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!
Sponsored Links:
Something new is coming from Corsair! www.corsair.com/us/en/link2023
Check out the Power Color Red Devil at
www.powercolor.com/new?id=167...
shop.powercolor.com/
Get your JayzTwoCents Merch Here! - www.jayztwocents.com
○○○○○○ Items featured in this video available at Amazon ○○○○○○
► Amazon US - bit.ly/1meybOF
► Amazon UK - amzn.to/Zx813L
► Amazon Canada - amzn.to/1tl6vc6
••• Follow me on your favorite Social Media! •••
Facebook: / jayztwocents
Twitter: / jayztwocents
Instagram: / jayztwocents
SUBSCRIBE! bit.ly/sub2JayzTwoCents

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@drail636]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@outlet6989]

"Custom PC Loop Cooling for Dummies." It's a handbook found at major bookstores. The book is located in the section containing guidebooks. You will also find the "MS-DOS for Dummies" handbook there. In the past, I built a custom cooling loop system. The loop included my CPU and two RTX 2080ti GPUs. Remember when SLI was the way to go? The tube bending is the hardest part of the assembly. I made a stand for my heat gun. It keeps the gun's tip at a set distance and perpendicular to my workbench. I added a simple temperature indicator to the bending guide and placed the guide below the heat gun so I knew when the tubing was ready for bending. My heat gun has variable heat allowing me to adjust the temperature to find the heat 'sweet spot' setting for bending.

[@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?

[@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.

[@jondonnelly4831]

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]

@@jondonnelly4831 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]

​@@jondonnelly4831 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

[@gregorydobson4307]

Great content and detailed info. This is why I love your channel 😊

[@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!

[@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!

[@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 :))

[@jaxonburgess5428]

Hey Jay, been a fan for years and have always appreciated your input, and especially your honesty. For over 40 years I've built custom systems for myself and for clients. To me, the primary reason to build a custom system is that you are not stuck with inferior or proprietary parts, which is almost always the case with prebuilt systems from any manufacturer, including, and in some cases especially, Apple systems, which can feature elegant design, yet still be comprised of and compromised by inferior parts, always at a premium price. Although I might build a custom watercooled system for myself just to satisfy the ego, after watching this video I will never build one for a client. Forgetting the 5-6-X increase in cost for a 5-8% increase in cooling efficiency, I could never guarantee a custom watercooled system as I do my air- and AIO-cooled systems. The risk of increased support cost and catastrophic failure is just too great. I am surprised that no company has yet seen the potential for a better performing AIO utilizing superior parts and materials. Seems to me there would be a market for such a device, with a copper radiator and a higher capacity pump.

[@jeremybarber2837]

Great info here, thank you!

[@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).

[@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

[@SidKnight]

Much needed for dummies like me. Like I would've never thought about something like considering PETG tubing. Thanks for this.

[@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!

[@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.

[@adamhandlin7418]

Great educational video, I really enjoyed it. And I love the ending

[@brandonsandlin780]

I love stuff like this !!! thanks for the educational video Jay and team!

[@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.

[@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.

[@olivier7593]

Thank you for the video. I like this a lot. Gracias

[@gordsy7931]

Excellent video Jay. Great to see you back in the saddle!!

[@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.

[@TRC_WA]

I always used AIOs with my Intel builds… never wanted the maintenance that comes with custom loops. However… I just went with a 7950x3D build and my first air cooler in forever… the Noctua NH-D15. Pretty awesome when you can run a 30 min all core burn test and peak at 89C. Yay for thermal efficiency.

[@Surms41]

Isnt 89c thermal throttle? Now days u don't really want to reach 85c due to core density, or am I wrong?

[@garystewart3110]

exactly what I have. I just read your comment after I posted mine. Dang great cooler, I argue the best.

[@jonny5143]

Damn that's toasty

[@Takintomori]

@@Surms41 I'm pretty sure 100 is thermal throttle on the 7k series

[@thomashanson6603]

Uhhhhh....that doesn't sound encouraging.

[@bivs_setup]

Great looking setup. I also has the same concern for my tv when I moved. It was all good 👍🏼

[@jamesmcgee9279]

New to rigid tubingand loving it!

[@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.

[@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.

[@Liquidmetal14]

Love this informative content

[@Myfamily1964]

Nice video Jay! And giving you an idea for next one it would be nice to see something about the coolants how they may differ between brands and the variations of the brands and pastels like you said may cloud up and UV variations

[@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.

[@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.

[@elitepauper7400]

​@@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.

[@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!

[@davidpalmer4184]

The end of the video was the best "sell" for air cooling I have ever seen (I am an AIO user) Thanks Jay and team for breaking my heart!

[@shangrilaladeda]

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

[@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.

[@darrylmasters5032]

my custom loop has been re-purposed from skylake to 5900x which only needed a block change, already had 700mm (360+240) worth of rad so my upfront cost has actually saved me a lot in the long run for upgrading and cooling.

[@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.

[@Krataking98]

I've been thinking about the feasibility of building my own 'AIO' using custom watercooling parts. Especially considering ek releasing the cpu block with a built in pump. In your video you mentioned this block will have the same orientation problems as an aio so why not use it for a custom aio for better block performance? EDIT: could be useful for test benches or one offs.

[@okkolanpoko3432]

Alphacool Eisbaer Pro HPE 360 is "AIO" but built with customloop parts and therefore fully repairable. There isnt that much reviews yet about those newer HPE models with newer radiator design and yea the radiator is copper. If im gonna buy 200$ AIO, I will buy that one as it can be repaired and parts can be used for better customloop later.

[@Krataking98]

@@okkolanpoko3432 problem is that it's more than the price of a budget pre-built in Australia at about $800 AUD. Not including shipping costs.

[@okkolanpoko3432]

@@Krataking98 In Finland it isn't that badly priced, It costs 237€ which is around the same as the other mid/high end AIO sets.

[@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

[@jonjon3829]

I have a custom loop without a reservoir, I filled the loop with a small bucket, I used koolance quick disconnects though, that helped keep the air out

[@KVAR42]

Custom Loop, Very excited to learn How to do this well. Jay your last personal Rig/System is Beautiful! Thank you for the amazing content and honesty put into your channel, You and It are greatly appreciated!!

[@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

[@stevenbryant1011]

​@@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.

[@Mason_bluegrass]

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

[@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.

[@sierraecho884]

What is the point ? Let´s say it takes 30 min. longer to heat up, so what ? There is almost no benefit in this one point.

[@sierraecho884]

@@Mike__B More liquid takes longer to heat up. Given a big enough tank you wouldn´t even need a radiator. Say you are using a bath tub for your reservoir you wouldn´t need any fans because the surface of the liquid alone would be big enough for that task. With very little liquid you would have to circulate that liquid much faster and cool it faster at the rad. But generally speaking for PC´s none of this really matters, you can still cool down your CPU with air cooling.

[@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.

[@leakypipe86]

15:15-15:22 had me rolling 🤣🤣🤣 Love these types of videos. Thanks, Jay!

[@wyntje83]

OMG is this the kick off of the summer water cooling vids?! excitiiing

[@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

[@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.

[@theb4r138]

Alpha cool has a nice aio with the LT solo pump block. All copper and fill port on the block. Got that and then when I was ready I turned it into a custom loop it was a great beginner watercooling setup.

[@Magical_Flame]

Been running my first AIO the CAPTAIN 240EX WHITE since 2016, so far still going strong with no issues. But I do keep a eye on it a lot more just in case.

[@dc300000]

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

[@jamesthenewb]

I love the idea of open loop (custom water cooling), and enjoy watching you do it. I did it for a few years, but I got tired of the maintenance and monitoring. I thought about AIO, and water cooling is required for some hardware, but the liquid will eventually evaporate and the pump will eventually die. I ended up stepping down my performance and went back to all-air, since swapping out a fan is a lot easier, and I worry a lot less.

[@dennisloosen6035]

I have the EK solid white in my loop for a few years now. The longest I had it running without exchanging it was 2 years. So far I had no problems with it. Nothing has fallen out. Every time I took my loop apart it was perfectly clean, no residue in sight. What might contribute to that is the fact that i use glass tubes.

[@bburnham37]

Very informative video Jay. Great work. Just an aside, if the copper has zinc in it, it’s brass.

[@Jay_the_Caffeinator]

Thank you for the comparison video, Jay. Hard to believe, been building since about time the same as you, maybe a year or two before. And I have never done a custom loop. And now everyone else in my house has AIOs except mine. Lol

[@itsonlyyucky8277]

Thats why i love my Be Quiet AiO cause it has a fill port and came with a small bottle of coolant with it such a great product

[@drCox12]

I just serviced my AIO a couple of days ago. It's an Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360 and it was designed with maintenance in mind. Also the radiator is copper (and brass for the threads). It has a fill port in the pump housing, a quick-release connector in the tubing and you can easily unscrew the base plate. This AIO has all the relevant features in terms of longevity and maintenance and quality but when it comes to cost it's not more expensive than your typical mid-range 360 AIOs. Downsides are the clunky appearence, the noisy fans (I replaced them with Lian Lis) and the relatively low flow rate of the pump (compared to a custom loop).

[@StinkPickle4000]

Same custom loop since 2008 best solution for me!

[@Martin-kc1xj]

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

[@BunkerSquirrel]

14:10 noctua sells a little USB pwm controller you can adjust with a trim pot. Even has an on-off clicky button on it.

[@wesleyhamilton6262]

yes please ultimate fittings guide

[@andersklevhus7149]

Great video! I would love to see more like this. Fittings guide would also be nice 😅

[@chielvoswijk9482]

I got this plan to use the new EK combo block that is both Cooler, Reservoir and pump. Some EPDM tubing and a single radiator for a SFF build. Still couple times more expensive than an AIO, but it seems like a nice compromise that gives me good control over the form, maybe even use some printed brackets to keep the tubes nice and tight together. Originally considered solid tubing, but rubber seems good enough and way more maintenance friendly.

[@DJLuisGarciaMixShow]

Thank you Jay I decided to go ahead and build a custom loop.

[@Jedi_Nemo]

Thanks...now you got me worried abt my 7 yo Corsair AIO! Temperatures still seem fine...but my computer is overbuilt for what I use it for (work mostly). Still...now I'm thinking I should be finding a replacement jic! Great info btw. Very informative.

[@RYDER32-]

I work as a software engineer and never really touched Hardware much less cared for it. But I got interested by friends years ago. Came to your channel and learned and got excited to build my first computer. I built my first computer a while back using an AIO and then built one for my Dad as he needed a new computer and I was excited to do it again. I am probably going to give my current first build that has upgrades to a family member and then create a whole new build. I really want to do custom looping instead of AIO this time around to experience it and cool a much much more powerful build. This video really helps me know more details about it and comparing the two I still would need to do so much more research to make a final decision.

[@Metalgearmadness]

I have my H100i and Ive had it for many years at this point and its been running nonstop essentially and hasn't let me down.

[@NovusDundus]

I can also vouch for the Mystic Fog I've been using the pre mix for a few months now and it's been going beautifully. No issues or weirdness and I have clear blocks. The concentrate I used prior however, I had issues with. I followed the instructions but had nasty gunk build up. So beware on that and possibly use more distilled water than recommended for it.

[@desmofan1864]

Yes! Updated fittings guide, please!

[@GrandAdmiralHamilton]

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

[@DirtRider999]

I find comfort in knowing what's inside what I'm buying.

[@stephenlockett3681]

Since my AIO died on me last year, i thought i was through with it in terms with water cooling. But now looking into building my first custom loop. What i like about custom loops is the flexibility to accomodate other komponents. Where as AIOs are mostly for CPUs. But AIOs require less maintance compared to a Custom Loop. As for pricing i think it comes down to aestetics. But you can definitly spend more money on a custom loop.

[@MrInsanityflea]

I still use a reeven 240 aio, however it's completely user serviceable. It has a port for draining & filling.

[@kennadod2080]

I have a Raijintek Orcus 240 in my pc which has lasted 5 years now. It has the pump on the pipes and came with a bottle of liquid to replace if needed as it has a screw on the cpu cooler to drain . I've not yet needed it as it's been a superb AIO and still looks really cool.... It's now cooling my 5800X3D superbly

[@joshy12100]

I would love a video showing the do’s and dont’s of custom water cooling. Didn’t know about the glycol issue with PETG!

[@jimbabwe3246]

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

[@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

[@TheKazza619]

soft tube loop to both gpu and cpu and have 2 360mm rads its nice that i can just set the fan speed and not worry

[@buckhammer5897]

I enjoyed the longer format.

[@Libritor]

It's just for show basically. You can buy an amazing airflow case, upgrade your GPU, CPU, RGB fans and a huge air cooler for cheaper than a custom loop. The PC will look amazing, maintenance is just cleaning it 2-3 times a year, there's no risk of anything leaking, destroying your expensive components and your performance will be better since you've invested in newer, better, more power efficient parts that require less cooling instead of pumps, fittings, radiators and tubes. Running your components under full load at 60C-70C instead of 50C-60C will not thermal throttle them at all and will not reduce their life span to the point you'll need to replace them before they're completely irrelevant. As a hobby, it is fun. But for most people, performance matters most.

[@keezoux1272]

Kindly do more videos on custom cooling, need more guides on choosing pipes/tubes and the different materials they're made from, fittings, coolant, rads ... etc

[@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.

[@Zebb_Jr]

Might have a project to do in the next year or so.

[@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.

[@__dudewitagun__4607]

Jayz tow cents is an excellent teacher

[@cryptedvick]

Went with an AIO for my 13900ks and it can cool 330w. Its awesome and little maintenance is a big win for me