Thick or Thin Radiators???
Thick or Thin Radiators???
Thicker parts are advantageous, though they need more room for cases and better cooling fans. Adding thickness to a radiator won’t significantly change your temperatures, but it will influence how effectively you can release heat—mostly leading to higher overclocking possibilities instead of adding more components. Remember, heat removal doesn’t increase linearly. A radiator that’s twice as thick can’t handle twice the heat.
Thicker parts are advantageous, though they need more room for cases and better cooling fans. Adding thickness to a radiator won’t significantly change your temperatures, but it will influence how effectively you can release heat—mostly leading to higher overclocking possibilities instead of adding more components. Remember, heat removal doesn’t increase linearly. A radiator that’s twice as thick can’t handle twice the heat.
When selecting a radiator, consider the FPI fin density and thickness to ensure compatibility with fans. Relying solely on a high CFM rating isn't enough—fans requiring strong static pressure are also essential for effective air movement through the radiator. The design of radiator tubes and fins can restrict airflow, so choosing a fan that excels in handling pressurized air is advantageous.
well, i have thin 360mm radiators and i have monstra 360mm radiators, and rubix as well as Mr Kagouris have good points, with my thin radiators i can get away with only needing 3 fans on the radiator with shrouds, with my monstra radiators i need 6 fans with shrouds, but there is also a big difference in the flow rates of each type of radiator the thinner the radiator the lower the flow rate through it will be. my 35mm thick radiators will only pass 4LPM at best, but my monstra 80mm thick radiator can pass 7LPM through it. so the thicker the radiator the lower the restriction that the radiator will place on the system. here is a little test i did with my own system, to show how flow rate directly affects how well the hardware on my system is able to preform.
You can choose the middle choice and obtain both better heat removal and reduced flow limitation without requiring more than a single side with strong static pressure fans (for example, EK Vardars or Noctua NF-F12).