Help with Custom Loop

[trixter108]

Hey OOC, I'm looking to finally get rid of my H100i and replace it with a custom water loop that cools the CPU and GPU. My build is in my sig. I've read the sticky on watercooling loops and have done some shopping around online. I'm a noob to custon loops and I figures the best thing to do next was post here asking for help. I already know where I want to mount things in my case. The absolute max I'd like to spend would be $1000. So, all you experts, I ask you for some suggestions on what items to buy.

 

-trixter108

 

PS. While I was shopping online I saw a brand called xs-pc. Their components looked good, but I'm no expert so you guys tell me if their any good or not.

Edited July 8, 2013 by trixter108

[red1776]

Hi trixter,

Welcome BTW

For that price range you are in this area (minus the RAM cooling) Ram cooling is really just for looks, and takes you over the $250-300 budget.

 

have a look at these. They make some good products. The GPU block and fittings are going to add about another $100-150 to the project, but this is a good jumping off point unless you want to loosen the purse strings and go with a complete bespoke system.

 

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g30/c321/s1310/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-Water_Cooling_Kits_-_Brands-XSPC_Water_Cooling_Kits-Page1.html?id=BYWI9ta7

 

Is this the rig in your sig? If you are wanting to block two 680's a bit more than double the figure above for the GPU's

[Bubbaxm2]

Can't honestly see you squeezing all of that in with that budget and that power supply. May want to think about piecing it together slowly starting with CPU and add to the loop as more money becomes available.

[trixter108]

Ok, like I said, I'm a noob to watercooling. I didn't initially realize that it was that expensive. That was just a general budget I was hoping to get. I guess that's not the case. Yes, the rig I want to cool is the one in my sig. I can go up to a max of about $850-1000 at the moment, which, I hope, is more than enough. I was thinking a Swiftech MCR220-XP for the radiator or would I need a triple or even quad radiator? How about a XSPC Raystorm for the my CPU block? I had those in mind, but I have no idea for the res or pump. Like I said, my max budget is $1000 on a full loop, but I don't need the RAM cooled.

 

-trixter108

[red1776]

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14918/ex-rad-336/Alphacool_NexXxoS_XT45_Full_Copper_Triple_120mm_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s161   360mm Rad  80.00

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14917/ex-rad-335/Alphacool_NexXxoS_XT45_Full_Copper_Dual_120mm_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s160     240mm Rad   58.00

 

 

 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16377/ex-blc-1142/EK_ASUS_GeForce_680_GTX_DCII_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_Block_-_Acetal_Nickel_CSQ_EK-FC680_GTX_DCII_-_AcetalNickel.html?tl=g30c311s1631 120.00

 

 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16377/ex-blc-1142/EK_ASUS_GeForce_680_GTX_DCII_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_Block_-_Acetal_Nickel_CSQ_EK-FC680_GTX_DCII_-_AcetalNickel.html?tl=g30c311s1631  120.00

 

 

 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9575/ex-res-156/Bitspower_Water_Tank_Z-Multi_150_Inline_Reservoir_BP-WTZM150P-BK.html?tl=g30c97s165  Internal Res   40.00

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13148/ex-pmp-132/  Pump           120.00

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/17580/ex-blc-1376/Koolance_CPU-380I_Intel_Liquid_Cooling_CPU_Block_-_No_Fittings_.html?tl=g30c323s831CPU Block      76.00

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/17888/ex-tub-1622/PrimoChill_PrimoFlex_Advanced_LRT_Tubing_12ID_x_34_OD_-_10ft_Retail_Pack_-_Bloodshed_Red_PFLEXA10-34-R_w_Free_Sys_Prep.html?

tl=g30c99s1614 Tubing 26.00

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/11441/ex-tub-705/IandH_Silver_KillCoils_-_Antimicrobial_999_Fine_Silver_Tubing_Reservoir_Strip.html 6.00

 

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2965&product_name=Excalibur%20(R4-EXBB-20PK-R0) 25.00 each

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1683555300214.00 each

      

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Total = 711.00  (without Fans)

 

Fitting will depend on how you route things and what brand, color, and angles you need. I added the CM Excalibur fans as a suggestion. I use them on my radiators after trying out quite an array of fans. the reason is that they are quiet and have great static pressure (3.35mmH2O) and move a tremendous amount of air through the Rads. The Cougar  

COUGAR CF-V12HP Vortex are about half the cost but still have a decent static pressure and are quiet as well (2.2mmH2O) The number of fans obviously depends on hoe you want to set up your rads (push, pull or both)

 

The AlphaCool NexXxos rads are excellent quality low restriction and are copper all the way around. (Fins,channels, tanks) They also have a double lipped frame around the perimeter that keeps a screw that is too long from piercing the channels by accident.

The Koolance 380 CPU block is rated the best by just about everyone credible ( I just ordered on myself to replace the 370 I have) I included a silver kill coil. I am a big fan of using only Distilled water and a coil for a number of reasons. 

 

**** You don't have the exact model of your 680's listed but they are non reference cards. you need to confirm compatibility with the non ref ASUS blocks made*** 

 

You may run into a lot of warning that are from one end of the spectrum to another. A basic rule is not to introduce aluminum into a copper based loop. A bit of an explanation below.

 

Copper, Silver, and nickel have very little reactivity with each other (electron transfer) as they are all transitional metals. b) close to each other (atomic weight). So in other words they do not create a destructive environment when used together trying to neutralize their differences in electrons. ( at least they are close enough where for practical purposes (say in our water loops) that they are close enough that a silver coil in a system would be very slow and negligible in a practical application.
Aluminum on the other hand, is not a transitional metal and has a lower atomic number (lower number of protons and electrons) and creates an environment of much more active ionization when put in the same environment with transitional metals that are closer in atomic weight/proton/electron count, pulls electrons from the other metals IE damages them.

Transitional metals/Abbr/Atomic weight

* Silver 'Ag' 47 Transitional Metal
*Copper 'Cu' 29 Transitional Metal
*Nickel 'Ni' 28 Transitional Metal

Non-Transitional metal/ABBR/ Atomic Weight

* Aluminum 'Al' 13 Non-Transitional Metal

just doing some reading about it quite a long time ago about non compatible metals 'eating/corroding/ ionizing (stealing electrons) or otherwise breaking each other down.


 assuming you have made sure that you have limited the metals exposed to the water in the loop.

1) If you keep the main components (the vast majority of the metal) it to transitional metals
2) Limit the Non transitional metals in the loop to the Tin (Sn) in the solder. the Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) comprising Brass (both transitional metals)
3) Do not introduce Aluminum to the internal system.

The practice would be (for myself) this is what I based my loops on. I use a Silver Coils and Distilled and thats it. I have not observed any ill effects on any part of the metallic loop. I keep an eye on my loops particularly on smaller edges and thinner areas like micro fins for signs of ionization and have seen none sticking to my policy above.

**** This is my findings and research so I am merely sharing the results of putting this in practice in my watercooling.****
.

 

I don't know how in love you are with your case, but yours is not exactly conducive to a complete bespoke watercooling system so you may want to invest $120 or so in one that is more befitting of one. 

Just a thought

 Hope that helps. If you want any more help, just holler

[trixter108]

Thanks. There's a lot of good information in there. I didn't know that using a aluminum in a copper loop would corrod the metal. It makes sense though. As for the case, I really enjoy it, but I am willing to part with it if it means better cooling and better overall performance. I'll probably go with the Cooler Master fans you suggested because I've actually used a couple of those in an old air-cooled build and they work fantastic. If I were to part with my case, what about an Obsidian 550 or 650D? I've used a Corsair case, just not an Obsidian. Again, thanks for the information.

 

-trixter108

[bigball1]

What red said. But i would go with the 320 rad, Cooling 2 680's on a 240 i dont think would cut it all that well.

[red1776]

What red said. But i would go with the 320 rad, Cooling 2 680's on a 240 i dont think would cut it all that well.

I have him set up with a 360mm rad AND a 240mm rad (see above)

[bigball1]

 

What red said. But i would go with the 320 rad, Cooling 2 680's on a 240 i dont think would cut it all that well.

I have him set up with a 360mm rad AND a 240mm rad (see above)

 

  Missed that.     So yes 2 rads will work great on that setup.

[Waco]

Don't forget fittings!

[Cespenar]

When I started watercooling I used color water. Not good. It caused oilyness. Use only distilled water.

I bought a case with watercooling attached. Not perfect but it was good for the CPU and two 8800GTX video cards in the one loop. Sometimes the ambient temps in the room were 35 degrees centigrade and the rig would get up to 60 degrees in the loop. Pretty good I think.

8800GTX's run quite hot normally. But now I have one GTX670FTW so my rig runs about 30 degrees to 44 degrees centigrade.

Many people dislike Thermaltake brand but my pump has been running on distilled water for about 6 years now. Coolant killed the first pump in less than one year.

In my opinion one 360 radiator and three fans should be more than enough to run your CPU and two 680GTX's in one loop.

Do your research ..............

[wevsspot]

Trixter - I'm thinking outside the box here.  The H100i is a nifty cooling setup considering cost effectiveness, performance and basically maintenance free.  Why not just build a custom loop for the video cards alone and call it good?