap for a test bench or personal computer but the custom computers I sell have either Corsair or NZXT AIOs. I'd rather the customer pay a little more for reliability and longevity. Last thing I want is a email or phone call that the processor is overheating or worse.

[@sinnermac6338]

from everything i have heard the Corsair customer service is really good and one of the main reasons I opted for them as a brand, I have the corsair h100i elite capellix with the upgrade LCD screen and I have to say it has been faultless, the screen has had me amused for hours at a time, custom Gifs and images on it are awesome and makes my build really pop, my daughter does a lot of art for my screen, so going to buy her the same aio for her build.

[@bricktronics]

@sinnermac6338 that's awesome, I run the h100i elite capellix as well. Minus the fancy led screen, I love mine as well.

[@davecollins7600]

I would use Prime 95 to test the cpu to the limit. Can run it as long as you need to get the highest temps between the 2 coolers. Love the videos man.

[@hussains3241]

Prime95 is good, and you can also add a testing time for cinebench so it loops the test untill the time runs out.

[@FiveN9ne]

To be fair Prime 95 stresses the CPU in a way that no real world application can. So it's just for testing absolute limits, it doesn't reflect real use case scenarios

[@joemarais7683]

what's the point when nothing actually useful will fuck a cpu like prime 95 does? it's just a power virus

[@lakephillip]

Thanks for the vid, I just bought H100 i Cappelix(Plain Block) refurb for $94. Your temps are what I am getting as well. It came down to my faith in Corsair over the years. My retiring X299 System is still using the CORSAIR HXi Series HX850i 850W power supply. It really came down to trusting Corsair. BTW, I picked up RED ML 120's for $11.99 each, which beats the heck out of the $30+ ea I was paying for those fans back in 2018.

[@edisonhargrove]

This is eye opening thank you sir for your time and effort 👌

[@projectc1rca048]

The ID cpu air coolers are also really good for the price for those who are on a budget as well. Great informative video my dude.

[@AatroxSuppMain]

I'm here with an ID tower cooler with a push pull setup on my 5800x, it works great. It was a cheap snag since my corsair 120mm died, but i have been happy with it. Though I am definitely grabbing a 240mm soon

[@Lcr34]

@@AatroxSuppMain I bought ID Cooling SE 225 XT to replace my H100 (2013) that died 2 years ago, during lockdown. Thermals matches H100 if not better.

[@SuperCookieGaming_]

the build quality on the cheap aios have gotten a lot better. remember the cooler master seidon 240m. that was my first aio, the tubes were plastic and the radiator was thin and the fans loud. i still go with artic for aios. their are cheaper and have the best performance.

[@lyte7428]

What’s a good recommendation of an arctic aio, I’m trying to get my first one and I’m not sure which i should purchase. Are they relatively quiet as well?

[@SuperCookieGaming_]

@@lyte7428 all of their liquid freezer II line is great

[@Sikonari]

@@lyte7428 I'd recommend the 240

[@123smartcontent]

Great video, very informative

[@alwaysentertainment17]

Honest review given by you. Thank you so much to clear my mind to buy which one.

[@glovebox9000]

"240" *proceeds to show a 360*

[@RogueStatusX]

I bought the ID cooling white 240mm radiator for my kids all white build christmas of 2020. It was my first build and i had zero clue as to whether spending a bunch of money on an AIO meant that I was getting a better product/better performance but didn't have the budget to get a 200 dollar AIO anyways cause I spent a bunch on the GPU and CPU just before all hell broke loose with the chip shortage. I got it for the same price as advertised on Amazon, 50 some bucks. I wear headphones 100% of the time so the noise level has never been an issue to me but being my first build i was CONSTANTLY checking temperatures thru GPU-Z etc and not once did I ever see them anywhere near something that would alarm me. ALWAYS LOW. My only gripe would be that the fans on the white version of the ID AIO are a bit of an off white color, they're not white white. (Un)Fortunately the back case fan in my son's pc is showing signs of kicking the bucket so I bought the three pack of Corsair QL120's and will use one to replace the back fan and use the other to replace the stock ID cooling fans. Haven't had one single issue with the AIO and will purchase another to replace this one when the time comes.

[@DJ-fw7mi]

Call me crazy but I've bought ID Cooling multiple times for builds, great quality for the price.

[@davidg2731]

Any breakdowns?

[@DJ-fw7mi]

@@davidg2731 not a one, I find them incredible for the price.

[@spectre_dan6148]

Frostflow X240 Snow White user here and my idle temp is around 30 plus deg celcius and average temp while gaming is about 60 plus deg celcius... I have been using it for the past 3 years and no issue whatsoever.

[@Mustang1984]

Hope everything is going ok with you Kyle. Love your channel!

[@GamesForNoobs]

a 240mm aio is like $150, $200 shows a 360mm 💀

[@xCONDOGZz]

Bitwit you continue to not only create great video content, but you always put a smile on all our faces all because you are sincerely yourself.

[@wernermiller7333]

Awesome review! Thanks

[@EverythingSim]

I personally have this ID-cooling frost flow 240 cooler.. I love it. It’s been great under pretty hot and heavy conditions!

[@nggodplayer9383]

I think we also need to see a long term test to see degradation over time as well as how they last in order to get a fully definitive answer on which one is better but right now the idcool did very well compared to the pricy corsair.

[@itsmyname_real]

agree, the long term review would be the ultimate point on this case.

[@edward9972]

I've bought ID Cooling Auraflow X 240 paired with a Ryzen 9 3900x way back 2019, overclocked at 4.5ghz@1.5v. For the first 2 years I was having 32c-37c idle and 60c-72c at max load (rendering, gaming, and 40+ chrome tabs running all at the same time). Overtime my temps did go up now making 40c-50c idle and 73c-80c at max load up to this day. Side note: I've just recently cleaned my pc last month for the first time in the last 5 years.

[@KudaKae]

i actually recommend the DeepCool LS720. it is not an asetek copy and it has a really big copper plate. I have been using it and its pretty damn good. i used to have a fractal design 240mm aio but the price for this 360mm, best investment

[@BigFatCone]

I have a Gammax 240... Something like that. The most basic model anyway. And it's so good. For the 45 dollars I paid, it's nothing beyond amazing. I was so impressed by Deepcool that I also got a case from them. Also great price to features/perfomances.

[@henryojeda2890]

DeepCool is the best! They are totally upsetting the market right now with their air coolers. Their AIOs have always been great too. Can’t go wrong with either

[@BigFatCone]

@@henryojeda2890 One of the good DeepCool air coolers are almost as much a s the best Noctuas here in Sweden. The AIOs are still great value though. At least if they still perform as my old Gammax.

[@henryojeda2890]

@@BigFatCone yeah that’s unfortunate. I got a buddy in Finland who can pick up the AK620 for 77 bucks whereas over here (USA) it’s about 60. It totally depends where you are with the PC market

[@rando_bacon]

In my experience you get what you pay for when it comes to pumps. The only AIO I’ve ever bought went out in 6 months the pump just died without warning, and the cheap stand alone pump I bought for my custom loop was so loud it sounded like a jet flying over my house 24/7! It drove me crazy. I will say back then AIO’s were fairly new maybe only a few years old on the market.

[@XxAtomic646xX]

so long as you stick with a decent brand and not chinese knock off, every single aio pump is exactly the same per the copywrite deal everyone has with the AIO patent holder. the pump is the only thing that has to stay the same. killing a pump could be done by having the radiator below the pump.

[@shannontuttle7007]

I agree, but, Even at that, With how sockets change, a $125 bundle ($75 AIO and $50 in top tier fans) every year or 2 might still cheaper than a $250 bundle that you may have to replace anyways in 3-4 years (due to new socket compatibility issues) especially since good fans tend to last forever...

[@zramirez5471]

I just recently started working with UE5, and had to upgrade from my 5600X/1660 Super to a 5950X & MSI 6750XT in my Meshilicious case on the Gigabyte B550I Aorus Pro AX and got the ID Cooling 280 for ($60?). I set the fans up to exhaust out of the case front, the GPU essentially pulls in air from the outside, and the EVGA 850 SFX pulls off the cooling plate on the back of the GPU and exhausts: no matter what I'm doing I don't have any issues with heat, and even hitting the RAM & CPU with the OCCT AVX2 load for extended periods never raises the CPU above 60deg. SHOCKED and ecstatic about the cooling potential on this thing! The fans are absurdly loud at 100%, but fans are easy compared to the rad/pump.

[@TheHammerGuy94]

for CPU stress tests following Linus's video for stress testing I'd recommend Linpack Extreme instead of Cinebench or prime 95 if you need your CPU to catch fire. in my experience, for some reason, Linpack extreme runs hotter on my 3700X than prime 95

[@greek89yanni37]

What about life expectancy warranty, support quality of life I think all those things need to go into consideration as well

[@Aries_Alpha]

Been running the ID-COOLING FrostFlow X 240 for almost 2 years now, first on a 2600 and now on a 5600 and it has performed fantastically for £80.

[@grizzleebair]

Great video! Totally agree. I got the Corsair H110i before it went RGB, when Corsair had the best AIO's on the market. I forget the original MSRP, but it was allot lower than today's AIO's, and I got a heavy discounted sale price, as newer versions of their AIO's were on the way, (I think they were $150 Canadian and I got if for just under $100 CAN). It is a 280 AIO and cools as well as some 360 AIO's. The fans it comes with are great, and when I feel like some colour I can throw in my Corsair NAG Lev RGB fans, work great together. I looked at replacing it with newer version, but they are overpriced as stated in your video. So I monitor temps, (they are still as good as brand new), occasionally change thermal paste, and will hold out until it performance starts to diminish. (There are two decent brands out there with only RGB on the CPU mount side, plane fans, that are better priced than those with RGB fans, and cable routing simpler too.)

[@Holymaneli]

Regardless of the difference, the AIO cooler that presented the warmer temps still provides VERY acceptable temps for a fraction of the price. Impressive.

[@DarkMikaruX]

Thanks for this. My sneaking suspicion was that there wasn't going to be a huge performance gap between the two. Nice. I've owned my ID Cooling Auraflow Snow 240 RGB AIO exactly a year and it's been rock solid. Picked it up on sale for 59.99 on amazon to match my white build. No complaints at all. The thermals Kyle put up are roughly what I've seen on my 3700x. Totally recommended.

[@nauikunart]

Got mine last july as well exact unit as you.

[@DarkMikaruX]

@@nauikunart You also probably got a good deal on it. It's nice looking unit. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm def pulling over to my Ryzen 7000 build next year for sure.

[@nauikunart]

@@DarkMikaruX goodluck on your build , I'm just running r3 with a 1650 right now the only build that I can afford, also planning to upgrade but maybe around 5000 series and 30 series card. indeed the id cooling is good at doing its job for a lower price.

[@DarkMikaruX]

@@nauikunart Nothing wrong with that brotha! Last month I was laid off from my IT job. They laid off 1/3 of the company. Timing was terrible seeing that video card prices had come down so much. Also my desktop motherboard kicked the bucket so I'm kinda forced into an upgrade at some point. Luckily I'll be starting a new gig next week but will have to wait it out a bit before building a new rig. Loving seeing these video card prices finally dropping though. Truly insane prices over the last few years. Insane!

[@Thr33Sh33ts]

Got mine 2 weeks ago. No issues other than the sloshing noises. I wish there was a way you could top these off with distilled water.

[@LegionGamingTV]

I just purchased the ID-Cooling aio. I have some noctua 120s to slap on. Thanks bro!!

[@bobykim5311]

Thanks for this video. NIce to point out the packaging info between the two products. Marketing deluxe :)

[@laszlosarkozi1385]

It would have been interesting to see the CPU running under 100% load(like Cinebench R23 on loop for 30 minutes) and check out the temperature difference then.

[@NedRigNerd]

😂 that absolutely makes no sense. No one does that in the real world. Unless it gets you off

[@fmo94jos8v3]

I went with a Coolermaster AIO primarily to match my Coolermaster case. I have been happy with it :) I certainly would not install it like this though, I always put my radiators on the top to make sure the pump always has liquid in it, so it doesn't burn out sucking air. Plus I don't have to bend the AIO tubes around a GPU.

[@eddieyakin5528]

In this configuration, the pump still wouldn’t receive air. The top of the radiator is still higher than where the pump is, meaning all the air goes there.

[@RogueStatusX]

the only time that would take place is if the top of the rad was lower than the pump - thats misinformation

[@lynxis]

I had an old NZXT Kraken 240mm AIO that I think I paid ~$120 for and the pump died maybe 2 years ago. After it died, I was in a pinch for something suitable for a 5900X so I went to my local computer shop and found the Deepcool Gammaxx L240 on sale for ~$40. Definitely not as high quality as the Kraken but temperatures were not far off, except the noise the fans made while top mounted was too irritating to withstand for long. I swapped the fans from the Kraken and system temperatures were basically in line with the Kraken, maybe 2-3c higher, which was a lot more expensive and purchased before the recent inflation explosion. One thing I'll note is that the Deepcool has very prominent scratches on the cold plate now from setting it on my desk and the plate coming in contact. I've treated the kraken in much the same way and it's been moved between systems far more than the Deepcool has and the cold plate was still immaculate when it was done. This is also resulting in a notably higher CPU temperature than it had when it was new, but temperatures are still within the acceptable range so I've left it alone for now but if that cooler ever has to come off again, I'll be purchasing a new cooler.

[@geritisdale-brock7247]

I bought an ID Cooling auroflow aio for my first build a few months ago. I have an Intel i5-13600k and haven't had temps go above 42C. Very happy with it, especially for the price.

[@evoluke1069]

I'd be interested to see the cooler master ml240l V2 which is only slightly more expensive than the I'd but may be just as effective as the Corsair and it comes with RGB out of the box too

[@jpotts1515gaming]

i have that cooling my 5800x. Love the ML240L. My cpu temps are great both at idle and load.

[@BigggRoss]

Would be nice to see the difference between front mounting and top mounting the radiator like this.

[@filippoorologio6777]

IIRC top or front mounting doesn't make a huge difference on CPU temps.

[@kairosik]

@@filippoorologio6777 Yeah, although top mounted AIO’s generally tend to last longer.

[@ThegreatCMFB]

I've enjoyed my EK AIO. I got it on a sale so it was like $120 for a 360mm rad and honestly it's whisper quiet and I've never seen my CPU hit over 60 degrees Celsius. Plus the RGB is immaculate. So it gets a S+

[@tntgdh]

I had an id cooling you aio. Worked beautifully for all he time I used it

[@Dexter-dq8lz]

Did you consider putting in better thermal paste and see if that changes anything? But an informative review, thanks.

[@ProgamersPC]

The AIO is not mounted correctly, and this vid it not relevant.

[@Oz7ki]

@@ProgamersPC do you mind elaborating? I just purchased a $200 aio for my Ryzen 7 5800x3d and want to install it correctly.

[@bruteslayer3647]

@Oz7ki probably talking about the aio being installed on the front of the case instead of the top. This won't hamper performance really but it may lead to some unwanted noise and a shorter lifespan of the aio

[@Unsmooth_Edwarda]

You should have ran the Cinebench test on loop

[@ChristinaJuneee]

I currently have an ID Cooling AIO for my primary PC and my fiancé's PC, and will be buying the ID Cooling Pink Flow for my all Pink build I'm working on. I've been happy with them!

[@AustnTok]

I actually used that ID-Cooling frostflow 240 to cool a 12600k and it did amazing. the Noctua NH-u12s with dual fans worked a bit better though. kept it about 2-5 degrees cooler under gaming loads

[@demontekdigital1704]

I'm glad you're taking these overpriced "gaming" parts to task. It shows just how much money we tend to throw away for the sake of pretty. Personally I've only ever used air to cool my CPU because if you "break" a tower cooler it's on a structural level. It's literally just copper/aluminum, or full aluminum. There are no sensors, or software controlled parts in the tower itself. They just work. The only things that break on a tower cooler are fans that can be easily replaced. That vs. having to buy an entire AIO cooling solution when it breaks should be a no-brainer. Aside from that, you KNOW when a fan on a tower cooler fails because it visibly stops working. Whereas anything from build up inside the cold plate, to the pump failing can render the cooler useless without even realizing it until your CPU starts cooking. I'm not trying to poo-poo liquid cooling, but there are a lot more risks to running liquid over air.

[@DubboU]

Completely agree. If you're not looking to overclock the CPU, which most people don't, there is no need for an AIO at all. Just get a decent cooler and fans, and set a good fan curve.

[@differentbeat88]

@@DubboU Even if you do overclock, there are very capable air coolers for most situations. AIO water coolers are not worth the hassle or the price, most of the time.

[@vMaxHeadroom]

Whilst it is absolutely great to get value and I certainly live by that, if we lived in a world where only the cheapest thing mattered then we would really have no innovation just a drive to the lowest common denominator. For a company having products to sell across the range for those with deeper pockets is where the profit is and that profit goes back into development which also not only allows for the cost effective products but also innovation filtering down from the top end. Another reason why you can by a great cost effective AIO for $55! AIO's when cooling top end CPU's are great especially if you are overclocking both reducing temps and on noise, yes there are more parts so if something goes wrong you will have issues but now a days they have come on leaps and bounds with good warranties and personally have yet to have an issue though I tend to change mine every 3 to 4 years..

[@gemelwalters2942]

In most cases I agree, my only issue with air cooling is the size of the high end air coolers. Mine served me well until it started to fail a few days ago because of the weight of the air cooler. The big cooler made it so hard to even diagnose the problem at first because it blocked everything. Luckily I figured it out eventually and it didn't warp the motherboard but I decided to try an AIO replacement for the moment. If I end up liking it then later I might consider a custom loop.

[@seraphdreamz]

i agree and disagree.. the reason i would go for aio cooling is that i live in a desert where it gets VERY hot out and.. my room heats up and tends to make my computer heat up.. even with a/c my room will still stay warm not hot.. so i have to use aio for of cpu cooling.. but others who live in coolers climates then 122 summers most def get a heatsink air cooling version

[@CKTofu]

The Arctic Liquid Freezer II AIOs remain the ones I recommend. Some of the best performance, and the Arctic fans are fantastic and quiet. Arctic really killed it with that line.

[@ZeroFudgeGiven]

Love my LF2 360, no sense paying extra when you don't want it.

[@gizengar111]

I wish they made an rgb version xD.

[@dilute6980]

@@gizengar111 they did

[@TaLBLIzZaRd]

@@ZeroFudgeGiven it does cost significantly more than the ID-Cooling one, isnt it? 240mm vs 240mm of course.

[@ZeroFudgeGiven]

@@TaLBLIzZaRd Yeah the Arctic one is $120 vs $60 for the ID cooling, but the rad is twice the thickness of the ID-Cooling and Corsair.

[@artstyle924]

Been using ID COOLING FROSTFLOW 240 for almost 2 years now and still going strong

[@bassmekanik101]

I have ran a 360 ID cooling AIO for 3 years and it still works! Very heavy use as well 24 hour run times all the time

[@vah0961]

Goes to show how far these companies are willing to take it just because they can.

[@xilllllix]

also goes to show why so many nations need to be in recession bec t here's way too much money floating around

[@averagemike2171]

@@xilllllix lol what? That AIO cost what it costs. Whether you’re in the US or India it’s gonna cost similar. Might cost more in India. Your comment is irrelevant to the video lol

[@cantbetrue]

@@averagemike2171 Man these people trying to sound smart and omniscient but dont actually understand what they're talking about... lol

[@chiizuu752]

People that buy that NZXT Kraken AIO that plays gifs deserve to get bullied ong mfs paying $300 for something they don't look at 99% of the time

[@poggeroski]

Me who just bought a nzxt 360mm kraken elite for 300 bucks:

[@realghostxd]

This was really informational

[@Fenrirsleash]

I have the ID cooling Frostflow x 240 on my 5900x and at 100% usage editing and running cinebench it stays at 72 - 73 fans set to performance in the bios. The thing is awesome!

[@Benri05]

Been using id-cooling fans for my builds, not a single one failed as of yet after like 3 years. I also have a 120mm id-cooling aio it's around 5c hotter from my dual fan, 5-copper pipe tower cooler which is quite surprising.

[@themusesquad8554]

Really wish You have had the CPU run Prime95 till the CPU Temp stabilized to see real max temp. Sadly I have really low expectations from Kyle I've been here for years but since You moved to Your new studio it feels like you don't try ask hard to make videos. No hard feeling Man still here for You. Still have lots of respect for what you do.

[@battlebanana1935]

been running the IID cooling aio in all my rigs, great piece of kit for the price, as are the fans

[@nomisukeindustries]

I'd be interested to see the long-term effects of both coolers. Like would the ID cooler lose more coolant over the years from evaporation as opposed to the Corsair? Would the pump fail sooner? And I'm also a huge proponent of swapping fans on AIOs no matter who makes them. I took the NZXT fans off my X53 and slapped on some static pressure Arctic P12s and the liquid temps went down 3°C.