Liquidcooled

Liquid-cooled describes systems that remove heat from components by circulating a liquid coolant rather than relying on air. In a typical liquid-cooled setup, heat-generating components transfer heat to a cold plate, the liquid absorbs the heat as it flows through the plate, and the heated liquid is pumped to a heat exchanger or radiator where the heat is released to a surrounding medium, after which the cooled liquid returns to repeat the cycle. These systems are commonly implemented in closed loops, designed to be leak-resistant and relatively maintenance-focused, though some open-loop or immersion configurations exist.

Key components include a pump to move the coolant, a reservoir to hold excess liquid, tubing to connect components, a radiator or heat exchanger to dissipate heat, fans to enhance air cooling, coolant with appropriate dielectric properties, and cold plates or blocks attached to the heat source. In computing, liquid cooling is found in all-in-one (AIO) units and custom loops that cool CPUs, GPUs, or entire server racks. Immersion cooling, where components are submerged in a dielectric liquid, is another approach used in high-density data centers and industrial applications.

Advantages of liquid cooling include higher heat transfer efficiency, the ability to handle higher thermal loads in compact or densely packed systems, and often quieter operation at equivalent cooling performance. Disadvantages involve higher cost, greater system complexity, potential for leaks, and maintenance requirements such as coolant replacement and leak monitoring.

Applications span personal computers, data centers, automotive battery cooling, and industrial machinery. Variants and related concepts include open-loop versus closed-loop designs, immersion cooling, and two-phase cooling methods.