PC Radiators
Regardless of the size of your loop, you’ll need at least one high quality radiator to help dissipate heat. All CORSAIR radiators deliver strong cooling performance thanks to a high surface area and a dense fin count.
What to look for in a PC water cooling radiator
A PC radiator is a pretty simple component, but there are a few things to consider as you’re shopping:
- Size: Perhaps the most important spec is the size of your water cooler—measured in millimeters, determining the size of the PC case slot required.
- Operating temperature: Look closely at how much coolant temperature your radiator is designed to withstand.
- Compatibility and other sizing: Check for thickness, port thread compatibility, coolant capacity, and more.
- Design and material: Check for the desired material makeup, and if there’s a specific color you want to match your rig.
How does a water cooling radiator work and how does it cool your PC?
While it may seem like a modern way to cool a PC, water cooling systems are actually quite commonly used in machinery and cars. In its simplest form, a water cooling system will absorb heat into the liquid inside the lines, and then move that liquid toward a fan-supported radiator unit. The radiator serves to cool that liquid down—taking the excess heat and blowing it out of the system. Then, the now-cooled water heads back to the component you’re trying to cool to absorb more heat and continue the process. Therefore, a radiator is kind of the most critical part of the operation, because it serves to keep the water cool, and to keep fresh coolant ready to head back and cool your CPU.