The air cooling vs. watercooling debate is not new. Ever since liquid AIOs entered the market, PC users have argued fervently for both sides. There was a time when air coolers couldn't hold a candle to the power and efficiency of liquid coolers. But, for over a decade now, we've seen high-performance air coolers go head-to-head with AIOs, with products like Noctua NH-D15 and Thermalrigt Peerless Assassin beating many 240mm and even some 360mm AIOs in performance.

If a $35 air cooler can perform just as well as a decent all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler, then why do people still swear by liquid coolers? It turns out that there are still various kinds of users who stand to gain a lot by opting for an AIO over an air cooler. Better performance is just one of those advantages.

Enthusiasts running Core i9 or Ryzen 9 processors

Air coolers can cool these chips, but is it advisable to use one?

Many tests have shown that older as well as newer air coolers can generally handle the most power-hungry chips at stock settings. Whether you spend over $100 for a Noctua model or just over $30 for a Thermalright cooler, that's up to you. But, you don't necessarily need a beefy AIO to run a Core i9-14900K, Core i9-13900K, or Ryzen 9 7950X CPU during regular use or even gaming workloads.

But, there's a pretty big catch. Even though you can use an air cooler for the most demanding CPUs, you shouldn't do it if you want the maximum performance from your chip. In our testing, the Core i9-14900K paired with an NZXT Z53 Kraken 240mm AIO repeatedly throttled itself even before reaching its maximum potential. Someone buying a $500-$600 CPU isn't on a budget, and won't be looking to save costs by opting for an air cooler. Such users should always go for a powerful 360mm AIO to get the most out of their CPU investment.

Builders finicky about noise levels

Air coolers can get too loud at higher temps

Besides thermals, a big factor going into any CPU cooler purchase is the noise level. After all, you don't want your PC sounding like a PS4 each time you open one too many Chrome tabs. Although you can optimize fan curves to manage noise levels on both air coolers and liquid coolers, the latter will usually exhibit lower noise levels in general. The AIO pump is well-insulated and routes the heat generated by the CPU to the radiator fans, which usually run at a lower RPM than the fans on an air cooler.

Even if you consider idle scenarios where you have nothing more than a few browser tabs open, AIOs will provide you with that whisper-silent experience that would be hard to achieve with an air cooler. For users who are obsessive about keeping both thermals and noise levels at the absolute minimum, an AIO is the obvious choice.

Users prioritizing looks over reliability

Air coolers look dope but can impact aesthetics

Thermals and acoustics are crucial, but how your CPU cooler looks inside your PC may also be important. If you've painstakingly chosen all your components for a great-looking build, you probably wouldn't want a humongous air cooler blocking you from seeing your creation in all its glory. This is a subjective area but, in general, AIOs look much better inside a PC thanks to the radiator being mostly out of the way and the pump itself being small enough.

Plus, you have so many options when it comes to customizing the AIO pump. From models with customizable screens and beautiful infinity mirrors, to understated designs with subtle RGB, there's something for everyone. AIOs offer you an unrestricted view of your entire PC while also looking cooler than air coolers. Air coolers have fewer points of failure and can be repaired far more easily than AIOs, but if you prefer looks over low-maintenance, then AIOs are just the right choice for you.

AIOs aren't necessary anymore, but are still relevant for a reason

With the progress made by air coolers in the last decade, you can realistically tackle almost any workload without a liquid cooler on all but the most high-end CPUs. There are even high-end air cooler models if you really want to take things to the next level in that way. However, AIOs are still preferred by a large section of PC users for some solid reasons: they run silent, look better, and are necessary to extract the best performance from high-end chips.