Many are afraid that their rig will not be able to withstand the immense load and heat generated when having to work on their PC. Upgrading your PC cooling kit or switching over to a liquid cooler will be a tough decision, and you will need to weigh your options.
Stick to Stock
You do not have to go into modding your PC if you find that your stock cooler is doing its job. After all, expensive gear will not guarantee better performance, and your system might be better off without it. Though, keep in mind that when you plan on upgrading your system, you should think about cooling too.
Air Cooling Has Its Benefits
To think that air cooling will not be able to keep your PC cool & quiet, even when the tough gets going can be far from truth. You will have to mount a number of fans to keep the cold air in and to get hot air out. Nevertheless, you can lower the heat in your PC case by a considerable amount, which will help your components stay intact. Then again, you have to consider the downside of so many fans running in your PC, it will get dusty after a while, and you will have to clean it out to keep everything running smoothly. Not to mention the noise, if you use low-end fans.

Image: noctua.at
Will It Leak on Your Computer Parts?
While water cooling seems like a great idea, you have to keep in mind that it ca drastically reduce heat, only if you set up everything correctly. Water and electricity never mix well, which could mean the end for your rig, which is why you need to be careful when installing it. Building custom liquid cooling systems has never been easier, and besides getting great parts, you only need a bit of know-how. On the other hand, it will allow you to come up with a great look for your PC. You will also need a couple of fans for liquid cooling, to make sure that all your computer parts get cooled equally.
Air Cooling vs. Water Cooling?
When it boils down to the essentials, you need to take into consideration what kind of cooling you need. If you are going to push your PC to the very limits, overclocking it and forcing it to render at high quality, then you are going to need to get good water cooling. Otherwise, performing daily tasks with occasional loads here and there, you can stick with regular air cooling. The bottom line is, you should not invest in cooling if you do not need the extra power to keep everything at a decent degree.
In the end, take the “cool” factor into the equation, because you do not just want your system to be able to perform well, but you also want it to look amazing. The good thing is that with either air or liquid cooling, you can achieve that, but you will have to put in a lot of effort and time to make it happen.