Question regarding Koolance Exos2

Greetings!

First off I apologize for not checking Search first.. I am currently deployed on a ship in the Gulf and to say the least our bandwith for web browsing is.. limited (took 25 minutes to load this screen alone).

My question is this:

Here is what I will be running (will because it is all in boxes at my house awaiting my return )

Thermaltake Armor Case
PC Power and Cooling 510W SLI
DFI nF4 UT SLI-DR
2GB PC3200 OCZ gold (4x512)
AMD x2 4400
SCSI 36.7 15k Fujitsu drives x2 in raid 0
LSIu160 controller
400gb SATA
CDR w/ dvd combo CRX320E
DVD +/-RW Plextor PX-712SA/SW
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Plat ZS

I am looking at doing a nice WC system and want to spend about 400 dollars.. The system I am looking at is the Koolance EXOS2 setup:
EXOS
Koolance EXOS-2 External Water Cooling Kit - Black EX2-750BK
Add AMD Opteron / 64 / 64FX Adapter: 909; One CPU-A03 AMD 64 Adapter (+$6.99)
Add CPU Cooler: 920; One CPU-300 V10 Cooler (+$56.99)
Add Swiftech Tube Anti-Kinking Coolseeves: 20690; 40in Coolsleeves 500 UV Blue (+$3.95)
total about 380$$


Has anyone had any experience with this? Expecially with the Thermaltake Armor box.. there looks like a fan hole on the top of the case and I am worried that the EXOS won't fit on top (or that it's the wrong system entirely)

Any help here would be great.. thanks in advance!

I think a lot of people will agree with me when i say, kits are not good. Try to build your own if you can, I have the armor case and there is plenty of room.

If your looking for something easy, the Exos kit is great. It is probably one of the best and easiest kits to work with. (installed it on a friends system)
If your looking to overclock and get the absolute best temps, you could build a DIY system for less.

by DIY do you mean DangerDen items? or is DIY a diff company?

Not sure on the less though.. maybe about 70 bucks cheaper, but how much more fiddling will it take? I have never setup a water cooling system before and a little worried on spilling fluid all over my gear

Koolance is a great starter system. But it is a starter system. Buy it, mod it, then move up to the next level with DangerDen. I started with a koolance case because I was new to the liquid cooling, after 6 months I mod it by changing the pump and then adding a new radiator and better fans. Then after another couple of more months, I went all out and replaced almost everything.
So if you don't know anyone with liquid cooling and are not sure of it buy a Koolance but you will be modding before long.

Wraithlok said:

by DIY do you mean DangerDen items? or is DIY a diff company?

Click to expand...

It stands for Do It Yourself.

Most often this means buying a good aquarium pump, a Heater core for vehicles, fans, and order some tubing and fittings (or sometimes using the cheap home improvement tubing). A lot of people even go so far as making their own waterblocks and mounting hardware, (From professional cooling and machinists all the way down to scrap metal garage dealies) but it's probably better to just order the block for most people, certainly for beginners. This method of parts-picking can sometimes save you quite a bit of cash (or headache), but you have to do your research ahead of time to know what you want. Spending a lot of time here reading the forums and articles (especially the water coolant chemistry articles Here ) should be able to fulfil the research part.. You can expect a fairly usable system for even as low as $100USD or so.

A lot of the DIY kits are starting to look good these days (everything you need in one kit). Getting cheaper and better quality all the time (though not always both at the same time). A lot of online shops (Such as Dangerden, etc.) allow you to put together a custom kit from their selection of parts. The prices for kits vary wildly, as does the quality depending on where you go for it. I'm rather fond of the newer kits from Swiftech. They've gotten pretty close to what I would choose for myself, except that I would probably swap out for a larger radiator in most instances. I think a lot of people would recommend these for good basic introductory cooling systems as far as kits go. These days you'll usually end up with the coolsleeve spring things, a drive bay reservoir and a 'radbox,' a device for mounting radiators externally. Lots of optional things to use or not depending on the preference you develop from experience and use.


Koolance is just now on their third generation of products, and will most likely have a full beginner system fairly close to good quality budget systems most people would put together on their own soon. Starting to get rather expensive though. Some time ago, in their second generation products, they were selling modified Chieftec style cases with introductory level water cooling systems pre-installed into them that cost only about $100 USD more than the cases they were based on. Today they're quite a bit more expensive than the cases they are based on, or a bit more expensive than the performance level in the case of their newer exos external kits.

I really like their mounting mechanism though. I've trusted people to be able to put on a waterblock with their mounting mechanism that I wouldn't even trust to put a stock heatsink on an exposed core CPU.

"someoneElse" hit the nail on the head. I would defently go with the Exos 2. It is the easiest and fool proof kit that exists. It will also give you experience, and then when the time comes, you should feel comfortable to build your own custom system.

First off I would like to thank you for your service to our country.

Now I have not heard much about the exos2, but with the first exos many around here would say it perty much stinks. If you want good temps you definatly should build your own system. If you got a budge of 400 with a custom setup you would have some very very nice components. I too was in the same spot(was about to say boat) as you when I wanted to start water cooling, but to me making your own system is so much more fun, you learn, and you have the ability to upgrade relatively cheap.

However I am not your guy for listing the best parts available to you, my system consists of a 1977 Bonneville Heater Core (with AC), a Hydor L30I pump, a Maze4 Waterblock, Clearflex 60, and a shroud made for me by Greenman. And because my motherboard is screwed up it will not tell me my real temps, lol.

Just wait a few days/hours for a more experenced member to chime in and tell you what parts are the best for your price range.

if you wanna bust $400 on a nice WC system, you might as well get your feet wet and jump right in instead of getting a beginner system


you could easily build one of the best WC systems available with $400


CPU Block: Swiftech Storm - $75

GPU Block: Danger Den Maze4 w/ Acetal Top - $45

Pump: Swiftech MCP-655 or Danger Den D5 (same pump) - $75

Radiator: Black Ice Extreme II - $60

Res/T-Line: Danger Den Fillport & barbed "T" fitting - $15

Tubing: 10ft Clearflex60 1/2" ID x 3/4" OD (1/8" wall) - $10

Hose Clamps: Stainless steel worm drive hose clamps (one for each barb/hose connection in system) - $1/ea


Total: ~$300 USD



and that system i posed above is 1. one of the best DIY systems you can currently buy, and 2. $80 cheaper than the POS Exxos

That looks like a sweet setup, the new Swiftech Storm looks sweet. The only thing I may change is the BIXII I would look into possibly a Heater Core, my '77 B'ville is giving me good results! If you get the '77 B'ville without AC you don't have to do any moding. The Heater core only cost me like $17.00 too!

The setup Sneaky listed is a great setup. I'd go for that over an Exos2 any day.

archer, knowing how he was worried about the exxos not fitting his case, he probably doesn't want to be modding too much (soldering new barbs, etc. onto the HC and making/buying a shroud), so all he'd have to do is take a hole saw or dremel and make 2 120mm holes on the top of the case, and the BIX II would be ready to toss up there

To The Forums!

I would tend to agree with sneeky on this one. The exxos is nice if you don't know what's good. But if you've got the cash build something you can be proud of. Besides if you need some pointers everyone here is more than happy to give you some. The stickies are also very helpful and a source of immence knowledge for any do it yourselfer looking to get into watercooling.

Sneaky said:

archer, knowing how he was worried about the exxos not fitting his case, he probably doesn't want to be modding too much (soldering new barbs, etc. onto the HC and making/buying a shroud), so all he'd have to do is take a hole saw or dremel and make 2 120mm holes on the top of the case, and the BIX II would be ready to toss up there

Click to expand...

With the Armor case he won't need to do that. He can just mount the rad in the front standing on end and he'll still have enough room for the rest of his drives. I was going to get an Armor case but I couldn't waite for shipping so I got a Stacker instead. He won't have to modd that case unless he wants the rad at the top.

Edit: If you go with the heatercore get the bonneville with A/C it's not as wide and will fit perfectly in the drive bays. It's also known as the fedco 2-302. It will be easier to just buy a BIX II it comes with barbs already attached and everything.

mysterfix said:

It will be easier to just buy a BIX II it comes with barbs already attached and everything.

Click to expand...

I started out with a BIP I liked the barbs, but with my 302 i just heated the tubes, and sliped them right over the copper hose things on the Core, then zip tied them down very tight.

Wow thanks for all the help:

OK here is what I have ordered (damn sneaky you read my mind):

MCRES-1000P (Swiftech MCP 350 pump with the MCRES1000 reservoir built in) 99.99$
Storm (swiftech) 84.95$
Black Ice Extreme II Radiator 57.99$
two Sunon 120mm fans 23.90$
10ft Tygon 3603 3/8'' tubing 23.50$
Danger Den Filport 11.95$ (bought but no clue if I even need if I have a reservoir)

total thus far: 302.28$

Not yet but most likely today:
Macpower Black Digital Doc 51.95$ w/ thermal sensor
clamps (packs of 10 for about 2.95)
Hydrx Coolant (5 bottles) 16.45$

w/ new stuff total: 373.63$

Not bad

Now what I was searching here was something that was not gigantic off the bat (thus the resivoir and pump combo and the 3/8'' tubing vice the 1/2'' inch). I am looking at just overclocking my CPU for now and not running a sep line to my GPU as the 7800 has a good heatsink fan (from what I am hearing) and might not need it yet.

Based on that I am hoping the 3/8 and the P350 vice the bigger pump will fit my needs for now. thoughts comments suggestions? More importantly am I forgetting something?

Wraithlok said:

More importantly am I forgetting something?

Click to expand...

Maybe a T-fitting for the fillport? You should be able to pick one up for almost nothing at most hardware/home improvement type shops when you are able to do so. Probably not worth ordering ahead of time when you have the reservoir pre-attached to the pump, but if you decide to take the pump off of it later and do a T-line instead you'll already have the fillport there waiting..

Wraithlok said:

Hydrx Coolant (5 bottles) 16.45$

Click to expand...

You may be just as happy with a 90% water 10% anti-freeze mix. I know that is what a lot of people do including me, and I do believe that everything in you system is copper, except the filport which will not be in constant contact with the fluid so, so you should not be having corrosion problem.

Wraithlok, PLEASE tell me you got 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD tygon... 'cause if you got the 1/2" OD tygon, it WILL kink easier than uber-cheapo home depot tubing, guaranteed (i screwed up myself and found this out the hard way)


otherwise you have a pretty good choice of components - you might want a GPU water block still, but thats up to you

Sneaky:

Tygon 3603 Tubin 3/8'' ID 5/8'' OD

good to go!
and yep going to need the T-fitting.. i'll order one from DD later.

Not a bad idea with the antifreeze (read the OC guide to water chem) but my only concern is that it won't have enough properities to stop any bio growth and the prefab stuff looks like it has a good mix of ingredients. .. ok and I'm a bit lazy

Hoping I have a good set of instructions with the pump/or resivoir from swiftech.. if not anyone have a good pic or two of how this sucker is supposed to look? specifically how the t-line and DD fillport will fit in the system if I put em in?

Thanks as always!