If you're looking for the best PC cooling fluid, we've got you covered right here.
When building a gaming PC, perhaps you'd rather water cool your computer, as opposed to air cooling it. This can be a tricky business, especially if you're using one of the best full tower PC cases and you've got more space to fill.
It will also usefully cool any new components you may wish to add, such as the best DDR5 RAM if you've got a compatible system, and any of the newly released AMD Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs or Nvidia RTX 4000 Series GPUs.
Once you've sorted your loop out, it's then a case of looking at which coolant you'd like to put in, as there are a few different choices out there.
Interestingly, you don't have to use actual water for liquid cooling. There are specific coolants available that are dyed in different colours, which can be handy if you're wanting to go for a specific aesthetic or colour scheme within your PC build.
Compared to water, these coolants can also offer features such as lower electrical conductivity, as well as help to protect metal piping from corrosion, which is an added bonus.
With all this in mind, we’ve selected these cooling fluids based on our research into their specs, features, general reviews, and other general points, that we think make them worth considering. And we’ve also answered some of your most frequently asked questions so you can pick the best one for you.
So with that being said, let’s get into it – here are some top picks for the best PC cooling fluid available today.
Best PC Cooling Fluid
- Corsair Hydro X Series XL5 Performance Coolant
- EKWB EK-CryoFuel Premix
- XSPC EC6 High-Performance Premix Coolant
- PrimoChill Vue Pre-Mix
- Thermaltake C1000
Best PC Cooling Fluid Corsair - Corsair Hydro X Series XL5 Performance Coolant
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+ 5The Corsair Hydro X Series XL5 Performance Coolant may have the smallest price tag, but it offers some invaluable features for custom water cooling loops.
These features include a long-lasting formula that protects copper, brass, and even nickel from corrosion and bacteria, allowing you to clean your system less frequently and giving it a longer life span.
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There are loads of different colours to choose from, including purple, blue, red, and green. And if those colours won't match your PC's theme, there's also a clear option you can go for.
Best PC Cooling Fluid EKWB - EKWB EK-CryoFuel Premix
click to enlarge + 5The EKWB Cryofuel features vivid colours allowing your PC to feature nearly any colour combination thanks to this PC cooling fluid's compatibility with Acrylic, PETG, and lots of other materials.
This PC coolant features an Eco-Friendly design while still providing incredible cooling capabilities for your custom water cooling loop!
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To ensure that your cooling loop stays clean and at its peak level of performance, this coolant features a composition that should limit any growth inside your system.
Best PC Cooling Fluid XSPC - XSPC EC6 High-Performance Premix Coolant
click to enlarge + 5The XSPC EC6 High-Performance Premix Coolant looks to be quite a powerful choice for those wanting some handy PC coolant for their system.
With it, you'll be getting a red-coloured coolant that should offer a particularly atmospheric look, although you can add other EC6 products to change the hue if you'd like to.
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This coolant also has low electrical conductivity so you won't need to worry about any short-circuiting, and the fact it has some rather high thermal connectivity means it should do a great job of regulating heat from your PC.
Best PC Cooling Fluid PrimoChill - PrimoChill Vue Pre-Mix
click to enlarge + 5The PrimoChill Vue PC coolant looks a bit different from the others, and that is due to Vue's exclusive water-based formula, which allows for this unique colouring and high longevity.
This coolant's colouring features what looks like waves that give it a unique look that increases your PC's visual style and gives a good indication of flow patterns, which can help many builders troubleshoot their loop.
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Offering twenty-five different colours means that there's no need to add additional dyes to this coolant to have it match their system's colour scheme.
This coolant requires a fair amount of maintenance compared to the others on this list and should only be utilized by a PC builder that is heavily experienced with PC water cooling loops.
Best PC Cooling FluidBest PC Cooling Fluid Thermaltake - Thermaltake C1000
click to enlarge + 5The Thermaltake C1000 looks to be a rather handy option for cooling your PC.
It's available in seven different colours and offers up a formula that protects against freezing, corrosion, rusting, and scaling from materials like nickel, copper, brass and aluminium.
It's also a useful high-performance coolant, meaning if you've got a killer gaming rig and you need to eke out every ounce of performance, this particular fluid should be able to lend a helping hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is liquid cooling a PC worth it?
Liquid cooling could be worth it for your PC as it's traditionally more efficient and sometimes quieter than traditional air cooling, and cosmetically, also looks rather cool, especially if you pair it with the right cooling fluid.
Making your own custom water cooling loop isn't easy, but if you do know how to do it, then liquid cooling your PC can be worth it.
Is it hard to install liquid cooling?
This all depends on the time of liquid cooler you buy. Some AIO (or all-in-one coolers) keep things simple by providing everything you need all in one box, from pumps to tubing and radiators.
With these, water cooling loops shouldn't be too difficult to install, given you get everything you need, and it's a simple case of following instructions.
How often should you change the liquid in a liquid-cooled PC?
As a general rule of thumb, changing your cooling fluid every 12 months or so is advisable to ensure optimal cooling performance, and also to clean the pipes out so there are no blockages or particle build-up.
But if you choose a coolant with UV additives, and want it to keep the UV effects, you'll want to change it every 6 months. However, this is not imperative for its function as a liquid cooler.
How much should I spend on PC cooling fluid?
As a general rule, we'd say to spend between $20 and $40 to get some good cooling fluid. Going within this price bracket should get you a fluid that not only comes in multiple colours but also feature special formulas inside to keep your PC running as best it can.
Does liquid cooling require maintenance?
In all honesty, not necessarily. As a liquid cooling loop forms a sealed system it doesn't require much maintenance if you go for an AIO setup. But building your own custom loop may require some maintenance, just to keep everything in check.
Can you mix PC coolant with water?
In short, you can, as long as the coolant supports it. Some require being mixed with water in order to function, while with others, you can pour them into your cooling loop as is, and they should work absolutely fine.
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