Can I use a radiator without water cooling?

Jul 17, 2018
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Hello,

I've been all over the internet trying to figure out cooling my system. I've decided to go with air because while yes I understand water is better, it just seems like too much to deal with. So with fans, I've seen a lot of people talk about radiators and how they help turn warm air cool but do I need them if I'm not using water?

Thanks for any help!
 
The finned heatsink of an air cooler is the air cooling equivalent of a radiator.

To use the sort of radiator seen in water cooling setups, you need a medium that transfers the heat from the CPU to the radiator. If you're not using water to do this, how is the heat getting transferred?