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Thinking about looking at some liquid cooling... But...


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So, yeah, I'm looking into getting into watercooling. Or rather, considering the idea. I might not end up doing it at all, but I'm curious and I think it would be a lot of fun. I could probably find all the information I need to create some freezing cold system that could overclock far enough to literally power a planet buuuuut... That's not what I'm after. I'm not really after crazy performance, it's just that I've never done it before and I'm curious. I'm a bit of a hardware and tweaking junkie so I just don't feel right having never done it before. So I figure I might invest in some liquid cooling as a sort of graduation present for myself (thinking ahead too far? It's only a few months! O= )

 

So, I want to cool my CPU, possibly chipset (pointless? Maybe, but it gets damn hot sometimes at the moment) and my GTX 480 with room to liquid cool another in SLI in the future. Currently I have a Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme Black Edition sitting on my i7 920 and it does a lovely job of keeping my temps down but, as I said, I'm actually considering this for the fun and experience rather then the gains in overclocking ability.

 

So I want equal performance at least to my current heatsink. BETTER performance would be nice, but I want to keep the cost down as much as possible, so as long as it's about on par that's okay for me. My GPU temperatures would ideally be quite a bit lower then they are currently. :P I overclock my 480, and so far the temps have been good. But when it gets to the scorching heat of summer.... Even with my A/C blasting, I'm kinda worried.

 

 

 

So, what am I looking at for this sort of project? I'm doing this as a sort of hobby, I'm not looking for uber performance, so if the price is going to be crazy, I won't do it. But what equipment will I need? I don't want any ready to go 'kits' because I want to do it all myself, or with the help of my dad (who'd hate to admit it but he loves tweaking things too) Better performance is always good, but price is more important at the moment. So long as I will get similar or a bit better performance, I'm happy. KEEP IT CHEAP!! =D

 

Thanks, OCC!

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So, yeah, I'm looking into getting into watercooling. Or rather, considering the idea. I might not end up doing it at all, but I'm curious and I think it would be a lot of fun. I could probably find all the information I need to create some freezing cold system that could overclock far enough to literally power a planet buuuuut... That's not what I'm after. I'm not really after crazy performance, it's just that I've never done it before and I'm curious. I'm a bit of a hardware and tweaking junkie so I just don't feel right having never done it before. So I figure I might invest in some liquid cooling as a sort of graduation present for myself (thinking ahead too far? It's only a few months! O= )

 

So, I want to cool my CPU, possibly chipset (pointless? Maybe, but it gets damn hot sometimes at the moment) and my GTX 480 with room to liquid cool another in SLI in the future. Currently I have a Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme Black Edition sitting on my i7 920 and it does a lovely job of keeping my temps down but, as I said, I'm actually considering this for the fun and experience rather then the gains in overclocking ability.

 

So I want equal performance at least to my current heatsink. BETTER performance would be nice, but I want to keep the cost down as much as possible, so as long as it's about on par that's okay for me. My GPU temperatures would ideally be quite a bit lower then they are currently. :P I overclock my 480, and so far the temps have been good. But when it gets to the scorching heat of summer.... Even with my A/C blasting, I'm kinda worried.

 

 

 

So, what am I looking at for this sort of project? I'm doing this as a sort of hobby, I'm not looking for uber performance, so if the price is going to be crazy, I won't do it. But what equipment will I need? I don't want any ready to go 'kits' because I want to do it all myself, or with the help of my dad (who'd hate to admit it but he loves tweaking things too) Better performance is always good, but price is more important at the moment. So long as I will get similar or a bit better performance, I'm happy. KEEP IT CHEAP!! =D

 

Thanks, OCC!

 

You dont want cheep water cooling, You will be wasteing your money and your time, it would be at least 200 dollars just to water cool your cpu, and maybe a little more for the chip set,with a so called cheep set up. Just the block for the 480 if you buy a cheep one will be 100 dollars.

Edited by crazy8s846

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I would seriously consider getting a ready made kit such as the corsair H50 or even H70 which will give you even better cooling. You will definitely see a noticeable difference in temperatures and at a very good price H50 £75/90$, H70 £90/140$. The problem with a custom built water cooling system is unless you spend a lot of money on them they can be very unreliable and getting parts for them sometimes can be a gamble (would you really want to wake up to your gtx 480 covered in coolant because of leakage?). Another problem with building your own loops is finding the correct parts, for example you buy the pump and the reservoir, then you buy the pipes but the pipes only fit the connectors on the reservoir and are too big for the pump, see where i am coming from. Where as on a closed loop you dont have to worry about leakage anywhere near as much plus it is already and packaged. Finally you say you dont want to overclock too much, well spending a lot of money just to get a reliable water cooling loop will leave you with something that is overkill, maybe you like overkill, that is up to you. Anyway i would seriously recommend either the corsair H50 or the H70 for your needs and just the simplicity. Anyway good look with your purchase and please post to tell what your decision is.

 

H50 Review

http://www.overclockers.com/corsair-hydro-series-h50-review/

 

H70 Review

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/corsair_h70/

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I would seriously consider getting a ready made kit such as the corsair H50 or even H70 which will give you even better cooling. You will definitely see a noticeable difference in temperatures and at a very good price H50 £75/90$, H70 £90/140$. The problem with a custom built water cooling system is unless you spend a lot of money on them they can be very unreliable and getting parts for them sometimes can be a gamble (would you really want to wake up to your gtx 480 covered in coolant because of leakage?). Another problem with building your own loops is finding the correct parts, for example you buy the pump and the reservoir, then you buy the pipes but the pipes only fit the connectors on the reservoir and are too big for the pump, see where i am coming from. Where as on a closed loop you dont have to worry about leakage anywhere near as much plus it is already and packaged. Finally you say you dont want to overclock too much, well spending a lot of money just to get a reliable water cooling loop will leave you with something that is overkill, maybe you like overkill, that is up to you. Anyway i would seriously recommend either the corsair H50 or the H70 for your needs and just the simplicity. Anyway good look with your purchase and please post to tell what your decision is.

 

 

You bring up some good points to look out for (correct tube / fitting sizes, etc.), but someone who is a hardware junkie is not going to be satisfied with a 'plug & play' system like the Corsairs'.

 

He also is looking to cool the GPU(s) & chipset, which the Corsairs' don't cater for.

 

 

OP - do your homework, check out the water cooling sticky thread here, & when you have narrowed your choices, post again to confirm prior to purchasing.

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You dont want cheep water cooling, You will be wasteing your money and your time, it would be at least 200 dollars just to water cool your cpu, and maybe a little more for the chip set,with a so called cheep set up. Just the block for the 480 if you buy a cheep one will be 100 dollars.

 

 

It will cost $300+ to watercool the CPU the proper way with custom. I would recommend this:

 

Make it a hobby. That's what I did when I watercooled. Get your feet wet and save $300 dollars or a little more. Get the CPU watercooled, then move on to the GPU. You can always transer the watercooling to your next rig. Just fluch rad with vinegar/water once a year. Watercooling has its benefits. CPU waterblocks usually can be transfered. GPU water cooling has a downside. Watercool the GPU and new GPU's do not accept the same waterblock.

 

A waterblock for a 480 will be more like $150.

Edited by Drdeath

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I would seriously consider getting a ready made kit such as the corsair H50 or even H70 which will give you even better cooling. You will definitely see a noticeable difference in temperatures and at a very good price H50 £75/90$, H70 £90/140$. The problem with a custom built water cooling system is unless you spend a lot of money on them they can be very unreliable and getting parts for them sometimes can be a gamble (would you really want to wake up to your gtx 480 covered in coolant because of leakage?). Another problem with building your own loops is finding the correct parts, for example you buy the pump and the reservoir, then you buy the pipes but the pipes only fit the connectors on the reservoir and are too big for the pump, see where i am coming from. Where as on a closed loop you dont have to worry about leakage anywhere near as much plus it is already and packaged. Finally you say you dont want to overclock too much, well spending a lot of money just to get a reliable water cooling loop will leave you with something that is overkill, maybe you like overkill, that is up to you. Anyway i would seriously recommend either the corsair H50 or the H70 for your needs and just the simplicity. Anyway good look with your purchase and please post to tell what your decision is.

 

H50 Review

http://www.overclock...ies-h50-review/

 

H70 Review

http://www.overclock...ws/corsair_h70/

 

 

If you are serious about watercooling, I wouldn't even consider these. You can get high end air cooling that does almost as good. They do a good job for what they are but they will not cool your GPU, leaving that solution still on he table. Like mentioned above make it a fun long term hobby. Be patient and get the good harware.

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It will cost $300+ to watercool the CPU the proper way with custom. I would recommend this:

 

Make it a hobby. That's what I did when I watercooled. Get your feet wet and save $300 dollars or a little more. Get the CPU watercooled, then move on to the GPU. You can always transer the watercooling to your next rig. Just fluch rad with vinegar/water once a year. Watercooling has its benefits. CPU waterblocks usually can be transfered. GPU water cooling has a downside. Watercool the GPU and new GPU's do not accept the same waterblock.

 

A waterblock for a 480 will be more like $150.

 

Its not 300 to cool the cpu, you can get a swiftech kit for 199.00, and its not that bad of a watercooling unit, comes with a 220 rad, 655 pump, tubing, clamps, plastic barbs, they are not that bad just look likle crap, micro res, and a waterblock. Then you can save buy some tubing later when you have to take your loop down for mantenance and add a nicer block, Not the best but also not that bad, i dont know where you get 300 dollars from, for a cheep loop. If you buy a good loop it is around 300, i just put one in for less than 300 dollars. I do agree that he should take his time figure out what he wants and then buy it a piece at a time, and make a hobby of it. You also might want to look into buying used parts, sometimes you can get some pretty good deals.

Edited by crazy8s846

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Its not 300 to cool the cpu, you can get a swiftech kit for 199.00, and its not that bad of a watercooling unit, comes with a 220 rad, 655 pump, tubing, clamps, plastic barbs, they are not that bad just look likle crap, micro res, and a waterblock. Then you can save buy some tubing later when you have to take your loop down for mantenance and add a nicer block, Not the best but also not that bad, i dont know where you get 300 dollars from, for a cheep loop. If you buy a good loop it is around 300, i just put one in for less than 300 dollars. I do agree that he should take his time figure out what he wants and then buy it a piece at a time, and make a hobby of it. You also might want to look into buying used parts, sometimes you can get some pretty good deals.

 

 

Second thread you did not read. I SAID CUSTOM. All those pre build units are for minimal watercooling. They do slightly bettrer than air. He can save the money and go with a Noctua D14 which is not far off. If he is serious about watercooling, he may want to look into custom like I mentioned 2 TIMES......

 

I would not recommend buying used parts for watercooling. That is a terrible suggestion. If the original user did not mantain his system or used dyed coolant he will have problems. There could be blockage or corrosion if they used mixed metals and that is not good.

Edited by Drdeath

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Visage;

 

Here is a perfect entry level solution for you - reasonable in price and easy to install - not to mention super cooling efficiency

 

Rad/Pump/Res - All in One

Swiftech MCR220-DRIVE-B - No Pump

http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR220-DRIVE-B-No-Pump-pr-4621.html

Swiftech MCP 355 Pump

http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCP-355-12v-DC-Pump-pr-3510.html

 

CPU Water Block

Swiftech Apogee XT

http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-Apogee-XT-Extreme-Performance-CPU-waterblock-pr-4568.html

 

Tubing

Primochill 1/2" ID by 3/4" OD

 

Fittings

Depends on what you want - compression, hose clamp etc.

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Visage;

 

Here is a perfect entry level solution for you - reasonable in price and easy to install - not to mention super cooling efficiency

 

Rad/Pump/Res - All in One

Swiftech MCR220-DRIVE-B - No Pump

http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR220-DRIVE-B-No-Pump-pr-4621.html

Swiftech MCP 355 Pump

http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCP-355-12v-DC-Pump-pr-3510.html

 

CPU Water Block

Swiftech Apogee XT

http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-Apogee-XT-Extreme-Performance-CPU-waterblock-pr-4568.html

 

Tubing

Primochill 1/2" ID by 3/4" OD

 

Fittings

Depends on what you want - compression, hose clamp etc.

The 355 Pump is kinda loud, isn't it? I do like the size of it compared to the 655, though. Might as well get the H20-220 Ultima XT liquid cooling kit, but get the Primochill tubing and swap out the radiator fans with the Noctual NF-P12's. I've been tempted to get liquid cooling, too, but haven't pulled the trigger, yet.

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The 355 Pump is kinda loud, isn't it? I do like the size of it compared to the 655, though. Might as well get the H20-220 Ultima XT liquid cooling kit, but get the Primochill tubing and swap out the radiator fans with the Noctual NF-P12's. I've been tempted to get liquid cooling, too, but haven't pulled the trigger, yet.

 

Well, first I'd like to point out to DrDeath that pre-made kits from the likes of DangerDen or Swiftech are anything BUT low end water cooling solutions. Are they on the low end of the price scale? Yes. But their performance is within 2-4C of even the best water cooling "custom" builds.

 

Now, back to you captain. The MCP355 is louder than the MCP350, but it has more head pressure too since it's an 18v pump instead of 12v pump.

 

I agree with you on the H20-220 Ultima XT - it's a nice kit and would be a super alternative. Depending on the installation constraints though, an all-in-one solution can fit the bill too. Earlier this year I sold off my "custom" water cooling parts and went with the MCR Drive Series. I was tired of working in a cramped case around water tubing all of time, not to mention the multiple connection points inside the case. With the MCR Drive series I have two tubes inside the case - cpu inlet and cpu outlet. It doesn't cool quite as well as my custom loop did, but I love the extra room and ease of installation. My only complaint is that they are a pain in the arse to bleed if you don't use an external reservoir.

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Second thread you did not read. I SAID CUSTOM. All those pre build units are for minimal watercooling. They do slightly bettrer than air. He can save the money and go with a Noctua D14 which is not far off. If he is serious about watercooling, he may want to look into custom like I mentioned 2 TIMES......

 

I would not recommend buying used parts for watercooling. That is a terrible suggestion. If the original user did not mantain his system or used dyed coolant he will have problems. There could be blockage or corrosion if they used mixed metals and that is not good.

 

 

Go to ocn they sell used parts people buy them all the time.

 

As far as the swiftech kit, it is better than any air cooler, my temps with the kit when i had one was 25c idle, 54c load with one on a overclocked E8500 at 4ghz, no air cooler does that.

Dont comment on thing you know nothing about, the reason i say this is you have never bought a switech kit, and you never bought a used part, so how can your comments even be true, they cant you have never tried it. Oh and for the guy wanting to know about watercooling, you can also get decent kits at petras tech shop.

 

You know so much about water cooling there DR. lets see your rig.

Edited by crazy8s846

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