To put it plainly, all-in-one liquid coolers for your computer look cool. And they perform extraordinarily well.
Still, the way that all-in-one liquid coolers (“AIOs” for short) have been advertised in recent years may suggest that you absolutely, definitely, 100% need one to keep your CPU under control for better performance.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
As we enter 2025, more users, including myself, might be inclined to use air-powered CPU coolers instead of the AIO liquid-based PC cooler for their gaming setups. In 2017, when I built my first gaming PC with a liquid cooler, I felt that my rig was finally on par with what other users boasted about on social media.
As I transitioned to different coolers and PC parts in the following years, I learned that air coolers are incredibly superior to AIOs in terms of the price you pay. Here is why I replaced my 240mm AIO liquid cooler with a simple air cooler for my gaming build.
AIO coolers are cool, but wait until you find out how good some air coolers are
When we talk about exceptionally well-performing air coolers, we usually think of air CPU coolers like the Noctua NH-D15 or Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 5.
In reality, these are the elite coolers users usually opt for, pushing the limits of their processors by overclocking. However, 240mm AIOs that cost below $100 may easily lure users into thinking they can match the prowess of these dual-tower monsters.
Still, if you know what to look for, some of the best CPU air coolers can be found for under $50. A few years back, I tested plenty of budget air coolers, including the iconic Hyper 212 EVO from Cooler Master, the MSI Core Frozr L, the compact Cooler Master GeminII M4, and some other single- and dual-tower models.
While some were satisfactory, some allowed me to easily push the CPU clocks several hundred MHz higher.
It’s not that air coolers can beat premium AIOs in thermal performance, but when looking at the budget and mid-range segment, plenty of air coolers, especially dual tower ones, match the performance of well-known 240mm AIOs.
It’s also true that many 240mm AIOs are now even cheaper than the NH-D15, but the issues with those can sometimes become quite complex or frustrating. Still, dozens of affordable dual-tower air coolers simply can’t be outmatched in value by any AIO.
The classic example is the Thermalright Peerless Assassin dual tower air cooler. That heatsink is simply too good and ahead of whatever cooler you can think of regarding price-to-performance ratio. With a price tag of merely $35, not only is it difficult to get a dual-tower air cooler like that but also something that trades blows with 240mm AIOs.
AIO noise can be annoying, thankfully, air coolers don’t force you to use headphones
Initially, when I used Hyper 212 EVO, I didn’t find it too noisy even with two fans installed. Since my PC building journey just started, AIOs have looked appealing. So, I bought some of them for my rigs: Some for the Ryzen-based system and some for the Intel-based rig.
I couldn’t believe how noisy they can become at times. I knew they are noisier than air coolers, but whenever the fans and pump operated at 75% of their full speed, I couldn’t stand the loud noise these AIOs were blasting into my ears. But it was apparent, and I couldn’t do anything except manually configure the graphs for these so that they don’t exceed 50 or 60% of their full speed.
On the other hand, air coolers, especially those with single fans, were almost inaudible under load. Dual-fan coolers do become somewhat noisy at like 80-90% fan speed, but those were still bearable.
Install and forget, that’s how convenient these are
With AIO in my rig, I was constantly afraid of leakage. Multiple such cases only increased my worry, and unfortunately, I saw leakage in my first AIO from DeepCool. I acted quickly and saved my rig, but this was one of the biggest nightmares that came true.
Since the tubing wasn’t sleeved, I thought upgrading to a better AIO would solve this problem. It did, to some extent, but coolant leakage doesn’t just happen from wear and tear on the tubing. The fittings and connection points are also quite prone to leakage. If I remember correctly, the leakage did happen, but only when I was re-installing the cooler and making critical upgrades.
Since air coolers don’t even have such a problem, to begin with, I have been living carefree since the time I switched to air coolers. But this wasn’t the only one that makes air coolers special. The radiator fins are fragile compared to the aluminum fins on the air coolers. These get easily bent if not handled properly, and once you accidentally bend them, there is no going back. Surely, this doesn’t affect the cooling performance of the AIOs unless you have broken the fins from their place, and it does look bad.
Some air coolers have stronger fan blades than others, making them more reliable than AIOs. An air cooler can only stop working when its fan/fans stop working. However, it takes $10-$20 to replace it, and your cooler will once again be ready to rock for another decade. Meanwhile, once the coolant leaks on your AIO, you have no choice other than to replace your whole AIO, which will cost you several times more.
Unless you are trying to break overclocking records, keep it
Strong overclocking is the only reason it’s worth buying an AIO, particularly premium ones with bigger radiators. The other reason can be to show off your mesmerizing build, but if you want to get the job done, there is nothing better than a decent air cooler, be it single or dual tower.
A decent dual-tower heatsink is well-equipped with stuff that can cool your high-end 8-core or 12-core CPU. Even if you overclock your CPU by a few hundred MHz, such an air cooler won’t let your CPU thermal throttle. However, high-end AIOs tend to perform better in longer stress tests or intensive workloads and if you want to break some records, they can help.
Remember that the AIO installation process can be tricky if your case has limited space. However, an AIO does leave quite a good amount of clearance on your motherboard for RAM installation. Still, you won’t add or change your RAM sticks every month, so this doesn’t count as a strong point for AIOs.
You can still enjoy beautiful RGB lights on air coolers
We have to agree that modern AIOs come with beautiful CPU blocks. From beautiful RGB lighting to OLED displays, AIOs have come a long way, and so have air coolers. There are plenty of air coolers that exhibit mesmerizing colorful lighting effects with immense customizability. Furthermore, you can now find air coolers with digital displays like Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 ARGB that bring both customizable RGB lighting and display for monitoring your hardware stats.
Both air and AIO cooling solutions do pretty well and you won’t go wrong with either. However, I favor air CPU coolers because they ensure a hassle-free operation for over a decade in most cases, and it’s hard for me to switch to AIO now.
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