icue h150i elite lcd display liquid cpu cooler release date factory

FeaturesA premium all-in-one CPU cooler that combines powerful, low-noise cooling and vibrant RGB lighting with a personalized LCD display, offering custom graphics to accent your system"s aesthetics and track its real-time performance at a glance.

Showcase your live CPU temperature, favorite animated GIF, funniest meme, your team"s logo, or anything you like on a custom 2.1" IPS LCD screen with 480x480 resolution, ultra-bright 600cd/m2 backlight, 24-bit true color depth, and over 16.7 million colors.

A high-performance pump head provides powerful, low-noise cooling for your CPU, with a ring of 24 individually addressable RGB LEDs encircling the screen for even more vibrant lighting effects.

Three all-new 120mm CORSAIR ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans with eight RGB LEDs per fan and AirGuide technology channel airflow for extreme CPU cooling performance.

CORSAIR iCUE software enables you to switch between a variety of display options such as fan speeds, CPU temps, images and GIFs, and more, adjust fan and pump speeds, and control and synchronize RGB lighting with all iCUE-compatible devices.

2. I/We hereby certify that my/our registration certificate under the TNGST Act 1959 is in force on the date on which the sale of the goods specified in this Bill / Cash memo / Invoice has been affected by me / us in the regular course of my/our business.

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Released just in time for the launch of Intel’s 12th generation CPUs, Corsair’s H150i Elite LCD cooler is the first to come with the fixings for the new LGA Socket 1700.

Compatible with both Intel and AMD CPUs, Corsair’s new cooler is a big beasty. With three 120mm fans and a radiator almost 400mm long it takes up plenty of real estate in your case. It’s so big that I took the plunge and upgraded the test rig case to a Corsair 7000D Airflow with an almost cathedral-like interior space. But if you want to maximise your CPU cooling without going for a bespoke water-cooling solution one of these 360mm AIO coolers are your best bet.

The debate still rages as to which method of consumer CPU cooling is best (ignoring enthusiasts’ water-cooled loops). Some still say that air-cooled is best, I’d tend to agree when up against a 2x120mm AIO. But when you start looking at three 120mm fans and the radiator to match, the line starts to blur.

For starters, an AIO cooler looks tidier in the case than a thumping great lump sitting on the motherboard. Aesthetics aside, the water block/pump unit sits comparatively flush over the CPU and generally allows for better airflow through the case. It could also be argued that an AIO water block puts the motherboard under less stress, not having a large heatsink and fan hanging off it.

The Corsair H150i Elite LCD is essentially the same tried and tested design at their H150i Elite Capellix liquid CPU cooler. They are so similar that the Capellix Socket 1700 upgrade kit fit the H150i Elite LCD review sample that was shipped to me without the standoffs for the new Intel 12th generation Core CPUs.

Opening the box and you are confronted with the huge radiator and RGB water block connected by two 380mm flexible hoses. There’s also a mess of cables, the Commander CORE RGB & PWM Fan Controller, and the three ML120 RGB ELITE PWM fans.

Fortunately, there are plenty of videos, including those on Corsair’s YouTube channel showing how to install the cooler. There’s a quick start guide that can be downloaded from the Corsair website. Also, once you’ve unpacked the box, the components look a lot less overwhelming.

Probably the most important thing to bear in mind with this cooler is the size of the radiator and how you are going to accommodate it. If you have a cute little case or even a moderately-sized mini tower with a stack of hard drives plus a DVD drive, you may be in trouble.

Most cases state that they are compatible with 360mm AIO coolers. Be mindful that the 360mm refers to the 3x120mm fans, and that the H150i radiator is actually 397mm long. The radiator itself is 27mm thick with another 25mm for the fans. You may find yourself having to clear out your hard drive cages and removing your DVD drive to fit it all in.

The radiator comes with long flexible water pipes so it can be mounted at the front or top of even the largest cases. If you have a small case that can accommodate the radiator and fan, the pipes will bend nicely to fit your build as well.

The LCD is a separate unit, clipped onto the water block. This means that it can be removed and placed out of the way during installation. Also, if it develops a fault, it can be easily replaced.

The fans have two connectors, one a PWM for fan speed and the other for the RGB lighting. These are plugged into the Commander CORE RGB & PWM Fan Controller, which in turn is connected to a SATA power socket and a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard. The pump is also connected to the Commander Core as well as a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard. If you’ve only one USB 2.0 socket on your board, the kit comes with a Y-splitter. There’s also a tacho cable that needs to be connected to the CPU_Fan header on the motherboard.

There’s a lot of cabling, but when you break it down it’s not that complex. The hardest part is finding the best place to locate the Commander Core unit. The location is important, as the controller has the capacity for up to six RGB fans, so you can add more to your case at a later date if you desire.

The Corsair H150i Elite LCD uses Corsair’s universal iCue software for both RGB and LCD control, as well as system monitoring. The iCue software is free and downloadable from the Corsair website. The software also integrates with some other vendors’ equipment allowing synchronisation of RGB lighting displays. My Asus TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WIFI motherboard uses Asus’s proprietary Asus Aura RGB system, of which there is a plugin for enabling it to work with Corsair’s iCue software.

The iCue software has a dashboard displaying temperatures and fan speeds of all the PC’s main components, the CPU, GPU, and, of course, the cooler, itself. The software also allows fan speeds to be adjusted using either one of the default settings: quiet, balanced, extreme, zero, or variable. Alerts can be triggered if the coolant temperature gets hot, triggering RGB LEDs, fan speed and even a PC shutdown should the temperature cross a threshold.

There are many preconfigured RGB lighting designs that can be customised to taste. All the RGB components can be controlled by a single scene setting, synchronising them together, or set individually. The H150i Elite LCD screen can also be customised within the iCue software.

The display can be set to show data from one or two of the many sensors in the PC, such as coolant temperature, CPU package temperatures, GPU temperatures, and CPU load. There’s even a clock. There are a few preset screen displays that can be changed with the click of a button.

The LCD screen can also be customised with an animated gif, either from one of the included files or one of your own. I set up an Xbox gif with a pulsating green RGB display, jokingly branding my PC with Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem.

With the fans set to balanced and the pump set to extreme, the Intel Core i9-12900K CPU package temperature idled at about 30 degrees. This was with a light overclock afforded by the TUF Gaming motherboard’s one-touch AI overclock function. Under 100% load, the CPU maxed out at 86 degrees but averaged about 76 degrees.

The Corsair ML120 RGB Elite fans run from 450 RPM to 2000 RPM and have an airflow of betweeen 14.86-58.10 CFM. Corsair states that each fan has a sound level of 10-30.4 dBA.  The fans during normal use are inaudible when set to balanced. Under load, they are a little bit louder. Set to the extreme setting, the fans are pretty loud, but I’ve heard louder.

Corsair H150i Elite LCD is the ultimate all-in-one cooler. There are bigger AIO coolers, but you’d be hard pushed to find a case larger enough to accommodate one. As a self-contained alternative to messing about with a bespoke liquid-cooling solution, you’ll likely not be able to do much better. What initially appears to be a confusing box of components turns out to be very easy to install, if you have the right case.

The CPU temperatures are kept in check and the fans are not too loud. The customisable RGB lighting sets things off nicely and the LCD screen on the water block adds something special to your PC build. All in all, the Corsair H150i Elite LCD is an easily recommended and very fancy cooling solution for AMD and Intel CPUs.

Corsair has swayed us from thinking its coolers were not up to snuff with the release of the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix! Not only is it a strong performer, it is the most feature rich AIO we have seen to date! Even with the higher asking price, we still feel it is well worth considering!

Roughly a month ago, we were invited to a meeting with the Corsair team, where we were told of a new chassis, a new keyboard, and the latest CPU liquid cooler to come from their lab. As for the CPU cooler, we were told bluntly that the newest liquid cooler is an aesthetic play, where performance is supposed to be similar to the previous model, where a ton of Capellix RGB LEDs were added, backed with a newer version of iCUE, with many more new options available to users. That being said, when it was explained to us, we were not very excited. Still, then again, with a new CPU cooler test system in play, the Hydro Series of Corsair coolers may be able to impress rather than performing average at best!

Let"s imagine that we know nothing but what we were shown in the meeting. What about this product will draw you towards it versus something more affordable, or grabbing a sealed loop CPU cooler from another manufacturer? Corsair would like us to say that the new high-performance RGB pump head is a good reason, but the thirty-three Capellix LEDs inside of it will attract many!

Instead of fans connecting directly to the pump, we now get an iCUE Commander Core, which not only offers fan and pump speed control but also RGB control for both the pump as well as the eight RGB LEDs in each of the ML120 Series fans that ship in the box. Corsair claims extreme performance, a Zero RPM mode, split flow copper cold plate, a low-noise centrifugal pump, various sized radiators in the series, and is easy to install.

However, what you are about to see is a real game-changer in our minds! Of course, or experience with Corsair AIOs has all been had by cooling Intel processors over the years, but if a cooler can get near the top of our charts, it matters none what it is cooling! With that in mind, be prepared to have your mind blown, not just with the aesthetic changes afoot, but also with the thermal performance and capable of handling business without a ton of noise involved in most scenarios! Without further ado, we bring to you the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix, which is the best AIO from Corsair we have seen to date!

The specifications we have were taken from the reviewer"s guide, and it covers most of what you will need to know. We are now dealing with the CW-9060048-WW as the model number to the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix cooler, which boasts of low noise emanating from the pump, where Corsair says it is less than 20 dB(A), measured from a meter away. As Corsair calls it, the pump harness is to take software settings and apply it to the three PWM fans included in the box.

The pump"s head is backed with multi-zone Capellix LEDs, thirty-three in total, with twenty-one zones of control! The cold plate at the bottom is made of copper and is 65mm square. What is not shown is the 61.5mm of the head unit, which applies to both width and depth, where the overall height is roughly 44mm tall, taller than any other Corsair pump head we have seen to date!

With a quick mention of iCUE support for the entire system, we move into the fan specifications. In our box is a trio of ML 120 PWM RGB fans, which are 120mm in diameter and 25mm thick, spinning on a magnetic levitation bearing. Each fan has eight RGB LEDs in the hub, which floods the blades and frame with RGB illumination. The range of speed starts at zero, since there is a zero-fan mode in iCUE, but can top out at 2400 RPM. At full speed, the ML120 sports an astounding 4.2 mmH2O of static pressure, but can also get into the 36 dB(A) range while doing so!

Support for the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix covers all of the current processors! AM4, sTR4, and sTRX4 are supported out of the box for AMD, while on the Intel side, there are 115X, 1200, and 2011(V3)/2066 support. The last bit in the chart covers the five-year warranty.

What is not shown is the cost! Even here, there is a tad bit of confusion. In the guide, we are told that the MSRP was set at $179.99, which is already top of the range for a 360mm radiator based AIO. However, since this is not available outside of Corsair, we went to them to verify the cost, see that the MSRP there is set to $189.99, and is currently the only place to buy this cooler. In the grand scheme of things, while pricey in general, $10 will not break the deal for those who desire the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix liquid cooler!

As far as packaging is concerned, the front of the box is full of high-end looks. While using black as the backdrop, the triangular-shaped pattern is a nice touch t5o dress things up. Along with the company name and logo at the top is a large image of the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix in all of its RGB illuminated goodness! We also can see that this is an extreme performance cooler, with iCUE support and many Capellix RGB LEDs included.

Both of the smaller panels of the packaging are identical. Sadly, no new information is available, as we again see the company name and logo, a much smaller image of the cooler, and its name and purpose.

The second longer side panel of the box keeps with the yellow backdrop, but this time is used to display the socket compatibility at the furthest left edge. While the bulk of the panel is blank, we find what is included in the box to the right, with company information, a notation of the warranty, and the product sticker with the model and serial numbers.

The back of the box goes back to black, this time with an image of the cooler, followed by smaller images, and a pair containing radiator measurements. Further to the right is a very condensed specifications list, while the bottom of the panel is used to highlight five features included in this cooler.

Upon opening the box, we found the cooler wrapping around the outside, as expected, but we also noticed there are many more goodies inside the box than we used to get! To keep the cooler in as good of shape as ours arrived in, there is a compartmentalized cardboard inner packaging. On top of that, each part is contained in a plastic bag of one form or another, to ensure nothing rubs against another part in transport to your door!

The head unit"s wiring is a fat cable that terminates into a 22-pin connector, where only twelve pins are used. The thicker cable is twenty-four inches long, where the 3-pin fan connection used for RPM sensing is twelve inches in length. Keep in mind, using this setup will send the motherboard into an error mode, as it does not see a CPU cooler connected. You will need to disable monitoring to bypass the issue long term.

Since we use MX-4 on all coolers, we removed the factory-applied paste to expose the cooler"s base. In doing so, we see the lines form the machining process, and the cold plate is slightly convex. We also noticed no "special" screws to keep you out of the head unit, although there is no real reason to remove the cold plate, at least not until the warranty is up!

On both sides of the radiator, Corsair tags them to ensure that, at a glance, it is easy to see who made the cooler. This is done with a chromed applique placed dead center of the length of the radiator. No matter how or where this AIO is installed, this logo will be visible.

As we start to pull out the hardware from the box, we first ran into the twenty-four long fan screws, the four knurled nuts to mount the cooler, twelve short fan screws to mount the radiator, and a set of twenty-four washers to use with either set of screws, depending on how it is mounted into the chassis.

Corsair also takes care of AMD users with a pair of bracket setups to get the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix mounted. On the left is the pair of brackets that lock into the head unit and the tabs that lock to the factory AM4 socket hardware. For those pondering this cooler on a ThreadRipper based system, we find that hardware to the right in this image.

We have the iCUE Commander Core hub, which allows the head unit to connect to the right edge via the 22-pin connector, but it also sports six channels for RGB control and another six channels for fan control. On the left end is a 2-pin connection for temperature reading, and is also where the power and USB leads stem from.

The iCUE Commander Core has the 9-pin USB 2.0 cable for communications with the rest of the system and a SATA power connector. To attach the Core to the chassis, once the location for connectivity is established, you are offered a pair of double-sided foam tape to securely mount the iCUE Commander Core to any material inside of the chassis.

The manual everything inside of it that one might need to know. There is a parts list explaining what is needed where, followed by mounting instructions for each socket type. Beyond that, there is also a wiring guide to ensure the system is connected properly to the iCUE Commander Core, and again, it is connected properly to the system it cools. Corsair left very little to the imagination here! The warranty guide covers all of the dos and don"ts for the cooler and a list of what is covered by Corsair, and for five years from the date of purchase.

We are also shown to leave the factory top brackets in place with the AM4 installation of the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix. Since the hardware uses the loops at the head unit"s top and bottom, they need to mount to the factory tabs to secure it to the CPU HIS.

To give you a sense of this new head unit"s height, we did take a peek of it from over the top of the RAM. Where many will sit roughly at the halfway point where the separation line is seen, the Elite Capellix version needs more room for all of that lighting, so overall height is much taller than we are used to, but a non-issue in a standard installation.

With everything installed the way we want it to be, we see that there is a lot of radiator across the top of our test bench, plenty of tubing to make a gentle bend to the CPU, and we love the clear cap on top of the Capellix RGB LED diffuser plate. We will see much more of the LEDs with this cover than the logo and thin ring of the default cover! We also like the new cabling, and that it comes from the top of the head unit, which cleans up the wiring considerably compared to older setups!

Just so that you have a generic idea of the capabilities of the RGB lighting the Capellix RGB LEDs offer, we snapped this image from the default settings, without software involved at this point. The lighting defaults to an RGB Rainbow, both in the fan hubs and at the top of the head unit. In obtaining this image, we noticed the fan startup is delayed a bit. As it attempts to complete the POST process, our LEDs turned red to signify an issue, which is based on the fact that there is no CPU fan connected as far as the motherboard sensing is concerned.

After downloading and installing the latest iCUE software, we opened it to expose the newest additions in the Home tab of it. Not only do we see the H150i Elite Capellix listed as a controllable device, but this is the first time we have seen that now iCUE recognizes and can control the ASUS motherboard and GPOU we have installed so that all of the RGB lighting can be synced with a single software suite. This is a huge plus for any Corsair user, as it eliminates software conflicts and is finally a one-stop-shop for all things RGB LED in your system!

By clicking on the H150i icon from the previous image, we are dumped into the cooler"s controls. More specifically, as it sits, this is where you can go with the default profile and start changing things, or you can leave the default profile alone, and by clicking on the "+," you can add as many custom profiles to change as desired. To the right, we can see the fans and pump speeds and them being set to QUIET mode out of the box. There is a live view of the RGB head unit display, and to the right is the coolant temperature inside the loop.

Our notifications tab was blank at this time, so we moved on to the settings tab at the top of the main menu. Doing so allows us to control the brightness of the LEDs, limit the software control, check for firmware updates, and run a port detection to verify that the Commander Core is connected to the H150i Elite Capellix. At the bottom, one can change the language, change the thermal scale, restart iCUE, enable options, log, clear logs, and even check for software updates.

To see our testing methodology and to find out what goes into making our charts, please refer to our 2020 CPU Cooler Testing and Methodology article for more information.

With quiet mode enabled in iCUE, the H150i Elite Capellix falls into tenth place overall with a 60.9-degree average of the package and a peak temperature of 62-degrees. In balanced mode, the H150i Elite Capellix jumps to fourth place with a temperature of 58.7-degrees, tying the CNPS20X, and peaking-out at 60-degrees. The last option, extreme, while running the CPU at stock, delivered the first-place result with temperatures at 54.1-degrees, with a max temperature of 60-degrees here.

With our all-core overclock applied, quiet mode falls further down the list to 69.2-degrees, with a spike at 79-degrees. Enabling balanced mode takes the H150i Elite Capellix into fourth place again, with a 63.6-degree result, while the max temperature is 74-degrees now. Extreme mode tops the chart once again with a 60.7-degree result, tying the Galahad, with the peak temperature being 71-degrees this time.

Many of the previous solutions from Corsair to hit our lab for testing have floundered in thermal results, leaving us with little choice but to remove points from the awards with a heavy hand. However, with what we have seen with the H150i Elite Capellix, with chart-topping results in extreme mode, and top-five finishes in balanced mode, sways our perspective of what to expect when it comes to the new Corsair sealed AIOs! So much comes in the box, which you are left wanting nothing when it is all installed and ready to run!

Mounting the cooler is as easy as any other; we love the length of all of the leads from the various components, which makes the installation of the cooler and the Commander Core possible in as many instances as possible while being able to hide everything but the shortest of runs to wire management holes. We also love swap covers on the head unit, taking what looks damn nice with the black cover, to "OMG that"s a ton of RGB" with the clear cover installed!

We love that Corsair can take on many of the prominent coolers without the need to go past balanced mode, which keeps the noise levels as low as possible. If not for the sheer amount of light from the fifty-seven total RGB LEDs in this system, one might forget there is such a beastly cooler in the system at all! For those looking for the best results possible, opting for the extreme mode is more than enough, with less than two-degrees left on the table, and without the need for earplugs at that insane 70 dB rating, we got running the fans at full speed! We will admit, Corsair has delivered the complete package when it comes to what our H150i Elite Capellix cooler has to offer.

To make it even better, the depth of control and all of the options at hand using iCUE is astounding. What makes it a step above is the inclusion of motherboard and GPU lighting control! Anything RGB can be controlled with iCUE, so you no longer have to mess with multiple software suites, and there is the fact that the flow of colors in certain modes is synced so much better than was possible for us before Corsair stepped up their game!

There is no way of wording things to lighten the fact that this AIO is nearly $200, but if you are willing to fork out the cash to the tune of $189.99, we feel you are getting one of the best performing sealed loop systems on the market, with by far, the best feature set available on the market today! Part of that cost is buying into the Corsair environment of iCUE, but even there, they upped the ante and have added value that may not be apparent at first glance.

If not for the inclusion of a plastic wrench for removal and installation of the optional pump covers and extreme pricing, we would be giving Corsair a perfect score for their effort in designing and producing one of the best CPU coolers on the market in this iCUE H150i Elite Capellix Extreme Performance 360mm RGB Liquid CPU Cooler. For those in need of something new, we strongly urge you to look at these new AIOs!

*If you are a Micro Center Insider or if you have provided us with validated contact information (name, address, email address), you won’t even need your receipt.

Computers are some of the most flexible, powerful devices in the world, but that power can come at a cost. Running the most powerful components (or overclocking those parts) can cause them to run hot, which can lead to hardware throttling and even failure. While PC fans have been a go-to for a long time, water coolers (and other liquid coolers) are vastly more efficient.

Thankfully, you don"t have to be a professional to get a cool (pun intended) rig these days, thanks to the availability of all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers. These cooling units are self-contained, meaning you don’t have to worry about spilling water on your expensive gaming PC components, and they are incredibly easy to install. As an added bonus, they are usually far quieter and take up less room than air cooling components (making them perfect for mini ITX cases). Read on to find our list of the best liquid CPU coolers.

This 240mm cooler comes with socket support for the latest AMD and Intel processors, including AMD’s Threadripper processors. Pulling heat away from your CPU with a copper cold plate, it pumps liquid into a 240mm radiator fitted with two Corsair ML Series 120mm fans. It runs quietly and efficiently when your CPU is running cool, and it tops out at 37dBA when running at maximum (75CFM).

Managing the AIO cooler is also simple. You can control fan and pump speeds from within Corsair’s iCUE software right on your PC, and monitor CPU temperature to make sure your settings are giving you optimal performance. If visual flair is also your thing, the pump has 16 RGB LEDs on the head, and you can manage each light with the iCUE software, too. Corsair is a well-known and respected brand, and there is a reason for that. This is a high-quality liquid cooler, which is why it gets our top spot.

If you’re looking for a powerful way to cool down your computer at an affordable price, Lian Li Galahad GA-240A is the way to do it. This AIO cooler comes in under $120 but has a sizable 240mm radiator and dual 120mm fans. Those fans generate 2.6 mmH2O of air pressure and 69.17 CFM of airflow, ensuring ample air movement throughout your PC while remaining quiet.

The fans and the water pump housing of Lian Li Galahad GA-240A feature 47 addressable RGB lights to keep your system glowing. It’s also easy to switch between the 17 different lighting effects thanks to a handy little controller. Beyond that, the kit includes thermal paste and ensures compatibility with most major CPU sockets, meaning you’ll have everything you need to get up and running.

Looking for an all-in-one liquid cooler with a 240mm radiator, wide compatibility, RGB options, and a bargain price? The DeepCool LS520 is the one for you. It has a big radiator with two fans designed for higher static pressure and a strong, concentrated airflow. And the water pump has a powerful three-phase drive motor and great coolant flow. This cooler even manages to keep everything running quietly, as the pump noise only reaches 19 dB

Beyond the DeepCool LS520’s cooling prowess, you get adjustable RGB lighting on those fans, and the water pump features an infinity mirror to make its lights really shine. Motherboard connectivity even allows you to link and sync it with your existing RGB setup. And if you’re worried about the cooler working with your CPU, it complements a variety of builds thanks to its extensive socket compatibility, including LGA1700, AM5, and sTR4.

The NZXT Kraken X53 is the successor to our longtime favorite NZXT Kraken X52 that features some major improvements to look better and cool more efficiently. (We"ve seen this cooler easily keep an Intel Core i7-9700K running at full tilt, well under 50-degrees Celsius.) It’s available in 120mm, 240mm, and 360mm.

However, the real star of the show is the beautifully designed water block, which features a full-color 2.1-inch LCD screen that displays system vitals or personalized animations. Its fans also offer flashy adjustable RGB LED rings that’ll shine through your PC case. And you’ll be good to use the EVGA CLCx with almost any build thanks to its socket compatibility, including LGA 1700, LGA1200, AM5, and AM4.

If you need the biggest, most powerful liquid cooling unit, look no further. The Corsair iCUE H150i Elite LCD has a large, 360mm radiator to handle the hottest CPUs and the highest overclock speeds. The Corsair ML RGB Elite fans can adjust to higher or lower levels, according to the moment’s cooling needs.

As far as lighting, the fans’ RGB lighting can also be adjusted with Corsair’s iCUE software, but the unit really raises the bar with the pump’s 2.1-inch IPS LCD display. It has 8-bit color depth for millions of color options. The display can show visual effects, and even GIFs or memes, all at 30fps (and, of course, it can display handy system performance data, like your CPU temperature).

When it comes to liquid CPU coolers, there’s a good reason the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion stands out. It pairs RGB lights with translucent material for maximum visual impact. Imagine a glow stick dancing in the middle of your PC while it’s running, and you’ll have a good idea.

Cooler Master pairs the dual-chamber radiator with two MasterFan MF120 Halo fans (also translucent), which have a total of 24 ARGB LEDs each, and you can customize your look from the included ARGB controller, so you don’t need to have motherboard RGB controls to make use of it.

The Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora offers just about everything you could want in an AIO water cooler. Its 240mm radiator provides powerful cooling, and the two 120mm Aurora Lux Pro fans are capable of 2.0 mmH2O of static pressure and 61.5 CFM of airflow. The biggest way this cooler sets itself apart is that you can open the fluid chamber and refill it, meaning it can have a longer life as part of your rig.

There’s a good amount of RGB lighting on display here as well, although it’s not as flexible as other options on this list. Both fans sport RGB light rings and the pump includes a transparent window with RGB lighting inside.

Several cooler manufacturers have displays, but NZXT’s Kraken Z63 truly stands above the rest. The display contains important information like the CPU and GPU temperatures, but you can also have it display animated GIFs and other things, letting you truly personalize your setup.

The Kraken Z63 isn’t lacking in power, either, as it comes with a powerful pair of 140mm fans and an advanced Asetek water pump. If you like the idea of having a display, but don’t need tons of RGB light flooding your system, this is the one.

ekwb’s EK-Nucleus is primed and ready to keep the hottest, high-end gaming rig cool. It"s compatible with the majority of Intel or AMD setups and most PC cases, while the installation is straightforward with a mounting mechanism included. The dual 120mm fans on this beast can produce 2.7 mmH2O of static pressure and 72 CFM airflow, enabling the 240mm radiator to handle whatever your CPU throws at it.

Corsair’s history in the all-in-one liquid cooling niche goes back more than a decade and spans dozens of models, more than a few of which have graced our list of best AIO coolers. But the new H170i Elite Capellix is the company’s largest ever AIO, featuring a massive 420 radiator (3x140mm). Of course, it also sports a Corsair pump controlled by the company’s iCue system management and monitoring suite, along with a standalone Commander Core lighting and fan controller, plus a trio of ML140 RGB fans. As you might imagine by its size along the H170i Elite Capellix comes equipped to cool just about any desktop processor on the market today.

If you’re after top-notch CPU cooling and your case supports a massive 3x140mm radiator, the H170i Elite Capellix offers up one of the largest AIO’s you can get your hands on today, with cooling capability commensurate to its bulk. If you can fit it, get it.

Corsair ship the H170i Elite Capellix with a bountiful set of mounting hardware, for installation of this monster AIO on nearly every current-gen Intel and AMD desktop processor available today. Included with the usual assortment of plated standoffs, block adapters, backplate and threaded machine screws is the addition of an interchangeable faceplate and Commander Core lighting and fan controller.

iCUE software itself gets an update, with a more finished visual appearance and some new features which include whole-system ecosystem integration with other devices, as well as in-game lighting coordination for some RGB immersion.

With the H170i installed and running, installation of iCUE software grants us access to customize the fan curve settings, RGB lighting and opens the door for your specific customization needs.

When planning to push the best CPU beyond its factory-set limits, you"re going to require some serious cooling. Air coolers that consist of a heatsink and fan are generally good enough for standard use, but when you"re looking to up clock speeds and power draw, a closed-loop all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler is the preferred option. The processor is usually the component that pumps out the most heat, unless you"re rocking the latest and greatest graphics card, and we need to ensure the cooling solution has ample thermal capacity to handle the heat output.

In this guide, we"ll be taking a look at some of the best AIO liquid coolers you can buy. We"ll primarily be focusing on closed-loop, all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers that come prepped and ready for installation.

It"s no secret that Cooler Master makes some of the finest CPU coolers. The company has a wide variety of coolers including both closed-loop liquid as well as air coolers. We"ve already added a few of Cooler Master"s fan coolers in our best fan coolers collection and it"s now time to get into some of their best liquid coolers. We crowned the MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion as our best overall liquid cooler in the best CPU cooler collection, so it"s hardly a surprise this one made it into this list as our top pick as well.

The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion is a closed-loop AIO liquid cooler with a 360mm radiator. The kit, as you can see, is fully decked out with RGB lights. Cooler Master is using ARGB Gen 2 RGB LEDs for this kit which means they can be controlled individually to create a mini light show in the PC case. You can connect these directly to your motherboard and pass them through an RGB controller to control them. They work with Cooler Master"s Master+ software that lets you customize each individual LED in color, effect, brightness, and more. The software also acts as a central hub for all your other Cooler Master components like the case, headphones, keyboard, and more.

The MasterLiquid ML360 uses 120mm Master Halo MF120 fans that are mounted on the radiator. You"ll need a decent-sized PC case to make clearance for the radiator since it"s now 25% wider compared to the older one for increased cooling surface area. The radiator is connected to the water pump block via pipes that carry the coolant. The ML360 Illusion features the 3rd generation Dual Chamber Pump for excellent cooling performance. The pump also features RGB lights. In fact, the ML360 Illusion has 12 addressable RGB LEDs and it"s been integrated into a new translucent pump. The new pump design exposes more diffused lights as opposed to the older one in which only the front portion of the pump was lit.

Cooler Master says this new pump offers reliable performance while keeping the noise output low. We"re looking at a pump noise level of <10 dBA and it has an MTTF time of 70,000 hours, which is good. The fans connected to the radiator have a max RPM of 1800 RPM and we"re looking at a fan noise level of 30 dBA max. The MasterLiquid ML360 is compatible with a variety of CPU sockets -- LGA2066, LGA2011-v3, LGA2011, LGA1700*, LGA1200, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA1155, LGA1156, AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1. Yes, this particular cooler is also compatible with the new LGA 1700 socket, which is good for those looking to build a new PC using one of the new Intel Alder CPUs.

Cooler Master also has smaller versions of this cooler with a 240mm and 120mm radiator. The 240mm variant is more suitable for mid-tower cases whereas the 120mm is recommended for those working with an SFF build. All these coolers are also available in white color which is great for those who"re building a PC with white aesthetics.

The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion is our pick for the best AIO liquid cooler you can buy right now. It"s also available in 240mm and 120mm radiator sizes for more compact builds.

Corsair"s CPU coolers are quite popular in the marketplace, and rightfully so. The H150i Elite Capellix"s performance is on-par, or sometimes, even better than some of the top 360mm coolers around. Also, the Capellix in the name means it"s fully kitted with Corsair"s Capellix RGB LEDs, which it has now started using in almost all components. Why, not? They look so damn cool and it adds to the overall appeal of the product. Corsair adds more value to the product with its Commander CORE hub/control module that lets you seamlessly control everything in one place.

One of the best things about the Corsair h150i Elite Capellix AIO cooler is that it"s compatible with AMD AM4, Threadripper TR4 (gen1 and 2) and even the Threadripper sTRX4 socket. On the Intel side, it"s compatible with Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 115x, 2066 and 2011x. You also get a Corsair logo faceplate, mounting brackets along retention hardware. The Commander CORE hub module is also included with this kit, as mentioned earlier. Corsair also gives you five years of warranty the H150i Elite Capellix AIO, which is great.

Unlike, the ML360 Illusion AIO from Cooler Master, the Corsair H150i Elite Capellix cooler has a rather simple looking water pump block out of the box. It only features the Corsair logo as a clear part with opaque backing. You can change this by switching it with the included translucent faceplate. The pump is backed by 33RGB LED lights that can be customized using the iCUE software to match your system scheme. The base of the H150i Elite Capellix features a brushed copper cold plate and it"s connected to nylon-sleeved tubing for the cooler.

You also get a trio of 120mm ML120 RGB fans that are mounted on the 360mm radiator. These fans are rated up to 2400RPM and the speeds are managed via a 4-pin PWM. The 360mm aluminum radiator is also easy to install provided your chassis has enough space to accommodate it. The commander Core Hub is also fairly easy to use and it gives you more control over everything. The H150i Elite Capellix is also a solid cooler when it comes to performance. It"s capable of handling everything from a low-powered Celeron processor to a fully unlocked Core i9-12900K CPU. 360mm is also the sweet spot for high-end PCs, but there"s also a 420mm variant if that fits your boat.

Those with a small system with limited space can also opt for either the 240mm or the 120mm variants. 240mm seems just about right for most and it"s also well-priced in the market among other options. Even the 120mm cooler is no slouch, but that"s only recommended for SFF builds or those with very limited space inside their cabinets. There"s also a white-colored variant of this particular cooler, which is always nice to have as an option. Additionally, Corsair has also launched a new variant of this particular unit with an LCD screen for the pump. That variant obviously costs more than the regular one, but it adds to the overall user experience. Existing Corsair H150i Elite users can also buy the LCD screen pump as an upgrade.

The Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix AIO is also a solid 360mm AIO for high-end builds. It"s also available in two other radiator sizes for PCs with smaller form-factor.

NZXT is one of the few manufacturers that makes a lot of AIO liquid coolers. You can either pick up a budget-friendly barebones cooler from them or go all-in by spending plenty of money to enjoy all the RGB lights you want. They even have liquid coolers with LCDs that you can use to show memes or GIFs. It"s great. Out of the available NZXT coolers, we think the company"s 240mm Kraken Z53 is a fantastic option that"s worth considering. As such it"s our pick for the best 240mm AIO liquid cooler you can buy right now. The Kraken Z53 is a part of NZXT"s premium range, which means you get NZXT"s Aer fans and an LCD included in the kit too.

The Kraken Z63 is also a great choice but it costs a bit more for adding 140mm fans instead of 120mm fans on the Z53. Is it worth it? Well, that depends on your build but we think 120mm fans are a great pair for a 240mm radiator. A mid-tower PC case like the Corsair Airflow 4000D is perfect for a 240mm cooler. It"s a great fit for PCs with compact and narrow radiator support. The cooler features the 7th gen Asetek pump along with an LCD display. This is the company"s new cooler which is it says is capable of cooling even the most demanding CPUs on the market. It"s also compatible with a lot of CPU sockets including newer AMD and Intel CPUs. Existing Z53 Kraken users can also get a free LGA 1700 kit from NZXT, though Threadripper brackets aren"t included.

The LCD is the star of the show here, really. You can control the panel through the CAM software and make it display a bunch of different data including the CPU and the GPU temperature. You can also use it to display media, which opens up a new world of customization for a lot of people. As a content creator, for instance, you can display your brand"s logo. The nylon-sleeved pipes pass the coolant to the 240mm aluminum radiator. The addition of Aer RGB fans makes it an excellent option. These are some well-built fans that"ll last you for quite some time. The fan RGB lighting can also be controlled via CAM software. These Fluid Dynamic Bearing fans have a max speed of 2,000RPM and have a noise output of 33 dBA at max RPM.

The Kraken Z53 is excellent when it comes to cooling too. They can easily handle the load of even the high-performance CPUs on the market. Overclockers might want to look at either the Kraken Z63 or even the Kraken Z73 for the best cooling performance. The 240mm cooler, as we mentioned earlier, isn"t ideal for a fully decked out high-performance rig. In that case, you"re better off getting a 360mm AIO or bigger. NZXT also has a variant of this cooler without any RGB bling. That"s perfect for those who don"t necessarily want RGB lights or for those who"re looking to save some money by opting out of RGB. Both variants, however, have the same cooling performance out of the box.

The Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix AIO is also a solid 360mm AIO for high-end builds. It"s also available in two other radiator sizes for PCs with smaller form-factor.

EK is a brand that needs no introduction, does it? It"s a premium liquid cooling solution provider renown for its sophisticated open-loop liquid cooling kits and parts. They essentially sell the kind of stuff that enthusiasts PC builders like to play with. Well, guess what? EK also has a bunch of closed-loop AIO coolers on offer, and you can grab them right from now from their website or the retail partners. We"re adding the EK-AIO 240 D-RGB AIO cooler as our alternate pick for the best 240mm AIO cooler you can buy right now. As the name suggests, this is a 240mm liquid cooler, but the company also sells 360mm and a 120mm variant of the same too.

As an AIO, the EK-AIO 240 D-RGB is ready to go out of the box without a complex installation process. It"s also universally compatible which means you"ll only need the right mounting brackets to pair with the CPU of choice. EK hasn"t mentioned anything about the support for LGA 1700 socket yet, but we"re expecting an upgrade kit making them compatible with the new socket soon. Considering how popular EK really is in the enthusiast community, it"s only a matter of time till they add support for the new socket. The EK-AIO cooler supports Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, as well as AMD AM4 and AM5 sockets. An LGA 1700 upgrade kit is available separately.

The EK-AIO 240 D-RGB cooler, as you can see, comes with RGB lights -- both on the fans and the CPU water block itself. These are fully addressable D-RGB lights that offer a range of color configurations. It can be controlled from either your motherboard or standalone RGB controller. The CPU block features a full acrylic cover which also acts as a diffuser for the lights with its frosted finish. It"s one of the most beautiful-looking CPU blocks you can get for your PC. The cooler is compatible with popular RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers, so that"s awesome too. You just have to connect the 3-pin LED connector to an RGB header on the board.

The EK-AIO comes with two 120mm fans for the radiator. These are EK-Vardar S fans that are included with the cooler. These are industrial grade high-static PWM fans that can be controlled either by your motherboard or a dedicated fan controller. These fans have a max RPM of 2200, which is a lot higher than most other cooler fans we see on the market.

Coming from a reliable brand that"s known for liquid cooling, the overall cooling performance of the EK-AIO 240 D-RGB is also excellent and is on par with most other 240mm CPU coolers. EK also has a 360mm variant of the cooler that"s more suitable for high-end systems. The 240mm version is plenty for a mid to high-end PC with modern components. The EK-AIO 240 isn"t as fancy as some other coolers on the marketplace that have LCDs. But the EK unit works as advertised and it also looks good without being overly obnoxious. EK is planning to bring new AIO units on the market, so keep an eye on this space as we"ll end up updating with newer and better options over time.

The EK-AIO 240 D-RGB CPU cooler is an excellent cooler for most users who"re looking to get reliable cooling performance and a minimal design with just the right amount of RGB.

There"s no shortage of closed-loop AIO liquid coolers on the market, but a lot of them tend to be on the expensive side. A lot of these products in this collection cost upwards of $100, which may be expensive for a lot of people looking to step into the world of liquid cooling. Well, that"s why we wanted to add an item that offers a reliable cooling performance without burning a huge hole in your pockets. And we think the DEEPCOOL Castle 240EX AIO fit that boat very well. The DEEPCOOL Castle 240EX is a 240mm AIO liquid cooler and it"s one of the best in the market when it comes to cooling. It"s also priced at $90, which is significantly less than some other options like the NZXT Kraken Z53 AIO.

This is a barebones cooler, so there"s no dedicated software for lighting control. The unit isn"t even bundled with a SATA controller, so you"ll need LED headers on your motherboard to control the lighting. That"s not really a surprise considering it only costs $90 or less depending on where you buy it. The DEEPCOOL Castle 240EX is using a normal-sized CPU block as opposed to a super-sized unit with a powerful pump used for its more expensive AIO unit. The block has a built-in lighting system, so that"s good. The bundled PWM fans are essentially Deepcool"s case fans which you can buy separately from their website for your chassis.

The DEEPCOOL Castle 240EX is an entry-level AIO closed-loop liquid cooler that"s suitable for a lot of low to mid-ranged builds. We won"t recommend using this to cool a high-performance overclocked CPU, but a mid-range processor like, say, an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X will work well. The DEEPCOOL Castle 240EX may not help you shave off a lot of temperatures, but we think it"s plenty to keep the CPU temperatures under acceptable limits. The overall kit itself is nothing fancy, but it"s aesthetically pleasing enough to look good while it"s doing the job. It"s also fairly easy to assemble the cooler and the radiator will fit into most PC cases without any issues as long as there"s mounting space for a 240mm unit.

The best thing about the DEEPCOOL Castle 240EX is its $90 price tag. Sure, it"s not the most affordable CPU cooler you can buy on the market right now, but it offers good value as an AIO for the price. We think this is a good place to start as an entry-level user before investing in more expensive coolers for your rig.

Compact PCs and SFF builds have very limited options when it comes to CPU cooling solutions. You can either pick up a low profile CPU air cooler like the Noctua NH-L9i or go with a small, compact AIO. The problem is, there aren"t too many compact AIOs in the market. And the available ones are either too expensive or don"t offer the best cooling performance to maintain the thermal output. After doing a little bit of research around the compact AIOs, we think the NZXT Kraken 120 is a reliable 120mm cooler you can grab for your small form factor builds. Unlike the rest of the Kraken series, the NZXT Kraken 120 isn"t a high-end cooler aimed at powerful rigs. It"s a small 120mm cooler that can easily fit into most builds without a hitch.

The NZXT Kraken 120 comes with a single 120mm radiator along with a 120mm Aer fan that"s bundled with other Kraken coolers. It"s a P120mm fan rated for 2000RPM. The fans don"t have RGB lights though, so you might want to look elsewhere you want to add more bling to your build. The only RGB light you get as a part of NZXT Kraken 120 is built into the CPU block. The LED lights behind the mirror cooler top can be controlled via CAM software. You can use the same software to monitor your PCs performance too, but it sadly doesn"t allow you to control the pump speed of the cooler.

The cooling plate at the bottom of the Kraken 120 CPU block is milled copper and arrives with a factory-applied thermal compound. A lot of AIO have pre-installed thermal compounds so this isn"t out of the ordinary. But it"s indeed nice to see NZXT not skimping on it considering this is a relatively small cooler. The overall footprint of the NZXT Kraken 120 is small and it should have no issues fitting into most PCs. The installation process is also fairly simple and the small 120mm radiator isn"t going to take too much effort to mount.

The cooling performance of this small-sized cooler is on par with a lot of air coolers on the market, if not better. It"s proven to be as powerful as some of the big-sized air coolers like the "be quiet!" Dark Rock 4. That"s commendable because the Dark Rock 4 is a chunky piece of equipment. The fact that a small 120mm AIO is able to keep up with that is quite impressive. This means the NZXT Kraken 120 should have absolutely no issues cooling even the most demanding SFF builds out there. We obviously don"t recommend it for high-performance overclocked CPUs, but it shouldn"t have any major pushing mid-range CPUs in a tightly packed cabinet.

The NZXT Kraken 120 is a little on the expensive side though. It costs over $100 which means it"s more expensive than the Deepcool Gammaxx L240 cooler that we picked as our best value for money liquid cooler. That being said, a lot of these compact coolers are similarly priced unless you"re willing to step down to relatively older coolers.

If you"re building a compact PC or server that doesn"t pump out much heat, an AIO liquid cooler like the NZXT Kraken 120 would be a decent solution. It"s small, affordable, and is capable of handling some loads.

The only disadvantage of having a closed-loop AIO liquid cooler is that it doesn"t leave any room for customization, whatsoever. All you get is a radiator with fans, connected to a CPU block that cool the CPU itself. You can"t disconnect the fittings or add cooling blocks, to upgrade the setup. You"ll be forced to go for a more sophisticated open-cooling cooling solution to achieve any degree of customization. But the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU cooler wants to change that. This is essentially a modular AIO cooler which means it"s expandable and can be used with other Alphacool components that utilize its quick-disconnect system.

As an end-user Alphacool will let you change the radiator or use the Eiswolf AIO water cooler for graphics cards. This is the only AIO in the market that allows you to swap out an existing component for a new or a different one, which is fantastic and unique. The end result is still not as robust as an open-loop cooler, but having some degree of customization allows it to be a unique offering in the market. You can swap out the radiator at any point or even use a GPU water block in place of the CPU one. While this forces you to stay within the Alphacool ecosystem, but it"s pretty neat nonetheless. It makes it somewhat easier for you to transition into larger liquid cooling loops.

You can entirely ignore the customization part and use the Eisbaer cooling as a closed-loop AIO too. That"s not going to take away from the cooler"s performance. The base cooling kit comes with a radiator, a set of 120mm fans with RGB lights and the CPU block itself. The CPU block also has built-in lights but you"ll have to rely on the motherboard software to control the lighting. The cooling performance of the Eisbaer Aurora 240 is on par with many other 240mm AIO coolers out there. It"s plenty for those who"re getting started with a closed-loop cooler for the first time. The Eisbaer Aurora works well with the majority of CPUs on the market and it"s also compatible with a lot of sockets.

We think the Aurora 240 cooler is a great fit for those building their first gaming PC. The modular nature will allow you to expand the loop further in future when you"re ready for the upgrades. Adding a new radiator or a GPU block to the loop is as simple as detaching the existing tubes and channelling them again to over the required components. Alphacool says you"re bound to lose some coolant when you detach the tubes, but we don"t think it"s something to worry about. As long as you"re giving it enough time to rest after turning the system off, it should be fine.

The Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 is by no means a replacement for an open-loop cooler. Those are still considered to be the best when it comes to customization. However, this will save you a lot of money transitioning from a closed-loop to an open-loop solution as you get to keep a lot of existing components.

The Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 AIO is a modular AIO cooler that lets you add a better radiator or even a GPU block to the existing loop without replacing the entire unit.

Closed-loop AIO liquid coolers have their own advantages but there"s nothing satisfying than building your custom loop from scratch for the ultimate custom-cooling PC build of your dreams. Sure, the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora offers a degree of customization that other closed-loop AIO on the market lack, but we think open-loop cooling is the most reliable cooling solution you can have inside your PC to keep the temperatures in check. As such, we"re adding the Alphacool Eissturm Hurricane Copper 45 custom cooling kit to this collection.

The kit comes with enough mounting hardware for complete installation on nearly every existing AMD and Intel CPU socket with the exception of Threadripper. As a part of the kit, you get coolant for the loop, a 3-way fan splitter, thermal compound, a handy funnel to pour the coolant, and an ATX 24-pin jumper module for priming and filling the cooling loop. Not to mention, you also get the core components of the loop like a radiator, tubes, a reservoir, CPU water block, and more.

The Alphacool Eisblock XPX CPU block features a solid top with G1/4 standard fittings. There"s also a backlit logo powered by 3-pin PWM. The bottom of the water block is a nickel-plated copper base that is polished to a mirror finish. You also get an incredibly powerful VPP755 pump to power the entire cooling system. There"s also a 250mm acrylic reservoir in the package. One of the highlights of this particular cooling system is the massive 3x 140 (420) NexXxos 45 radiator featuring seven, G1/4 fittings. This is plenty for almost any loop configuration or mounting option desired. You also get additional plugs to close any unused radiator ports. This is one of the biggest radiators you can buy right now, and it is more than enough to cool even the most demanding rigs.

As an open-loop cooling system, the installation demands a lot of effort. As such you"ll have to channel the coolant through each part that you"re trying to cool and put everything in place by finding space for the components in the chassis. It"s safe to say this kind of sophisticated system is not for beginners. It"s better to start with a closed-loop AIO before making your way to an open-loop if you need one. Also, a cooling solution like this isn"t necessarily for entry-level to mid-range builds anyway. At $380, this is the most expensive cooling solution in this collection, but it’s also more than just a CPU cooler.

Choosing the best CPU cooler comes down to how much you wish to spend, the size of your case, what radiators it supports, and what processor you plan on cooling. The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion is a fantastic cooler for most high-end builds whereas a 240mm AIO like the Kraken Z53 RGB is enough to cool a mid-range build. We"ve also added some other affordable options like the DEEPCOOL Castle 240EX cooler that"s worth considering if you"re too strapped cash.

We"ve covered many options across different categories as well as price ranges, so you"ll definitely find something you like. We also have a lot of other collections involving PC components and peripherals including the best monitors and even the best webcams on the market. All our collections are updated over time to reflect the current market scenarios, so be sure to check back when you need some recommendations. We also encourage you to join our XDA Computing Forums to have so some interesting conversations around various computing topics, be it Windows 11 or the soaring graphics card prices.

We"d recommend at least 120mm worth of radiator surface area per component cooled. But we will also include one caveat here. Don"t buy an AIO liquid cooler with a 120mm or 140mm radiator. If you"re cooling your CPU, go for a kit with a 240mm or 240mm radiator. The same goes for the GPU with aftermarket blocks. When it comes to custom loop construction, the same rules apply. Start with 240mm for a single component and add an additional 120mm per component thereafter.

If you"re cooling just the CPU, we"ll go with a 240mm radiator much like our AIO recommendation. If you"re cooling the CPU and GPU with the same open loop, go with a 360mm or 480mm (420mm or 560mm if using 140mm fans). This way you will ensure the loop has enough thermal capacity to handle sustained loads from all the connected components.

The debate regarding air vs. AIO liquid coolers has been ongoing for many years. Both coolers work in different ways to dissipate heat, have different form factors, and, most importantly, are priced very differently. Both will perform about the same with quick bursts of power (and subsequent heat) from the processor. It"s only when sustained loads are introduced is when AIO liquid coolers can really take off with the additional thermal capacity of the liquid and radiator surface area.

A "closed-loop" AIO liquid cooler essentially means it"s prefilled and sealed. You won"t need to top up the liquid, nor will you be able to take the loop apart. It"s sealed for use throughout the lifespan of the product. If you wanted to make some edits at a later date, perhaps to install a new radiator, or to add another device into the loop, you will need to create and maintain a custom DIY water-cooling loop.

Closed AIO coolers also usually only support the cooling of a single component, be it the CPU or GPU. For connecting both together in the same loop, you will need to plan out a custom DIY open loop solution.