Wet Diary Over Time: The Evolution of PC Water Cooling from 2001 to Present 32 comments
A desktop PC with water cooling is not yet standard in 2025, but water cooling and its components have long been standardized. It was very different at the turn of the millennium. TechTip Reader Docsilly takes the community back to the beginning on an illustrated journey through time.
PC-Wakü: 2001 Improvisation still handicapped
His reader article “Water Cooling over 20 years ago and Today-A Review” looks back at his first Wakü project, which had to find space in 2001 in a Lian Li PC-60 – although the space ultimately was not in the housing, so many components were accommodated on the lid.
My first water cooling in 2001 was a completely homemade improvisation – as the whole Wakü concept was still in its infancy, there was no specialist selection as there is today in many online stores.
The system with a base-A platform on a green main board was modified even more in the next few years, for example RGB lighting moved in, but the successor system switched again to air cooling and it is therefore expected to remain in 2023.
Water cooling over 20 years ago and today – a review (image: docsiilly)
And 20 years later?
When Docsilly returned to the Wakü 20 years later for the upgrade, the base was known to be completely different. The contrast between the two projects and the criticisms in the early days of private PC water cooling make the reader article “Water Cooling Over 20 Years Ago and Today – A Review” a very entertaining topic.
The Minii reader article is also worth reading: “Minimi and the Wakü – An Infinite History?”
Comments and Information Expressly Welcomed
Questions, suggestions, as well as praise and criticism regarding the reader article are expressly welcome in the comments to this post and in the corresponding thread. Information on other reader projects or experience reports are also welcome. The last seven performances of the overview
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A cooling systems specialist, Sophie helps enthusiasts optimise their setups with watercooling.
