Nowadays, the water cooling solution is no longer unattainable, from two or three hundred entry-level AIO water cooling, two or three thousand high-end AIO water cooling, and split water cooling that is still favored by professional overclocking players, the water cooling method can be said to have become the new favorite of the majority of DIY players. But maybe you're like many people and think it's as maintenance-free as an air-cooled radiator, and that's wrong!
The heart of the problem: coolant.
The reason why both customized split water cooling systems and popular AIO water cooling systems require different degrees of "maintenance" is that the core of the water cooling system is the coolant.
Coolant is an essential part of any water cooling system, just like the oil in a gasoline car engine. Like oil, coolant needs to be changed regularly to keep your liquid-cooled computer in tip-top shape. Coolant performs 5 important functions in the liquid cooling cycle.
The first role, of course, is to act as a primary heat conductor, transferring heat from the heat source to the heat sink, where it cools to ambient temperature. This process is very fast and efficient, but that's not the point of today's conversation, because we all know that in addition to liquid gas heat dissipation such as liquid nitrogen, coolant water cooling is the best way to cool high-performance computers.
The second function is that the coolant needs to be corrosion-resistant. In fact, the special coolant of the water cooling system contains different components and can perform a variety of functions. In addition to heat transfer, another function is corrosion inhibition, which can prevent metal parts from being corroded and degraded during use. Since the joints and cold heads of the water cooling system are basically metal, its role is very important.
Pipeline corrosion and leakage is also a major "stubborn disease" of the water cooling system
But this inhibitor is constantly depleted in the course of its work. The more metal in a water-cooled system that comes into contact with the coolant, the higher the potential and the greater the amount of corrosion inhibitor. If there is not enough corrosion inhibitor material in the coolant, the exposed metal parts in the circuit will corrode.
In addition, when the inhibitor is not enough to play a role, because most of the pipe plastic and synthetic rubber parts of the low-end water cooling system still have plasticizers, they will react with the components in the coolant to form powder or precipitation, clogging the pipeline or affecting the normal operation of the water pump.
Plasticizer "depowdered" water-cooled radiator pipes.
The third effect is to inhibit the growth of bacteria and algae. That's right, this kind of thing is especially common in split-type and customized water cooling systems that use a variety of colored coolants in order to pursue "colorful" (in the past, DIY players often used distilled water + dyeing oil to mix personalized coolants).
Where there's water, there's life, and if not properly maintained, even an all-chemical coolant can't prevent biological growth. As a result, the coolants of top-of-the-line water-cooled products also contain biogrowth inhibitors or biocides that prevent microbial growth inside pipes and other liquid cooling components. By inhibiting the growth of organisms such as algae, they also prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors, discoloration, and clogging of cooling channels with tiny flocculents.
A cold head floor that has been dismantled without maintenance for a long time shows that flocculent rust-colored microbial precipitation has appeared.
Similarly, these inhibitors or fungicides are consumed over time.
The fourth function is to lubricate the water pump system. The rotating part of the water cooling system, the pump motor, has to work hard for long hours to keep the system cool. Propylene glycol, the main ingredient in the coolant, has a lubricating effect on its own and can lubricate it, while the coolant of high-end water-cooled products has a trace of other lubricating components.
But just like car engine oil, coolants lose their lubricating capacity over time, increasing the likelihood of water pump wear and defects. Once the water pump is "worn through", it is the end of leakage.
The fifth effect, which can be said to be the "effect" or "property", is that the coolant will slowly evaporate after being heated in the pipes. This phenomenon is most noticeable in clear hoses, where the coolant level drops significantly over time. This is not the case with products that use hard tubes, or the amount of evaporation is negligible. However, the biggest problem at present is that in addition to the high-end customized split water cooling system, in fact, most of the low-end AIO water cooling products are actually hose systems.
In addition, as the coolant evaporates and the outside air enters, the unmaintained water cooling system will produce quite a lot of empty bubbles, which will make the water cooling radiator more and more noisy under the action of the water pump and fan.
How to maintain a water cooling system?
For the mainstream all-in-one liquid cooling system, ordinary users can really not do too much, because many factors manufacturers have already helped you consider: because of the previous 4 effects that lead to the leakage of the water cooling radiator, now it is generally the unconditional replacement warranty strategy, and compensate the customer for the loss of equipment, of course, the data is priceless, and the manufacturer cannot afford to pay. Some low-end AIO water cooling radiator manufacturers with better service will even remind users to contact customer service to replace the water cooling radiator when it mentions abnormal noise or other abnormalities.
The high-end integrated water-cooled radiator is more particular about the workmanship and materials due to the use of more advanced water pumps and overall solutions, so the equipment itself is more robust. What's more, their coolant is also generally high-end and adequate, so they can be maintained with some simple maintenance.
For example, in order to curb the bubble noise caused by evaporation, Corsair recommends that users install the pump cold head at a low position in the loop, and the cold drain inlet and outlet at the highest point, so as to keep the pipe running low to collect air bubbles in the radiator: as shown in the figure above, the air bubbles will only remain at the lowest bend of the pipe near the graphics card, and will not enter the water pump and cause noise.
Alternatively, the chassis can be gently tilted so that the air bubbles "burst" after passing through the cold head (as shown below). If noise persists, the CORSAIR IQ integration can further help manage the pump's performance curve by adjusting the pump's performance curve.
In addition, it is important for AIO all-in-one liquid cooler users to clean dust and debris from the radiator and fan, ensure that the water pump is working properly, and replace the thermal paste on the CPU when needed, usually every few years. Also, pay attention to the temperature and humidity of the calculated environment. This can affect the life of the AIO radiator, as overheating or humidity can cause premature wear of the pump.
For users of split customized water-cooled products, the water-cooled radiator can be further "deeply maintained": the coolant is replaced at least once a year to maintain its bright color and the above 5 basic functions of normal nature.
*:Titanium**.