How long does a good AIO cooler last, typically?

[Papageno]

Hey all, I bought an NZXT machine (7800X3D CPU) in February and it has some flavor of Kraken AIO. How long should I expect it to work before it starts malfunctioning, I wonder? This is my first ever PC with such a beast--I've always used stock HSFs in the past.

Experiences / things to look out for would be welcome. When this dies I'm going to buy some sort of air cooling solution, most likely.

 

[Lord Evermore]

I've only owned one AIO water cooler, from Corsair. It lasted only a couple of years then started making gurgling sounds like there were air bubbles being pumped through it. All the recommendations I found for how to clear it failed so I stopped using it and finally tossed it. A small AIO in a case is not inherently going to be better than an air cooler. (And those "water coolers" that sit right on top of the CPU are just stupid gimmicks.) But if it's a large radiator and fan setup, then it can of course cool much better than an air cooler of limited size.

Too many points that can go bad with an AIO that aren't meant to be fixed, versus just possibly swapping a fan on an air cooler.

 

[dcook32p]

I have a Corsair AIO from 2014 that is still running, albeit with some air bubbles flowing through it. It still keeps my Core i7-4790 cool while gaming, so I'm not inclined to replace it anytime soon just because of some minor noise. I'll replace the entire system next year for the end of support of Windows 10 and will certainly use an AIO liquid cooler again.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Just depends on how much an issue the noise from bubbles is for any particular person. I couldn't stand the gurgling sound in an otherwise quiet room, and my hearing is quite bad so I can't imagine what it would sound like to someone with better hearing.

 

[whoisit]

Depending on the materials in the tubing, and barring any gasket failures or clogging in the system, Gamers Nexus video reviews say 5-7 years is pretty average.

 

[Papageno]

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like the thing to look out for is the gurgling sound. And wow, fingers crossed that mine will last that long @whoisit .

 

[whoisit]

Hopefully when the system was assembled, they didn't make the pump the highest point in the loop. Any air in the loop wants to settle at that point

 

[Keljian]

Depends on a lot of factors.

• Manufacturing quality
• tubing material
• ambient temperature
• coolant temperatures over time
• coolant fill (how much it is filled)
• Type of pump
• Whether it has been run full out all its life or not
• operating time

etc etc

Based on my experience 7-9 years is normal for a good quality unit

 

[hansmuff]

In my experience, the warranty statement says a lot. My older Corsair unit gave up after 4 1/2 years and they replaced it with a nicer one no problem; it was having issues with temps but also I could no longer address the fans (to set fan speed) and their app stopped recognizing the unit.
When I dismounted that one for RMA, I noticed the paste had turned into hard, flaky substance.

Had another Corsair before that, made it for 5 years.

I will from now on replace thermal paste (or whatever TIM) after about 3-4 years when I notice more noise from bad temps. I also expect about 5 years of life expectancy based on my anecdotal evidence with one vendor, which means little.

I love AIOs for the low noise even under load for a short time. Nothing gets me more than hearing fans spin up because I'm compiling code for 2 minutes. Very specific perhaps, just explaining why I don't just have an air cooler.

 

[Mental Gear Reduction]

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like the thing to look out for is the gurgling sound. And wow, fingers crossed that mine will last that long @whoisit .

Make sure that the radiator is at the top of the loop. If it can be opened, even better, because that will let you add new coolant later. However, you need to know what the existing coolant is, and they won't always tell you.

 

[Papageno]

For what it's worth, mine is a Kraken 280mm, apparently (which I'm guessing means that the radiator has two 140mm fans).

 

[Papageno]

Make sure that the radiator is at the top of the loop.

Fairly certain that the radiator must be at the top of the loop, because it's right up against a screen and grill along the top of the NZXT H7 Flow case. Now whether it's openable I have no idea.

 

[steelghost]

If you took a small reservoir with the correct size of barbs, cut one of the hoses and emptied out the coolant, and then refilled it with ordinary automotive coolant and placed the reservoir in a suitable place, you'd have an AIO that would run until the pump failed.

Unfortunately, they are sold as essentially disposable items, which for something that contains so much materials that are difficult to obtain, process etc, is a criminal waste.

 

[piamag]

If you took a small reservoir with the correct size of barbs, cut one of the hoses and emptied out the coolant, and then refilled it with ordinary automotive coolant and placed the reservoir in a suitable place, you'd have an AIO that would run until the pump failed.

Unfortunately, they are sold as essentially disposable items, which for something that contains so much materials that are difficult to obtain, process etc, is a criminal waste.

Just make sure the new coolant is compatible to avoid damage. Completely drain the old coolant and securely seal all hose connections to prevent leaks and remove air bubbles during the refill, and monitor temperatures afterward to ensure proper performance

 

[steelghost]

Just make sure the new coolant is compatible to avoid damage. Completely drain the old coolant and securely seal all hose connections to prevent leaks and remove air bubbles during the refill, and monitor temperatures afterward to ensure proper performance

Air bubbles collect in the reservoir, that's one of the reasons to use one

 

[Ananke]

A Corsair H110i AIO I bought in December 2017 came with a 5-year warranty, but still seems to be going strong nearly 7 years later. I think it is a bit noisier than it used to be, but that could also be a consequence of a case swap to support a newer, bigger, GPU.

 

[RickRoyLeonPrisZhoraRacha]

I have a Kraken with my AM5 that I moved from an Intel i7 (bailed on the Intel for AMD) that just needed new thermal paste and bracket for the AM5. However, I have some heat coming off now that seems to be from replacing a 1080 with a 3080 GPU. And under graphics (gaming) the computer ramps up fans that I can't tell if its the Kraken or the case. I'm n00b with bios fan settings and that the case I have should be replaced with something newer. But I also wonder with a factory closed cooling system AIO like the NZXT Kraken, should I worry about leaks over time and where to look? Like dry rot of hoses? or just put a date to replace? And what is better option: stick with NZXT or look at others? I do not want to go to custom cooling with tanks and custom pipes and cooling plates for GPU. I saw a HYTE Q60 ($300) that specs look pretty good. Or should I just replace the NZXT Kraken fans with Noctua fans?

 

[hansmuff]

@RickRoyLeonPrisZhoraRacha With a modern AIO I would not worry about leaks or dry rot. What can happen is that the liquid (very slowly) evaporates over time and at some point the system will not perform well anymore. My AIOs have not lasted past 5 years, I'm on #3 now. They've all been Corsairs, so maybe there's something there but they're generally regarded well, if too expensive.

I'm not crapping on Corsair btw, my last AIO pretty much didn't cool well at all after 4.5 years (was repasted to no avail) and they replaced it without any issues via advance RMA.

I have no experience with NZXT. When replacing fans, make sure they provide the appropriate air pressure for your AIO. Best go with stock unless they're too noisy.

 

[chrisjames]

Make sure that the radiator is at the top of the loop. If it can be opened, even better, because that will let you add new coolant later. However, you need to know what the existing coolant is, and they won't always tell you.

AIO's are closed loop and not made to be serviceable. Adding liquid is not really an option.

 

[continuum]

Some do have service ports, but not sure if what the OP has does or not....

 

[Derp Derpus]

I have an original first release 120mm Corsair H80 that's around 14 years old. It sees very little use anymore but still cools my 5.1GHz i7-2600K as well as it did 10+ years ago. It was the first AIO I mounted externally plus used Delta server fans with. It worked so well external mounting of the radiator & fans became the standard for all of my own personal builds to this day. One of these days I'll pull the cold plate off it and see how much coolant it's lost over the years.

Having done gasket replacements on several of the defective Arctic AIO's (they actually know who I am because I've done so many) I've found removing the cold plate on the pump is the easiest way to refill an AIO. The radiator has to be at the lowest point and the top of the pump the highest. I use distilled water and a dental syringe to inject the water. Harbor Freight has a 1/4" drive socket set that's worked on every brand of AIO I've tried so far and it's less than $10.

 

[steelghost]

AIO's are closed loop and not made to be serviceable. Adding liquid is not really an option.

Just because they weren't made to be refilled, doesn't mean they can't be.

 

[singebob]

Hey all, I bought an NZXT machine (7800X3D CPU) in February and it has some flavor of Kraken AIO. How long should I expect it to work before it starts malfunctioning, I wonder? This is my first ever PC with such a beast--I've always used stock HSFs in the past.

Experiences / things to look out for would be welcome. When this dies I'm going to buy some sort of air cooling solution, most likely.

Depends on who it's made by, how it's installed, etc.
If the Kraken has a display then It's an Asetek cooler, so in terms of manufacturer risk you're getting the best option possible. So I'd say at least 5 years of light to mid use on average before the general possibility of noticing anything serious if configured / installed properly and it's operating within it's design envelope.

 

[Papageno]

Depends on who it's made by, how it's installed, etc.
If the Kraken has a display then It's an Asetek cooler, so in terms of manufacturer risk you're getting the best option possible. So I'd say at least 5 years of light to mid use on average before the general possibility of noticing anything serious if configured / installed properly and it's operating within it's design envelope.

Indeed it does have a display, currently reading 25C (which I gather is the temp of the liquid within, not the CPU).

 

[Noobmaster69x]

Hola a todos, compré una máquina NZXT (CPU 7800X3D) en febrero y tiene un toque de Kraken AIO. Me pregunto cuánto tiempo debería funcionar antes de que empiece a fallar. Esta es mi primera PC con una bestia así; siempre he usado HSF de fábrica.

Serían experiencias agradecer o cosas a tener en cuenta. Cuando esto falle, probablemente comprará algún tipo de solución de refrigeración por aire.

mi Enfriamiento Liquido AIO Corsair H100I RGB Platinum SE, blanco, estubo en un 9900k, 11700k, y ahora en un core ultra 7 265k, 4 o 5 años tiene, siempre en la parte superior del gabinete. talvez no lo pondria en la parte de enfente por el aire que pudiera tener despues de tanto tiempo pero aun funciona excelente. soy fotografo y editor de video asi que la PC esta encendida minimo 10 horas diarias, estoy trabajando o jugando o navegando. Creo que por eso estoy gordo. , todos estos procesadores no van bien con enfriamiento por aire.

 

[Papageno]

mi Enfriamiento Liquido AIO Corsair H100I RGB Platinum SE, blanco, estubo en un 9900k, 11700k, y ahora en un core ultra 7 265k, 4 o 5 años tiene, siempre en la parte superior del gabinete. talvez no lo pondria en la parte de enfente por el aire que pudiera tener despues de tanto tiempo pero aun funciona excelente. soy fotografo y editor de video asi que la PC esta encendida minimo 10 horas diarias, estoy trabajando o jugando o navegando. Creo que por eso estoy gordo. , todos estos procesadores no van bien con enfriamiento por aire.

Gracias por la respuesta, y la traducción de mi "OP". ¡Ojalá que mi AIO dure tan largo como el tuyo!