{"id":48090,"date":"2024-08-20T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.overclockers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=48090"},"modified":"2025-12-11T15:20:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T15:20:20","slug":"is-it-dead-air-cooling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.overclockers.co.uk\/blog\/is-it-dead-air-cooling\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Dead: Air Cooling?!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With more of us jumping to water-cooling, it begs the question of whether air cooling is still a viable option in 2024. Are people still <\/em>utilising air cooling to keep their PCs cool?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this blog post, we\u2019re taking a deep dive into air cooling, showcasing what it is, if it’s still useful in 2024, and why you should use air cooling in your next gaming PC.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Air Cooling? <\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Air cooling is exactly what it sounds like. This thermal solution consists of several fans and a heatsink to help keep temperatures to a minimum.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does Air Cooling Work in a PC?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The heatsink is responsible for drawing heat away from vital components, whilst the fins and fans dissipate this heat, to create a consistent flow of natural air throughout your computer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Looking for more information on the differences between air and water cooling? Be sure to check out our dedicated guide!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Air vs Water Cooling<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Is Air Cooling Still Useful? <\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whilst water cooling<\/a> is becoming increasingly popular, air cooling is still a viable option in 2024, especially for those looking to build their PC on a budget<\/a>. With air cooling, you can still successfully draw away any excess heat and keep temperatures to a minimum.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most air coolers come equipped with powerful PWM fans<\/a> which allow you to configure the fan speeds via on\/off cycles to suit your PC. If your PC reaches a certain temperature, you can adjust PWM fans to automatically ramp up or keep to a minimum under minimal loads. All of which means you don\u2019t need to compromise on your cooling to performance ratio.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To ensure your thermal solution still matches your aesthetic, you can find air coolers equipped with customisable RGB lighting. With these, you can adjust both the colour and lighting effect to perfectly suit your desired aesthetic or match your hardware for a synchronised battle station.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What About Liquid Cooling – Is Liquid Cooling Better Than Air Cooling?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In certain circumstances, liquid cooling might be the better option for you. Air cooling won\u2019t provide the power you need to cool most high-end hardware or complex configurations. Flagship GPUs from the NVIDIA RTX 40 or AMD Radeon 7000 Series and even multi-GPU layouts require lots of cooling to keep temperatures to a minimum. Especially if you are planning on streaming or need your PC for demanding creative work.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is where liquid cooling shines. You can pair your powerful hardware with an equally impressive water-cooling solution to ensure your PC runs at optimum temperatures and is whisper-quiet, even under heavy-duty loads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not sure if water-cooling is better than air cooling for your PC? Be sure to check out our guide to find out all about why you might want water-cooling in your computer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Why You Want Air Cooling<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you need more convincing about making the jump to air cooling, we\u2019ve highlighted all the key pros and cons below.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pros<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n