Water Cooling

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What Does Water Cooling Mean?

Water cooling, in the context of computing, is a method of removing heat that uses water as the cooling medium. It is used to cool components of a PC or computing device. Water cooling can remove heat from a CPU or other component at approximately 30 times the speed of air flow cooling.

Water’s ability to cool is superior to air because of water’s higher density, specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Compared to air flow, water is able to transmit more heat over greater distances with much less volume – even with less of a temperature difference between the cool water and the CPU or other component.

Techopedia Explains Water Cooling

Water cooling is gaining traction as increased processing speeds make heat more of an issue.

Engineers are creating more optimally-designed radiators to replace the heat sinks and fans currently cooling heat sources like high capacity CPUs. CPU water blocks and heat exchangers, consisting of a radiator with an attached fan, allow quieter operation and improved overclocking. Improved heat-handling capabilities allow for the support of hotter processors.

Until the late 1990s, PC water cooling was a homemade hobby. Now computer manufacturers have started to use pre-made and specialized components to fit inside computer cases. Alternate technologies also are being tested, including vapor-compression refrigeration and thermoelectric coolers.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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