[quote]Doesn't matter how you've got it cooled - heat dump into the air is still the same (actually, it should be better with watercooling) so the room would get just as hot as fast or faster with watercooling. Watercooling isn't this magical thing that makes things draw less energy or get more efficient - it's just more effective at removing heat from the heat-producing thing than air cooling.
Just to pick a thermodynamics bone, do you think the relatively large volume of coolant in a watercooled system represents a rather large thermal mass which absorbs much more heat energy per degree rise in coolant temp? In effect, the mass of coolant in the tubes, waterblocks, reservoir, and radiator is a far deeper heatsink than the thinly finned air-cooled heat exchangers attached to standard air coolers, blown by fans to immediately conduct heat into the airstream, out of the case, and into the room.
In other words, water-cooling is more effective at
absorbing and storing heat from the heat-producing thing than air cooling. Next, it takes more energy and far longer for the liquid to heat up. Thus, heating of the room takes far longer while the PC parts take much longer to heat the liquid coolant to temps far enough above ambient for the radiators to begin transfering the excess to the airstream.
It's similar to the way it takes time in winter from a cold start for a car engine to heat the liquid coolant enough for the heater to blow warm air, all while you sit there shivering and rubbing your cold hands together pleading, "c'mon, heat, C'MON HEAT!!"
Cheers :D
Nah, the amount of heat the loop holds, while it can be warm, it only buffers a little before the rad starts pumping warm air into the room.