Noob needs recommendations on water cooling kits

Hey guys, I've been using Active Air for quite some time now and have achieved great results.

I have an athlon xp 1800 running at 2.7ghz. However, due the super big fan (I think 400CFM) the system is extremely loud. I can hear it from 50 yards away

Due to this, I am considering, switching to a water cooling system instead. I'd like some recommendations as to which water cooling kits to consider. I would like to exceed the effectiveness of the current air system by as much as possible.

My max budget for water kit is $400.

Also, if someone could please point out what specs I should be looking at when purchasing a kit, that would be greatly appreciated.

suscribing thread

well if you want preformance you wont want a kit
if you really want a kit the best ones out there are the asetek waterchill kits, best preformance will ovbiously come from a homemade setup though.

just some recommendations of watercooling parts for a setup:
CPUangerDen RBX
NBD Maze4 NB
GPU:Silverprop Cyclone Fusion HL (if you dont have space the shorter SL versions are ok but the HL is better)
Radsreatty much any heatercore (im personally getting a 86 chevette core) or some JR120 rads if you dont want to make shrouds etc...
Pump:Swiftech MCP-600 rev2 (if you want decent flow/pressure and silence), liang D4(noiser but more head pressure) or for uber overkill get a iwaki md-20rz or higherI.E. 30rz 40rz etc...

I was thinking of going with the Corsair Hydrocool 200 since it was rank # 1 on the overclockers.com site

I've read a few reviews of it being stacked up against the slk800 and it does perform better. What do you think?

I'm not sure I want to hand build my own kit for fear of messing something up and damaging my system.

I would definitely go with a kit since I'm new to this. What are the top performing kits available?

Actually I will give the custom kit a try. I'm thinking of going to danger den and getting the individual components. What's the difference between the RBX and TDX waterblocks?

Should I include "Peltier & Neoprene" ? What is it for?

peltiers are more advanced and are to achieve temps well below your ambient temp, also they usually require a seperate psu to power them off of

peltiers don't seem to cost too much, about $40. I may be wrong, what are the costs associated with running peltiers with the water cooling system?

Handy hint - start with water, then move to pelts... pelts introduce sub-ambient temps (well, can do) and generally speaking this can lead to condensation etc... Its the kind of thing that, when you know you want to do it, you do it. If not, stay clear

Edit- 2.7ghz? do you mean xp2700 levels, or actual 2.7ghz?

Aren't peltiers basically a unit that cools the water down to below ambient, like an AC?

What are my chances of surpassing the performance retail water cooling kits like the corsair hydrocool 200 by building a custom water cooling kit?

For the custom kit, what components can you recommend in order to achieve the best overclocking possible? fragger56 was very helpful in giving me some recomendations. I wanted to see other people recommend as well. Or, is this matter pretty much set in stone?

In the world of watercooling, retail kits are pretty much guaranteed to be at the bottom of the heap in performance. Admittedly, the Corsair kit is one of the nicest, but that's like saying that you have the fastest Celeron ever made. It's still fundamentally handicapped.

I'd go with a nice custom Dangerden or Cooltechnica kit. They're basically just a way to buy all of the DIY parts you need from one website. With a budget of $400, you shouldn't have any problems getting a top-notch setup.

I'd recommend a Swiftech MCP600 or AquaXtreme pump (they're the same thing). They're whisper quiet and very strong. Depending on your case, go with either a Black Ice Extreme (fits a 120mm fan for cramped cases) or a heatercore (if you have room to spare). If you're willing to mod your case a little, go for a double heater core or a BIX2. As for waterblocks, for your CPU I'd recommend either a TDX, Whitewater, or MCW6002. They're the top three right now. For your GPU, I'd get either a MCW50 or a Maze4. It's up to you to cool the NB, but I'd recommend the MCW20 or the Maze4. Oh, and make sure you get some good Tygon or Clearflex tubing, 1/2" inner diameter.

Don't get peltiers, at least not at first. You definitely want to get your feet wet with standard watercooling before you go for the added complexity of a peltier setup. Just read a couple of the posts in the extreme cooling forum, and you'll get an idea of just how easy it is to ruin hundreds of dollars of equipment with just one tiny mistake in a peltier setup.

How much of a compromise am I making if if decide to go with the black ice extreme instead of teh double heater core. What's BIX2? What exactly are the case mods in question and why?

Thanks for the info!

From what I've heard, a single heatercore is worth a couple of degrees C under a Black Ice Extreme (BIX). A Black Ice Extreme 2 (BIX2) is a double-wide BIX, and is worth a couple degrees over a BIX, as well. As for a double heater core, I imagine the law of diminishing returns starts kicking in, so unless you have a multi-processor setup or you're placing the double heatercore on the hot side of a waterchiller loop, then you probably won't notice more than a degree or two, if that. The biggest impact will probably be felt at lower fan speeds.

As for case mods, every case I've heard of will require you to cut a really big hole (2 120mm fans) in the top to fit a double-wide radiator or heatercore. Some people mount their radiator outside or in a separate box, which works, but it destroys the portability of your system, not to mention aesthetics. It's all about personal preference.

For a single processor system like yours, I'd go for a heatercore or a BIX if your case is exceptionally narrow or short on room. Measure your clearances, then decide.