Does the size of tubing matter for custom cooling?

If you've dipped your toes into custom cooling at all, you've undoubtedly noticed the variety of tubing sizes available. This naturally raises the question: is it better to have large tubing or smaller tubing?

Naturally, a larger tube would be able to move more water, right? Well, not really. The size of the tubing is rarely the limiting factor in your system, since there are plenty of parts that have higher restriction to flow, such as your waterblocks and radiators.

On top of that, most fittings use a G1/4" thread, with an inner diameter often around 10mm or less. This means the overall flow of the coolant is determined by these narrower sections rather than the tubing itself.

Tubing with a larger diameter should only be prioritized for the aesthetics. If you are working with hard tubing, then our lineup of 12mm and 14mm tubing both feature a 10mm inner diameter.

In summary, go with larger tubing if you like how it looks. From a performance standpoint, you're unlikely to notice any measurable difference.