Core i7/4890 watercooling build

I am considering trying out watercooling. I haven't really made my decision yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up doing it. I've done a lot of research and stuff but I'm still a beginner. I just want to see what everyone thinks of my proposed build and if they can give me any tips.

First I guess I should say what I currently have.

Core i7 920(co) oc'd 4Ghz
xfx 4890
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R
CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX
CORSAIR XMS3 6GB
Cooler Master Storm Scout
Cooler Master v8 cpu cooler

So I already have the i7 at 4 ghz, and I'm pretty happy with stability and noise level. I'm actually happy overall with noise level in my case. The i7 does run just a little hot, but I don't think it's too bad.

I guess the main reason for doing water cooling is because it's fun and customizing computers is a hobby that I enjoy. I know I probably won't get all my money's worth in terms of performance, but I enjoy doing it and owning it, so that's worth it to me. I don't think my computer will get much quieter than it is and I don't think I'll be able to push the i7 much farther than it is. But it'll be fun doing all of it and having cooler components is always nice. Also I like that I can keep the watercooling as I upgrade and just always be able to have watercooled parts. That adds value to all this.

Ok, so here is all that I've been thinking of so far.

CPU Block: Watercool Heatkiller LT
http://www.jab-tech.com/Watercool-HeatKiller-CPU-LGA1366-Rev.-3.0-LT-pr-4605.html

GPU Block: Swiftech MCW60
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCW60-R-VGA-cooler-Rev-2-pr-4271.html

Radiator/Reservoir: Swiftech MCR 320 QP-Res
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR-320-QP-Res-Triple-Rad-with-integrated-reservoir-pr-4357.html

Pump: Swiftech MCP655
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCP655-12-VDC-Pump-pr-2982.html

Video Ramsinks: Enzotech BMR-C1
http://www.jab-tech.com/Enzotech-Forged-Copper-VGA-Memory-Heatsink-BMR-C1-pr-3724.html

Tubing: Tygon R-3603 7/16" ID (10')
http://www.jab-tech.com/Tygon-R-3603-7-16-ID-5-8-OD-Chemical-Tubing-AAC00033-pr-3957.html

Mounting Hardware: Swiftech RadBox
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-RadBox-MCB-120-Revision-2-Black-pr-3337.html

Barbs: I'm going to get 1/2" barbs for all the components.

Additives: PT Nuke PHN
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8...h_PT_Nuke_-PHN_Concentrated_Biocide_10mL.html

Fans: Cooler Master R4-S2S-124K-GP 4-Pack
http://www.svc.com/r4-s2s-124k-gp.html



I don't think I really missed anything.. I'm just going to be using distilled water with the additive listed above. So I guess I have a few questions about this.

1. Will zip ties work well enough to attach the tubing to the barbs? I've read that they are fine, but I've noticed many people don't use them.

2. I know the fans don't really have a high CFM, but I do want it to still be quiet. I'm considering putting fans on both sides of the radiator in a push pull configuration. Will this increase the loudness by much? And will it help with the performance by much? Is it generally recommended? I'm leaning towards doing it, unless someone gives me a reason that I shouldn't. The fans are pretty cheap, and so I wouldn't mind buying another 4 pack. And then I can put the 2 extras on the side of my case to help cool the videocard ramsinks.

3. What size screw do I need to install the fans onto the radiator? Because it has to go through the whole fan and I think the screws they come with only are only big enough for installing them on a case..

4. Is the radiator/reservoir combo a smart thing to do? What are the benefits of having a separate reservoir? I just want it as simple as possible with the least amount of connections as possible. The rad I picked has a good price and I've read it has good performance. So I figured it was a safe bet.

5. I've been looking to cut costs a little at least if the performance isn't hurt too much. One thing is I noticed that almost all my parts are Swiftech. So I was looking at the Swiftech Apogee GTZ cpu block. It's 13 dollars cheaper than the heatkiller. How do these two blocks compare, and in your opinion, is it worth the extra cost for the heatkiller?

6. The other thing I have been looking at is the pump. I can get the version of the same pump that has no speed controller for about 11 dollars cheaper. I want to be able to control the speed, because I want to be able to control the loudness. But if I'm just going to end up running it at high speed all the time anyway because it's pretty quiet, I'd rather save the money and get the one without the speed controller. But I have read that the speed controlled one can also go faster than the non controllable one.

So I think that's all the questions I have... any tips or other comments are welcome as well. I'm also thinking about later on putting a 120mm rad inside the case for better performance. But for now I think this setup will serve me pretty well. Thanks for all of your help.

For screws for the fans the rad should come with them
I would get the RX360 if you can
http://www.tilatech.com/products/XSPC-RX360-Triple-Radiator.html

you can get masterkleer tubing and it is only .59 a foot
http://www.petrastechshop.com/7id5odmagepu.html

you can use zip ties if you want to. I used a combination of zipties and clamps

If you want to save money get the enozotech only 35 bucks. best bang for the buck period
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...zotech_sapphire_rev._a-_-35-708-019-_-Product

proof I7 water block comparison
http://www.overclock.net/water-cooling/509875-another-round-waterblocks-i7.html

you can also get a res top for the mcp355
http://www.tilatech.com/products/XSPC-Acrylic-Reservoir-Pump-Top-for-Laing-DDC.html

here is some on top comparisons for the mcp355



you can get a top for the MCP655 as well. what I am using is the bitspower top

You'll be pushing thermal limits for good temps with that rad for an i7 and 4870. But it should be just enough. Might want higher speed fans than the ones you chose. 2000 RPM and you can turn them down with a fan controller when not gaming.

Hose clamps aka screw clamps. It's your first rig, don't take chances.

The GTZ is a fine fine block and just 1C behind the HK block and has a great mounting system. The Enzo is a good block. About 1.5 C from the HK, mebbe 2C. Good block for the money.

The MCP vario runs at a a max of 5. In comparison the fixed one runs at a set values of 4. The fixed version would be fine for your loop. It's pretty darn silent to start with.

Look at Primochill tubing at Jabtech. It's pretty and many are saying it's better than Tygon. I'm a believer, I have used both. It's 1.65 for 10" vs 1.85 for 10' Tygon.

Is there much of a difference between tubing? I read on a guide somewhere that the tygon was worth the extra money but if not I'm definitely happy saving some money lol. Like what's the difference between primochill and masterkleer?

And what exactly do you mean by good temps? I mean, it'll still be a lot better than air, right?

Will adding fans to both sides of the radiator have the same effect of using higher rpm fans?

yadge said:

Is there much of a difference between tubing? I read on a guide somewhere that the tygon was worth the extra money but if not I'm definitely happy saving some money lol. Like what's the difference between primochill and masterkleer?

And what exactly do you mean by good temps? I mean, it'll still be a lot better than air, right?

Will adding fans to both sides of the radiator have the same effect of using higher rpm fans?

Click to expand...

I say no. I am using masterkleer 7/16 tubing for my rig and works great. As I said only 59cents a foot. I use this tubing cause it does fit over 1/2barbs and will have a tighter seal
The Enzotech Sapphire Rev A beat the gtz look at the chart I posted above
you can do a push or push/pull setup

push/pull will give you a 3-5 drop in temps

Yes it will be better than air and quieter too. Masterclear is okay. It clouds fast and stiffens up in time. Meaning you'll replace it evey year probably on your annual teardown for maintenance. But in a pinch it's okay. Tygon used to be the king. But Primochill has taken the crown many are saying. I agree with my results on my year old rig. I just did my annual teardown. Got an article in the works for the frontpage about my rebuild. I mention Primo there too.

Doing push pull does help. That means buying more fans. Petras Yate Loon mediums, or from Jabtech are really hard to beat for the cost. Very popular, I have used them for years. Look at the YL mediums.

Push pull will reduce temps but the results depend on sooo many variables. So 3-5C? maybe. It all depends. Can't say for sure.

Conumdrum said:

Push pull will reduce temps but the results depend on sooo many variables. So 3-5C? maybe. It all depends. Can't say for sure.

Click to expand...

Agree. but that is the average from what I have seen when people do tests about it.

Okay, thats more like it. You being an experianced watercooler and a editor at another large WC community forum, know we can't deal with absolutes, every rig is different, the heatload on the rad etc can make all the diff. Imagine a Mora rad with a underclocked E6600 on it. Putting push pull fans ain't gonna make a bit of difference since the water temps are so close to zero DT temps already. Or like in your rads case, better fans could make a huge diff.

I looked at the yate loon mediums on jab tech (I'm trying to use mostly jabtech cause so far it has all I need. And I want to save on shipping. I've looked at petra's, but I guess they're moving locations. So a lot of things are out of stock.)

And they're cheaper than I thought they'd be. And the don't need the power adapters I was going to buy. So it'll actually end up cheaper.

They do have much better airflow, 70 CFM, but 33 db seems much louder than 19 db to me. I'm pretty sure the one's in my case now are 19 db, since it's all cooler master. But then again I doubt they're the loudest things in my case. I don't really exactly need it to be super quiet anyway. So I might just go with those... and it should be a lot better performance...

Edit: Apparently my cooler master v8 cpu cooler is 35.5 dB at it's lowest setting. Which is where I keep it. So I'm sure the yate loons will work out just fine.

So... just to be clear, if I plan on doing a push/pull, I should take the screws that come with the radiator and take them to a hardware store or something so I can get some that are exactly the same size? Or will the rad come with enough screws for all 6 fans?

And if I do end up using a fan controller, I can just connect all 6 fans so that only one connection needs to go to the controller, correct? And it will control all of them?

yadge said:

I looked at the yate loon mediums on jab tech (I'm trying to use mostly jabtech cause so far it has all I need. And I want to save on shipping. I've looked at petra's, but I guess they're moving locations. So a lot of things are out of stock.)

And they're cheaper than I thought they'd be. And the don't need the power adapters I was going to buy. So it'll actually end up cheaper.

They do have much better airflow, 70 CFM, but 33 db seems much louder than 19 db to me. I'm pretty sure the one's in my case now are 19 db, since it's all cooler master. But then again I doubt they're the loudest things in my case. I don't really exactly need it to be super quiet anyway. So I might just go with those... and it should be a lot better performance...

Edit: Apparently my cooler master v8 cpu cooler is 35.5 dB at it's lowest setting. Which is where I keep it. So I'm sure the yate loons will work out just fine.

So... just to be clear, if I plan on doing a push/pull, I should take the screws that come with the radiator and take them to a hardware store or something so I can get some that are exactly the same size? Or will the rad come with enough screws for all 6 fans?

And if I do end up using a fan controller, I can just connect all 6 fans so that only one connection needs to go to the controller, correct? And it will control all of them?

Click to expand...

You will need to by the same size screws that came with a rad you plan on getting. The screws that come with the rad are meant for 120x120x25mm fans. As you said you can go to the hardware store and get the screws you need. All the connections(3pin) 6 total will go into a fan controller. You will need 16 screws for 3 fans to be in a configuration of a pull. A popular fans controller is the Rheobus Extreme.

IIRC, the screws that come with the MCR rads are metric and not american threaded. So you might have problems finding the right ones. But you can rethread it by using 6-32 threaded screws on it also.

muddocktor said:

IIRC, the screws that come with the MCR rads are metric and not american threaded. So you might have problems finding the right ones. But you can rethread it by using 6-32 threaded screws on it also.

Click to expand...

yup, thats the size i use for all my swiftech rads. i get 1 1/4" length for use with 25mm thick fans AND a standard wire grill. it works out perfect. but check from the side as you screw the fan down, don't want to see a leaky rad.

i've only used 2 brands of tubing, clearflex 60 and masterkleer. clearflex clouded up on my in about 3-4 months. masterkleer has not clouded up yet and it's been over a year. i love the stuff and if you order 10 feet from jabtech it's only $4.90

Aha, a decent fan controller can handle more than one fan on a channel. My cheapo (but rated well and popular) has had 3 Yate Loon mdiums wires in parellel to just one fan channel. Actually two channels are like that.

Those fans were actaully rated at a higher DB. They tricked the retail number, typical marketers. I think it's actually 24db or so. The yates are good quiet fans. And very popular. Thinking about it, just to give you enough cooling headroom, you might want to go with the HS Yates.
http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-120mm-Case-Fan-D12SH-12-High-Speed-pr-3771.html
But you'll probably be fine with the mediums.

And the controler is at Jabtech too.
http://www.jab-tech.com/Sunbeam-5-1-4-Rheobus-Kit-BLACK-pr-2530.html The LEDs are silly bright, I painted over mine somewhat.

Well if I can use the fan controller to make them run at a low enough speed, regardless of if it's the high or the medium, then I'll probably high speed. Just cause then I have the ability to go higher.

So I just need like extensions to get from the back of my case up to the fan controller?

And... how do I wire them in parallel?

Thanks to everyone for your input so far. It's been very helpful.

you have 2 choices pretty much.

option 1 - no soldering or anything like that.

just buy some of these cables so you can join the fans together, Koolance 4 split cable

option 2 - soldering and splicing.
you just cut of the ends of the wires and solder them together and use 1 plug instead of how ever many fans you have.

so lets say you have 4 fans, you would cut off the ends of them all and keep one end. join the red wires together. then join the black, then use 1 of the speed sensor wires for all of them. don't join them as it will not work.

So... since the yate loon fans have the 3 pin and then the male and female 4 pin, can I just connect 3 fans together using the 4 pin and then use a converter to convert the 4 pin back to a 3 pin? Or are you saying that won't work because they're in series?

I just cut the molex off at the output of the 3 pin and did this.

I'll post a pic here in a bit on how to do it. Busy right now. Your gonna need a soldering iron/solder, small heatshrink 1/8" or so.

You decide which fan will keep the yellow wire, usually the one closest to the end. Cut the yellow wires way up inside the fan housing off the other fans, this is the tach wire, you only need one tach wire and running more than one screws up the monitoring. The rest is simple. Attach ALL the red wires together and do the same for the black wires. Red is 12vdc, black is the return 12vdc.

I cut a small part of the insulation off a red wire at the right spot on the last fan, about 5/8" or so right where the other two fan wires would meet nicely. I cut the insulation off ohh so gently, but left the wire intact. I wrapped the two other red wires I had cut at the right spot and stripped. I wrapped the ends of the two wires around the bare spot I had made on the one wire. So you got a bare red wire area with the other two red fan wires wrapped around it, nice and skinny and smooth. Use the soldering iron and solder all 3 together.

I had previously popped the pins out of the small 3 pin molex (NOT the 4 pin). Slip a 1" piece of heatshrink up the red wire covering the soldering you did, gently heat the heatshrink so it covers the bare wires and soldering.

So what you end up with is all three red wires into one. The soldering should be done close to the last fan so you got a nice long pigtail.

Rinse/repeat for the black wires.

You end up with a long pigtail with 3 wires, red/black/yellow. As long as your fan controller or mobo header can handle the current you can control more than one fan at a time.

My lousy 3 fan parellel job.


Using the 4 pin molex will not be series, there is still a pure out and in of the 12vdc without going through a fan first. The fans would be in parellel.

Dealing with molex pins, a tutorial.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202639

4 pin connectors will work with 3 pin ones, well mine do.

i'm not sure how it would work with the fan sensors though. wait for conumdrum's post.