Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
An OEM key would need to come with hardware - that's what OEM licenses are. They are then tied to that piece of hardware, though I think MS is reasonably flexible if the component dioes in a system and is replaced. Still, you would need to check the terms very carefully as OEM has been used as a cover for warez in the past (even for software that has no OEM version/licensing).
Just a note on the watercooling vs air cooling discussion, stressing that I really don't want to spur additional debate. The question is frequently asked: "is water cooling better than air cooling?". In my opinion, this is the wrong question. Insofar as air cooling is concerned, whether its for the CPU, or the GPU, or both, there have always been a wide range of different coolers produced by different manufacturers and some are more effective cooling solutions than others. If you look at different video cards you can see some that exhaust out the back of the PC and some that exhaust within the PC case. Some have one fan, some have two and some even have three. Some use elaborate heatpipe heatsinks and others use simpler designs. And I am certain that collectively they represent a range of both cost and effectiveness. The same can be said for various water cooling solutions. My point is if the question being asked is whether the very best (and often most expensive) water cooling solution is better than the very best (and often most expensive) air cooling solution, there may be an answer. But if the question is a generic "is water cooling better than air cooling?", then the only reasonable answer is "it depends". The best water cooling solutions probably are better than the worst air cooling solutions, but at a price. And vice versa.
I agree with ebergerly that most of us have managed to run our PC's for years using air cooling without apparent ill effects. I've personally always been cognizant of the need for adequate cooling, however without resorting to extremes. There is something very different at play here now, though, that was a never really an issue for most of us before. In the past it was probably rare for most of us to have our computers, or any of the components, running full tilt for extended periods of time. With the advent of using Iray for rendering, we are now looking at scenarios where we are doing just that. So if cooling was important before, it most certainly is now, and paying some attention to it is only prudent.
That was the point I was going to make. Mainstream GPU rendering was only available in the last few years. Nothing else than the CPU and mechanical HDD were heating the computer and air cooling was sufficient before
I don't know if MS really is flexible, but in my POV an OEM key is only legit if it never was used
Yes in cooled server rooms with lower clocked server CPUs and premium hardware
Yes, i was thinking of not requiring a new license purchase by the first user if the item used to buy the OEM license (motherboard or HD say) had to be replaced, not of transferring the license to a completely new machine. However, the last license transfer I did (Windows 7 from a dead PC to my mother's XP machine when XP support ended - for which I have yet to be forgiven) was a retail not an OEM package.
Doing it for years, doesn't mean it's been correct to do it that way. I've seen posts where users report their PC dieing during a render, and not just on this forum. I doubt it happens often, but rendering (as has often been said) is tough on even powerful computers.
I for one advocate a person gathering as much info as they can, then making their own informed decission. In my post I said as such.
Of course, there are MANY reasons why computers would die under stress, but that doesn't mean that's a normal occurrence that you need to worry about. It could be due to old thermal paste. It could be a specific manufacturing defect for that particular device. It could be a bad BIOS version that screwed with the fans. It could be dust in the vents. It could be users covering the vents. It could be users blocking airflow. It could be poor design by a do-it-yourselfer (which you'll never hear about). But exceptions don't imply a rule. Like I always say, look at your specific needs, do the necessary measurements using ACTUAL data, and then decide what you need. Don't just go for more, better, and faster or you're guaranteed to waste your money and time. And certainly don't go out and buy a fancy water cooling system for your CPU and GPU solely because somebody once had a computer die.
I have been aircooling my whole PC using life. I always buy good boxes with plenty of vents, front rear and top vents, vents with intake fan or no fan get fine mesh filters over them so it stays clean inside for a long time. 2 intake fans in front, and at least one in the rear. I Always buy dual fan GPU, I prefer a solid aftermarket CPU cooler, but for a year on my last build I ran the cooler the i5 came with, it ran about 10-15 hotter than my aftermarket did, but well below the danger line. 2 in the front, one in the rear and top vents on this build. I have a 960 in bottom slot, and 1070 in top slot. Neither card has gotten anywhere close to being in the danger zone, even in hot summer(I have no A/C, just a window fan lol).
You mean supercomputers. They are kept in expensive clean rooms with specially controlled air conditioners and cooling equipment. So, yeah, they survived.
...actually there is a new trend of locating large server farms in far northern latitudes to reduce the need for extensive and expensive to run cooling systems.
this debate has been going on for quite a while
Is water cooling more effective than air cooling? Yes. Does that mean its necessary? depends on specific application/setup.
pretty much as far as it needs to go
...
"... and insanely complex weather simulations..."
Perhaps that statement threw me off? Weather simulations are done on supercomputers I remember doing high cpu intensive tasks with my 386sx desktop. But it was only 33mhz, and used just 6 volts (LOL) of power. Todays desktops gobble up and exhaust tons of energy. They can't even be compared to decades ago.
...unless she is going to overclock the CPU and GPU (or will end up getting a Skylake -X i9) air cooling should be more than sufficient as long asshe gets a good aftermarket CPU cooler and the case has excellent airflow.
The one downside of CPU air coolers is they blow heat into the case, so having exhaust fans in the top of the case is a necessity.
As always, it depends. It depends on her case design, how many internal gpu and hard drives and her rendering habits. Only she (or her bf) can make that call.
Liquid cooling is just a tool to solve a problem. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros: With liquid cooling, you don't need to worry so much about case ventilation design. Designing air cooling fans to cooperate with each other as opposed to fighting one another isn't always easy, and the more components you cram into your box, the more complicated it gets. Liquid cooling mostly solves that problem. Of course other things besides the cpu and gpu need cooling, but if they are cool, it becomes way easier to cool the memory, disc drives, etc.. 2. Liquid cooling can be a cheap solution to the problem of keeping your rig quiet. The more fans, the more noise. The more liquid cooling, the less noise. 3. Hybrid coolers are economical way of making sure your system can handle the toughest loads without overheating.
Cons: 1. Though the hybrid system can be cheap, they are not as cheap as a simple cooling fan and more sophisticated systems can be expensive and complicated. Adding to the cost of a computer package may not be an option for some buyers. 2. Your computer may be so quiet, you might forget it is on
... wait, is that a con?
In the end, if you're just doing some gaming and casual rendering, I doubt you need a liquid cooler but in some cases it can certainly solve some problems easier. Ideally, it is better to have a well designed workstation that was built for 3D work and then liquid cooling will likely never need to enter the conversation.
I mentioned hybrid coolers for a reason. With hybrid coolers, there is none of the maintenance problems or complex designs you are talking about. Something like the Corsair H60 is tool-free, maintenance free and economical. Never need to drain or change anything. The same with their Hydro GFX GPU models. If you want to remove your GPU (to check something???) simply gently lift it out. I think you need to do some research on modern hybrid systems. Those costly high-end coolers with external pumps and pipes are not what I recommend for 3D artists. Those are for overclocking hobbyists and something different altogether.
In fact there is no more debate. The alienware Aurora R7 is factory watercooled so that you can achieve max turbo boost speed on all cores and not just one.
As has been noted several times .... it depends on the individual use/situation. There are many high quality off the shelf liquid cooling systems for both CPU and GPU that require very little work or technical knowledge to install (they come ready to simply mount in the computer .... with processor mounts, everything you need). The greatest concern with installing them is ensuring you have space in your case for the radiator/fan mount(s), and that the fan mount is the right size (i.e. don't order a system that requires a dual (side by side) fan mount if your case doesn't have one).
Water cooling isn't only for over-clockers either. There are times when it makes sense for certain system builds. For example a mATX case with say a Threadripper 1950x, a GTX 1080, GTX 1050, 64Gb RAM, and all the dive bays full where optimized air flow isn't possible due to all of the stuff crammed in a small case Using liquid cooling for the processor would directly expel almost of the heat generated by the processor from the case without adding to the heat in the case generated by all of the other components. Of course the first thought is "don't use a mATX case and liquid cooling won't be needed". Well in an ideal situation, that is sound advice, however the situation may dictate the maximum case size due to space availability. Soooo, while some may find liquid cooling un-needed, others may find it a huge benefit, or required, even if they aren't over-clockers.
If you think your situation warants it, go ahead. But it doesn't sound like you push your system that hard, and you have a fairly roomy case with good air flow.