Aio life spans

Vanya Hargreeves · 7 Mar 2021 at 09:16

I have a corsair h45 aio in my system since 2016 and it coming up to five year. Should I replace it with a new one?

As im getting ok temps like 20c and 62c when playing games. Yet im concerned that it coming to the end of it life span and could fail on me. Even if I cleaned my PC ever month.

Any advice?

MartinPrince · 7 Mar 2021 at 10:27

There is no need to change it now. It is very unlikely now to have a catastrophic failure. You just need to keep doing as you do now which is to monitor temperatures.

Most AIO can over many years suffer permeation, where the liquid levels gradually decrease over a long time. This can vary depending on CLC, where some have little and others have more. This is generally only noticed if the temperatures are monitored and the system doesn't change in that time. Also they (the pump) can start to get louder.

Just continue to monitor your temps and I would only consider changing if when using the exact same system your temps increase by 10c+ or the pump becomes unbearably loud.

Vanya Hargreeves · 7 Mar 2021 at 10:47

MartinPrince said:
There is no need to change it now. It is very unlikely now to have a catastrophic failure. You just need to keep doing as you do now which is to monitor temperatures.

Most AIO can over many years suffer permeation, where the liquid levels gradually decrease over a long time. This can vary depending on CLC, where some have little and others have more. This is generally only noticed if the temperatures are monitored and the system doesn't change in that time. Also they (the pump) can start to get louder.

Just continue to monitor your temps and I would only consider changing if when using the exact same system your temps increase by 10c+ or the pump becomes unbearably loud.

Ok I keep that in mine I only use my PC for around 8 hours any way I had heard the pump working harder but that was on load, after going back to ideal it stopped.

MartinPrince · 7 Mar 2021 at 11:16

Vanya Hargreeves said:
Ok I keep that in mine I only use my PC for around 8 hours any way I had heard the pump working harder but that was on load, after going back to ideal it stopped.

You only need to be concerned it the pump is loud when the system is at idle.

Hotwired · 7 Mar 2021 at 12:17

A warranty isn't a lifespan.

I had a 5 year corsair H50 warranty.

Ran out 7 years ago.

Didn't like the fan so I bought a different fan, didn't like that so I bought a different one, that wore out so I bought a different one which I'm still on.

But the pump has been at full speed and turned on about 3/4 of the time since 2009.

If it's working don't worry about it. You can't do any maintenance besides chasing the dust away.

spidiweb7 · 7 Mar 2021 at 12:52

Like others have said, unless you notice a problem just roll with it. I purchased a Corsair H60 from here in 2012 and it's still going fine. Just the radiator that needs the layer of dust buildup removing every so often.

ASMB · 8 Mar 2021 at 01:03

Make sure that the cpu temperature warning is switched on in the bios and you should get a warning if the pump fails and the system needs shutting down to protect the cpu.

DaBFG · 8 Mar 2021 at 12:42

Shouldn't the system just shut down anyway if it gets too hot??

ASMB · 8 Mar 2021 at 13:39

A modern cpu is designed to throttle back to prevent damage from overheating so you would notice a reduction in performance but if you have an audible alarm set you can additional action yourself. I had an old pentium 4 processor that used to over heat in the summer, to solve this I would take the side of the case if I got an audible alarm

pc-guy · 8 Mar 2021 at 18:38

i wouldnt concern yourself with AIO crapping out unless it is crapping out and you will know as your CPU will thermal throttle.

I got an old AIO (H100i) 6yr+ and intending on opening it to see how much water or coolant is filled in these close systems and how much gunking up there is in the system.

I incidentally run the same AIO in my system and it has been going longer than 6 years and it still keeps my 3900X very cool under all core full laod (170w - 70c).

when that craps out i will move to a 360mm rad just so I get a bit more thermal headroom - good for the summer days when ambient can reach 40c+

Quartz · 8 Mar 2021 at 18:52

Vanya Hargreeves said:
Yet im concerned that it coming to the end of it life span

There an easy test you can do. It requires dismounting the AIO - you can take the opportunity to repaste it. All you need to do is weigh it and compare the weight with its original weight. This will tell you the amount of fluid that has evaporated.

pc-guy · 8 Mar 2021 at 21:56

Quartz said:
There an easy test you can do. It requires dismounting the AIO - you can take the opportunity to repaste it. All you need to do is weigh it and compare the weight with its original weight. This will tell you the amount of fluid that has evaporated.

ok let me just get in my trusty delorean and get my flux capacity charged up with a few kilo of plutonium 241 and set my dial to 7th August 2014

or shall I press 9 on my direct dial for the one and only time lord the Doctor.

Hotwired · 8 Mar 2021 at 22:00

The weight when new will vary too in case you find its weight elsewhere.

Quartz · 8 Mar 2021 at 22:17

pc-guy said:
ok let me just get in my trusty delorean

Or you could look at the packaging or the manufacturer's website to find out.

pc-guy · 8 Mar 2021 at 22:25

Quartz said:
Or you could look at the packaging or the manufacturer's website to find out.

How would that be accurate. Each unit would have variations surely. not to mention dust accumulation.

Quartz · 8 Mar 2021 at 22:27

pc-guy said:
How would that be accurate. Each unit would have variations surely. not to mention dust accumulation.

You don't need to be accurate. You just need to see if the weight is a long way off. And if it's dusty you clean it - just as you'd do anyway.

gpuerrilla · 8 Mar 2021 at 22:28

pc-guy said:
i wouldnt concern yourself with AIO crapping out unless it is crapping out and you will know as your CPU will thermal throttle.

I got an old AIO (H100i) 6yr+ and intending on opening it to see how much water or coolant is filled in these close systems and how much gunking up there is in the system.

I incidentally run the same AIO in my system and it has been going longer than 6 years and it still keeps my 3900X very cool under all core full laod (170w - 70c).

when that craps out i will move to a 360mm rad just so I get a bit more thermal headroom - good for the summer days when ambient can reach 40c+

Well well, how similar! I have a H100 from 2012, I was thinking about AIO this morning. I just check the temps and de-dust the rad from time to time. Great minds think alike they say.

Cyber-Mav · 14 Mar 2021 at 17:14

you will know when the AIO is dead, it will take the rest of the components with it.

cavemanoc · 15 Mar 2021 at 13:51

I have just been through this with an old Antec Khuler 620. Had to remount it and a lack of fluid meant a large air pocket in the block and an almighty racket. I couldn't find any sensible suggestions online about refilling that didn't include cutting tubes and wrecking the whole unit. In frustration I popped to copper plate off the bottom and, as expected, I could access everything from there. Cleaned the gunk out of the copper fins, flushed the rad and refilled it. Works perfectly now. Not sure why this causes so much consternation - all in all a super simple fix

Hotwired · 15 Mar 2021 at 14:46

cavemanoc said:
I have just been through this with an old Antec Khuler 620. Had to remount it and a lack of fluid meant a large air pocket in the block and an almighty racket. I couldn't find any sensible suggestions online about refilling that didn't include cutting tubes and wrecking the whole unit. In frustration I popped to copper plate off the bottom and, as expected, I could access everything from there. Cleaned the gunk out of the copper fins, flushed the rad and refilled it. Works perfectly now. Not sure why this causes so much consternation - all in all a super simple fix

Never thought about that myself, blinded by the constant insistence that you can't do any maintenance on AIOs.

But of course, most of them have the plate screwed on and that's loop access.