I've been around the block when it comes to CPU cooling. I've used countless all-in-one liquid cooling kits and air coolers. I've also built more custom open-loop systems than I care to recall, and have always generally recommended some form of liquid as the go-to for keeping temperatures low under sustained loads — and still do. The thing is, I don't really do many sustained loads on my primary system. It's used for work, which consists of the browser, a few apps, and Jellyfin streaming some music, and for some gaming. The system is never pushed to its limit, since I have other devices to use for that.

So, that got me thinking, do I really need a 360mm AIO for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X?

It's a hot topic (and CPU)

Air vs. liquid: Which is best?

There's no right or wrong answer since there's no "one is simply better" solution here. A bulky radiator with three fans and a powerful pump would certainly handle higher temperatures at sustained loads better than air cooling, but you also need a chassis to take such a solution, and not every PC case will support the thickest rads. A DIY setup is certainly the way to go for the absolute best temperature readings. You can't beat multiple radiators and litres of liquid to soak up and dissipate all the waste heat ... outside of liquid nitrogen, of course.

There's certainly a degree of satisfaction with a custom open-loop liquid cooling setup for your CPU and GPU. Using customized parts, some fancy liquid dyes, and more RGB lighting than what you'd find at Tomorrowland, you can create some truly incredible PCs. But the same goes for stealthier systems with air coolers. And not everyone is comfortable with having pumped fluids so close to their thousand-dollar (usually more) PC. It's also a matter of cost. It's possible to pick up a relatively capable air cooler for $30 and call it a day. The same cannot be said for AIO coolers.

There are some affordable AIO kits for less than $50 with a single 120mm fan and a compact radiator. Stay clear of these. They're no good and aren't recommended for cooling anything, even a mid-range Intel Core Ultra 7 or AMD Ryzen 7. Arctic makes one of the best value AIO kits I've tested to date, the exceptional Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB. Seriously, if you're shopping for an AIO and have no idea which one to buy, grab this and you're good to go. It can handle everything up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 or AMD Ryzen 9 without breaking a sweat and even has active VRAM cooling.

So, why don't I just use the Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB? I was using precisely that to cool the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, but it wasn't being pushed hard enough to warrant the incredible thermal headroom available. That and I wanted to switch things up a little with the PC case. There are also a few downsides to an AIO, which include generally higher VRAM temperatures due to less airflow over the motherboard, slightly more tedious installation (including the Liquid Freezer III series), socket compatibility, more restricted case choice, and no options for passive cooling — Yes, I even tried cooling a 300W Intel Core i9-14900KS with a giant heatsink.

Switching to air isn't a downgrade

So long as you choose the right cooler

It's no secret that computers get hot. Even your smartphone produces considerable amounts of heat when pushed hard, and the same goes for your desktop PC. If you're planning to do some 4K gaming or run some creative software, there's a good chance your system will produce enough heat to warrant some serious cooling. CPU coolers are designed for keeping these hot chips from thermal throttling, maintaining high clock speeds for as long as possible, allowing you to fully leverage the architecture and get the job done.

So, air cooling or liquid cooling? Which is best? When testing the renowned NH-D15 with an Intel Core i9-13900K and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, I found the CPU cooler to struggle in preventing either processor from thermal throttling. Things picked up with AMD's Ryzen 9000 series with their slightly better efficiency, but it still wasn't perfect. A 360mm AIO like the Liquid Freezer III from Arctic has no trouble keeping both processors within optimal temperature ranges, but then neither does the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5, one of the best air coolers I've tested.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X sat happily at 50C idle, which is about right for the CPU with everything set to full blast. Running intensive games and apps raised temperatures to around 74 °C, which is well within operating limits. Even stress testing the CPU with the Dark Rock Pro 5 attached to the socket only saw readings max out at 81 °C. That's excellent for air cooling and isn't terribly far off from what I saw with the 360mm AIO kit. I'm looking at a slight increase in temperatures of around 5-10%, depending on the load. No thermal throttling in sight.

I still use liquid-cooling elsewhere

Including an upcoming project build

I had a love/hate relationship with the Vetroo K1 Pangolin. I mean, just look at it. This thing looks the part with its unique open-air design and full support for AIO liquid cooling with radiators up to 360mm, though you'll need to watch for thickness due to how the radiator is positioned. Although I despised building a PC inside this case, the result was worth it once considerable hours were spent reinstalling various parts to make it all fit and look relatively neat. The plan is to really test my patience with a custom open-loop cooler attached to a

Yes, there's no dust filtration, the tempered glass installation process is beyond tedious, PSU access is horrific, there's absolutely no cable management, and some screws were torqued as if they were bolting a tyre to a vehicle, but it's still a stunning case to gaze at and definitely turned some heads when visitors noticed this odd-looking thing atop my desk. What will really set it apart is a clean, open-loop attached to the motherboard. Whether this can be achieved without dremming is another question, but it's either this or the Thermaltake Tower 900.

Liquid cooling definitely has its place and is a great choice for cooling your PC. If you already use an AIO and are considering the jump back to air coolers, know that you won't regret it, so long as you shop responsibly and don't mind spending more than $20 to ensure your CPU doesn't throttle or noise levels are increased exponentially.