We are in that time when we want to push the walls in everything. We want the games to perform better and the CPU to deliver more. The result is that they end up losing control as regards temperature.
As a result of this, CPU coolers are becoming more popular than ever. Interestingly, there was a time when almost any cooler, including air CPU coolers would do the job. But now, unless you are able to get the best AIO water cooler, you will hardly have much control.
That is not to suggest that the air CPU coolers are not good because if you are able to get the best, it should serve you quite well. However, water coolers are better and that is in fact why they are more expensive.
Among the things that make the best AIO water coolers are the cooling or thermal performance, fitness, ease of use, and general good features.
Here are the Best AIO Water Coolers
Thermaltake Water 3.0 AIO Water Cooler
Although they perform much better than air coolers, some people still prefer air over water coolers. This is mostly because of how much care the water CPU coolers need and how easily they damage stuff when they leak.
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The Thermaltake Water 3.0 is designed in such a way that the care will not be as intense as it usually is with other liquid CPU coolers, so there is hardly much to fear about leakage.
For its design, there is hardly much to brag about. Probably, it sacrificed all beauty for quality because that is what it has.
The closed loop cooling system has a rather large 360mm radiator that may not fit into some cases. Of course, with the radiator, the cooling performance is better than what is easily obtainable. This is because the larger the radiator, the better the cooling performance.
You may need to sacrifice silent performance for better performance even though it is not enough to disturb your gaming.
Pros
- Easy to install and maintain
- Exceptional cooling performance
- It is a well-built cooler
Cons
- Not the best software
- Not the most noiseless on the list
Verdict
If you are afraid you will not be able to properly take care of a liquid cooling system, this is the one for you. It has a very good cooling performance, even as it is not the most noiseless. Most importantly, you will need to have a large case for this.
Corsair Hydro Series H100i GTX Water CPU Cooler
Corsair is one of the biggest when it comes to CPU coolers. It has brought out many that have given the entire market a very good run for their money.
With the H100i GTX, we were hit with a liquid cooler that stands on the authority of everything Corsair stands for. This is most especially because it is strong, beautiful, and highly performing.
It has a radiator that has a 276 mm. Because of that, it will easily fit into most cases.
As regards the thermal performance, it returns very surprising because we knew it would deliver, but not as much as it did. The noise performance goes at 37.7 dB (A) which can be a little noisy for some. The good news here is that you can easily have it adjusted.
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Finally, there is a touch of beauty to this with the led light that is strapped to it. There is also convenience, since it comes with a software that can aid in controlling the lighting, fan speed, and the pump.
Pros
- Top notch cooling performance
- Very useful software (Corsair Link)
- The build is very good in both beauty and quality
- It is very easy to install and use
Cons
- Not exactly cheap
- A little noisy
Verdict
The GTX 100i is a very good piece that is easy to recommend for someone looking for a cooler that larger than many others in performance. The price may as well be larger than some, but it is complete in many ways, just as it easily fits into most cases.
NZXT Kraken X62 AIO Water CPU Cooler
The darling for many before the birth of this strong and all going cooler is definitely the X61 which I don’t think has lost the market, and it may still hold on for some time to come.
Coming to take the place of the X61 is the X62 which you will still find people arguing that it doesn’t add anything significant, but trust me, it does. And I am not talking about the LED lighting it comes with.
The performance is effortless and you can easily tune it higher or lower as you may prefer. It doesn’t matter the level of performance you push to get from this, there is still that silence that you can easily appreciate.
For convenience and durability, the tubing is long and rubberized to ensure a better fit on one hand, and durability on the other.
One interesting thing with the cooler is that it pulls something from most other NZXT Cooler fans.
Pros
- Excellent cooling performance
- There is hardly any noticeable noise
- It has a warranty of 6 years
- Come with better compatibility than most others
Cons
- Definitely not the cheapest on the list
Verdict
Obviously, this is a cooler that outruns many others when it comes to performance. The thing though is that the price is a thing that some will grapple with. However, if your pocket is strong enough to handle it, there is no reason why this shouldn’t be a part of your gaming system.
DeepCool CAPTAIN 120 EX CPU Cooler
The DeepCool Captain has managed to capture a generous chunk of the CPU cooler market with products that are aesthetically satisfying, complete in performance, and tempting in prices.
With the DeepCool CAPTAIN 120 EX, it doesn’t seem like it’s time to roll the mat off. Coming with a single 120mm hydro-bearing fan, the cooler runs at 1800RPM.
Looking at this, there is serious effort to ensure that it performs very good. For example, it comes with a large pump that functions to get off as much heat from the CPU as possible and allow for the heat to be dissipated to the radiator.
In addition to doing a good job with heat control, the cooler also has a very silent performance with deep cool placed at 8 dBA quieter than the one it has come to take over from.
The foot dragging comes when you look at the fact that it only has a fan. This means that it is not the pick when you want to get it very heavy always.
For fitness and compatibility, it is compact and therefore fitness is hardly a problem for it. It is compatible with most AMD and Intel motherboards.
Pros
- Almost noiseless
- Very good cooling performance
- Has a very intelligent design and easy installation
- It has a broad compatibility
- Very valuable cooler
Cons
- Not the best for heavy gaming
- Only 3 years warranty even though you get up to five years with some others.
Verdict
Without any exaggeration, this cooler outruns many others when it comes to cooling performance and silence. More so, because it is very compact, you can get it to fit into almost any case there is out there.
Corsair Hydro Series High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H60
The Corsair H60 is a good one to go with if you are looking for something on the budget side or something that is compact enough to go with most cases.
The closed-loop CPU cooler with kits that are already assembled, is designed with a fan speed of 2000 RPM, and a 34.2 dB-A sound level at maximum speed.
To improve on its cooling performance, it has a copper cold plate which obviously performs better in transferring heat.
The major problem with water CPU coolers is that they can leak and destroy your entire gaming computer. That is very limited with this because it comes with a sturdy rubber tube that is flexible.
When it comes to compatibility, the H60 has a wide compatibility including with LGA 1150, LGA 1155, LGA 1156, AM2, AM3, FM1 and FM2.
Apart from its wide compatibility, the cooler is simple to use, compact, and very good when it comes to cool and silent performance.
Pros
- Great when it comes to cooling performance
- Good tube that will ensure you don’t get leakage.
- Has little noise
- Easy to install
- It comes with a 5-year warranty
Cons
- May not beat many more expensive ones in the market.
- The tube may be a little large
Verdict
Although this is a good piece, it is not the best to go for, unless you are on a budget because it only comes with a single fan. That said, it is a good one when it comes to low noise and great cooling performance for its price.
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer 240 Water CPU Cooler
Most people who have been on the pace of history regarding Arctic know that in its earliest days, the company produced coolers that were on one hand very quiet and yet on another not the most noiseless.
Soon the shadow of competition began enveloping it and this forced a very surprising adjustment and today, if you are looking for the best AIO water cooler, it may be from the company since they are still good at keeping it cool and silent.
That is the same thing with the Freezer 240. It is a cooler that is designed very neatly in looks and even better in performance and value.
Using four fans, it is very hard for a cooler not to perform, most especially when it is kitted with good radiator for heat dissipation and good tubing.
The silence is emphasized due to the fact that even at a low speed, you will still get great cooling performance. Even when the speed is high, the noise is still considerably low.
With a 38mm radiator, the cooler may be too large to fit into some cases.
Pros
- Excellent cooling performance
- Doesn’t make noise to announce its work
- It is a very valuable cooler
- Installation is very easy
- Good tube
Cons
- May not fit every case
Verdict
If you are looking for a cooler that doesn’t make noise to announce its great cooling performance, this may be it. We will recommend this for someone who has his eyes set on value to complement the performance.
View on NeweggConclusion
Much more than getting the best AIO water cooler is getting one that will be able to fit your case and deliver to your gaming needs.
Most gamers would prefer a liquid cooler over the air one because it provides superior cooling on one hand, and is able to handle more load on the other. What this means is that it allows for better overclocking.
Even though it is more expensive and could lead to CPU damage if it leaks. Leakage mostly happens when you do not get the best cooler possible, or if you are unable to properly maintain it.
Sources:
The Do’s and Don’ts of Water Cooling
Your Guide to Understanding CPU Fan and Heatsink Compatibility
