OPEN vs. CLOSED LOOP - How To Choose

EK's Head of Easy Cooling business unit, Jaka Klemenčič, talks about the main differences and pros and cons of open and closed loops in this EK EXPO video. In other words, he explains all the advantages and disadvantages of using an AIO liquid cooling solution vs. having custom liquid cooling.

EK is the global leader in developing and manufacturing custom liquid cooling loop products, expanding its portfolio to AIO coolers, plug-and-play gaming PCs, and professional workstations.

UNLOCK THE TECHNOLOGY WITH EK.

#watercooling #ekexpo #ces2021

[allanwilmath]

Mixing metal may lead to corrosion but aluminum is better at transferring heat to air. In a All In One this is a bonus two ways, aluminum is a cheaper metal and it performs better while being smaller. You can make up for the thermal transfer difference using more radiator and gain the benefit of less corrosion. It would be nice if there were a lifetime PC coolant, or at least long term like 5 years. This seems like something missing in the market.

Also, where are the water cooling cases for the mainstream? The 011 Dynamic can theoretically mount 3 360 rads but in practice it's a tight fit and everything is on display and not everyone want's to buy fancy fans to display.
What I think is a more practical design is basically a typical PC case with no preinstalled fans and a mounting location that will fit a Push Pull 60mm 3x140 rad at the front, so 110mm of clearance total. The mounting bracket should be designed to come out of the case and be positioned so that the rad and front fans mount on the outside of the case and the internal fans and pump reservoir mount on the other side, thus balancing the weight. This would make the performance per dollar better because 1 big radiator is cheeper and more compact that two smaller rads. The other case design idea would be for a cube case with 4 140mm fans in a square at the front, a 280x280x60 radiator and again enough clearance for push/pull fans. This design could be really nice with an inlet at the bottom, the outlet at the top, an extra port at the top for a temperature probe and an extra port at the bottom for a drain. Either one of these ideas could be done with the radiator at the bottom and parallel to the desk so you updraft instead, this would make bleeding the system very easy and allow for more decorative front panels.
I bought my Corsair 540 Airflow case for air and then later installed water cooling. The EK pump mount kind of sucks because it puts all of the stress at one small location that causes the metal tag the back of the case in the large wasted space above the power supply to vibrate at higher speeds. No, D5 pumps are not silent above ~40 percent PWM and really vibrates the part of the case where it is mounted. So it occurred to me to look for a different case and I found that the cases specifically built for water cooling are enormous wastes of space, as in truly enormous and upwards of 400 dollars. The cube seems very practical if the pump was put inside the dead space with the power supply, but Corsair does not do this in the 680X oddly. Also, since radiators always have to have to those fittings sticking out there are problems occupying all of the radiator mounts in the main section while the back side goes to waste. As far as wasted space, many cases come with 2x200mm fans but can you buy a 2x200 rad that will fit in these case? Of course not because the case doesn't have space and those 200mm fans move air, but don't pressurize it at all. This seems like a wasted opportunity. Another news idea, not really, is a case designed to be air tight and use a minimum number of fast to draw air through radiator surface that is much larger. Think Corsair One but scaled up using standard PC parts. It just seems cases are coming with massive space for huge air coolers that is wasted when you go with water. Another idea is a case designed for vertical GPU to begin with. A typical ATX layout but allowing the vertical mount of a GPU with a regular half height card rack behind it so you can still install add in cards if needed that are hidden behind the GPU. This would free up space on one side so that it could be used on the other side.
I just think that current PC case design is trying to be everything to everyone and end up being less idea for everyone. Also, it seems case manufactures are confused on whether they are building their cases to go on the floor or on the desk. If you put the front panel connectors on top, like the Corsair 680X, then are you are you really going to put it on the floor? And if it's on a desk, who want's wires dangling from the top and have to stand up to plug something in? Can you tell I really like the look of the 680X but have issues with some of it's details? The 011 Dynamic is excellent, if you want to have as many beautifully bent hard line tubing and RGB fans as possible. I think there is a market for people who are more practical. You know, G1/4 and D5 pumps are kind of universal, so cases with those fittings and mounts would be broadly compatible. Another case idea for silence is using an extruded aluminum heatsink as a door on the right side of the case with a D5 pump mount built in to the bottom, it would be hinged and form a door with the coolant fittings for the in and out by the hinge. The idea is that the door is the radiator, reservoir tank, and pump mount as one unit. Basically it's just a huge reservoir with fins on one side for heat dissipation. If the door had a strip along the bottom you could install fans in the bottom of the compartment and have that air ducted out to the bottom of the door that would push air vertically along the heatsink to increase efficiency when needed. Just some ideas.

[hasankhaddam]

Can I do a custom loop with only my CPU, without the GPU ?

[bronichiwa]

Dumb question. Looking at how thick and big the fans are for the AIOs. Is it possible to buy an AIO for GPU + CPU, and have room for it? Or does it require a full tower?

[Tushar_Talwar_]

I just got tricked into watching an ad