I switched to water cooling because of the noise inherent in high end HSF's. I couldn't stand the Delta screamer anymore, so when I was coming up with the specs for my new box I chose water. It only lowered my temps about 6C compared to my FOP-38, but the difference in decibels is dramatic. It's not just the level of the sound, but the pitch. The delta was high pitched and annoying. The two fans that push through my radiator are a low hum in comparison.