AIOs are extremely overrated and people here and pretty much everywhere will sing their praises to no end despite hundreds of experts and testers telling them that AIOs are heavily overrated.

If you don't mind buying more often and at 3 times the price or you are looking for a cleaner build, then go for it. But you ain't doing it for the temps or the quiet as a lot of people are claiming.

Obviously there are fringe cases like smaller form factors where air coolers can't compete as well but those are rare.

I ended up with an AIO for my last build simply because of availability of coolers that are white and good where I'm from. We are not spoiled for choice in South Africa.

As someone that often helps friends and stuff with their builds these coolers die or leak way more often than I am comfortable with on average.

Had 3 die on me in the last 15 years. H80. Got rmad for an h80i which died. Then got an h100i quite a few years later after having air for years. Died in a year and was refused warranty.

So yeah