At the beginning of this year, I made a statement that invoked the wrath of CLC fans everywhere. Mind you, it seems that most things I say do that, but this one seemed to cause more of a stir than usual. When I was told that air cooling was going to be extinct in favor of CLC, I stated that in a world of open loop, CLC and air, it would be CLC that would be the first to fall into obsolescence. Like it or not, air cooling isn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future. It is cost effective and reliable which makes it perfect for corporate environments and enthusiasts who do not have the faith in, or funds for, custom liquid cooling. However, it is not air cooling that will drive CLC to extinction, it is open loop cooling that is poised to do that. The once pricey and daunting segment is becoming more and more user appealing in both cost and ease of use, and is claiming a market share at a quickly expanding rate.

As we know, competition in a growing segment also breeds new products and advances, and that is exactly what we have been seeing over the last year. Across the board, experienced WaCo manufacturers have introduced new product lines featuring kits, pumps, blocks and radiators, all featuring lower pricing, increased performance and better ease of use. While pumps and blocks have seen minimal performance gains, relying more heavily on price points and usage, we have seen radiator designs that have offered noticeable gains and very specific applications. While all retain the traditional radiator look and design, we are seeing two pass, fpi designs for low and high rpm applications, 30mm thick designs that perform as well as last gen 60mm designs and a general trend to slimmer radiators in general. If you have a specific need, there is probably a radiator out there that fits it perfectly, including extreme performance.