Which one is right for you?

Stuck trying to decide whether or not to get an AIO versus a custom loop? Here is some information to help you decide!
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[@AgentDraco]

AIO cause I don’t have to build the loop or manage it lol

[@jonathansellers4518]

Lol I'm exactly the same

[@midwestworkshop2863]

I feel the same. Lol

[@DeathHornDisst]

Did my first custom loop this year. It’s really not that bad with corsairs bending kit and some patience. AIO are easier an cheaper, but the custom loops look sick 👍

[@Xyler94]

Once built, just gotta replace fluid once every 2 years. Sooner if you don't use premixes. Seriously, not that bad, performs better and is quieter than an AIO.

[@Funlu]

Aios may involve a lot less maintenance than a clc, but that doesn’t mean no maintenance! A lot of bad aio situations could have been solved if they let you top up the fluid inside.

[@six0bros]

I think aio is great for most. I think custom loops allow you to do a lot more and have greater capability. There is also the second kind of cool in that its one of a kind and such.

[@mammothkiwi]

Hardline/custom loop owner here. Much harder to maintain and build, more expensive, but I love looking at it and knowing that it's one of a kind, looks great and performs well

[@kevinerbs2778]

what's wrong with soft tubing & distilled water?

[@alexedwards6509]

I bought a 3950X with a X570 master and 32 Gb 3600 DDR4. I was going to buy an RTX 3080. But for obvious reasons it didn't happen. Inspired by Jays vids I thought I'm going to water cool this sucker". And so I started buying the stuff week by week. When I had it all, I looked at it and thought "holly crap, this is that Jays fault" I'm glad I did it. Nowhere near perfect but ok for a first try

[@billyhatcher643]

yep im glad i chose soft tubbing first because it was easier to deal with i had no issues at all

[@mammothkiwi]

@@kevinerbs2778 nothing, had that setup for years

[@EddieG_333]

@@kevinerbs2778 There's nothing wrong with it at all... It depends on you - do you mind soft tubing, organic looking loops - or do you want your tubes not "sagging", looking more uniform. They will both perform the same if the pumps and rads are the same - it's just about what pleases you. Oh, and if you're willing to spend the time trying to bend everything perfectly for your hardline tubes. Just do whatever makes you happy - I would certainly start with a soft tubing build, just so you get used to everything fitting together, but other than the learning curve... all up to the individual really.

[@jimbabwe3246]

I use a 12v pond pump, keep the loop tolerance within 3 metre head pressure.

[@andrewervin2679]

I would love to see more water cooling guides. It's actually reason why I found this channel.

[@backlogbuddies]

Everyone keeps telling him to make OC and water-cooling stuff

[@tomast9034]

there is plenty of it in his video library :D

[@andrewervin2679]

@@tomast9034 oh I know but with watching this video and him talking about the hard lines, didn't realize they had so many options. Haven't looked at custom parts in over a decade.

[@dontmatter4423]

for 0.1% of his audience

[@andrewervin2679]

​@@backlogbuddies It's cause that is what's pretty much I see people care about. Otherwise they do gaming on console, or just a cell phone.

[@NicsCarChannel]

Hmm, i've had the same AIO since 2015. No issues yet. I've always used AIO's and love them. Simple, cheaper, easy to install.

[@ZecsMarquis]

yeah i had a kraken 360 that the pump died after 6 months, got a h110i 280 that ive now had for 6 and half years.

[@justintolentino661]

Having built both, I like the simplicity of the AIO. I’ve spent a ton of money making a few open loops and still have a box full of odds and ends for when I eventually make another loop.

[@marinipersonal]

Same here. Considering how cool my 4080 runs, I can’t convince myself the need of a custom loop. Previous 3000 series watercooling was the way to keep them silent and cool, but not really needed now, as long the case offers good airflow, you’re better off splashing on some quiet fans.

[@backlogbuddies]

Oh yeah. AIOs being super easy/simple to handle is a gift from God

[@Frozoken]

Wish there were aios without the fans tho. That way it would save cost and people could use better fans too without going full custom loop. Idk how to do a custom loop but I sure as hell know how to replace a radiator fan, in fact, you gotta attach the included ones yourself anyway.

[@bahamutbbob]

I recently swapped my case to pretty much my dream case (Fractal Torrent, I'm going to be using this thing probably for the rest of my life, or until PC parts change dimensions enough that they no longer fit) and dumped my AIO in favor of an NH-D15, which, again, I will likely use until mounting systems change or CPUs become too large for it. Fans are easy to replace, I don't expect that to be a problem for my case or cooler.

[@sengjai]

It would have been nice to see the temp difference between the AIO and the custom loop.

[@stevenandrews8225]

Temp difference is not usually enough to justify the cost difference. Most people do it for looks

[@rehlich]

He has a ton of vids on that. Custom loops are the way to go for cooler temps depending on application and what your doing with the PC.

[@benjaminsmekens2344]

@@stevenandrews8225 Until you get to 7950x/13900k & 4090 levels of heat, then temps will be very different. I live in a very hot and humid climate (40c summers), so air isn't an option, and AIO's aren't going to keep my HW under control (there is also a good amount of overclocking going on and the margins really start to matter at that point).

[@LegacyUser]

My Soft line custom loop is 7 years old. I flushed it 2 years ago with no growth or clogging. I watched your videos and built it. The only problem I have had is my fans started buzzing from bearing failure a couple years back... Cats. Anyways thanks for the solid info.

[@nukedathlonman]

Both have places - but the AIO generally will focus on one component (ie CPU, GPU, and most recently (thanks to Team Group) NVMe drives, etc), while the custom loop can be expanded to include many devices, rad's, etc.

[@Itallcostsmoney]

I remember browsing the aquarium sections way back in the day trying to figure out how to rig up my own custom cooling solution. Custom cooling has come a long way, it is just too bad that everything is so expensive now. Aquarium section included.

[@Telvarous]

I did my first custom loop last year and likely wont do it again. It was fun and I love it but its wicked expensive. However my loop now will last me at least 5 years. After this im going back to either an aio or air.

[@ianc.4444]

It is indeed expensive - that being said, as long as you take care of it properly, you likely won't have to spend that much at once again. Hell, you could probably keep it for more than 5 years honestly - maybe replace a pump if it dies and coolant and ur good. Obviously, AIO or air is way more convenient though.

[@Telvarous]

@@ianc.4444 Yeah that's true. I did spend about $200 or more on the fittings and those will last likely forever. Same with my cpu block, my gpu block is another story though. Luckily I have a 3080ti so I don't plan on upgrading that for a decent while.

[@Gnomleif]

Back when I still did water cooling I always used distilled water with 2.5% antifreeze mixed in. Never had any issues with neither growth nor corrosion.

[@yukeyyashiro4806]

I love learning a little bit more about water cooling like this, I live in a high desert environment and summers here are way too hot for an air cooler so liquid is the only way to keep my rig cool. Sadly the next major hold up for me is price i never have a lot of money so AIOs are enough to keep my pc alive and gaming while also not spending all my money. Thanks Jay Phil and Nic for these info videos like this maybe one day I can go open loop but any more little info I can have is always welcome and definitely helps make decisions easier. 😀

[@YoutubeHandlesSuckBalls]

Always bear in mind that a low end chiller will greatly outperform even the most hardcore PC solution. In the desert during the hot months I imagine you wouldn't need to worry about condensation either, so you could crank it up properly.

[@wastanley734]

When you discover hybrid gpus its as game changing as aios. I have a 1070 hybrid I gave my nephew from the 1st cryptocurrency craze. Still going strong 5 years later. It's all about proper rad positioning.

[@WrathOfTheGinger]

When Jay brought up the "first open-loop build" about not having enough fittings i felt a little attacked. My first ever open-loop build i did i was short ONE FITTING. Luckily for me it was only a 3 hr drive to the nearest microcenter but man was it worth building it because now even to this day because of these videos i feel more and more comfortable about working on my computer and trying out of the box trouble shooting.

[@Darrolm]

This definitely made me check my AIO and my temps. Going on 5 years old and seemingly fine. Pump temps are fine though the actual CPU temps are a tad higher than I'd expect.

[@Jayztwocents]

That's likely due to needing new thermal paste

[@Darrolm]

@@Jayztwocents Thanks for the reply! That’s definitely something I need to do at this point.

[@Darrolm]

@@Jayztwocents Thanks again for the reminder that this should be done. Replaced the stuff that came on the Corsair AIO with some Kryonaut and it brought the CPU temps down several degrees. It also somehow fixed the weird issue I had where the task manager would falsely report 100% usage until I reset the power settings.

[@nubfaceforthelose]

Had my 360mm Corsair AIO for about 3 years now. Repasted it once. I keep it as clean as possible with compress air cans. Still keeps my CPU nice and cool.

[@frankunderbush]

For building something practical, AIO will always win out....but then by that logic just get an NH D15

[@wastanley734]

Nh d15 v2! The just updated the fans for higher static pressure!

[@Shank_Sinatra]

Please please please do another Ultimate fitting guide and more water cooling guides in general! The 2 big reasons that I won’t do a custom open loop, is because of the discrepancy in sizes of pipes and availability. And the biggest one which you didn’t mention in this video but have in the past , YOU HAVE TO BUY EACH SINGLE FITTING AND THEY ARE NOT CHEAP and you need to hope you have enough. So you have to somehow plan and measure your entire loop without having any fittings.

[@drail636]

Glad you’re doing better and recovering fast Jay. Great video as always. You and the team are top notch 🤘.

[@Tech127]

I’m sure I fall in with a million others, but it’s super awesome to have you back, Jay! I hope recovery is going well and everything is a success!

[@dien00b31]

I've built a custom loop a couple of years ago. The second PC I've ever built. It's amazing to look at something you've built yourself. I cleaned my loop last week for the first time and used the opportunity to upgrade the GPU. Maintenance is not that bad (at that point you know your loop). Planing and building was far more exhausting, especially if its the first time. If things don't go as planned or you make mistakes that destroy something, things can get expensive and frustrating.

[@curtismariani6303]

I love the look that you get with a custom loop, but I swap parts out way too often so the convenience of an AIO is why I use them.

[@dc300000]

AIO all the way. Minimum maintenance, ease of upgradeability and close enough performance

[@haletech437]

After building out a number of PC's. My next upgrade is most definitely hardline. While I'm sure effort for performance ratio is not on my side, it's more of the feeling of being able to maintain the system while getting that satisfaction of creating the loop and being able to say I've watercooled a PC. With how good AIOs are now, it's turned more into an enthusiasts' pursuit.

[@johnhughes9766]

Aio for £130 Takes 10 mins to install 90 percent of the performance The extra ten percent perf you get from loop is also unneeded by 99 percent of users

[@kylesenior]

But no GPU cooling.

[@centenario6677]

Is it possible to get another aio for gpu cooling just asking

[@RukhWhitefang]

@@centenario6677 Yes, Alphacool makes the Eiswolf 2 GPU AIO using their open loop parts. I run a 360mm Eiswolf 2 on my 3080. Temps never go above 53c under load.

[@НААТ]

​@@kylesenior not needed if you have anything that isn't a reference model. And even then. Many gpus can run very very hot.

[@malphadour]

I disagree. More like 95% of the performance :) Caveat - in regard to pure CPU only cooling. Especially when the £130 AIO is an Arctic LFII 420.

[@AtomskTheGreat]

funny how definitions can change over time. back in the days before aio existed, a closed loop was what nowadays is an open loop - no part of the water is exposed to the outside. whereas open loops had a big open bucket or vat as external component to support cooling by sheer mass and evaporation.

[@hoseinqadam]

Just did my second hardline water-cooling build, its not about practicality, its about the satisfaction of the build. Its a hobby after all.

[@MJSGamingSanctuary]

I think the big thing or question that matters here is how much fiddling with your PC are you comfortable with is what it comes down to. Ease well easy win for the AIO. But like tinkering well clearly then custom loop is good for you.

[@erin.anderson]

The cost is a non-trivial difference. I was pricing out a custom loop for my current PC build, and the loop components cost not quite the same amount as the rest of the components I was purchasing for the system rebuild / update. That alone moved me to an AIO for my R9 5900, and left the GPU air cooled.

[@DeckDogs4Life]

I really would love to go with a custom loop just for the looks and it would likely be quieter than my current setup but I'm currently with an AIO. Kinda focused on my hardware itself before a custom loop since i decided to upgrade to a 3080 Ti before the 40 series launch.

[@xXDarthBagginsXx]

Been running custom for 10yrs now, pretty much have moved the same hardware through different builds over that time. Only thing's I've added are spare rads, tubing, and pumps ( I have a hardware hoarding problem as well - lol). Now AiO's are just simple turn key options for watercooling - I tend to suggest them for people that want an easy option to get started.

[@jondonnelly3]

I stopped watercooling, gpu blocks cant br reused and have gotten expensive, cpu block too often cannot be reused. It's an expensive hobby. The fittings alone costing more than a dh15. These days graphics cards have great included coolers.

[@xXDarthBagginsXx]

@@jondonnelly3 In my case I have been on the same GPU for 6yrs now, but previous models I used the sale of the previous card w/ block to fund the next one. But yes it does get expensive fast, I stick with EK's ZMT tubing due to cost and compatibility with fittings (I still have a ton of hardline fittings if I feel like going that route again). My son's rig will remain on air due to cost and maintenance, which is another thing open-loop is maintenance intensive in comparison.

[@rustler08]

​@@jondonnelly3 WTF kind of bullshit are you spouting? CPU and GPU blocks absolutely can be reused unless you're being an idiot and damaging them. My Velocity block has been on like 5 different CPUs over multiple years, and I've purchased used GPU blocks that do just fine. No one listen to this person, they're clearly clueless.

[@pupsaderpupin5627]

​@Jon Donnelly yeah, a good way to do is wait for previous gen GPU blocks to go on sale, they can't get rid of them easily. I think heatkiller is still selling 2080 blocks. If you don't mind not being latest and greatest

[@YoloVib3s]

Soft Tube custom loop builder/owner here & Custom loop all day every day!!! Doesn't matter if it's soft or hard tube either is better in every way for experienced builders.

[@kylesullivan47]

I really enjoyed making my custom loop on a heavily overclocked Xeon x5670 and I’m sure it performed better, but it’s just so expensive and overkill with todays chips. They’re already boosting themselves and not much OC headroom , thermals don’t seem to be the limiting reagent. On an Arctic freezer 280 AIO refurb I got from factory for $55 plus shipping on my R5-5600 and couldn’t be happier

[@Noganite]

Recently cleaned out my loop and I did not have the thing for the PSU so I started it with system on and poured like a madman! Got it going again with new water and the anti-corrosive agent. AMD 5800X3D without coolant gets hot fast XD! I have a custom EK loop from 2020 and still going good to this day! Also, problem with AIO is when it dies, gotta replace whole thing: open loop, replace a part, easy.

[@thrace_bot1012]

This is the only material I'm consuming to prepare for my fluid dynamics test due in an hour, I hope Jay hasn't led me astray

[@nightlust]

How did it go?

[@fredsorre6605]

I started my Custom loop journey by modding my H100i that had a leaking tube replaced it with soft tubing and added a reservoir temps didn't change even with the added water of the reservoir adding a pump and not using the pump on CPU block made my temps go down by 5-10C immediately so pump speed also matters a lot upto a certain point the pump on those AIO's are trickle slow even on the fastest speed setting.

[@RadicDotkey]

Lithium, Sodium, Potasium, Calcium, Titanium, Chromium ... US, don't, please .... Alumi-NUM 🤪

[@techdiyer5290]

14:36 jay, i think you could buy a little esc motor tester, connect a lipo battery to it, and vary the pwm signal. for the pump.

[@grimdicer152]

Wish there were more vids like this. Its quite helpful if you are new to building a PC on what cooler to buy. Top work Jay 👍

[@affa4]

An air cooler is probably fine unless you are going i7 or i9 on recent intel... Though water cooling looks cool and is better to brag about

[@Martin-kc1xj]

The lack of computex coverage is genuinely refreshing, thank you!

[@swampmullet]

I wanna know your thoughts on the Alphacool AIO’s! They use off the shelf parts like copper radiators and DDC pumps, and they’ve got quick-disconnects for adding pumps, rads, or linking other loops together. Been considering a dual 360 setup from them and combining the loops for my next build, seems like the best of both worlds

[@CoffeeNo0b0514]

Would have loved a side by side comparison of real world performance. I know the custom loop performs better, I've had both on the same system. But seeing that here would have driven the point of the video home.

[@zzsquatchzz5079]

Amsoil makes a antifreeze booster to make your car warm up quicker and also cool quicker. You should try that see if that makes the loop work better.

[@JAndersonGhost0326]

I just put together my first open loop a few weeks ago using your videos as sort of a guide, Jay, and I'm super happy with how it turned out. There's a lot more creative freedom in making it yourself; planning the tube bends, choosing fittings, and coolant color, etc than with an aio. I would say, if you want to cool multiple components, and you have the coin, do a full custom loop. They're so much fun to build.

[@Chaos_Dave98]

I have an internal crisis just to even think about making perfekt 90 degrees bends and making sure every fitting is good and dry

[@FieryMeltman]

​@@Chaos_Dave98You can buy pre-bent tubes.

[@DemonicMk7]

Aluminum is used not only for cost but because it has better thermal dissipation than other metals.

[@dasfahrer8187]

Regarding the coolant type, this is also true for automobiles. When the manufacturer says to use a specific type of coolant, abide by it or you run the risk of corrosion and potentially turning your engine into a boat anchor in time.

[@andrewk8636]

With cars you just need to research whether they're lying or not. I messed up on my truck by mixing 2 incompatible fluids and it gummed up and killed the pump. Some of them are just proprietary for money tho

[@Xavier_Wells]

This is mainly an issue with FCA vehicles. The HOAT vs OAT confusion is a mess

[@Helifax19]

If you have a German car, trust in their engineering :) There is a reason it is like that ;) Yes, they require maintenance, but maintain them as needed & specified and both you and the cars will have a nice, lovely and prosperous life ;) Computers are exactly the same way as cars -both hardware & software and besides water-cooling ;)

[@andrewk8636]

@@Helifax19 you got jokes 😂😂😂 German cars were good in the 90s, now there is nothing to trust except maybe the engine block and idk about that one. German cars don't live prosperous lives, Japanese cars do

[@Helifax19]

@@andrewk8636 I think it depends where you are ;) In Europe is the other way around ;) German cars live a long (too long) time. I can't argue with JP cars though:) They live long no matter where they are! I vote them for the means of transportation on Mars or Luna - when/if they still do those expeditions :))

[@makarickiri]

The Corsair H40 in my SO's PC is still going strong since 2014. Only had to replace the fan. I run soft tube CL which I haven't cleaned in almost 3 years. So far I have only noticed the GPU getting about 3-4C hotter.

[@Hagop64]

I was honestly surprised to see the ID of the AIO tubing. I knew it would be a decent bit smaller than the OD but not by that much.

[@Trefall]

Et Cetera (English: /ɛtˈsɛtərə/ or (proscribed) English: /ɛkˈsɛtərə/, Latin: [ɛt ˈkeːtɛra]), abbreviated to etc., etc, et cet., &c. or &c[1][2] is a Latin expression that is used in English to mean "and other similar things", or "and so forth".

[@TheAJKid]

Got a Strix LC II 360 AIO. It's my first liquid cooler. I have it on a 13900ks. I'm extremely impressed, this thing is amazing, but temps can be a little unstable and now I see why. I ended up installing a thermal grizzly contact frame which evened things out a bit. That being said this breakdown is actually really cool, I haven't looked into Open Loop systems because I didn't understand the need for it aside from overclocking, but this clearly shows the benefits of going the extra mile. ONE DAY!

[@germang.4514]

I've probably been very lucky, but I'm still using my 2015 Corsair H105 AIO. Yes, a couple of years ago I completely disassembled it because it was making air noise, replaced the hoses with food grade silicone hoses that will withstand from -60C to 200C which I attached to the pump and radiator with fuel hose clamps and of course changed the coolant. I transferred it from one PC to another and am still using it. I might buy a new one but I want to see how long it lasts. 😅

[@Dzugashvili]

I have a h100i I just cleaned and refilled for the first time with my new build, hardly any evaporation. Running great with my 13700k in the 750d case. Had both asking with the evga supernova g2 750w going strong since 2014/2015

[@ChrisWijtmans]

you can now turn it into a full custom loop.

[@phenomanII]

Felt the need to post another more relevant comment - excellent video Jay. Can't wait to send it to some friends that have been asking for open loops without understanding the investment it takes. Also, Noctua makes a *PWM signal generator* (NA-FC1) that could come in helpful while bleeding a system with a PWM pump.

[@FrodeBergetonNilsen]

Just use a Noctua NA-FC1 to generate a PWM signal for the pump. Only require SATA power, and works like a charm. Ramping speed up and down helps a lot when filling and bleeding, particularly when you got two or three D5-pumps in series.

[@clintm4629]

Another EK coolant that holds up well is Acid Green.. 1yr in now and still looks like it did when I first filled it

[@MaxQ2989]

Love your channel Jay! Have to say, I’m a total amateur with PC building but recently finished my first build: i9 13900KS, EVGA Classified mobo, 64G G.Skill DDR5 6400, 3 TB Samsung 990 M2 memory, and GIGABYTE 4090 OC, Corsair 170 AIO w/140 fans/RGB, Corsair 7000D w/3 140fans, Corsair 1500W power. Your videos were invaluable. This PC booted the first time, loaded BIOS update first try, Windows 11 (your install with minimal crap and no account work around is great). Running Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, MW2 at 250 fps and with this cooling never exceeds 60-65C if it ever gets that high, usually 38-55C. Based on my limited experience, all this hype about custom cooling vs AIOs and mega “fannage” is just that “hype” unless your planning serious overclocking (why?? “Because its there” I guess). Anyway, keep up the good work and videos and many thanks!

[@muddlersworkshop]

My AIO has been running 24/7 for 6 years and still doing a good job. It is a NZXT.

[@TECH3_]

Custom can be bigger, generally has more liquid so it can take away more heat without actually heating up

[@emmaorion]

Fanspeed 110% + headphones.. no problem

[@Mike__B]

I'm not sure more liquid = take away more heat. I think it all boils down (no pun) to what's happening at the radiator that is the place where all the cooling happens, if you move it through too fast it doesn't cool down the liquid much, if you do too slow then it doesn't pull the hotter fluid away from the cooling plate quick enough.

[@joee7452]

Kind of but not quite. More liquid does take longer to heat up IF you are applying heat to all of the liquid at once. A loop will have overall cooler liquid avg because the majority of time the liquid is not doing anything. Once the liquid is cooled leaving the radiator, it is not doing anything to help cool the system until it goes through the block. The temp of the liquid before that point means nothing useful to the heat exchange unless there is an issue with it not cooling down coming out of the radiator. The only 2 places that temp matters is the exit of the block (showing that it picked up as much of the heat transfer as possible) and the exit of the radiator (showing that it is being cooled down as much as possible for it's next pass). An AIO that shows a huge degree difference in those 2 spots could mean that it is removing a ton more heat then a custom loop that shows the liquid is cooler overall but the difference in exit temps is much smaller. The only thing that really matters is that you like the cooling option you put in and it the setup works as you want it to.

[@joee7452]

@@sierraecho884 The question was whether a larger amount of liquid in a custom loop would draw more heat then the smaller amount in an AIO. The answer is not necessarily because neither are passive systems of dispensation. Nothing you said disputes what I said. Your right, a cup of liquid will heat up faster then a tub. But if you apply the heat at the same point and implement the same type of cooling rotation for the point of heat contact, you negate the difference. At any point there is x amount of heat being transferred in y amount of surface area and the liquid is leaving that area to cool and come back. As long as both solutions have enough liquid, the amount of liquid being used in the loop means nothing because only the liquid in contact to the transfer surface matters. That is the liquid that will be heating up. If the heat to transfer, the surface area for the transfer and the rate of flow are equal then the temp of the important liquid will be the same when they leave the block. If the transfer area is a segmented 1 liquid ounce then it doesn't matter how much more liquid is waiting to be heated up, whether a cup or a tubs worth. Only the 1 liquid once that has been removed from the cup or tub for the exchange does. The amount of liquid above the minimum necessary to function means almost nothing to performance while the surface area in the block is hugely important. AIO or custom, the one with the better fin/channel contact surface area design is going to provide better cooling.

[@malphadour]

More liquid is irrelevant to final temperature, it will just extend the time until you reach heat soak. More dissipation is what takes away heat and this is down to the properties of your radiators and fans,

[@voodoowill4685]

Low spec GPU with an aio is perfectly fine, for my build, I had to water cool my 3090ti FE with a custom closed loop, my gpu was sitting at a constant 80c+ and now it never goes over 42c and my system ambient sits around 37c on a summer day. All using corsair Water cooling parts as well.

[@stevekristoff4365]

Should probably also comment that a water loop does NOT need to be as expensive as Jay here implies. The main item you look for really is just the cpu water block or plate as that has to fit. (but you can still get cheaper options than EK, even older ones can be modded to work). But everything else you can get from local stores. I mean a water pump, go to your local pet store and pick up an Eheim pump, you can get tubing there as well (though I prefer Tygon 2475 or 3603 depending on what fluid I'm using). Barbed fittings can be found at home depot/hardware store as well as the clamps. for a radiator you can go to a local junk yard, or if you're friendly with your HVAC guy see if they are replacing any units and pull something from there. Fans can be anything as well (old computer fans, bathroom fans, or whatever). It's NOT rocket science. Biggest item is to check galvanic corrosion tables (ideally using all brass/copper for example for metals). and then some distilled water & water wetter (auto store usually). It may not be 'pretty' but it works.

[@Junebug89]

This is some scrapyard wars tier bootlegging

[@Theoldenmage]

​@@Junebug89 and I'm here for it, very function over form

[@malphadour]

I used to use Eheim pumps for all my loops - they aren't as fancy and tend to look a bit more clunky, but this is what they are designed for. I had one fail after 9 years - I was quite satisfied with that sort of longevity.

[@stevekristoff4365]

@@malphadour yup, people just need to think a bit outside the box. That was 'normal' back in the 80's/90's. Companies these days all try and make people think that you NEED them (to lock you in), but physics works the same for everyone. For pumps I've even used auto fuel pumps (they're also 12v) but they are not rated for 24x7 like a fishtank pump, so they burn out faster.

[@toddsherman812]

I would love to have my own custom loop but I have serious doubts about my ability to properly construct a custom loop so I stick with AIOs. They get the job done and while I don't have all the coolness of a custom loop, a custom PC can still be pretty amazing without it, especially thanks to RGB. The true measure of a remarkable PC is not just in its outward appearance, but also in its performance and how well it suits your needs.

[@Natedaskate]

Custom loop all the way. It’s addictive. Once you do it you can never have another build that isn’t custom

[@brandongray1059]

Yep. I like handling it myself with full cover waterblocks.

[@Amayi1]

AIO, I already did the custom loop. They essentially perform the same, except for the GPU. The AIO is less expensive and pretty much plug-n-play. The custom loop requires more money, time, and you must do maintenance.

[@nosliwec]

I would love to see you look at expandable AiO (Alphacool has one) as well as how to include a GPU waterblock into it as well. I'm guessing it is able to accommodate a GPU waterblock and an extra radiator since it claims to be expandable.

[@mrdali67]

The biggest problem in that, is that most of those small standard aseteck pumps integrated into the cpu block on aio’s is not powerfull enough to drive a bigger loop. They are just about big enough to drive a 360 radiator, but you are absolutely right. Would be nice to see more models using some standard fittings so you could add a gpu loop and a tap to empty and refill the loop. I don’t have enough knowledge if it’s even possible to theoretically add an extra pump and resovaire without problems, but have often wondered why they don’t make it possible to mod an aio via standard fittings, but its most likely to avoid having to foresee all the problems a modder could create to something that really only is designed to single loop system.

[@nosliwec]

@@mrdali67 On Alphacool's website, they also have expandable AiO GPU waterblocks. I didn't look to closely, but would assume these would just daisy chain. I would also think you could couple their AiO with an open loop GPU. Hence why I am curious and would like to see more.

[@MrMcGreed]

Regarding the "don't scimp on any part, but especially the pump..." - I'd love a video discussing: disregarding the block-choices on CPU/GPU, what is reasonable parts for first timers? (hard/soft tube, fittings needed for a simple loop, recommendations for type and amount of radiators pr. components, etc.) I have considered going custom loop many time, but each time, I just come to the "this is to confusing, fuck it"-moment and forgot about it for half a year or so....

[@bernardmatias5507]

You should do another video on custom loops on how people can over spend when not needed. That’s interesting to me since how I’ve never built one.

[@xBINARYGODx]

this, there is a trade off

[@danielabbott9312]

You should bring an AIO pump up to a custom Loop and show the difference in pump power

[@shangrilaladeda]

Most aios have an aluminum radiator vs a copper one like alphacool which uses regular water cooling parts for an aio

[@svpracer98]

Because I wanted to try out water-cooling for the first time, I went with a 240 AIO for a 5700x... If I was to ever upgrade or rebuild my desktop, I'd consider doing a custom water-cooling loop... But only if I was going to add my GPU to that loop.

[@sameh9310]

Had a custom loop for about 4 years now. Was a fun experience building it, but for my new build next week i'll go for an 360mm AiO for the 7800x3d and air cooling for GPU and the rest of the case :) I've had a really minimum leakage on one of the hosepipes due to it not sitting straight on the fitting after warming up and bending a bit. Luckily i saw it immediately and nothing bad happened, also cuz my liquid is UV reactive green :D

[@clintcolombin]

As someone who's never built a custom loop, this was very informative.

[@jtackerman28]

I've been running an EVGA aio for about 6 years now. The last 5 never really turning the computer off. Can't believe it's still kicking

[@githane]

I owned 2 corsair AIO that died way earlier then they should have. Knew several other people with corsairs that failed in less than 2 years. Only AIO id get is the arctic liquid freezer. I went custom a few years back, got a whole kit from EK on sale for not a lot more than the highest end corsair and a bit more than double the arctic liquid freezer. Its definitely more expensive, but there isn’t much to maintenance. But you CAN maintain them, unlike AIOs.

[@clay4816]

I don’t normally do this, but since Jay told me to custom loop is better. For all of the reasons. And you can ignore all of the reasons that the other one could theoretically be better.

[@DaKink]

if the performance of AIO is "good enough" i'll go for that one. I don't have the time to build and maintain that loop for always. Custom loops will get better results, but there is that point of diminishing returns I feel which might not be worth that effort.

[@Getting-Older]

After watching you build custom loops I'm in awe of them but don't have time or skills to do it so aio every time for me. In fact just upped my 280 to a 360

[@jasonlandry8685]

Custom loops can perform better than AIOs. They don't always, but more times than not they do. The maintenance hassle involved overcomes the short lifespan of an AIO. I have had several AIOs fail after two to four years due to them getting air into the system.

[@daviddonahoe1303]

As you may have noticed from many of the replies, both have their place. AIO is quick and easy. Custom loop is for people who like to tinker or want to show off the internals of their case. From a performance stand point, they are not that different. Custom loop will have a larger heat dump due to the reservoir. I have built both. As I got older, I started to prefer the convenience of the AIO.

[@xalenthas]

I believe it's been mentioned that the Asetek patent is/has now expired, hence the explosion of new designs at Computex

[@wolvie1114]

Thanks Jay, I really settled for an AIO after building my new rig, because of the cost. AIO is working well, but definitely want to pursue an open loop. Just going to have to save up.

[@aryannarose]

My Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 A-RGB QC Rev 4 tubes down and MX-6 my Ryzen 9 5900x idles at 21c and never goes above 57.8c either in gaming or benchmarks in Cinebench r23 mc I scored 23,200 with CO disabled CPU boost +200mhz disabled all I messed with was the TDC, EDC and PPT. Also have a kit of 4x8gb G Skill Trident Z Neo CL14 3600mhz overclocked to CL14 3800mhz and 1900mhz x3 ran multiple ram test no errors room temp is set to 68f 24/7 open side panel.

[@GrandAdmiralHamilton]

Yes please, an ultimate fittings guide!!! 😃👍

[@fireflyhm]

The point about pwm pumps is kind of moot nowadays, with motherboards that come with a dedicated AIO pump header which you can set in the bios to power up with full speed. Subsequently, once you've loaded into Windows, you can use the Fan Control software that was featured in another video to manually override the bios setting and basically do whatever you want.

[@ReaperSilently]

I've been thinking for soooo long on making a custom loop, but the cost is something I just can't get past. Regarding the AIO life time, I must be very, very, very lucky, because my AIO is running now for about 5 years in my system, and I've recently cleaned it and it still works perfectly fine. Granted, I'm not cooling a monster, I'm having a Ryzen 7 3700X, but regular maintainance and cleaning (not fluid of course) kept it going. This was a really good video Jay! Really puts it in perspective and it does push me a bit closer to justifying the cost, but not there yet...

[@mxyellow]

Custom loop is something that I enjoy watching but can't get into. I just don't have the time and patience to do it. Add to it the maintenance and you can't just easily take it apart if you want to replace a component in the system.

[@zerokazahana3771]

While sponsor spot plays ... Custom allows flexibility and multiple items in the loop. Aio gives people a quick and relatively simple solution to get a single item cooled.

[@No-One.321]

At most I'll use an aio. Custom loops even stuff tubing are a pain in the ass to maintain and I'd rather game and create games than mess with the loop. And the fact that good airflow and fans do a great job at cooling

[@512SRT10Viper]

Didn't consider shelf life on an aio, this made me think I've been a bit lucky with mine. I7 3930k at 4.8ghz its whole life and other than new fans (old ones got very loud so probably bearing) this year its never had issues since i built it in late 2011 or early 2012 Still never goes over 50c fluid temp Before that i did have a custom loop with cou and motherboard blocks that was fun to build, not too keen on the prices these days though

[@jeffisgett]

Having never done it, I still want to build a custom water cooling loop. My only hesitation is whether I can get it to look like I want it to without wasting too much time, money and effort. I just love custom, and having built all my PCs for the last 25 years, I really want to tackle this. Question is...will I?....

[@jrvln]

Custom loop for thermals aio for usability

[@Mason_bluegrass]

thanks i have learn alots of thing about the aio and custom loop !!

[@TankTheDragon]

Custom loop is obviously better cause while AIO is alot easier to use, I'm not looking for that. I'm looking to style on someone that comes over. I built that, I bent tubes, I pathed out the whole loop, i even dyed the coolant myself, all so you can tell me that it's impressive.... even though I'll use it to watch youtube and play games from 20 years ago

[@DigitalTwisted]

I'm surprised none of the major companies have "gotten around" the Asetek patent by designing an AIO that has a reservoir in the loop. So instead of the usual AIO, have the tubing go from Rad to reservoir (with built in pump) and then from there to the heatsink? Maybe it's a stupid idea, but it would be a nice middle ground between traditional AIO and custom loop. Hell doing it this way you could even have a GPU block in the loop as well (though you'd have to have a different SKU for every GPU potentially so that may make it cost prohibitive), but I for one would love to be able to have a reservoir in an AIO style loop, that would allow for that refilling aspect to help maintain the AIO for longer, but I dunno maybe I'm talking nonsense.

[@pollywantmor3food]

i think bequiet does an aio with a fill port to be able to top it up to counteract the evaporation

[@turbosnipeone2164]

In all honesty I feel as if some competitor will bring an AIO that is "Significantly" colder then a lot of them on the market. I feel that AIO's still can be advanced a bit more

[@kg4wwn]

Outside of a SFF PC, I don't think I'd ever do an AIO. If there is an air cooler that will work, that's what I'm using. Once I get to the point that CPU is too powerful to handle the larger air coolers, I'm putting a custom loop on that.

[@kendil22]

I switched to my Gigabyte waterforce X 360 and it cools my 7900x better than my EK velocity 2 by about 10c. I'm over open loops, been there done that. For the cost of an open loop you can buy 10 AIO's lol.

[@airrow05]

yes

[@deztructo123]

I've been doing custom loops since 2010. The prices have gone stupid, the benefits are moot and my next system will be an AIO I think. AIO's just make sense now.