ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR WATER
COOLED GAMING PC
If you want to become the top dog in the world of PC gaming, acquiring a top of the line CPU or GPU is mission critical to achieve that status. When you do get your hands on the latest processing super-chips, the first question thereafter will be that of efficient cooling. You may wonder about the most efficient cooling solution for the power hungry Geforce RTX 3080 or blazing-hot AMD Ryzen CPU. You will also want to know exactly how to ensure the best gaming FPS over the course of a long session. If you are driven to game at peak performance, standard fans are never going to cut it. You need to give your machine the necessary accessories to perform best under heavy load.
There are two primary options in the liquid cooling accessories space, custom loops or all in one (AIO) solutions. Typically, AIO liquid-cooling solutions are used if you intend to cool your CPU to the core, which requires the most cooling by far. Custom loops can be cost prohibitive (especially with RGB), but they do offer a wide range of customization options across items like radiators, tubing, fittings, and reservoirs.
Making the switch to a liquid-cooling solution ensures that you achieve the best frame rates (FPS) in games while also offering a reduction in noise experienced from your system – a typical issue with air cooling fans. In addition to increased gaming performance and noise reduction, liquid cooling also markedly impacts your gaming PCs core aesthetics. With Allied Gaming’s available liquid cooling solutions, we have proven two things: first, liquid cooling should be a work of art and second, there is no such thing as too much RGB!
Radiator choice is important in your gaming PC for a few reasons. For one, there exist vast pricing differences between different brands. It is important to get the best value for each dollar spent, so we will keep that in mind while offering our guidance and recommendations. Single fan radiators (120mm) will deliver adequate cooling for mid-range gaming CPUs without costing an arm and a leg. The larger radiator sizes are ideal for high end gaming CPUs seeking max FPS with high-end components like the Intel Core i7 10700K or the Ryzen 7 3700X. Taming these beasts of CPUs, whether Intel Core or AMD Ryzen, is made easy with a medium-to-large radiator and this setup also allows you to overclock your components to get even more power out of these already quick parts.
Another critical consideration when choosing the right radiator is it’s case compatibility. Imagine the hassle involved with installing your own AIO liquid cooling system when the radiator wont even fit in your case! Be forewarned, if you intend to mount a massive 360mm radiator in your machine, you’d better make sure that your case has considerable clearance beforehand. Be sure to look into the exact dimensions of your case to determine if there is room for the cooler you’re looking for. The most common sizes for liquid cooling radiators are 120mm, 240mm, and 360mm. For more customization, Allied offers slim and thick products in the above-mentioned sizes to accommodate case clearances or to increase gaming performance with the same thickness and different length.
A final concern is perhaps the most important: the aesthetic experience. There is almost nothing more important to a gamer than their rig’s look. A beautiful system makes a happy gamer – and a happy gamer is ready to play their best. One of the core attributes that separates the bland from the beautiful is something we like to call RGB lighting. If you aren’t aware, be sure to check out the various pictures around this article and you’ll know exactly why this is important. Our PC design team offers one piece of invaluable advice: be sure to look into your case’s info to determine if there is RGB compatibility. Without this compatibility, your liquid-cooled rig will be doomed to a life of eternal darkness…
Here at Allied Gaming, our Ice Cube AIO collection comes in any form you’ll need: 120mm RGB, 240mm RGB, or 360mm RGB to ensure that all of our builds, no matter the components, are properly cooled and RGB ready for a peak gaming experience. Avoid the hassle involved with liquid cooling systems and join the RGB family with any one of Allied’s Ice Cube AIO coolers, available in all of our built-for-you systems.
There are a number of all in one water cooling systems that Allied offers at affordable price points that are proven reliable when gaming. The Ice Cube all in one system includes a closed loop design and is most commonly used for CPU cooling requirements. The Ice Cube’s AIO cooler pump is an integral part of it’s CPU block. On our products, the CPU block actually contains an LCD screen that can be fully customized with RGB, allowing gamers to display their favorite colors and RGB sequences with the fully capable Allied Remote Control. Our coolers include fully adjustable mounting brackets to support both Intel and AMD Ryzen CPUs. The range of Allied AIO cooling solutions can be purchased between $100 and $150 which will allow you to get a 240mm (the most common size) at an unbeatable price. All of our products include total customization with RGB lighting and different radiator options depending on what best suits your gaming needs.
Delving into the core of custom cooling hardware for gaming PCs can seem like a daunting task at first, but once you understand how heat transfer and loop design works it is quite simple. You don’t need to be an expert on performance gaming PCs, fans or water cooling configurations – that’s what we are here for! There are a number of tools and resources to help you choose the right products located around our site. As an industry leader in gaming PC liquid components, our Ice Cube water blocks offer a custom loop solution that automatically takes the compatibility and heat output of your components to provide a selection of complete loops based on your needs. Our products ensure that the liquid capacity of entire loop with the number of fittings required is correct; the heat load of your PCs system at max load is minimized; the max flow rate of your PCs custom liquid cooling loop is optimized; and your system’s noise at load is reduced. The components that comprise our Ice Cube custom liquid loops include: radiators, tubing, fittings, reservoir, pump, CPU water block, and even motherboard mounts. Say goodbye to those outdated and noisy fans!
RESERVOIRS AND PUMPS
Reservoirs in your liquid-cooled PC are used to fill and empty the coolant liquid from the loop as well as to remove air bubbles as the loop circulates for the first time. This second point is critical as air bubbles can impede cooling efficiency and impact the PC sound profile of your loop. Depending on the size or volume of the loop, a correspondingly high powered coolant pump needs to be used to ensure that the coolant liquid in the loop travels completely through your loop at an adequate pace to dissipate heat contained within. Planning out the placement of the reservoir and pump is important to make filling and draining of the loop easy and safe, which is why our design team has engineered dedicated fill and drain ports to allow easy access when coolant or component changes must be made. Allied’s Ice Cube Reservoirs come in a range of sizes and shapes to enable ultimate customization on your PC build.
WATER BLOCKS
Water blocks are the most important component in a liquid-cooling solution to consider. Water block design plays a pivotal role in the heat transfer from your gaming PC CPU and GPU, so our water blocks contain an array of micro fins and water flow control channels designed to cool components most efficiently. Researching the best performing water block for your particular CPU (Intel or Ryzen), will ensure you get your gaming PCs best performance. One important element to consider when choosing your gaming PCs water blocks and radiators is the metal that is used in them as mixing metal types like copper and nickel with aluminum can cause galvanic corrosion over time. Luckily for you, all of this planning is done ahead of time by our design team to ensure that no issues arise over the course of heavy gaming use.
Whether you decide to go with Allied’s Ice Cube AIO on your current rig or intend to get a fully built, tested and proven Allied rig, we strive to lower the burden on not only your components, but also your wallet. The entire team here at Allied aim to bring the highest quality gaming experience at the best possible prices, because we believe that high FPS gaming is a right and not a privilege. We sincerely hope that you have learned something in this brief overview and encourage you to browse the available liquid-cooling and custom PC options in our shop. Thanks for reading, and as always, Game as One!
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