I'm finally getting around to updating my "ancient" desktop computer that I've had since 2010. The reason I want to keep it is because it still runs most of the games I play just fine, but some of the newer ones I have finally turn the graphics down for the first time to run them. I wanted to upgrade my video card. I'm running a Radeon HD5570 1GB video card currently and I'm looking to put something with more RAM and power in there. My PC is cooled by a liquid cooler system, which has worked great, but I don't know how it really works or interacts with the graphics card. I'm not sure what will happen if I swap out the Radeon HD5570 with something newer. I really don't know a bunch about liquid cooling in PCs or how they interact with graphics cards, if at all. I've tried searching on Google for answers but can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

What should I know before I attempt to switch out graphic cards? The last thing I want is cooling liquid exploding all over my motherboard. Thanks for any tips/help!

Wow, that's an old card! I bought a GPU in 2010 and it was a 5770! I still have it!

Is your GPU included in your liquid cooling loop? If yes, then it'll be a pain to take it out. Then you'll have to decide if you want to water-cool your next GPU; if yes, you'll need to buy a water block for it and reconfigure your tubings. If no, you'll still have to reconfigure your tubings.

If the GPU is not included in the loop, things are much easier. Just buy a new GPU, take your old one out, plug the new one in, install the new drivers, and done!

Might be best to post pics of your tower setup here but if you didn't assemble your PC and you've not dealt with liquid cooling loops before, it might be best to have someone else do it for you instead of risking damaging your setup. A quick GPU swap might be the least of your problems if things go wrong.

Thanks for the help. I'll check and see how it is connected to the GPU, if at all. I'm not sure. If it is, that sounds like a pain in the ass!

Water cooling is indeed a pain when it comes to maintenance, and that's even when you know what you're doing! It looks cool if you like to show off your PC's innards and can be better than air cooling if done properly, but it has it's own drawbacks too.

Has it been established whether this is a closed loop or open loop system?....and whether it is cpu only, gpu only or cpu and gpu?

Surely, there is every chance that this could just be a closed loop cpu cooler, in which case it's a non-issue. Closed loop coolers are great too, zero maintenance and very effective...I've used a Corsair H100i for years now, keeps the overclocked cpu super cool in complete silence........I wouldn't go back to any air cooler now and I only bought it in the first place to free up the space around the RAM slots and for better overall airflow.

I checked it out, it looks like it is a closed loop system. I do not see any of the water cooler connections going to or through the video card, so thats a relief. Looks like I'll be able to just swap out the card. thanks for the tips and insight!