水冷的引入彻底改变了 PC 的构建，并提供了一种新的、非常有效的方式来冷却整个系统。从那时起，水冷就被认为是 PC 构建的最终目标——时尚、性感和高性能。
但它真的比带有良好散热片的强大风扇更好吗？
本文将研究使 CPU 保持在良好、舒适的温度的不同方法，并深入研究不同冷却方法之间的温度差异。
需要考虑的因素
为CPU购买冷却解决方案时需要考虑多个因素，但主要因素很明显——性能。您绝对不想要的是CPU过热，因为这可能导致整个系统永久性损坏。
接下来要考虑的是价格。虽然保持系统冷却是一个好主意，但将整个构建预算都花在冷却解决方案上却不是。
要记住的其他因素包括美学和声音。几乎(Almost)每个人都想要一个性感的身材，特别是如果你使用带窗的机箱——在那个类别中，水冷几乎总是会成为赢家。很难与LED 灯管(LED-lit)提供的未来工业外观竞争。
您也不想使用在系统处于负载下时听起来类似于战斗机起飞的冷却解决方案（看着您，游戏笔记本电脑）。水冷式计算机很安静，但有现代空气冷却选项几乎不会产生噪音，而成本只是其中的一小部分。
您需要记住的最后一个因素，尤其是如果您不太熟悉构建计算机，那就是易于安装。
硬而热门的数字
在我们深入研究有关冷却解决方案的数字之前，请知道任何数字或温度都会因大量因素而发生巨大变化：计算机所在房间的环境温度、CPU负载、安装人员的技能，有时只是星期几。
几乎不可能完美地复制温度测试，但给出的数字是基于标准水冷或风冷系统典型性能的平均值。
这个2017 年的 Linus 技术提示视频(Linus Tech Tips video from 2017)将Corsair H80I GT水冷却器与Noctua NH-U9空气冷却器进行了比较。在测试中，Noctua在空转时实际上使系统温度降低了 3.5 度，在负载下比Corsair水冷器冷却了 1.3 度。
然而，当同一个系统超频时，Corsair H80I GT在空载时冷却系统多 3 度，但在负载下比空气冷却器低 0.2 度。
在同一视频的稍后部分，他们比较了 280 毫米风扇——你能拿到的最大、最坏的散热器——以了解水与空气的表现如何。结果很接近。
在备用电压下，Noctua风扇在怠速时比Corsair水冷却器高 1.2 度，在负载时比 Corsair 水冷却器高 0.2 度。超频后，水冷器在怠速时赢了 0.8 度，但在负载下损失了 3.3 度。不同之处在于它允许更多的电力使用，同时将温度保持在安全参数范围内。
赢家
上面提到的特定视频，以及数十份报告和确凿证据，让一件事变得特别清楚——水冷可以使CPU保持在远低于风冷的温度。如果安装正确，它将以更有效的方式将热量从系统中传导出去。
也就是说，水冷并不总是最好的选择。对于普通用户甚至大多数游戏玩家来说，空气冷却已经绰绰有余。现代空气冷却解决方案缩小了水和空气之间的性能差距。它们通常也比水冷解决方案更实惠。
水冷价格昂贵，需要一定水平的专业知识才能正确安装。这是您不想犯任何错误的一件事；想想漏水会如何影响你的其余部分。但是，如果您要对CPU进行超频并且想要获得绝对最佳的性能，那么水冷就是您的最佳选择。如果你能买单，定制的水冷解决方案几乎每次都会胜过空气冷却。
简而言之，是的——水冷比空气好，但两者之间的差距继续迅速缩小。如果您是一个狂热的爱好者，想要一台外观精美、功能齐全的 PC，请选择水冷。如果您是游戏玩家或只是想要一台运行良好且无需太多麻烦和费用的 PC，那么风冷就是您的最佳选择。
Is PC Water Cooling Actually Better?
The introduсtion of water-cooling revolutionized PC building, and presented a new, incredibly efficient way to cool an entire system. Ѕince that time, water-cooling has been thought of as the ultimate goal for a РC build – sleek, sexy, and hіgh perfоrming.
But is it really better than a powerful fan with a good heatsink?
This article will examine the different methods for keeping your CPU at a nice, comfortable temperature and dig into the temperature differences between the different cooling methods.
Factors To Consider
There are multiple factors to consider when purchasing a cooling solution for your CPU, but the main factor is clear – performance. The absolute last thing you want is your CPU overheating, as this can lead to permanent damage to the entire system.
The next thing to consider is price. While keeping your system cool is a good idea, blowing your entire build budget on a cooling solution is not.
Other factors to keep in mind include aesthetics and sound. Almost everyone wants a sexy build, especially if you use a windowed case—and in that category, water-cooling is almost always going to be the winner. It’s just hard to compete with the future-industrial look LED-lit pipes provide.
You also don’t want to use a cooling solution that sounds akin to fighter jets taking off when the system is under load (looking at you, gaming laptops). Water-cooled computers are quiet, but there are modern air-cooling options that generate almost no noise for a fraction of the cost.
A final factor you will want to keep in mind, especially if you aren’t overly familiar with building computers, is the ease of installation.
The Hard And Hot Numbers
Before we dive into the numbers around cooling solutions, know that any number or temperature will vary wildly based on a huge number of factors: the ambient temperature of the room the computer is in, the CPU load, the skill of the installer, and sometimes just the day of the week.
It will be almost impossible to perfectly replicate a temperature test, but the numbers presented are averages based on the typical performance of a standard water- or air-cooled system.
This Linus Tech Tips video from 2017 compared a Corsair H80I GT water cooler to a Noctua NH-U9 air cooler. In the test, the Noctua actually kept the system 3.5 degrees cooler when idling and 1.3 degrees cooler under load than the Corsair water-cooler.
However, when that same system was overclocked, the Corsair H80I GT cooled the system 3 degrees more at idle loads, but fell short of the air cooler by 0.2 degrees under load.
Later in the same video, they compared 280-millimeter fans—the biggest, baddest radiators you can get your hands on—to see how water performed versus air. The results were close.
At stock voltages, the Noctua fan outperformed the Corsair water cooler by 1.2 degrees at idle and by 0.2 degrees under load. Overclocked, the water cooler won out by 0.8 degrees at idle but lost by 3.3 degrees under load. The difference is that it allowed more power usage while keeping the temperature within safe parameters.
The Winner
The particular video referenced above, as well as dozens of reports and hard evidence, make one thing particularly clear – water-cooling can keep the CPU at far lower temperatures than air-cooling. If installed properly, it conducts heat away from the system in a more efficient way.
That said, water-cooling is not always the best option. For the average user—and even most gamers—air-cooling is more than enough. Modern air-cooling solutions have narrowed the gap in performance between water and air. They are also usually far more affordable than a water-cooling solution.
Water-cooling is expensive and requires a certain level of know-how to install correctly. It’s one thing you don’t want to make any mistakes with; just think about how a water leak would affect the rest of your build. But if you’re going to overclock your CPU and you want the absolute best performance, water-cooling is the way to go. If you can foot the bill, a custom water cooling solution will outperform air cooling almost every time.
In short, yes—water-cooling is better than air, but the gap between the two continues to shrink rapidly. If you’re an enthusiast that wants a great-looking PC build with all the bells and whistles, go with water-cooling. If you’re a gamer or someone that just wants a PC that will work well without a lot of hassle and expense, then air-cooling is the way to go.
