So basically a huge radiator? and the fans attached? I would be afraid it looks a bit weird with he fans hanging on the side of the case on my desk.
Well, depends of your ideas about aesthetics:
Example one and
Example two both found via google image search.
But this thread made me think more about water cooling. one other concern I have is longevity. I read most (if not all ) of the tubing will lose some water, which is what the tank is for. I also read many of the AIO water cooling systems can't be filled, so once water evaporates you have air bubbles. And the pump is the part that likely dies within a few years. And of course the
CoolIT review on bittech is scary, especially since many reviews confirm the issues. With the AIO sets this means throwing away the whole setup. I assume with self-made sets where you have a separate pump you have the option to just replace the pump. But is the water leakage and evaporation over time an issue that can be resolved? by water leakage I mean what seems to go through the hose over time (as in molecule diffusion). Obviously there also is the issue of an actual leak.
I'm the guy who would be willing to spend some $ if the cooling really is better and lasts a long time (so I can tell myself it is an investment . But it looks like it will require some more maintenance than aircooling.
Okay, there are a few things in here:
a) The review you posted is for an lowcost product from eight years ago. Yes, it obviously isn't good. It probably even wasn't good back then, compared to market-leading companys. If you are into AiO sets, check out the
Alphacool Eisbaer. I actually built this into my sisters gaming machine, so yes, I trust it.
b) The usual pumps in custom waterloops (DDC, D5 or Eheim 1046 variants) usually last for at least 8 years - I can't give you a maximum, because some pumps thatin the systems of friends of mine bought in the beginning of the century still run. Keep in mind that these pumps were originally not designed for PCs: the Eheim 1046 is a aquarium pump. If this pump would fail, living beings die. So reliability is THE main selling point of these products. The Laing/Lowara D5 is a pump for multi-household heating systems, where there is a boiler in the basement and all the radiators in the flats have to be supplied. Again, reliability is key in these markets - you don't want your entire flat to be without heating in the winter, right? This was the main reason why clever PC enthusiasts seeked those products and contacted those manufacturers and finally got them to produce for the PC market as well. But be aware that PC watercooling is only a very small niche margin for these companys, their main business is made somewhere else.
Then again, no component of your rig posted in your signature is older than 3 years, and most of them are way more expensive. So if you don't have a problem to change components every couple of years, why bother about just another component?
c) In a well-built internal closed loop with high quality tubing, expect 5 - to 10ml of liquid to diffuse in a year. This is a quarter of a shot glass, really! So no, this is not an issue because before the amount of liquid lost through diffusion becomes critical, you pretty surely already opened the loop anyways to exchange components.
d) Watercooling is a luxury. There is absolutely NO scenario where anyone in the world would NEED to watercool there private home PC. So, yes, it is an investment in an unneccessary hobby - but isn't "not neccessary" the definition of "hobby"? If you are into it, be it for looks, be it for (theoretical) performance gains, be it for the fun of building a complex machinery with your own hands, be it for noise reduction, please, I am more than happy to help and advise you. And no, a well planned system does not require any maintenance for years. But maybe, you will also catch the modding bug that most of the watercooling bunch have, and start to tear your rig apart every so often to optimize a thing here and add a thing there and change and... Well, as I said - it is a hobby. And isn't it great to spend time with your hobby?