The History of Water Cooling
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Receive a free set of Skylight keycaps when you buy a Drop Alt keyboard using the code FREECAPS at checkout dro.ps What are the origins of PC water cooling and how has it changed over the years? Leave a reply with your requests for future episodes, or tweet them here: twitter.com ►GET MERCH: lttstore.com ►SUPPORT US ON FLOATPLANE: floatplane.com ►LTX EXPO: ltxexpo.com AFFILIATES & REFERRALS --------------------------------------------------- ►Affiliates, Sponsors & Referrals: lmg.gg ►Private Internet Access VPN: lmg.gg ►MK Keyboards: lmg.gg ►Nerd or Die Stream Overlays: lmg.gg ►NEEDforSEAT Gaming Chairs: lmg.gg ►Displate Metal Prints: lmg.gg ►Epic Games Store (LINUSMEDIAGROUP): lmg.gg ►Official Game Store: nexus.gg ►Amazon Prime: lmg.gg ►Audible Free Trial: lmg.gg ►Our Gear on Amazon: geni.us FOLLOW US ELSEWHERE --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: @LinusTech Instagram: @linustech Twitch: twitch.tv FOLLOW OUR OTHER CHANNELS --------------------------------------------------- Linus Tech Tips: lmg.gg TechLinked: lmg.gg ShortCircuit: lmg.gg LMG Clips: lmg.gg Channel Super Fun: lmg.gg Carpool Critics: lmg.gg
The History of Water Cooling traces the surprising longevity and evolution of liquid cooling in computing, beginning with early systems that could generate enough heat to justify dedicated cooling despite their era’s power limits. The video notes that IBM in the mid 1960s introduced System/360 mainframes with built-in liquid cooling, sometimes even offering a water tank as an optional accessory, underscoring that water cooling has deep roots in high-performance computing. It then moves through the Cray-2 of 1995, which used a non-conductive fluid for its components, highlighting how early enthusiasts and researchers pushed the idea of liquid cooling even in specialized systems. As transistors shrank and power efficiency improved, air cooling became more viable for many servers, reducing the perceived need for water cooling in mass-market devices, while also emphasizing cost and leak risks. The narrative then covers the home PC era of the 1990s, when enthusiasts began DIY liquid cooling using repurposed materials and improvised setups, transitioning from hobbyist experiments to more professional AIO and closed-loop solutions by the early 2000s. The segment concludes by noting how the Asetek WaterChill popularized the modern closed-loop cooler around 2006, catalyzing a broader market for both enthusiasts and mainstream brands, while still maintaining a distinct tier for custom loops for those chasing maximum performance. Throughout, the video blends historical milestones with fun cultural visuals, such as early transparent cases, and closes with a nod to contemporary portable keyboards and streaming culture as a lighthearted aside. The overarching takeaway is that liquid cooling has repeatedly evolved from niche experiments to mainstream options driven by performance demands, engineering advances, and market competition, even as the technology continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in PC cooling.
Topics · technology · history · computer_hardware · engineering · pc_components
Questions answered
- What is one of the earliest examples of liquid cooling in computing history?
- The IBM System/360 mainframes from the mid 1960s featured built-in liquid cooling, with an optional water tank available for the system.
- When did closed loop water cooling become popular for PCs, and which company helped popularize it?
- Closed loop water cooling began to gain traction around 2006, with Asetek’s WaterChill helping popularize the modern closed-loop cooler.
- Why did air cooling become more common in servers after a period of liquid cooling experiments?
- As transistors shrank and power efficiency improved, computers generated less heat and air cooling offered lower cost and reduced leak risk, making it more practical for many applications.