Getting Wet

Ok so the time has finally come to get wet (well not just yet). I recently built a new PC (its in my sig) and have been bitten by the overclocking bug again. Im bored with air cooling now and I fancy putting my hardware under water. So heres a few questions for a complete n00b like myself, that hopefully you can answer for me.

I: Is there such thing as a cheap watercooling set up?
II: Is there a lot of maintenance involved?
III: Would I have to buy a full tower case to fit it all in?
IIII: Would I need to upgrade my PSU as well?

Sorry for all the questions but I really don't know anything about watercooling.

Thanks, Masaka

1) Define Cheap
2) Check fluid levels, and top off when neccessary. Then in a few months just clean out the computer with some air to keep the dust down.
3) Don't need a full tower case. Just be creative and grab yourself a dremel and get going. You can also make an external WC box with rad and pumps in there.
4) On;y additional power drain is coming from the pump(if you buy a dc pump) and the fans on the radiator itself. So no new PSU is needed.

1. What is your definition of cheap? A good DIY setup can be had for a couple hundred dollars, maybe less if you can get some used items like the block and rad.

2.There is almost no maintenance other than flushing the system every 1 - 1.5 years. Sometimes you have to add a little more water if your loop isnt air tight.

3. A lot of mid tower cases can incorporate a WC system. I have never had to get a full tower to WC my computers. Width is an issue though, the wider the better for all the equipment.

4.You shouldnt be running your pump off your PSU so that shouldnt be an issue for adding a WC setup.

Cheap would be around £150 or $300USD. Would that be a reasonable ammount for a watercooling system?

$300 is a good amount to spend on water cooling. You should be able to get some nice parts for that.

CPU - Swiftech Apogee
Pump - MCP-655
Rad - I love my MCR320 for $40. but for maximum performance the Thermochills deliver it. (up to you what sort of 120mm fans you want)
I would go with a T-Line over a res. just because it's cheaper. Your local hardware store should carry the 'T' fitting.
I think that will even leave some extra money for a GPU block. I'm going to recommend the MCW60. I've got one and it cools down this nuclear x1900XTX of mine pretty well.

I second that, for a $300 budget you can get some nice DIY components. Most people are not too fond of most of the commercial kits out there, and honestly you'd be better off just putting one together yourself. It's not that hard and most on here and other forums are a great resource if you need any help.

Depends on your space and requirements, but this is what you should need....
-CPU block,
-GPU block if you want to cool your video card,
-tubing, I would suggest 1/2" and hose clamps
-Radiator, preferrably a dual 120mm fan setup with 2 fans of course
-water reservoir or a fill port setup, depends on your space
-water pump, go with a decent brand and don't skimp on money for this, it will save you a lot of money in the long run to get a reliable pump

THREAD RESURRECTION

OK so I now have the funds to do what I wanted to do almost a year ago. I have listed the components below and would like som advice on whether they are good or not and any alternatives. Unfortunately my budget has been dropped to around £100 or $200usd.

CPU Block: Swiftech Apogee GT Waterblock
Radiator: Swiftech MCR220-QP Dual 120mm Radiator
Pump: Swiftech Laing MCP655 12 VDC Pump

I don't know what tubing or fittings I would need either so if you could help out with those I would be more than grateful.

you can go with 1/2" ID, but man that stuff is alot bigger than i thought it would be. i prefer clearflex over tygon mainly in price, you can always buy coils if need be to help prevent kinking.

Which is why most people use 7/16" masterkeeler these days. Its cheaper, more flexable and has a smaller diameter. It also has the pro&con of making better contact with barbs. This means, you'll likely need to put the tubing in hot water to get them on, and you'll have to carefully cut the tubing off, but at least they are less likely to leak.

Also, if your only getting a dual fan radiator, I would go to your local store and buy a 2-302 heatercore (1977 bonneville, with AC). They run about $10. However, They take a little more effort, as you'll need to build a shroud. This is just something to think about...


PS: I have 7/16" and I still use hose clamps. If you got them, use them. If you don't- get them. The metal ones btw, I consider the rest junk.

The only barbs in my last loop that i had to cut my 7/16" tubing off was my Microres plastic barbs. Seeing as I, in addition to the MicroRes, have 4 more swiftech plastic barbs (CPU and GPU)... well, more cutting will be needed in my next loop. That said, I could get them off the barbs, but it was just a huge hassle, plus I was kind of skeptic of breaking the barb or the thread in the microres, the barbs felt really weak.

I don't use clamps with my 7/16" loops. I did for my first one but later stopped using them. I don't feel them necessary. Just like I don't leak test for 24 hours, my leak tests are as long as it takes to bleed my system