Should I go with Water Cooling

[RockyC2D]

Sorda a undecided problem here. Whether or not to go with water cooling. My computer is located in my room 2nd floor. During the summer, it gets extremely hot in the upstairs area. The heat from my computer right now is pretty much warming up my room. My mom is trying to save money, not using AC that much every now and then but when its off it gets about 80 F in my room.

Next month will begin building my new system and I want the best possible cooling. With 80 F room temp, air cooling just doesn't seem best in my situation. Water cooling on the other hand will really help I think cooling my cpu...... which i will be doing some overclocking. I don't mind noise that much if water cooling is noisy cause I got this huge fan in my room when on full speed and picked up in mid air wants to fly foward hah and its loud


Questions =

#1 In my situation, hot summer 80F room temp will air be sufficient or is air not best in terms of keeping my system cool. Crazy room temps with air doesn't go together to me atleast

#2 Only concern about water cooling is leaks. But if done right there should be no problem??

#3 If I do go water cooling, Can someone possibly recommend me parts for a cpu water cooling system. Heard kits aren't good so I figure a lot of people know a lot about certain water cooling parts to recommend

ps: I know its better to spend more money on water cooling than air, but if any way possible keeping it around $150 or lower. If over $150 is recommend then ok.



THanks

[ancalime]

I've been planning on water cooling too and have read up a lot on it. I'll answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.

1. I would say if you want great cooling as you said, than definitely go for water cooling. I know my CPU gets pretty hot during the summers yet my temperatures aren't near yours, so I imagine it would be of even greater benefit to you.

2. That's right, if you check each connection and clamp the barbs nice and tight, you shouldn't have any problems in regards with leaks. Just remember to leak test!

3. Well it is pretty tough to put together a nice CPU loop for under $150. I'm not saying this is impossible, but you are better off spending more. Although most kits are bad, I think petra's are an exception. Here is a nice one:
http://www.petrastechshop.com/pecoba.html
If you see things in the kit you would like to swap, Petra's allows you to do that, charging you the difference. In other words, they are great. You can also build your own kit in Petra's and they give you a nice 6% discount. Just a heads up. :)

[Big Mike]

Honestly ever since I got my Swiftech H2O 220 kit I've been beating its drum, they retail for like 225 bucks and its a great value at that price. All the little extras you'll realize you need as you put together a water cooling system are already in there, they thought of everything but the jug of distilled water that will cost you a buck. Water cooling would be a good choice for your situation probably. Leaks can be avoided for the most part, but there is always some risk that something isnt put together quite right or made quite right etc. I've seen people that know their stuff and are dilligent lose components to leaks.

[RockyC2D]

Either way Ill be spending about the same amount of money for air and water. If i do choose water cooling I have no need to purchase a case that has massive amounts of air flow, spending less and get a decent airflow case.

Like others say put together the system outside the case and let it run for a couple of hours.

[Otter]

With high ambient temperatures, phase change, earth cooling, or a well-designed bong would do better than air or water. Unfortunately, all of those options would probably break your budget once initial and ongoing costs are added up.

Water will definitely beat air, though, and if you can scrape together a serious watercooling system, it will knock several C off your load temp.

Heater cores and some of the older radiator designs will work quite well if you don't mind the noise of the powerful fans they need. If you can expand your budget slightly, though, you could have a system that is both powerful and reasonably quiet.

[orion456]

Water cooling will help some, but 80F is hot no matter what kind of cooling you have.

I definitely 2nd the recommendation to go Swiftech H2O 220 kit. It's so easy to install, all the components match, and I have yet to hear someone complain about it.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swh2edukit.html

If your house is hot upstairs but not downstairs you might check out your attic. If its an old house, it's possible the insulation wasn't installed properly and there is inadequate ventilation. The attic gets up to 150F + during the day with the sun beating down on the roof and inadequate attic ventilation doesn't allow it to cool off at night. As a result you get hotter and hotter upstairs as the heat in the attic starts radiating down into the rooms below. It's more a fall job when it gets cooler up there but can really drop cooling bills to have the right combination of insulation and proper installation.

You can also try getting a window fan and open the windows at night and blow in some cooler air.

[treatmentx]

I think what people are trying to tell you, is no matter what, you can't get your temperature below the air that's already in your room (not with air, and not with water. With phase or other extreme cooling, then you can). Something to keep in mind.

I went water, and haven't looked back since. I love the Swiftech h20-220 kit, just as Mike have said, it's a good bang for the buck.

[JDawggS316]

Water Cooling:

1.) Looks AWESOME

2.) Does a better job of cooling over passive air

3.) More options (cosmetically and set-up wise)

4.) Air is not going to be able to do as well as water with today's new high-end pieces of hardware.

[Otter]

If your house is hot upstairs but not downstairs you might check out your attic. If its an old house, it's possible the insulation wasn't installed properly and there is inadequate ventilation. The attic gets up to 150F + during the day with the sun beating down on the roof and inadequate attic ventilation doesn't allow it to cool off at night. As a result you get hotter and hotter upstairs as the heat in the attic starts radiating down into the rooms below. It's more a fall job when it gets cooler up there but can really drop cooling bills to have the right combination of insulation and proper installation.
Good point, Orion. An attic fan to draw the heat away before it reaches the living quarters can help quite a bit too.

[orion456]

Good point, Orion. An attic fan to draw the heat away before it reaches the living quarters can help quite a bit too.

Yeah, an attic fan works great, and just like a computer case, you must have lots of fresh air intakes to supply the fan.