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Possibly going to water cooling: opinions?


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I think I'm going to switch to a watercooling setup. I'm a total noob to watercooling, but I've been looking at the Danger Den stuff, and made a wishlist with this custom kit in it:

 

CPU Style: RBX AMD XP/MP

CPU Base Material: Copper

Top Style: Lucite - Clear

Video Card Water Block: None

Chipset Water Block: MAZE4 Chipset Block

Fitting Size: 1/2 OD Fitting for 1/2 ID Tubing

Radiator: Black Ice Xtreme - Black

Fans: None

Peltier/TEC: None

Pumps: Danger Den 12V D4 1/2 OD Fittings

Tubing: 10 Feet of UV Green

Reservoir: Single 5 1/4 Bay UV Blue Reservoir

Thermal Paste: None

Water Additives: 4oz Zerex Super Coolant and Green Dye Light

Hold Down Style: Standard Stainless Steel Hold Down

Danger Den Fillport: Black Anodized Fillport

Misc: 12 Hose Clamps Y & T

and The Danger Den SLI Kit Solution using two (2) Acetal MAZE4GPU

 

It is possible that I would get the Black Ice Micro instead of the Extreme (80mm fan instead of 120) cause my case seems to be just BARELY too small to fit the extreme internally...though i suppose i could just mount it externally...) Here's the case I have: http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/shark/black/black.htm

 

Anyway, what I'm wondering is A.) How does this list look? Am I missing anything, do I have anything I don't really need, or is there anything I should drop in favor of a different party? and B.) Does anybody know of some very good alternatives? I want it to be good quality, though not necessarily the best.....Cause this is pretty spendy, at around 430, choosing most of the cheapest options. Thanks in advance.

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I don't know if you're planning on completely sticking with Danger Den, but if not, then here's what I would suggest.

 

As for the CPU block, the MCW-6002 from Swiftech is generally considered to be the best ATM. Chipset blocks aren't really that necessary, as it's more of a hassle and only decent air cooling is needed for those. For the GPU, the Maze4 is a good choice for the rig. As for the radiator, I wouldn't waste your money on anything less than 120MM, or for that matter a BIX. Get yourself a heatercore [120x2 fans] as they are cheaper and cool a lot better than radiators [look at www.VoyeurMods.com for pre-modded ones]. 1/2 ID tubing is good, reservoir isn't needed if you're getting a T-Line / Fillport, so pick one or the other. That DD pump is ok, but I'd prefer the MCP655 from Swiftech or an Eheim 1250, although the DD pump is still decent.

 

Yeah, that'd be my decision :D

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what would you say is quieter, an eheim or the swiftech pump?

One of the quitest pumps in the market now is the MCP655.

 

IMHO, DD blocks are not the best in the market. If you really intend to go DIY on your watercooling setup, don't hesitate to mix and match. For better info, I suggest you browse over at PROCOOLING or at OCAU.

 

So far from what I've searched and read, one of the best (if not the best) CPU block out there is the Storm G4 by Cathar.

 

As for the chipset block and reservoir, I share the same opinion with magg.

 

:)

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Instead of blowing $430 on watercooling your A64, just spend $100 on this little beaut. Athlon 64's don't really need water. I could see if you were going to cool your graphics card, but your not even doing that. Save the money and get a fan controller to lower the noise of your system. You wont notice the extra 30 MHz you get overclocking with water. Just my 2 cents.

 

GriFF

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is there realy a need for a chipset block , execpt for adding resistence to your loop? and IMO DD are some of the best for the money we arent talking about the year wait storm G4 , G5 blocks that empty your wallet

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Instead of blowing $430 on watercooling your A64, just spend $100 on this little beaut. Athlon 64's don't really need water. I could see if you were going to cool your graphics card, but your not even doing that. Save the money and get a fan controller to lower the noise of your system. You wont notice the extra 30 MHz you get overclocking with water. Just my 2 cents.

 

GriFF

 

I am cooling the graphics cards, just they didn't have the low profile ones as an option in teh custom setup, so i had to add them to the cart separately, they're at the bottom of that list there. I managed to get the price down closer to about 380 with changing a few things...getting rid of the filports and the chipset cooler mainly

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why would you say such a thing?

 

there is nothing worse than someone stating something like this and not explaining why....especially from you VJ

 

With video card WB's it is mostly from the poor machining and extremely poor mount design

that bows that crap out of the PWA's. It's low hose barb height also prevens the installation

of the good ramsinks on the cards top/front pair of chips. The Maze4 GPU block also has low

total cross section area in the flow channels that dings the water flow in a series loop. It's

nothing that another 50 grand of R&D effort couldn't correct.

 

I used to order DD WB's by the dozen but got sick of all the rework that had to be done to

most of them. They work, sorta, and that is about all that can be said for em.

 

The Maze4 CPU blocks aren't to bad but no match for a properly installed Swifty 6000 series.

The key word there is properly. Every review I have seen had the block mounted either

upside down (for a tower case install) and/or had the inlet/outlet water tubes reversed.

 

Mount a 6000 WB wrong and you will trap air in about 1/3 of the blocks water circulation

chamber volume and/or loose the impingement at the correct water inlet (center).

 

Viper

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are you talking about gpu blocks or cpu blocks because i see you saying gpu one time, then cpu the other...Maze blocks are for gpu's not cpu (the cpu blocks of choice from DD are now the RBX and TDX blocks, not Maze, and the RBX and TDX do not cause bending/warping during installation).

 

I have yet to see a match for the TDX blocks for cpu's.

 

the Maze gpu blocks I can only comment on from my SLI installation on the 2x 6600GT's...it was not as good as it would be on the 6800 cards (the ability to lock the gpu down with 4 all-threads where the 6600 cards are not optimal because of the ability to only use 2 outer-edge holes for the all-threads).

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