7 Best PC Water Cooling Tubing in 2024 [Hard & Soft]

The tubing is considered a crucial step for a water-cooling loop to work. It comes in both soft and hard varieties.

If you don’t know what type of tubing is the best for your cooling loop, no need to worry.

In this post, we have covered the 7 best tubing for different types of liquid cooling loops in PC. Turns out the Thermaltake V-Tubler PETG Tube is the overall best tube for liquid cooling.

So, let’s get started and learn everything you need to know about all the top tubings in detail.

Top 7 Best Water Cooling Tubing

For your gaming water-cooled PC, it is important to have the finest tubes possible. If you cheap out on the tubes, they might leak or get damaged which will ruin or gaming PC or affect the cooling performance.

It is important to choose the most suitable water-cooling tubing for your PC. You need to consider the maintenance, durability, complexity of installation, aesthetics, compatibility, etc.

As I have researched a lot on these pipes, I came to the conclusion that a handful of them are worth spending money on.

Here are the best water-cooling tubes:

1. Thermaltake V-Tubler PETG Tube

Key Specifications

Material: PETG
Outer Diameter (OD): 16mm
Inner Diameter (ID): 12mm

Why We Picked It

Thermaltake V-Tubler PETG is the best overall tubing for PC water cooling build.

Thermaltake is a well-known brand in the PC cooling industry. They have a reputation for producing a wide range of PC components and cooling solutions.

Their products are generally well-received by the PC custom cooling community.

This tubing is made of PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol), which is a durable and transparent thermoplastic material.

You may ask whether you can see the coolant through the tubes or not. Well, the Thermaltake PETG hard tube is transparent enough to showcase the flow of liquid clearly.

Its thick wall design can support working temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to 62 degrees. So, these pipes are suitable to use for all custom loops.

Moreover, Thermaltake ensured the tubings are of standard size and compatible with most water-cooling components.

Verdict

The Thermaltake V-Tubler PETG Tube allows enthusiasts to route the tubes exactly to their heart’s content. For better mounting and coolant flow, this PETG tubing is what you need.

2. Nanoxia Coolforce PETG

Key Specifications

Material: PETG
Outer Diameter (OD): 16mm
Inner Diameter (ID): 13mm

Why We Picked It

Nanoxia Coolforce PETG hard tubing is designed for custom water cooling on a budget.

This model consists of a 50cm long PETG hard tube which is transparent and durable. You can trim the tube if needed and can bend also using a heat gun.

Other than that, the outer diameter of the tube is 16mm and the inner diameter is 13mm with a length of 4×50 cm.

This tube is so uniquely firm that it is almost impossible to break.

Although this tube is good, it is still recommended to use a 13mm CF rubber core for extra stability of the tube to ensure safe and accident-free bending. Also, you will get suitable CF1 fittings to use with the hard tubes if necessary.

Verdict

Overall, the Nanoxia Coolforce PETG is an easy recommendation and a pretty good deal for hard tubing within a small budget. The product does not have any flaws, is easy to work with and the PETG material is more durable (though less transparent).

3. PrimoFlex Advanced LRT

Key Specifications

Material:  PVC
Outer Diameter (OD): 16mm
Inner Diameter (ID): 10mm

Why We Picked It

The PrimoFlex Advanced LRT is the best soft tubing for custom water cooling loops.

LRT stands for Low Radius Technology which is used to make the tubes have thinner and smoother walls. This soft tube has been designed according to the modern needs of the water-cooled PC build.

It is one of the most compatible water-cooling tubing formulated in a wide variety of closed-loop cooling systems.

This set comes with Sysprep additives that are to be used to your liquid before firing up the loop.

What I like about this tube is that it’s extremely resistant to kinking. So, you can even get a very tight bend radius without restricting water flow which is a very desirable trait for tubing.

Another reason why I like Primoflex is that there are no prints or logos in the tube that are normally visible on some branded kits.

This pipe has a very smooth inner wall that Primoflex claims cause less junk to build upon the inside which makes it less likely for microbe growth.

If you have used the original LRT, you will notice that there was an additional antimicrobial coating, which is absent in the Advanced LRT. But still, they gave additives. So, no worries at all.

Verdict

The PrimoFlex Advanced LRT is head and shoulders better than other tubes leaving your liquid cooling loop clean, clear, pristine, and ready for any type of coolant.

4. Corsair Hydro X Series XT Softline

Key Specifications

Material: PVC
Outer Diameter (OD): 13mm
Inner Diameter (ID): 10mm

Why We Picked It

The Corsair Hydro X Series XT Softline is the best value soft tube you can get.

It’s a fully transparent tubing showcasing your coolant in its full glory.

It is constructed with PVC materials which are enough for tight bending inside your loop. Also, it is durable enough to flow the coolant for years.

This UV-resistant tube is made to withstand deformation and discoloration.

The only drawback to this product is that it is a very thin tube compared to other soft tubes.

However, within this budget, you won’t get a good tube like this.

Verdict

The Corsair Hydro X Series XT Softline turns out to be the best bang for buck tubing for custom water cooling loops.

5. EKWB EK-DuraClear Soft Tubing

Key Specifications

Material: PVC
Outer Diameter (OD): 13mm
Inner Diameter (ID): 10mm

Why We Picked It

EKWB is a reputable manufacturer of custom water cooling accessories. This soft tubing from them focuses on easy installation and wide compatibility.

EK-DuraClear is one of the high-quality transparent soft tubings featuring smooth inner walls that prevent any kind of bacterial or fungal adhesion.

The EK-DuraClear structure is designed to work with a broad spectrum of closed-loop cooling systems. It’s the first option for every newcomer in the water-cooling world.

Also, EKWB has a wide range of custom water cooling accessories like adapters, radiators, pumps, reservoirs, etc. which simplify sourcing items and compatibility among the accessories.

One thing that is absolutely like about this tube is that it has the best bend ratio and flexibility. As doing a tight turn in your loop has never been easier, these tubes help bend easier without the help of any kinks.

Also, you can use EK-coolants within these tubes. I would recommend doing so because this combination is the best.

I like using the EK-DuraClear because it is UV resistant and logo-free. It can bear an operating temperature of -20 degrees to 80 degrees.

There aren’t any prints on the tube which makes the tube transparent and the coolants are easily visualized. However, several users reported that these stains quickly after a couple of months of use.

Verdict

The EKWB EK-DuraClear Soft Tubing is safe, non-toxic, budget-friendly, versatile, and the best soft tube for your first custom PC cooling.

6. Corsair Hydro X Series XT Hardline

Key Specifications

Material: PMMA (acrylic)
Outer Diameter (OD): 14mm
Inner Diameter (ID): 10mm

Why We Picked It

The Corsair Hydro X Series XT Hardline is the best hard tube that focuses on aesthetics.

The high-quality, straight-line tubing uses PMMA or acrylic material. Though acrylic tubings are inferior to PETG ones for durability, they do a great job of putting your water-cooling fluid on display with their crystal-clear PMMA material.

Now coming to this tubing from Corsair Hydro X series, it has a thicker wall than regular acrylic tubings. The resilient construction makes the pipe last longer under high pressure and high coolant temperature.

The thicker wall makes it difficult and time-consuming to bend the tubes. It takes a lot of patience to work with these tubings.

But once done, you’d be glad with the results as these offer the most visually appealing water cooling loop, thanks to the clarity of the body.

The tubings are available in different sizes and thickness.

Verdict

Among the tubes mentioned on this list, the Corsair Hydro X Series XT Hardline has the best transparency and showcases the coolant close to its actual color.

7. Bykski Rigid Acrylic Tube

Key Specifications

Material: PMMA (acrylic)
Outer Diameter (OD): 16mm
Inner Diameter (ID): 12mm

Why We Picked It

The Bykski Acrylic tubing is a hard tube that’s easy to work with and comes at a cheaper price tag.

It is crystal clear due to being acrylic (PMMA material) and sold as a 4-pack. Each pipe is 500mm long providing you with enough residue of tubing.

This pipe is easy to cut, highly transparent, and easy to bend. It is a good deal except in some cases you have to take things into consideration.

With the use of different fluids, materials, the appearance of the tubing may vary. Though acrylic tubings are compatible with a wide range of cooling components, the use of alcohol or ethylene glycol is strictly prohibited.

It is recommended to use a bending kit in order to bend this tube.

Verdict

The Bykski Rigid Acrylic Tube is a great bargain at its price as a hard tubing that’s easy to install.

How We Chose the Best Water Cooling Tubing for PC

A good water cooling pipe is needed to smoothly flow the coolant through the entire loop.

Failure while water cooling a PC occurs 60-70% of the time because of bad-quality tubing. And this can cause your entire system to break down in seconds.

That’s why you need to buy the perfect quality pipe for your gaming PC. There are many factors to consider before buying tubing.

Here are the things you should consider before buying PC liquid cooling tubes:

Type of Tube

There are two types of tubes for water-cooling loops: soft tubes and hard tubes.

Soft tubes are easier to bend, and install but can become cloudy and clutter the inside of your PC case. Rigid tubings are difficult to cut, and install but are generally more transparent, durable, and provide a clean look.

In this post, I mentioned the type of tubing of each product. It depends on your personal interest whether to buy a soft tube or a hard one for your build.

However, I would recommend using the hard tubes only if you’re an expert in dealing with the bending of pipes.

Bending Ratio

The bending ratio is very important for your tube. A good quality tube must bear a good bending ability. The more this ratio, the better the quality of a pipe.

We look at the bending ratio of the tubings and conclude if they are good enough or not.

Material

The material of the tube is an important factor to consider. Soft tubes typically use PVC. Hard tubes generally use PETG or PMMA (acrylic).

Acrylic tubes are more rigid but less resistant to force. PETG tubes can absorb force better than acrylic ones, which makes them more durable.

We check the material of each tubing and mention the use case.

Transparency

Transparency is quite important if you want to show off the coolant inside the loop. Soft tubes tend to get cloudy over time, while acrylic tubes are the most transparent with a clear view, making them ideal for aesthetics.

We take into account the transparency of each tube after some use and to what extent they can show the true colors of the coolant.

Budget

Of course, budget is important in case of buying anything. It’s important to not cheap out on the tubings as a bad quality product can ruin your expensive PC in no time.

Is Soft Tube Better than Hard Tube?

It depends on a user’s personal taste or preference on whether to choose a soft tube or a hard tube. Both have their pros and cons.

Soft tubes are more comfortable to set up due to flexibility and it is easier to bend. However, since they’re flexible tubings, it can lead to an untidy system.

Harder tubes are more time-consuming and more involving to bend, cut and install, but you can get some seriously good results from them. Since hard tubes are rigid, you can bend them at right angles and achieve a clean look.

Soft tubes also have a tendency to get cloudy and blurry over time, while many hard tubes (especially acrylic ones) can provide clear and almost transparent visuals.

It is recommended to use hard tubes only if you know how to handle the tube properly. Otherwise, it is recommended to stick with the soft tubes as they’re more beginner-friendly.

It is a very serious job to handle tubes with caution. Any small leakage can damage your entire system leading you to a great loss.

Although people prefer hard tubings over soft ones because hard tubings show some cool visionary satisfaction over soft ones.

Final Thoughts

The best water-cooling tubings are those which have greater flexibility and longevity.

Also, it should meet up your demands in the case of visualization too. If the pipe is transparent, you can easily see the coolant flowing through the loop giving your PC an appealing look.

Let us know in the comments which PC cooling tube you end up buying.