Any PC enthusiast, serious gamer or overclocker has heard about water cooling or ‘fluid PC Cooling’, but not everyone has money to just go out and buy a custom water cooling kit. I am going to take a look at some of the best fluid PC cooling kits currently available on the market while trying not to leave you will a huge whole in your pocked.
1. XSPC RayStorm 750 AX240 Liquid Water Cooling Kit – $179.99
First up in my round-up is the higher end liquid water cooling kit, the RayStorm 750 which is a PC water cooling kit manufactured by XSPC. It was designed to be universal across all sockets while still being able to effectively cool your CPU.
Thanks to the way its been constructed, its a great way to get a custom water cooling loop while still retaining that ‘kit feature’. The Raystorm allows you to easily extend or even upgrade the loop without having to replace the entire loop when you upgrade your gaming pc unlike all-in-one cooling solutions that require you to replace it all when an unsupported cpu socket is released.
A dual Raystorm loop in action
This water cooling kit comes complete with XSPC’s newest addition to their CPU liquid cooling block range ‘the Raystorm‘ which features a polished copper base which paired up with the AX240 radiator and X20 750 watercooling pump, it’s is more than enough to keep even the toastiest processors cool. Being a kit, it comes complete with every thing you will require (except for fluid!)
There are reports of people breaking the 5ghz barrier with this kit which is not bad for under $180.
Compatibility: AMD Sockets 939, 754, 940, AM2, AM3 Intel Sockets LGA2011, LGA1366, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1150, 603, 604
2. Cooler Master Seidon 120M all-in-one watercooling kit – $69.99
This Cooler Master Seidon 120M is a self-contained liquid-cooling kit that is compatible with all major cpu sockets (AMD and Intel) and was designed to deliver on a budget. This CPU only kit comes filled with coolant already, sealed and pressure tested at the factory they offer a 2-year zero maintenance guarantee.
The CM Seidon 120M is a simple kit that comes complete with a 120MM Radiator and variable speed PWM fan that allows you to maximize performance while keeping noise levels down. Being only 120mm it will not be the most powerful kit in the world but it would be perfect for any enthusiast looking for mild gains or even someone with a cramped pc case and not much room to swing a cat.
Compatibility:Intel LGA 2011, 1366, 1156, 1155, 775 and AMD FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2, FM2
3. Corsair H55 Quiet Edition Liquid CPU Cooler – $69.99 (was $101)
Corsair did an amazing job with this one which is only made better by the fact it currently has nearly $32 off on Amazon!. The Corsair Hydro Series H55 Quiet Edition Liquid CPU Cooler is another all-in-one liquid CPU cooler that comes prefabricated, constructed and filled with coolant so all you need to do is take it out of the box, install it in your machine and start overclocking in as little time as possible, the only difference with this one is its tool-less!
As the name suggests, the H55 Quiet Edition is designed to be quiet coming supplied with low noise 120MM fan and a low noise, low profile pump. Every design choice made by Corsair was in an effort to improve airflow which effectively lowers your pc case ambient temperature in turn increasing cooling efficiency by the radiator.
The only downside about this kit is the fans are very loud. I have this cooling an intel i3 with a mild 500mhz overclock and its holding up fine, I don’t really notice the fan but maybe that is because its next to my main computer that is very loud! ( I love high CFM / Airflow fans )
Compatibility:Intel LGA 115x, 1366, and 2011 and AMD AM2, AM3, FM
Conclusion
While pre-made liquid cooling kits don’t provide the pure grunt of a custom loop, If you are looking for an upgradable system that will serve you well for many years to come then definitely consider the XSPC RayStorm 750.
However if you are not confident building your own, pressure and leak testing then either the Corsiar or Cooler Master will serve you well.
Already have liquid cooling for your pc? – link to your rig gallery in the comments!
