With a high-end gaming rig, you might need a cooling system that's far more efficient, so why not liquid cooling? There are plenty of liquid cooling kits for a PC, both extensive and simple, that have no problem keeping your system chill, especially if you plan to overclock.

Best Liquid Cooling Kit Overall: Corsair Hydro X Series iCUE XH305i RGB PRO Custom Cooling Kit

Corsair is no slouch when it comes to air cooling, and it’s no different in the liquid cooling department. The Corsair Hydro X Series iCUE XH305i RGB Pro Custom Cooling Kit not only keeps your high-end PC cool, but it looks pretty great when your RGB is all synced up using iCUE.

However, the keyword here is “custom,” which means you’ll have to map everything out with the Corsair Hydro X Series iCUE XH305i RGB Pro Cooling Kit. It’s an extensive kit, too, bundled with extra fittings, fans, an iCUE software block, a reservoir, a pump, and even tube bending tools.

If a custom loop is a little scary, we suggest a closed loop, like an AIO. The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360, further down our list, is a perfect alternative for overclocking.

Best Budget Liquid Cooling Kit: Thermaltake Pacific C240

If budget is a concern, the Thermaltake Pacific C240 makes your decision easy. By giving you the option to choose between hard and soft tubing and radiator sizes, it’s up to you to decide what best fits your budget. The C240 offers premium cooling no matter what you choose, not to mention looking great with the included RGB controller.

What we found most impressive is how complete the Thermaltake Pacific C240 is. Even if you’re new to the world of water cooling, you can rest easy knowing this kit comes with all the necessary components. Despite its affordable price, you’re still getting a pretty powerful pump, a 200ml reservoir, and a copper radiator with thick fins for better heat dissipation.

Best Liquid Cooling Kit with RGB: Aorus Waterforce X 360 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler

Style should never trump performance, but the Aorus Waterforce X 360 AIO can be the crowning jewel of your PC. And since this is just an AIO and it’s compatible with a wide range of sockets—including AM4 and LGA 1700—it’s one of the easy ways to fit water cooling into your system.

Its style comes in the form of two features: an LCD and ARGB fans. That means you can adjust each individual LED in a myriad of colors, and the full-color LCD can be used to show off custom graphics as well as important information like temperature.

Best Liquid Cooling Kit for Gaming: Thermaltake Pacific Tough C360

Considering what the Thermaltake Pacific Tough C360 offers, you can rest assured your gaming PC will be set up for success. Having a copper water block and a 360mm copper radiator with thick fins is a stellar combination. That alone offers superior heat dissipation than aluminum, and with three fans running at 2000 RPM, you’re giving heat the boot pretty quickly.

Another welcomed feature of the Thermaltake Pacific Tough C360 is the use of hard tubing as opposed to soft tubing. It’s a little tougher to work with, but totally worth the effort for better flow rates, which ultimately creates a much cooler and more efficient system.

Best Liquid Cooling Kit for Overclocking: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360

Overclocking is great for eking out performance, especially if your PC is rocking premium components, but if you aren’t careful, you can cook your hardware beyond repair. Luckily, strapping your CPU with the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 can wrangle powerful processors, like the i9-13900K and the Ryzen 9 7950x, with ease.

To help further reduce overheating, the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 features fins that are much thicker than your average AIO—38mm thick. There’s also a 40mm VRM fan for the voltage transformer and base to avoid adding unnecessary heat to your entire system. For all intents and purposes, the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 really lets you put your PC through its paces.

FAQ

Q: Is liquid cooling better than a heatsink?

Yes, liquid cooling is, without a doubt, better at keeping the entire system cooler than air cooling. It's simply more efficient at spreading and dissipating heat, which also ultimately reduces fan speeds and makes your rig a lot quieter, too.

Q: Do liquid coolers need to be refilled?

It depends on what kind of liquid cooling you've chosen. Is it an AIO or a custom job? The former, being a closed loop, means you never need to, barring a problem; the latter does require refills about every year to keep the loop running smoothly.

Q: Can I use distilled water for water cooling?

Technically, yes, but you shouldn't. Unlike coolant, distilled water has the chance of being contaminated which can cause other problems. It's best to stick with tried and true coolant.

Q: Does liquid cooling save electricity?

Your mileage may vary. Generally speaking, pumps draw just a tad more power than a fan in order to move all that water. A water-cooled system means your components may not have to run as hard (you can lower fan speeds, for example), but the energy saved is negligible. You can just as easily install a radiator, a passive component that doesn't draw power, to help dissipate heat in an air-cooled system.

Q: Do liquid coolers leak often?

Liquid coolers are designed to be watertight, but if you tend to reinstall your liquid cooling kit often there is a small chance that it might leak if it has not been fitted back together well.