Mounting an All-in-One CPU cooler boils down to finding the right fan mounts that will fit the radiator—a task that's much easier with larger cases. The more options you have, the better you can route things. Regardless of where you place the radiator though, it's imperative that you get your AIO orientation correct. It’s worth mentioning here that small form-factor cases like the CORSAIR 2000D may only have one suitable spot for a radiator. In this case, you might not have much of a choice to make it.
Just because the radiator can fit in multiple spots, doesn’t mean that it will perform optimally wherever you decide to mount it. So, we’re going to go over where is best to mount an AIO, and which way to orient it. Luckily, we make a lot of AIOs and a lot of cases, so we have plenty of examples to hand.
If you can, you should always endeavour to mount the cooler with the pump below the radiator, but why? Why is it bad for the pump to be above the radiator?
Well, there is always going to be a small amount of air in a liquid cooling loop, there’s not a way to get around that, but the important thing is to make sure this air is not in the pump. The impellers of a water cooling pump are designed with the resistance of water in mind. This means that even a small amount of air running through the pump will create annoying noise and can potentially weaken the pump over time.
The best orientation for an AIO cooler: Tubes down, with the radiator above the pump. Note however, that the tubes don't have to be at the back. You can flip this around so the tubes are coming out of the radiator at the side near the front of the case.
However, given that there will always be a small amount of air in this loop somewhere, the best we can do is ensure that it does not go into the pump. The best place for the air is the radiator, so if we put the radiator above the pump, the air will naturally rise. Harmlessly living out the rest of its days in peaceful solitude far, far away from the pump.
So, that’s why it’s best to keep the pump below the radiator, it will help maximize the lifespan of the pump, and keep the AIO operating quietly. This is why you always see the radiator installed at the top of the case in nice product photography, but is this the only place you can put an AIO?
Mounting the radiator at the top is the best option for sure and most mid and full-tower cases are designed with this in mind. You can almost always fit a 240mm or 360mm cooler up top. The 4000D and 5000D cases come to mind here, respectively.
However, the front of the case usually has enough space for an AIO radiator too. You can mount it here if you want to, but we only recommend this if the tubes connecting the radiator to the pump are at the bottom, with the top end of the radiator above the pump. This will make it easier for the air to naturally sit at the top of the radiator.
So, now you know where to mount your AIO, and which way up it should be. This means that it’s the perfect time to head over to our main website, where you can find our whole range of AIOs, and our collection of cases, too.
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