First time watercooler - need advice!

Okay, long story short, I've started a large project involving setting up a home theatre in my basement with a projector. I've got the projector, screen is coming soon, got my speakers/sub, receiver etc. I now need to build my new PC. It will be my main rig but will be connected to the projector via HDMI and I want to do my gaming and such on it.

The main rig, I'm at a standstill, as I'm waiting for the R600 to finally launch. But considering the investment I already made, I figured I would go all out and make a very nice PC with watercooling. The system is not built, nor do I have the parts, aside from the case.

Now the case is the NZXT Lexa. Granted it's only a mid-tower, but I don't mind the extra work in getting it to sport a nice loop. See below for pics.

Now initially, being the noob I am, I was looking at the Swiftech Apex Ultra kit, which does not include the GPU block or the chipset block, but this is fine as I might just purchase a R600 with the block when they are released. Here is a link to that kit:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=20942&vpn=H20-220-APEX-Ultra&manufacture=Swiftech

However I have been thinking of just building up my own kit. Although I'm not 100% sure of what the final specs of my rig are going to be, it will probably be an intel quad-core with an R600 GPU, maybe even corssfire, sound card, two hard drives, one dvd-rw, FDD etc.

So I'm going to throw some parts at you guys and was hoping you could give me suggestions, KEEPING IN MIND THE CASE I AM USING, including ideas for the loop and mounting.

CPU BLOCK: D-Tek Fuzion
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=22081&vpn=FZ-CP&manufacture=D-Tek Customs

PUMP: Swiftech MCP655
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=19862&vpn=MCP655&manufacture=Swiftech

RAD: Thermochill PA 120.3
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=21454&vpn=TCPA1203&manufacture=Thermochill

FANS: Yate Loon:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=22645&vpn=D12BL-12&manufacture=Yate Loon

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=21457&vpn=TCP1203S&manufacture=Thermochill

RESERVOIRE: Swiftech Micro:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=20091&vpn=MCRES-MICRO&manufacture=Swiftech

TUBING: Tygon 3603 1/2IN:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=19708&vpn=DDTT51&manufacture=Danger Den

If there is anything that I'm missing, let me know.

Are these good selections? Is that rad maybe overkill? Or is it just as good to stay with the APEX kit and save myself a lot of money? Thanks for your help.

That looks like an excellent loop. The problem being, can you fit that rad in that case? Or are you willing to have an external rad?

Otherwise, that loop looks great. I'd probably switch to 7/16" tubing to negate the need for clamps, but no difference thee. What kinda pump will you be using? I'd recommend a DDC or a D5. DDC for silence.

[rant] I'm not a big fan of NZXT or Raidmax (or any of those style cases) anymore... I used to run a Raidmax Scorpio-868 mid-tower. It was a very roomy case, and I did like it at the time. I still like the case... But all the new flashy cases that have spawned don't float my boat. I then discovered the brushed metal cases I see all the time, and now I currently own. Lian-Li and Silverstone cases, for example. [/rant]

Well I guess the rad will have to be external.

The pump is the swiftech MCP655



Would it be hard to mod the case to allow for an external mount of the rad?

jEevion said:

Well I guess the rad will have to be external.

The pump is the swiftech MCP655



Would it be hard to mod the case to allow for an external mount of the rad?

Click to expand...

Not at all. You could top mount the rad with the barbs facing down with two holes in the top of the case for the tubing to pass through.

That Lexa is a great case for airflow, you can probably mount the radiator up top or even at the bottom with a little cutting. Once you get the radiator, see if it fits up top behind the temperature monitor. Start planning where your pump and reservoir will go after that.

Hey I really appreciate the help guys, the past couple weeks I've been losing sleep over all of this.

Well for the res can I scrap the FDD (Lexa has dual FDD bays) and just get a res that will fit in there?

Is there anything else I need (besides hose clamps), like what is the purpose of a T line and do I need one? :/

You parts list looks good. The Thermochill PA 102.3 is the best rad on the market, and should last you for a long time to come. If however you need to save some money, the second best rad is the Swiftech MCR320 that NCIX carries, and it is considerably less and yet performs well. If you can afford it, get the Thermochill PA120.3, but if you need to shave off some cost, go with the Swiftech MCR320.

If you use the microres, you don't need a t-line. T-lines are used if you don't use a res. The microres is one of the best reservoirs available for its size, ease of mounting, and the fact that it works. Don't go with a bayres. They really don't work well.

Okay thank you very much.

Looking at that case, what would you recommend as the loop and mounting?

My goal is to have this case look as clean and uniform as humanly possible. I don't like the idea of tubing running from top to bottom. I'd like to mount the res under the case.

I'll play in paint and see what I can come up with, let me know your ideas!

Eh, now that I think about it, I don't think the 120.3 will fit anywhere on my case .. the 120.3 is 17" and the case length is 522mm, or roughly 20".

No way to mount this on the back huh?

You could always build an external box to house the rad, pump, and res.

Are there any pics on these forums that examples an exterior box so I have an idea?

There is a sticky just for pictures of our watercooled rigs. I would dig through it for you but it's getting a bit late and I'm super tired.

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=138275

Parts look good. If it's going to be in the same room with your home theater system, though, you might think about the MCP350/355 instead of the 655.

Typically, an external rad box has the rad mounted to one side and fans on the other, thus, it serves as shroud too. A popular box-less way is to mount the rad on top of the case with very long bolts or some other sort of standoff, allowing it to draw air in above the roof of the case and exhaust it straight up.

Would it be possible to mount a 120.2 rad on the back of the LEXA?

(See 2nd pic on first post)

Or would it block the VGA outs? If it's possible, I could remove the HDD cage, and just keep the two floppys, get a 2x5.25 to 3xHDD adapter cage, put my two HD's in that, use the remaining 2 5.25's for my DVD drive, and maybe leave the top drive open to help with cable management.

On the back of that case is there a 120mm rear exhaust? You could order a Swiftech Radbox and mount the radiator there. That would allow for a 120.3 rad.

I have some pics of my loop when I used my Raidmax Case. Top mounted the rad.

Inside with my D4 (MCP650, not for sale anymore)
http://bostonrinkrats.com/solidxsnake/Overclockin'/comp pics/watercooling/Redone/empty.jpg

Top of the case:
http://bostonrinkrats.com/solidxsnake/Overclockin'/comp pics/watercooling/Redone/top.jpg

Closeup of the cuts:
http://bostonrinkrats.com/solidxsnake/Overclockin'/comp pics/watercooling/Redone/closetop.jpg

I rushed this build very very much. I had a 7/8" stepped wood bit and a 1" wood holesaw at first to cut the two holes in the top. I cut one hole with the 7/8", one with the 1"... They were both uneven etc. I eventually bondoed it up, cut new holes, and added grommets, but I never correctly repainted the bondo, so it stands out as flat black (that was the only paint I had on hand).

This was my final loop in the Raidmax, DDC+/MCP355, MicroRes.
http://bostonrinkrats.com/solidxsna...ics/watercooling/3.1.07/114CANON/IMG_0497.JPG

Maybe that will give you some ideas.

Are you confident that, using this swiftech rad box, I could mount a 120.3 rad? Also be aware that this is a mid-tower case, and the rad would actually be as tall as the back of the case.

The 2nd picture in my original post shows the back of my case.

Would it be better to get the 120.3 rad, or the 120.2 rad as made by swiftech with the matching rad box to mount there?

EDIT: I checked Swiftech's site, and it says the rad box will sport a 120.3 rad. But can I use a 120.3 rad not made by swiftech? Will it still work?

Okay, all the parts in my pic down here, will this all work? Anything I am missing at all, or is there something on there I don't need?

Looks good. $429 seems a little steep for it, but now I realize you are in Canada.

ncix ftw.

You're freakin' rich... can I have some money ?