Custom loop vs AIO for a budget build under $800 - which is actually worth the effort?

I spent 60 hours on a custom loop for my Ryzen setup and my buddy's $150 AIO keeps his temps within 3 degrees of mine, so is the extra work and risk really paying off for anyone else who's tried both?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_dylan3d ago

Used to be all about custom loops myself, swore by the performance gain. But then I helped a friend put together a build with a decent AIO and saw the numbers for myself - barely any difference for a fraction of the cost and stress. All that time spent bending tubes and leak testing feels like a waste now when a good AIO can keep temps just as low for most people. You have to really be going for some serious overclocking or wanting the look to make a custom loop worth it at that budget. Just doesn't add up for the extra money and hassle unless you're doing it purely for the hobby of building.

ray_webb62d ago

Got a buddy who used to spend his whole weekend flushing and refilling his custom loop, chasing that extra 2 degrees. He finally switched to a high end AIO last year and told me he couldn't tell the difference in his games. Said the only thing he missed was the anxiety of wondering if a fitting was gonna pop off while he was asleep. Totally agree with you @the_dylan, unless you're trying to bench a chip with liquid nitrogen, an AIO gets you 95% of the way there without the headache. Saves you a ton of cash too, which you can put towards a better GPU instead of fancy tubing.

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