The price of a DIY water block is around $10. You can get more fancy water blocks anywhere from $30 to $60. A water block allows your components (usually the GPU or the CPU) to cool with water. Water conducts heat better than air, so theoretically, it’s a better choice if you’re struggling with heat in your gaming PC.
This article is a part of a series on water blocks and water cooling in general. Start with an explanation of all terms such as water block, loop, liquid cooling, coolant, etc.: Water cooling dictionary What is a water block – Gamer’s guide Water block price for PC cooling Is a water block worth it? Are water coolers better than fans? Is liquid cooling worth it? What does a CPU water block do? Also read if applicable: Water cooling block for RTX 3080 | Water cooling block for RTX 2080 Ti | Water cooling block for RX 5700 XT | Water cooling block for RX 580
A water block works by cooling a component through water. A container is attached to the component. This container has water. Colder water is poured into this container via insulated pipes, and hotter water is taken out from the other end. You can connect the inlet to a typical tap.
The price of a water-cooling system is considerably higher than that of a water block, so don’t get confused between the two. A standalone water block is a small aluminum container with two inlet/outlet connectors. Pipes or tubing is connected to these connectors.
Is water cooling worth it?
Yep. Water is definitely worth it. I personally never build a PC that doesn’t have water cooling in it. Air is just too unreliable now. Unless you have a pretty large case with at least 4 fans (2 inlet, 2 outlet), your system will heat up beyond what you consider safe.
That’s where water blocks come in.
Water cooling doesn’t improve temperature by 1-2 degrees. That’s fan cooling talk, rookie numbers if you ask me. Water blocks drop temperatures from 5 to even 10 degrees depending on a variety of factors.
Average prices of different types of water blocks
An AMD CPU water block will cost around $60-80 from a reputed manufacturer. An RTX 3080/3090 GPU water block from the same manufacturer will cost at least $100 more. So, the average pricing depends on what water block you’re looking it.
If you’re looking at a specific hardware’s water block then it’s better to search on sites such as TitanRig, Newegg, or even Ebay and Amazon.
If you want an AIO cooling solution then Amazon is the best bet.
Apart from that, many manufacturers that have cooling systems and fans such as Thermaltake, NZXT, Corsair, EVGA, Phanteks, etc. design water blocks too. You can check the website of your favorite manufacturer just in case.
Expensive cooling systems
The Corsair Hydro XH305i costs a whopping $500. This kit has a CPU water block, radiator, pump reservoir, RGB fans, and more. Buying something like this is a one-stop solution for your cooling needs for years to come.
However, always understand the workings before you buy anything related to cooling.
If most of this kit is going to be useless for you, it’s not worth it. A DIY water block I purchased for $9 helped me drop my first rig’s temperature from 60°C to 44°C. And that’s all I needed.
Given, I had previous expertise with hardware and tools. But the point here is that you should know exactly what you need and precisely what’s the heat issue. And try to solve that, bit by bit. Going for an expensive kit might not be the ideal solution.
