How Liquid-cooling Works

Hello,

I have read much more about the liquid cooling and also heard about the same,that it lower down the computer temperature to the great extent, and also increase the computer performance as it lower down the temperature.

Please provide me how does liquid cooling work..


Thanks in Advance

The purpose of liquid-cooling is to reduce the temperature of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) and other components like graphics cards. The most basic liquid-cooling system is made up of a waterblock, coolant resevoir, a radiator, a pump and tubes. Distilled water is a common liquid used for cooling but different companies offer their own variations. Also, special additives can be used to color the fluid in order to make it more visually appealing in clear cases.

To start the process of liquid-cooling, the waterblock is mounted on the CPU. Next, the tubes are connected between the radiator and the waterblock and the radiator and the pump. Once the system is filled, the liquid draws heat away from the CPU into a radiator that cools the liquid. From the radiator the liquid travels to the reservoir where it is put back into the cycle by the pump. The cooled liquid ends its circuit by leaving the pump and traveling back across the CPU.

Liquid-cooling offers 3 main benefits for PC users:

1. It makes the computer run quieter by cutting down on fan usage.
2. It also prevents overheating because liquid can absorb and move heat better and faster than air.
3. Lastly, liquid-cooling is a great option for overclockers because it allows for higher clock speeds within the processor without causing overheating.

There are also drawbacks to liquid-cooling:

1. Installation can be complicated and requires plenty of time and technical knowledge.
2. The cost of the system and professional installation can be expensive.
3. Liquid-cooling systems are large and can take up alot of space in the computer case.

Liquid cooling is essentially a radiator for the CPU inside of the computer. Just like a radiator for a car, a liquid cooling system circulates a liquid through a heat sink attached to the processor inside of the computer. As the liquid passes through the heat sink, heat is transferred from the hot processor to the cooler liquid. The hot liquid then moves out to a radiator at the back of the case and transfers the heat to the ambient air outside of the case. The cooled liquid then travels back through the system to the CPU to continue the process.

Liquid cooling is a much more efficient system at drawing heat away from the processor and outside of the system. This allows for higher clock speeds in the processor as the ambient temperatures of the CPU core are still within the manufacturer's specifications. This is the prime reason why extreme overclockers tend to favor the use of liquid cooling solutions for their processors. Some people have been able to almost double the processor speed by using very complex liquid cooling solutions.

The other benefit of liquid cooling is the reduction of noise within the computer. Most current heat sink and fan combinations tend to generate a lot of noise for the fans that need to circulate air over the CPU and through the system. Many high performance CPUs require fan speeds in excess of 7000 rpm that generate noise of 60+ decibels of noise. Over clocking a CPU requires even more airflow over the CPU, but when a liquid cooling solution, there is much less noise.

The Water Block
In a liquid cooling system, instead of a heat sink and fan combo, a formed block of copper (pictured here) with deep grooves to conduct water, and sealed with a hard plastic or glass to keep the liquid from touching the actual electrical components.

Those silver circles on top are tubing connectors. Essentially, plastic tubing directs fluid into the block through one, and out the other. As the liquid rushes across the interior copper it draws the heat away, thus cooling the underlying chip.

The Pump
Of course, water doesn't move by itself. It is set along its circuit by a specially designed pump. The pump is an extremely important part of the setup, as it dictates the volume that can be moved through the tubing, and the speed it moves at. Liquid cooling pumps come in various shapes, sizes, and designs.

The Radiator
the last key component is the radiator! How else would our hot liquid get down to a lower temperature before being back dragged across the hot copper block again? If it all just heated up to a boil, that wouldn't accomplish anything, now, would it? Radiators have two primary designs: Fan, and fanless. A fanless radiator is typically an external device that is extremely large, with a lot of surface area, like a heat sink. This Zalman radiator is just one example