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Can I fit another loop?

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Jeffery_Paul

Registered
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Location
Australia
Hey, I am going to be buying a new card to replace my GTX260 when nVidia releases their good line of DX11 cards (undecided whether I wil go for one of theirs or an ATI - but by then I will have more to choose from)

Looking at my case, it already looks pretty full, but I would like to put the graphics card in its own loop as my ambient temps are very high and I would like to push my overclock further.

I have a Cooler Master ATCS840, using a 3x120rad (Swiftech) up accross the top, I have a micro res in the drive bays, D5 pump on the the bottom of the case. The main clutter comes from a T fitting (Q block with a stop fitting blocking one of the outlets) the creates my drain line.


My current thinking is to reposition my res to a bit further out of my drive bays, then using one of those bay res with the pump in them, with some primoflex tubing going straight from that to the GPU, then out of the GPU, through a PCI bracket to an externally mounted rad, then back to the res.

How would you guys recommend it for my case? I don't want to change my CPU loop at this time.

RIMG0028.jpg

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You don't actually have to add a whole separate loop just for your vid card, IMO. Just add the second rad and the gpu block into your present loop. If you add another 120.3 rad externally off the back side, you should have plenty enough cooling capacity in your loop and that D5 pump is more than capable of powering such a loop very well. I would recommend the following loop order if possible:

pump>internal rad> cpu block>external rad>gpu block>res>pump

That is my basic layout on my main rig except both my rads are internal and I'm using an Iwaki pump. My temps with this setup are great too on both cpu and gpu.
 
You could do a dsingle loop but just get another rad for it. If you are going to get a res combo the best option would be get a XSPC bay res and get a mcp 355 pump

I personally would do just on loop. It will look cleaner and you will have less clutter in your in your case to
res-pump-rad-cpu-rad-gpu-res is how it should go.

Or if you are just getting 1 card get the XSPC RX360 rad and it should be able to handle the cpu and gpu
Loop will go
res-pump-rad-cpu-gpu-res
 
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If you really want another loop (not they way I would go but I've got climate control in my computer room) I would suggest a very simple set-up like the Swiftech MCR Drive series with pump, rad, and res all-in-one. It's only an MCP-350 pump but for a single, or even double, GPU you shouldn't need any more than that and installation would be very simple with minimal intrusion into the interior of your case. Just hang the rad/pump/res unit off the back of the case and run a pair of tubes through a PCI slot straight to your GPU and back out - no muss, no fuss. MCR Drive units come in both 2x and 3x flavors. I'd think a 2x would be plenty for a single GPU - but make it a triple if you might add a second card in the future. :)

Here's an example of a CPU only loop with a double rad. GPU only would be even cleaner due to shorter tubing ...

MCR220%20DRIVE%20RADBOX%20INSTALLX400.jpg
 
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Hmmm those MCR drives are pretty cool, and being from Swiftech I am confident in the quality...

That would be a very clean look. short length of tubing straight thru to the VGA block, then straight back out. not intrusive at all!

Being external, does anyone know what the noise of this thing is like? I would probably just get a couple gentle typhoons to put on it. I'm running S-Flex on my main rad and they are a tad noisier than I thought they would be, so I might give GT's a go
 
Which S-FLex, the 'F'? It's just a little noisy but not bad especially for 64 CFM. I've got an 'E' (49 CFM) as my HDD fan right at the front of the case and I can't hear it at all ...
 
yeah they are the 'F', the 1600RPM ones. they'r good and really quiet when down at 900rpm which I usually run them on, they make only a slight hum at that speed, but ramp them up to 1560 and the case feels like its about to take off.

The reason I chose those fans was because I heard they were one of the best for performance on my rad
 
The GT fans have a totally different pitch to them than the S-Flex fans and IMO, not as intrusive. I have the 1850 rpm GT's and I find they are very easy to live with, noise-wise. The pitch is higher and very smooth sounding on the GT fans I have. Of course, everyone's sensitivity to noise is different. Take my advice with a grain of salt though, as I find the "F" S-Flex to be a pretty quiet fan at full speed whereas you think it's noisy.

If you want your case to feel like it's going to take off, strap some Panaflo "U" models to the rad. ;) Then you will know the meaning of noise.
 
I only considder the S-Flex noisy at full speed in comparison to them at low speed. Compared to most other fans I have come accross, they are fantastic in the noise/performance department. I am happy with these fans, but they aren't quite as quiet as I thought they would be.

When I bought them, I was tossing up between these and the GT's, I chose these and I am satisfied, I just wonder about the noise levels when mounted externally
 
If you want your case to feel like it's going to take off, strap some Panaflo "U" models to the rad. ;) Then you will know the meaning of noise.
Or maybe the Delta EFB1212SHE, 141 CFM @ 53 db. I've got a pair of these on a heater core cooling two K8's under Storms and a 7900GTX. At full tilt they sound kinda' like a Cessna ... ;)
 
DAMN! My San Aces are downright wimpy compared to those.(and quiet @39db), My wife said earlier "I thought water was supposed to be quieter." I've only got 1 of the pair running on my heatercore.

I guess it's all perspective, I thought my rad was loud with the 3 Yate loon Med. on it, to the point I had a controller on them to turn them down. Put in a graphics card running full tilt and I didn't need the controller on the rad any more.
 
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