Cool and the gang

Guy, I just want to say thanks to you and the staff for keeping the mags coming during a “changing of the guard”. It’s a nice surprise to go to the mailbox and get it early! Do you think you could do an in- depth article on AIO coolers relating to the size you need versus the CPU you have? I cut my teeth on the retro PC scene, so I’m not hip to the modern gear.

–T. Neumann

EDITOR- IN- CHIEF, GUY COCKER, RESPONDS: Our writer Sam and I are going to be doing more in the water cooling space by building some more “out there” builds, as well as helping anyone looking to build their first watercooled system.

We’re thinking more about custom loops at this stage, but AIO coolers will form some part of this, given how popular they are. Personally, I subscribe to the idea of using the largest grille that your case will support—if that’s 360mm, then go for it, but if it’s a compact build, then 240mm will usually suffice.

Just be aware that different 360mm radiators come in different sizes, as I found to my detriment when putting together my “Frankenstein” build in the last issue. The Raijintek EOS 360 RBW was a bit too big to fit into the Corsair 4000D case I was using, a fact I only realized after I’d unpacked all of the cooler equipment and emptied out the case.

Yes, even we admit to having made mistakes, but the difference is, we usually haven’t bought the equipment and can easily use components in other builds. You don’t want to buy the part and then find it won’t fit, so always check the measurements.

Otherwise, don’t be daunted, as it’s dead easy to fit your own AIO cooler!