Water Cooling On The Cheap

[JamesXP]

So you’ve been looking around the forums for guide on how to water cool in a budget, well you’ve come to the right place ;)
Water cooling can give you great benefits over air cooling so we’re going to put together a little price list.

The parts


Water blocks:
The most common water blocks are the;

Apogee GT (http://www.petrastechshop.com/swapexpeunwa.html) - $47
White-water (http://www.dtekcustoms.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=137) - $30

Radiators:

BIPII (http://www.petrastechshop.com/dadenblicepr1.html) – $33.95
Swiftech MCR220 (http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR-220-Radiator-Black-pr-3199.html)– $39.95
Heatercore - If you go to your local autostore and ask for a heatercore I think the most common one has the part number 2-302 and is for a boneville(correct me if i'm wrong)

Fans:
For Radiators
Yate Loon Medium Speed (http://jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-120x120x20mm-Case-Fan-D12SM-12C-Medium-Speed-pr-3826.html) - $4.95
For Heatercores:
You need some high pressure/push pull fans as heatercores are pretty thick you will also need a shroud(you can make one out of tupperware)




Pumps:
Via Aqua AC (http://www.aquastealth.com/browseproducts/Via-Aqua-1300-Mag-Drive.HTML) – $17.50 ß with this you need to plug it into your wall socket before turning it in on.
Laing D5 (http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCP655-B-12-VDC-Pump-Without-speed-controller-pr-3803.html) - $69.99 ß one of the mostly used DC pumps but comes at a premium
Via Aqua 1800 (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=8164&N=2004+113041) - $24.99 <- Step up from the 1300 also AC.

Tubing:
10 ft MasterKleer (http://www.petrastechshop.com/1id3odmagepu.html)- $4.99

Fittings:
All these can be obtained at your local hardware store:

Tee Fitting
Steel Worm Drive Clamps
T-Line Cap (You can buy this from petras@$1.75 (http://www.petrastechshop.com/dadentuplf1i.html) but you could make one from a cork.)

Additives:
PT-Nuke (http://www.petrastechshop.com/pepcobi1.html) $2.50
Distilled Water
Anti-Freeze (CAUTION: Anti-Freeze solutions containing ethyl-glycol can kill small animals and harm you if consumed, if you don’t want the risk try getting some with Propylene-Glycol instead)

PS. If you buy a full kit from petra's you get a 6% discount off your purchase,

You can work out the price on your own with whichever parts you decide to use.












If you have any revisions to this go ahead and post them up.

[inkfx]

You might want to add to check local hardware stores for the fittings. I'm thinking you could find them there for even cheaper.

[JamesXP]

Edited :D

[ancalime]

How about fans? Their cost can add up.

I also wouldn't feel very good running that little pump in my loop. :-/

[meionm]

You need fans

That pump would not be my choice since it needs to be plugged and unplgged whenever pc is on and off. Then again, it is a cheap loop.

Price will go up once shipping is added.

[JamesXP]

I did have fans must of accidently removed it :P

Well it's cheap loop, those d5s are like 80% the price of this whole loops :D

[Brolloks]

How about adding intermediate (<$200) and premium (<$350) setups and then you can sticky it, a lot of threads are asking the same thing...what w/c setup should I get?

[Maviryk]

Eh, I prefer a heatercore to the BIPII. $20, saw off the tubing and you can stretch 1/2" tubing over it.

Plus the heatercore will near outperform any double rad.

[Sam__]

any chance you could get some places in the UK too???

[Moto7451]

Also don't forget the White Water CPU block from Dtek (http://www.dtekcustoms.com). This is a great block for very little money (15-30 bucks depending on sales, etc).

Also heater cores can be a great budget option. See this reference (http://www.overclockers.com/tips1031/).

With a few more things added to the OP, this thread may deserve some glue so that we can link to it when this question gets asked every other week ;).

[Sam__]

i have a heater core for my wcing setup which i will be building soon.

[batboy]

It looks pretty good except the pump.

[JamesXP]

Updated, Read all about it :P

I'll do some cleaning up and organising later too :=]

[JamesXP]

EDIT: Major Update All Redone and pretty.

[ancalime]

The Danger Den Mag pump is discontinued and cannot be bought from Petra's anymore. I can't find it anywhere in fact.

Very nice guide though, just wish more people would see it.


EDIT: The Apogee can be bought at jab-tech for $41.95 (http://jab-tech.com/Swiftech-Apogee-GT-universal-water-block-pr-3639.html). You should probably also mention the 6% discount I believe Petra still offers whenever you purchase a custom kit from their shop.

[JamesXP]

Edited thanks for the info.

[Catscratch]

How about adding GPU and NB blocks as optional to see how they add up to the total amount :D I know there are ati and nvidia specific ones but there are some which goes for both.

[WonderingSoul]

How about adding GPU and NB blocks as optional to see how they add up to the total amount :D I know there are ati and nvidia specific ones but there are some which goes for both.

I'm not so sure GPU and NB blocks would constitute a cheap set up :p

Most GPU blocks are all around the $40-50 dollar mark too.
AquaXtreme MP-1 (http://www.jab-tech.com/AquaXtreme-MP-1-Universal-GPU-Water-Block-½-High-Flow-Fittings-pr-3563.html)

Maze 5 (http://www.jab-tech.com/Danger-Den-MAZE5-GPU-pr-3609.html)


Also I would NOT recommend the DD Mag pump. I had one and it make this miserable clicking sound only two months after I bought it. Really the only cheap pumps that are reliable are the Via Aquas. Most notable being the 1800 model.

A better link to the Via Aqua pumps can be found here (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=8164&N=2004+113041). Do make note though that only certain models can be run in-line!
Models 1300 and higher are both submersible and in line pumps (Model 4900 is submersible-only) .

[JamesXP]

Scratched and added.

[inkfx]

The MCR220 is cheaper at Jab-tech.

http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-c-263.html

[JamesXP]

Edited.

[QuietIce]

Eh, I prefer a heatercore to the BIPII. $20, saw off the tubing and you can stretch 1/2" tubing over it.

Plus the heatercore will near outperform any double rad. I agree ...! :thup:

[ancalime]

Why not also put in a fans section? People are constantly asking which fans they should use. Cheap and effective-Yate Loons come to mind. :beer:

[JamesXP]

Updated.

Any reccomendations for heatcore fans?

[Maviryk]

Updated.

Any reccomendations for heatcore fans?

The heatercore needs a 1.5" shroud for any fan, can be made out of some thick posterboard.

[JamesXP]

I said that but they need stronger fans right?

[Maviryk]

They perform better with stronger fans, yes. But the stronger fans cost about ten bucks each. Sanyo Denki San Ace, Panaflo's, Sunons, pretty much any 120x38mm fan will do. Petra's have them I believe.

But the most important thing with heatercores is to use a shroud. I used to cool my 1900xtx and opty 165 with a single 120mm fan and a pair of heatercores. Talk about quiet!

[jellysandwich]

how do you get the 6% discounts for the kits?