[SOLVED] Water-cooled (AIO) CPU with air-cooled GPU?

[danvis]

Hi guys,

Haven't built before using water cooling and would like to hear your opinion about going with an air-cooled GPU & water-cooled GPU. I mostly want to do that because I hate the way CPU coolers look, but I still want to get high performance from my CPU.

Is this a problem? Any recommendations on where to place the radiator? (was thinking going with the top of the case for exhaustion and put 2 normal fans in the front).

The CPU is going to be a new Ryzen 4000 (~4700X), an aftermarket 3080, and the case is Fractal Design 7.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Haven't built before using water cooling and would like to hear your opinion about going with an air-cooled GPU & water-cooled GPU.

I'm guessing you mean an AIO cooler for the CPU and just a normal graphics card? Of course, that's fine. Why wouldn't it be?

Totally common, perfectly normal configuration. The best CPU cooling configuration for that is going to be with it in the front of the case as an intake, so it can benefit from straight cool ambient air, and then have your standard top and rear exhaust fan locations. There is a MINOR uptick in internal thermals this way which can have a barely recognizable effect on GPU cooling, since the air will be SLIGHTLY warmer this way, but it doesn't change the delta much inside the case by using a front mounted radiator despite some naysayers believing it does. The evidence doesn't bear it out. It's not enough for any type of concern unless perhaps you were running a very high TDP HEDT processor with a massive overclock on it using a 360 or 420mm front radiator, and then you might see a four or five degree difference in internal case temps.

But plenty of people also top mount their radiators in exhaust configurations and again, there is only a few degree difference between doing it this way and mounting it in the front because the ambient doesn't change all THAT much. So either way is fine really. If the hoses are long enough to reach and be in the correct position for front mounting, it's preferred, for the best CPU cooling performance, but either way will work.

Before making any decisions though on radiator placement, it is a good idea to watch this.

 

[danvis]

Thank you very much for the very detailed answer!

You've put my mind at ease

 

[Darkbreeze]

Sure man. Anytime.