AS-3000

Hi all.

Ok, ok. I know it's much better to build your own system. And if I have the "hand" ability or that, I would.

But there is an extra problem: my own notion of "aesthetics" (hope I spelled it right). I do loe to use the 5 1/4" bays to place much of the system. I do hate to wee the radiator or the pump "laying around" the case. I can accept the reseroir, in the case of those acrylic tbes or "bull's eye" kind of reservoir, and even those prefereably direct bound to the roof of the case for better and easier filling of the system. And the cpu block: this has to be easy of install.

Do to all this, and my lack of handcraft abilities, I started to really consider the AS-3000 kit. I can mod it later. And the only place where it's really expensive is... well, my own country ( ), but I'm trying to find ways around this.

Anyway, I'm placing some pictures of the kit opened (from this site review: http://www.overclockercafe.com/Reviews/cooling/Kingwin_AquaStar/pg3.htm) to illustrate it for the first question: Is there a way to BUILD a system like this? How?

The second question: since I won't over my gpu, would such a system worth installing the gpu wc block in my gecube radeon x600xt 256Mb?

The third question: is the sequence depicted in the attatched figure optimal?

Fourth: Any extra ideas on how to mod this thing more, or to the "derived build" that I could build by someones ideas on how to?

Btw, studing this kit: From what I can see, it's main limitation would be the small pump?

Thanks a lot in adance to eerybody!

any clue or idea? or nothing?

Buying each part is not going to be any harder than seting up that kit .

buying maybe wouldn't (believe me, things can get too expensive to reach here sometimes, when the shops ships it to here), but what about to assemble them in the 2 x 5 1/4 bays? Even thow, I've never seen an radiator like the one used in the kit: for me it looks nice (maybe the piece of the kit that will never be moded), but what are the forum opinions?

Replacing the fans in that system and running it seems like the only viable option to me. If you MUST use it, that is what I would do.

Thanks soul! But, what would you suggest as the new fans to me (noisy or silent option?)? Also, the fan speed control is related to the front fan only, the back one rotates at a constant pass.

I thought the main problem with this kit would be the pump! Shouldn't I start to consider modding that one too?

I'm not sure what pump is in it. But I would pull out both fans and put in something with more CFM and as well shroud the rad so the air passes straight through, like this:

Great idea! But "shroud" made me need a dictionary here, believe me!

What sort of fans would you suggest me? I'll try to find out how much cfm does these ones pulls into the radiator, to hae better and easier suggestions.

All depends on your dba preferences. If you want it to be quiet then lower CFM is what you'll end up with. Higher CFM = higher dba. Personally, I think and Ultra-120/Tuniq tower will cool just as well as one of those Liquid kits.

ok: what's the minimum CFM I should be looking for?

johannesRS said:

ok: what's the minimum CFM I should be looking for?

Click to expand...

Well since you're WCing your CPU and GPU (even though those X600s don't throw a lot of heat), I wouldn't recommend anything under 35cfm.



Personally though, for the price of that kit you can build an OK custom set up...

ops. no, I'm just overclocking the cpu. the gpu is on stock.

I'm not even quite sure IF I should wc the gpu or the chipset. Maybe none of them (any clues here?).

Def liquid cool the GPU. If you play games then overclocking it is the way to go for more FPS.

If you are just OCing the CPU then check out say, two 40cfm fans + the shroud should give OK temps. Also pull off that mesh looking thing on the front to get full air through the fans.

I was wondering: if I choose to swith just the back fan, considering the front one to be, say, 20-25fcm, how much should be the back one?

I'm considering that "maybe" the increase o noise inside the case will not lead to as much noise as increasing both fans.

Also, adding a gigger an behind this stuff would not increase efficience without increasing too much noise?

one last question: I'm still considering the possibility of switching the pump+reservoir o that for something stronger. It's reported even in the "good" reviews that the flow out that is too low. What I'm wondering is if a better pump would not need the ventilation that the shroud would take out of it.

Still, a custom set up is the way to go. D5 pump + Storm CPU Block + BIX120 Radiator And you can mount the 120rad in the front panel of your system with a Scythe Kamabay

that thing looks neat...

Mycobacteria, are you talking about the wc kit or the kama bay?

Wonder, two things:

first: you hanven't answered if I could workout it with a really high cfm on the back, instead of changing both.

second: not saying tht I've changed my mind, but NOW WE ARE TALKING on a custom system! That kama bay is a wonderfull base idea!

Let us see: to have a pannel function to control, fan, flow and temperatures, what whould I have? Also, isn't this pump almost the price of the whole kit (from what I found on the net). Is that fan really silent? And the is anything that I could use as a "bay holder" that can be bought to hold that, raditor and pump?

edit: is this waterblock easy to install? by easy, I mean "really" easy: not even remove the mobo. Also, I don't really know the forum opinion on it, but I don't fell myself confortble with the kind of connection which is available in the pump you suggested. I can live with the "push-in-plug-in" ones, I once worked with "screew connector", and I like the concept of the "non-leakage" behind the "quick coupling", but I really don't like that way and it's "clamps". Any other pump suggestion to start with?

P.S.: I'm not finding any image of the radiator you suggested...

when I saw "AS" I thought arctic silver released a new compound.

Well if you put a really high CFM in the back then you're going to created a negative pressure on the system and it will not be nearly as effecient two fans at the same CFM.


As for the drive bay, a simple peice of sheet metal will do fine. Personally, placing the pump on your DVD drive is not an issue.

For mounting the CPU Block is rather simple. You simply remove the old mount and thread in threaded rod into the mounting board. No need to remove the motherboard tray.

The custom system will cost more than the AS-3000. But will have exponentially more cooling capability.
D5 Pump (70) + D-TEK White Water (30) + BIX120 (45) + Kama bay (25) = ~170

I'll probably have to reconsider ir, Wonder.

I just remembered the main problem: I'm in Brasil. It means, almost NO store ships to here. The second problem is money: it'll cost more, specially cause I'll not be able to use an "importation service" (believe, they make things simpler and cheaper) if taking it rom many stores.

Later, I do need the importation service. It's the only way to have it officially imported, and since is for a university projet (not the colling per se, but the machine where it will be applied is, and so whateer enters in that machine is bonded to the project that bought it) it's the only way to not having to pay for it myself.

Even so, it's quite interesting (for a future with more money for myself). Could you gimme some links for these prices?

Unfortunatelly, back to the AS-3000 for now: I'm thinking about giving it a shot. I was reading, and found that the GPU block really can be used as a chipset block. What would you suggest?

When it arrives, I'll give a shot with the stock fans, and after try to identify them to find out how much CFM it gets, and choose the better improvement possible.

Moreover, I think a pump change WILL BE necessary. But a pump whould not need some airflow to refrigerate? I mean, the shroud and the pump change at the same time aren't counterproductive?