Rant: Air-cooled vs AIO in a compact case - one was way easier

I built in a Fractal Terra last month and tried both a low-profile air cooler and a 240mm AIO. The air cooler was a nightmare for RAM clearance and the AIO tubing was barely manageable. I ended up sticking with the air cooler after routing the tubes twice and still having them press against the side panel.

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_barnes3713d ago

Wait, "compact oven with a tiny fan on top"? That's brutal but honestly probably pretty accurate for how these cases run. I've seen people try to force AIOs in the Terra and it always looks like they're fighting the case instead of building in it. Air cooling might not be as flashy but at least you don't have to wrestle coolant tubes for two days.

wyatt_green13d ago

...and that's exactly what happened to my buddy who built in the Terra last month. He went with the AIO first because he thought it'd be cleaner, but he spent two full afternoons trying to make the tubes not bulge the side panel. Eventually he just gave up and swapped in a low-profile air cooler, and the whole thing took him maybe 30 minutes. Now he jokes that his Terra build is basically just a compact oven with a tiny fan on top.