First dive into the world of WC

[Kuriin]

Hi all, I built my first rig a few months ago and am loving the hell out of it. I currently run:

Case: Antec 1200
Video card: Radeon HD 5870
Motherboard: EVGA x3 SLI x58
CPU: i7 920 d0 revision (CURRENTLY CLOCKED TO 4.2GHz on air)
RAM: Corsair Dominator GT 7-7-7-20 (it has its own fan)


I currently have no tools as of yet.

What I'm aiming to do is to have waterblocks on my CPU, NB and SB and the mosfets, and the GPU. I purchased an Alienware about 6 or so years ago and it had liquid cooling in but it eventually starting going downhill. I took it apart and found out that a part of the tubing had fried and the coolant had leaked all over my video cards thus resulting in 90c+ on my GPU diodes.

If this isn't a waterclockable case, PLEASE SAY SO. I don't mind going out and buying a different case if need be.

What I currently have listed for my parts, PLEASE MAKE SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS. My budget is under 2k.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/heatkiller1366.html
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/hk1366plate.html
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swmc12vdcpu.html
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/ty1id3odlatu.html
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9095/ex-rad-159/Koolance_Radiator_Mounting_Bracket_w_Quick-Release_BKT-HX001P.html?tl=g30c95s162
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9439/ex-blc-633/EK_EVGA_X58_LE_Full_Board_Cooling_Block_Kit_-_Acetal_Nickel_-_Black_EK-FB_EVGA_LE_Black_Acetal_Nickel.html?tl=g30c313s858 #blank
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36_49&products_id=22033

For thermal grease, I use 24carats of IC Diamond Thermal Grease.


What I'm missing are fittings and radiator. I can easily get the GPU waterblock. But, in regards to that...should I be looking for waterblocks that deal with VRAM? (Unsure about this as I've never taken apart the backplate on a video card).

I'm thinking about doing an external radiator hence the mount bracket. Right now as it stands, the cable management is pretty **** poor. But, I'm going to take a look to see if I can fix anything.

Also, should I think about doing waterblocks for the ram? Not sure if there is such a thing, haha. Also, I would love to have a couple of T loops to make it easy to drain if need be.


edit: Just for clarity sake, if you're going to be recommending something, please know that Performance > Money. Meaning, if it's under my budget, I care more about performance than money. I've already looked into the Cryo-Z for my CPU, but it seems so daunting, though very beautiful to have those temps.

edit 2: I read another thread and one of the first questions that came about was noise level. I have/HAD a fan that was 64dB. Way too loud. I thought I could stand that noise level, but the constant noise drove me insane and I took it out and replaced it with, I believe, a 30dB fan. So, nothing vacuum level for me, haha.

[J-O_S-H]

Hi all, I built my first rig a few months ago and am loving the hell out of it. I currently run:

Case: Antec 1200
Video card: Radeon HD 5870
Motherboard: EVGA x3 SLI x58
CPU: i7 920 d0 revision (CURRENTLY CLOCKED TO 4.2GHz on air)
RAM: Corsair Dominator GT 7-7-7-20 (it has its own fan)


I currently have no tools as of yet.

What I'm aiming to do is to have waterblocks on my CPU, NB and SB and the mosfets, and the GPU. I purchased an Alienware about 6 or so years ago and it had liquid cooling in but it eventually starting going downhill. I took it apart and found out that a part of the tubing had fried and the coolant had leaked all over my video cards thus resulting in 90c+ on my GPU diodes.

If this isn't a waterclockable case, PLEASE SAY SO. I don't mind going out and buying a different case if need be.

What I currently have listed for my parts, PLEASE MAKE SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS. My budget is under 2k.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/heatkiller1366.html
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/hk1366plate.html
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swmc12vdcpu.html
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/ty1id3odlatu.html
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9095/ex-rad-159/Koolance_Radiator_Mounting_Bracket_w_Quick-Release_BKT-HX001P.html?tl=g30c95s162
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9439/ex-blc-633/EK_EVGA_X58_LE_Full_Board_Cooling_Block_Kit_-_Acetal_Nickel_-_Black_EK-FB_EVGA_LE_Black_Acetal_Nickel.html?tl=g30c313s858 #blank
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36_49&products_id=22033

For thermal grease, I use 24carats of IC Diamond Thermal Grease.


What I'm missing are fittings and radiator. I can easily get the GPU waterblock. But, in regards to that...should I be looking for waterblocks that deal with VRAM? (Unsure about this as I've never taken apart the backplate on a video card).

I'm thinking about doing an external radiator hence the mount bracket. Right now as it stands, the cable management is pretty **** poor. But, I'm going to take a look to see if I can fix anything.

Also, should I think about doing waterblocks for the ram? Not sure if there is such a thing, haha. Also, I would love to have a couple of T loops to make it easy to drain if need be.


edit: Just for clarity sake, if you're going to be recommending something, please know that Performance > Money. Meaning, if it's under my budget, I care more about performance than money. I've already looked into the Cryo-Z for my CPU, but it seems so daunting, though very beautiful to have those temps.

edit 2: I read another thread and one of the first questions that came about was noise level. I have/HAD a fan that was 64dB. Way too loud. I thought I could stand that noise level, but the constant noise drove me insane and I took it out and replaced it with, I believe, a 30dB fan. So, nothing vacuum level for me, haha.

First of... WELCOME! to OCForums! :welcome:

First I would suggest taking some time out reading up on the subject...

This is a really good begginers guide

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-253958_11_0.html

You have a 2k budget? That should be more than enough.

The Antec 1200 isnt what I would call watercooling friendly...

You will likely need 2 x 360mm radiators for you build which may be best done in 2 loops... 1 for the CPU and one for the chipset and GPU.

[J-O_S-H]

Here's a few suggesstions for parts:

CPU Block :: Heatkiller 3.0 (which you linked to) or a better choice (IMO) would be the Swiftech Apogee XT... slightly better thermal results and an included backplate and much better mounting system.

Scrapped...

[Kuriin]

First response: Can you recommend a case that would do well? The new video cards are HUGE, so I need a Full Tower.

Second response: In my research, I've read that the BP waterblocks are very poor quality. Do you refute that? Again, as I previously said, I'm aiming for performance. :)

Where would I put the radiators? I'm not at my computer right now, but from what I can remember, there's no place to put the radiator inside. I don't think.

[J-O_S-H]

working on a list right now... will post it when done ... ignore last post...

as for cases there are very few that can internally house 2 x 360mm radiators unless you look at mountainmods + danger dena cases which are $300+

There have been a few people that have built external units to house radiators.

[J-O_S-H]

OK... heres a good place to start for parts... can obviously be changed... (image is slow wait to load)

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/d12f9e8c11.jpg

Swiftech XT is the best performing CPU waterblock

EK make awsome quality and performance waterblocks

PUmps have a resevoir top and incorporate aftermarket top which boosts performance.

These RX radiators are the best at low fan speeds... Black ice extreme perform best of any radiator but require jet turbine fans to accomplish this performance lol.

You will still need fittings, tubing, distilled water, PTnuke/silver coil

and a Case

[Kuriin]

Turbine fans? What would the dB be on those? I might go with that. :-) All I want is to be nice and cold! Heehee.

[J-O_S-H]

Turbine fans? What would the dB be on those? I might go with that. :-) All I want is to be nice and cold! Heehee.

I mean stuff like delta fans... the Black Ice GTX has high FPI (fins per inch) so requires powerful fans to push through and remove the heat.

Delta fans push 190CFM but are almost 60db... if you had 6 or 12 of those your house would sound like an aeroplane.

[Kuriin]

Looking at the page and it says for the Black Ice (which is a gorgeous looking radiator):

At 20 fins per inch, the Black Ice GTX is engineered for use with low-speed/low-noise fans providing optimal cooling and comfort.

Guess I'm confused, haha.

[BobbyBubblehead]

I was just looking up what my fans are rated at on the noise pointer.

120mm
power consumption: 2.8W
Fan speed (RPM) 2000
Noise level (dB) 28.95
Airflow (CFM) 77.70

im using 12 of these in push pull on the rads for a start, with the controlers set to half output.

there plenty noisy on full and whats more add no detectable benefit to the coolant temp.

so from my experience its fair to say you can just end up adding noise for fun... minus any benefit.

just a thought on building something people will be trying to book wind tunnel time for :)

if I felt like doing it all again for fun I would probably look into rads you can mount 140mm fans on.... but I just like the option to run fairly silent.

[deadlysyn]

If I'm not mistaken, the pump chosen in the OP is a Laing D5 Vario, which has been rebranded by Swiftech. It is my understanding that it is a great pump, which is why I bought one a couple months ago, but I'm still missing a few parts for my loop.

Also for a res, I really like the Swiftech Micro Res V2 (http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCRES-Micro-Rev-2-pr-4312.html). It has a very low price, is customizable, small enough to fit just about anywhere, and seems to be very highly recommended.

[Daddyjaxx]

Most fan manufacturers "fib" about RPM, CFM, noise or all three. 2000 rpms at 29db seems kind of low for me. Yate highs pull 40 db at 1800 rpm. Those figures seem more reasonable to me.

Aren't D5's Laing's rebranded by Dangerden?

[Kuriin]

Another question I have: Would it be possible to go into Crossfire with a 5970 and a 5870 since the 5970 is technically 5870x2?

What would you guys suggest for a case if I went with a 5970 and later found out it is possible to crossfire the two?


edit: Okay, what I am AIMING for in the near future is this:

I currently have 1 WD drive, 1 SSD drive, 1 old WD drive that's partitioned. I'm looking into getting a 5970 and a OCZ Z-Drive (unless the reviews are bad). I currently have a 1000w Corsair HX power supply, so I should be okay there. Basically, what I want is enough room for all this and still have beautiful cable management. I was looking at the Obsidian that Corsair put out and I'm sad to say, I'm sorry to get the Antec 1200 after looking at videos of it.

I want maximum airflow with maximum water flow. Like I said, this was my first build, so I'm still learning the ropes. But, I definitely want to venture into water cooling cause the ambient temperature definitely kicks up when it's just air cooling. So, if I can get the best WC equipment available with my budget, then feel free to post it.


edit: Noise level isn't too big of a deal as long as it's not vacuum level. I had a Delta already but had to take it out because it was way too loud.

[Daddyjaxx]

I believe Crossfire does not need identical cards where SLI does. I like the 1200, but I'm more partial to the HAF932.

[BobbyBubblehead]

well for my two box solution I went for lian in my sig.

point being if you want space look to higher models of brands that state EATX

theres nearly 4inch clearence between the end of my GPU`s and the Hard Drives.
(what swung it for my P80 was the extra 4inch below the bottom GPU)

As for D5 varios there common place in electrical systems of all types so im unsure where the design originated from.

have a couple... one swiftech and one from a german company something like echoes

if your ok with its size for the situation there a fine pump I find... watched plenty others loose torque as the motors fizzle out.

the swiftech version is nice over the echoes in that it has pre moulded 1/2inch fittings that you can squeeze some 3/8 tubing onto.

currently only using one... no need to utilise the other in my long winding loop.

[Kuriin]

Wow, that case is nuts. I like it, I like it. Trying to figure out from the images where you would put the 1-2 radiators, though. I've personally only seen pictures of external radiators using a mount bracket, so I'm unfamiliar with this.


edit: I just noticed the PSU is on the top. I think that's the only downside I see with that case (I'm more accustomed and prefer bottom). Though, I don't know if positioning of the PSU makes any difference in WC setups.

[xrodney]

5970 and 5870 should work, its only matter of drivers for crossfire.
As for case its really matter of your liking and if you want to fit all rads inside or outside.
Myself for example wanted all stuff inside and as much separated water loop from pc components as possible so i went with Lian Li PC-343B Modular Cube Case (http://www.xoxide.com/lian-li-pc-343b-case.html)

[Kuriin]

I would LIKE to fit all of them inside simply because that would make transporting the tower easier, but, I'm just trying to grasp how it could be done. I mean, I'm open to suggestions with the tower. As long as the air flow is good enough in conjunction with the water flow, that's all that matters to me.


Btw, that modular case looks sweet, lol. Do you happen to have a picture of the inside with your setup?


edit: Going from your specs, it's almost identical to mine except for socket and potentially an extra video card.

[Bobnova]

Crossfire generally just needs the same generation of cards. It just ignore any extra shaders on a card that is larger then it's partner. (If you have a 4830 with 640 shaders and a 4850 with 800, both cards use 640) At least i'm pretty sure that's how it works.

[Kuriin]

Crossfire generally just needs the same generation of cards. It just ignore any extra shaders on a card that is larger then it's partner. (If you have a 4830 with 640 shaders and a 4850 with 800, both cards use 640) At least i'm pretty sure that's how it works.


Yeah, that's what I've read. It defaults to the lowest specs of the card, which, interestingly enough, would be the 5970.

[xrodney]

I would LIKE to fit all of them inside simply because that would make transporting the tower easier, but, I'm just trying to grasp how it could be done. I mean, I'm open to suggestions with the tower. As long as the air flow is good enough in conjunction with the water flow, that's all that matters to me.


Btw, that modular case looks sweet, lol. Do you happen to have a picture of the inside with your setup?


edit: Going from your specs, it's almost identical to mine except for socket and potentially an extra video card.
Unfortunately no, i am expecting i should receive case in next few days (if there is no further delay), but you can find 2 wc builds using this case here (http://www.million-dollar-pc.com/).

[BobbyBubblehead]

silverstone temjin TJO7 was the other close contender when I took a look round the market.

heres my build thread where I fill up the P80 images give you a good look round it crammed full of goodies.
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=617283
note. doubt theres much worth reading but the pictures are worth something.

if youve got the spend take a look at the TJO7 ;)

[Kuriin]

I saw that. It's absolutely beautiful. How much did that come to?

[BobbyBubblehead]

well I mulled it over at the time and decided not to tot up :D
built from desire and passion (in a bit of a hurry)

where do you draw the line, just the current hardware?
not inclusive of the tools bought to enable the modding?
do I discard the time spent?

Freakin loads I suspect anyhow :comp: :salute:

just thought theres another four machines built from swap outs and upgrades :shrug:

[deadlysyn]

Most fan manufacturers "fib" about RPM, CFM, noise or all three. 2000 rpms at 29db seems kind of low for me. Yate highs pull 40 db at 1800 rpm. Those figures seem more reasonable to me.

Aren't D5's Laing's rebranded by Dangerden?

2000 RPM at 29 db sounds impossible to me. Although, a Panaflo L1BX (http://www.jab-tech.com/Panaflo-120mm-L1BX-FBA12G12L1-1BX-pr-3315.html) is rated at 1700 RPM at 30 db. I have found Panaflo, Delta, Sanyo Denki, and Yate Loon specs to be fairly close to dead on.

As far as the Laing D5, Laing is the original manufacturer, and Swiftech and Danger Den have rebranded them. The Swiftech is the MCP 655, and the Danger Den does have the number D5 in the model number. I am also sure the MCP 355 is a rebadged DDC pump as well.

[BobbyBubblehead]

well I pulled the figures not giving them much thought from the AC Ryan clown fan page
http://www.acryan.com/index.php?option=com_acryan_product&product_item=89&parent_id=19&Itemid=59

certainly produce more noise than the 1650rpm yates I used previous.

[Kuriin]

So, looks like the only area I'm at a loss are cases, tubing, and fittings?

[Daddyjaxx]

Masterkleer makes cheap 7/16" tubing for 1/2" barbs. Primochill is the best tubing IMO and comes in various colors and is inexpensive. Fittings are either normal NPT 1/4" in various diameters or compression fittings. The compression look better, require no clamps, but are more expensive. All blocks and most reservoirs come with fittings and so do some rads, but not all. The THermochill rads use 3/8" BSPP threaded fittings.

[xrodney]

As for fittings its really up to you what you like, either barbed plus clamps or compression fittings. I like compression fittings as its easy to assemble and disassemble and its safe at same time if use correct size.
For tubing i went with clear UV reactive blue masterkleer 3/8'ID 1/2'OD (10/13mm).
Thicker one is harder to bend and also impossible to fit on HK3 waterblock without angled reduction.