I still don't really get why AIOs are a thing. They're marginally better than high end air coolers, equally as loud or louder, and more expensive. Why not just have the guaranteed reliability of a big metal heat spreader? No pumps to break there...

I still don't really get why AIOs are a thing. They're marginally better than high end air coolers, equally as loud or louder, and more expensive. Why not just have the guaranteed reliability of a big metal heat spreader? No pumps to break there...

Cooling capacity, looks, aesthetics, the fact that AIO exhausts outside the chassis not inside and sure, a bit more boom-boom-pow / x-factor inside that chassis. But you are right, air-coolers are a proven concept and can be as good as AIO coolers performance and noise wise.

Cooling capacity, looks, aesthetics, the fact that AIO exhausts outside the chassis not inside and sure, a bit more boom-boom-pow / x-factor inside that chassis. But you are right, air-coolers are a proven concept and can be as good as AIO coolers performance and noise wise.

That's true HH, I forgot about looks. They're definitely look better.

Hilbert, Got a question, at the start of the review you mentioned it had a fill port? and from the product pictures it looks like it has screw on compression fittings as well. Can you confirm this, as if its upgradable that's a decent plus in its favor. Thanks

Pass, i have had 3 AIO watercooling including the Corsair H110 and they have all been total junk they provide around the same cooling performance as my TR silver arrow but are 3x louder i even disconnected fans and it's the pumps that are damn loud won't touch anything with Asetek inside. I did have a swiftech 220 which was good a little louder than my SA but slightly better performance but then had a leak in the block that i had to send the block to the States to get replaced which took 2 months to get back at which point i got an enthusiast Apogee and a res with pump from XSPC which had 2 leaks and a pump fail won't touch XSPC anymore they are crap made in china and ended up going back to my SA, fans run at 400-500rpms typically and get around the same performance as these AIO. Fell for it 3 times now with people saying they are real quiet are they not they are more like a jet engine to me got rid of them after 2 days cause they where completely unbareble. I have sensitive hearing and could hear the pump from the computer room to the bed room. I want to get back into watercooling again but the products on the market are just rebranded garbage. Guess i will have to go back to a custom loop again maybe a tripple rad this time round but i need to really look into a good pump as thats what i find to be the loudest part.

That's true HH, I forgot about looks. They're definitely look better.

That really is mainly the thing. Sure old school air coolers are good an reliable, but they look pretty crappy when compared to modern motherboards/gpus etc. Not to mention a lot of them cover up half the motherboard anyway.

Hilbert, Got a question, at the start of the review you mentioned it had a fill port? and from the product pictures it looks like it has screw on compression fittings as well. Can you confirm this, as if its upgradable that's a decent plus in its favor. Thanks

That's correct yes. At a mighty inconvenient location though. Look to the left of the wire on the cooling block, there you can see the fill port: http://www.guru3d.com/index.php?ct=articles&action=file&id=25588

Ahh, yep i see it now... thats inconvenient alright. And if its as Maye said, and you void the warranty if you customize it i can see why you didn't say any more then that quick mention of the fill port in the review. Guess ill stick to the 240 or 360 EK Predator for my new build. (though... frustratingly the aussie PC stores both online and bricks and mortar ones often get out of stock of those kits and take forever to restock them)