Barbs, Res's, and a pump question

Okay, i'm liking the idea of a basic WC system.

through the forums(bless them), i've come to the folowing parts:

D tek spiral Waterblock
'77 or '87 bonneville heatercore
Clearflex tubing from McMaster
home depot stuff (clamps, barbs, ect)

First off, i'm now torn between the Via Aqua 1300 pump, and the maxijet 1200. Experiances? what would you choose?

Now, anyone with a chieftec clone case knows how cool it would be to put something in those drive cages. I would like a drive cage res thats not ugly, that will take up 2 or 3 drive slots...and if it had a helpful filler hting that would be nice too

Also, are there any parts i should consider replacing before i even get them? $10 maybe $15 more?

Now, i'm also considering GPU cooling now that i've read more, i diddnt realise how much heat they throw off. is there a block that will fit ATI and Nvidia cards? if not, whats a good cheap block for nvidia? ($20 and under please)

Now for the fun stuff...will i need special hardware besides clamps for all this stuff? what would i need? i know nothing about barbs, or any of this honestly...i'm in it for the learning. (okay, so learning is my excuse for spending way too much on my computer)

Also, the heatercore...i'm having a hard time locating one online thats copper. the ones at www.napaonline.com are black in the pic, and ever pic i've seen elsewhere is copper or brass, or both....so i asusme they would mail me one, and it would be iether copper or brass...and i dont want to chance getting a brass one. So, if i run down to a local napa, is there a chance they have this specific core in stock? (i've only been into napa once, for an o-ring, i dont know how large their inventory is or what they keep in stock)

thanks!

My biggest input is to avoid the Maxijet pump.
I had one that liteally spewed water everywhere but the tubing within 3 months of purchase.

I have never personally used a Via Aqua either but if those are the only options then the Via wins by default in my book.

As for the heater core: brass tanks are common and should cause no problem. Brass is very close to copper (or some such chemical stuff...) and there should be no ill effects.

i'm not worried about the tanks so much as the fins...everyone says make sure to get the copper ones. i personally like hte look of copper better ,but if brass will work just as good, so be it...

any other input on the heatercore, or anything else?

other oppinions on the pump? i wanted it untill that last post i cant find anything anywhere about it in english.

go via on the pump, or for around $20 you could upgrade to a Mag3. Much better performance. Look at aquarium supply places (online) for best prices. most local stores JACK the prices of those up (a store around me had one for $88).

I don't know anything about the spiral waterblock you chose.

As for GPU cooling, I'm not sure you'll find anything under $35. the maze4 is around that price.

If you're looking to reduce costs - you can try the Home Depot tubing. if you don't need to make any sharp bends it'll work fine. And if you do you can help the bends with coolsleeves (from swiftech, $3) or metal clamps.

Keep in mind this is coming from a guy that ignored all the warnings about the Via 1300.

After a month and a half, mine leaked.

I bought two, and abused/played with one and built the other perfect, even re-greased teh shaft after the silence mod.....then I cracked the perfect one's output shaft, and had tu use the abused one.

The abused one leaked. If you get a Via, be sure to get a lot of super glue, or marine goop.

blueamn, is that $20 more? i really dont want to spend $40 on a pump....and i hear the mag3 is loud. i'm switching ot WC mainy because air is too loud.

i shouldnt have to make sharp turns, but quality tubing seems like a must to me...

i'm now leaning towards the via pump, unless i can get another cheap/quiet pump that people like.

answers to the slew of other questions would be nice too

Don't think they make copper fins anymore, prices of copper have gone up and they are now using brass for auto cores, with copper sides.

allright, a little searching told me that brass is more than half copper anyway, i'm not going to worry about it.

still a few thigns i need cleared up:

pump....is the MAG3 loud? if its quiet, is it worth the cash?

are there any other quiet good pumps that wont cost a body part?


any 3.5" res's that will take up 2 or 3 drive slots...and if it had a helpful filler thing that would be nice too...


Now, i'm also considering GPU cooling now that i've read more, i diddnt realise how much heat they throw off. is there a block that will fit ATI and Nvidia cards? if not, whats a good cheap block for nvidia? ($20 and under please)

Oh, and is there a chance that my local NAPA will have the correct heatercore in inventory, or do i gotta order online? i guess it doesnt really matter...but if i can save shipping i will.

scratch the res, i havnt found one for under $25, and i'd rather go without than pay more than $10 shipped.

mag 3 can be quiet.. it actually is very quiet, but what makes it loud are the vibrations. i would say its about 25dba with 1" of padding under it. (comparible to two panaflos L1A)
but since ur going with a spiral.. what do u even need a pump with so much head??
i'd personally go with a maxijet 1200 (i have two, they work great in my aquarium.)

i've had two people tell me the maxijet 1200 is a bad idea, though...what i really want is a reliable quiet cheap pump...lol

i guess thats asking a bit much though.

mag3 isnt' loud at all if you dampen it. use rubber grommets or cloth or something

...or suspend it with rubber bands. the problem is i cant find it for less than $50, and thats an awful lot to be spending on a pump....i'm having a hard time keeping this reasonable. i dont want to cross the obsessive line (well, not untill i have a job)

i guess i have to order the core online, so the fins could be aluminum for all i know. Gah.
So, the waterblock thats $25 is going to cost $11 to ship, thats BS in my oppinion...anywhere else i can get it?
the HC is $20, unknown shipping...the holes wont tell me.
pump looks like its going to run me $50, which is rediculous.
tubing and clamps, surprises a good $25
so thats $95 for a basic setup, i was hoping for a second heatercore.

Are there any people with GOOD experiances with a maxijet 1200? its a good $20 less, but would it be worth the extra $20 to get the mag3 instead, or will the maxijet hold its own?

that $20 could go towards the second heatercore, but i dont want to save the $20 just to realise in a month i wasted $30 and have to get a new pump anyway.

and then if i decide to go GPU cooling too, whats a decent gpu cooler for under $20?

Did you check out the "quiet ones"?
I know they are nice pumps and they are cheap.

Suma.

i never had a bad experiance with maxijet. well.. atleast with the usage its a little hard to get fittings and stuff on it. as for dependablity, i would say its better then a via. i've had too many vias die on me to recommend them.

never heard of the "quiet ones", where can i look at them?

the maxijet is back on my list, i've had 2 people say tehy are bad, and i personally asked 3 people and they all love theirs. that $20 could get me a second heatercore...i just gotta figure outwhere i can put em!

Here for instance:
http://bcreef.com/p-quietone.html

Run a search "Quietone" in the forums see what you get.
Suma.

greenman100 said:

Keep in mind this is coming from a guy that ignored all the warnings about the Via 1300.

After a month and a half, mine leaked.

I bought two, and abused/played with one and built the other perfect, even re-greased teh shaft after the silence mod.....then I cracked the perfect one's output shaft, and had tu use the abused one.

The abused one leaked. If you get a Via, be sure to get a lot of super glue, or marine goop.

Click to expand...

"Abused, abused, abused". User error. I've had mine running for 3 years now and not a single hickup. I run the Via on my reefs also. Not a single problem. Cheap, reliable, and great flow.

FRAGN'STIEN said:

"Abused, abused, abused". User error. I've had mine running for 3 years now and not a single hickup. I run the Via on my reefs also. Not a single problem. Cheap, reliable, and great flow.

Click to expand...

that is true, but when i used it in my freshwater tank i would clean it everyone and then. the little rubber endcaps would slightly tear after every disassembly, maybe after the 6th disassembling the end cap was so badly torn that the impeller wouldn't stay in place and it ended with a dead pump. In a water cooling system u shouldn't have this problem, but almost everyone likes to screw around with their pump. i stopped doing that as soon as i got a more expensive pump.

(btw frag, i love ur VGA block, i think its been though 3-4 users, but i'm sure i'm keeping it, thanks for making it man!)