My first W/C rig (Complete)

jmdixon85

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Oct 5, 2008

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Cumbria (UK)

• Feb 24, 2010

• #1

Just built my first water cooling setup using these parts:

Pump/Res: http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/XS...ascia_939.html

XSPC dual bay RES / 750L/ph pump



Rad: http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/Bl...iator_154.html

Black Ice® GT Stealth 360 ( 30FPI )



CPU block: http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/EK...61366_496.html

EK-Supreme LT



Rad fans: http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/Xi...e-LED_781.html

Xigmatek 12mm 1500rpm white LED's



Hose fittings: http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/14...hrome_842.html

Chrome Plated - G1/4" Thread -> 1/2" ID Hose Tail Barb




Hose clips: http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/Pr...-Pack_391.html

Primochill UV red



Coolant x2: http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/Th...Clear_902.html

Thermochill EC6



I also had around 6ft of 1/2" ID / 3/4" OD red semi-clear hose.

 

OP

jmdixon85

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Oct 5, 2008

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Cumbria (UK)

• Feb 24, 2010

• Thread Starter
• #2

Now some pics:

RES getting leak tested on its own is it arrived before the other parts




CPU Block, base seemed very flat and had a mirror finish




RAD with fans fitted:






RAD mounted and CPU Block being prepared for mounting:



Just removed paper towls, leak-test proved ok

 

OP

jmdixon85

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• Feb 24, 2010

• Thread Starter
• #3

PC in action:











So how does it perform?

Well my old air cooler (Arctic cooling freezer extreme) on my O/C Q9650 (in sig) could bearly cope with the strain.

Here is a comparison of my old air cooler vs water after ten mins prime95:

AIR:
Core0: 69c
Core1: 64c
Core2: 67c
Core3: 67c

Water:
Core0: 51c
Core1: 51c
Core2: 54c
Core3: 53c

Not bad eh?

So there you have it, cost me around £175 for this setup and I can certainly say "I will never go back to air on my main rig!" Very pleased at my first W/C rig

 

Boulard83

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Joined

Jan 19, 2009

• Feb 24, 2010

• #4

Good job !

looking nice too.

 

OP

jmdixon85

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Oct 5, 2008

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• Feb 24, 2010

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• #5

Thanks!

Will try to overclock more now my temps are ok. Just need some advice first on volt settings (Will start a thread on that soon).

This setup was only cheap for a custom setup and I am more than pleased with it.

Also need to do some wire mangement when I get a decent fan controller. And my GTX 260 looks like it could do with a spot of de-dusting

 

Nebulous

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The Empire State

• Feb 24, 2010

• #6

What color is that? Nice build!

 

OP

jmdixon85

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• Feb 24, 2010

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• #7

Well the tubing and CCFL are red. Looks orange when my cellphone has its flash on. (as in the leak test pic)

EDIT: Will be replacing the red Akasa fans on the side panel with those sexy black Xigmatek ones soon

 

OP

jmdixon85

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• Feb 24, 2010

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• #8

Dropped my CPU Vcore to 1.4 and still stable. 50c under load now.

I need advice on max safe NB (Intel p45), VTT & PLL voltage before I push for some more mhz. Any advice?

 

PolRoger

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Jul 31, 2005

• Feb 24, 2010

• #9

I think you did a great job for your first build... Congrats!

 

OP

jmdixon85

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• Feb 24, 2010

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• #10

PolRoger said:

I think you did a great job for your first build... Congrats!

Click to expand...

Thanks! I have built countless PC's before but this is my first W/C attempt. It didn't even take that long once I managed to find some bolts to mount the RAD to my Haf. I'm dreading draining the thing to do maintenence tho Hopefully will last 6month plus till that happens. I'm hoping to keep the Q9650 for at least another year. Just a HDD upgrade and new vid card should see me good for some time.

 

Jolly-Swagman

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Sep 20, 2007

• Feb 24, 2010

• #11

Great work for first WC Rig well done!

 

OP

jmdixon85

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• Feb 24, 2010

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• #12

Thanks Again.

 

deadlysyn

Folding Team Content Editor, Who Dolk'd my stars S

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• Mar 3, 2010

• #13

I have that same rad, with some low speed Yates, and my temps on both my Q6600 and 9800GT are usually hovering around 45C. I have a set of Delta AFB1212VHE's for it, and a set of shrouds for the fans. I just haven't had a chance to sleeve the fan wires yet and get them installed. It is said that the GTS360 will perform better with high speed/high pressure fans, but with my ambient being around 20C, I think the rad is doing a pretty decent job, even with the low speed fans. I'm sure I will see a bit of a temp drop as soon as I get the Delta's on the rad, even if I run them at 5 volts (minimum I have read they will start and run at).

 

T

Twister60

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• Mar 3, 2010

• #14

Thats a Great Result.

 

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jmdixon85

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• Mar 3, 2010

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• #15

Yeah, for such a slim rad it has exceeded my expectations

 

deadlysyn

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• Mar 3, 2010

• #16

jmdixon85 said:

Yeah, for such a slim rad it has exceeded my expectations

Click to expand...

It has mine, as well. I was actually very impressed with the results I had gotten the first time I started up the rig. And considering the fans I have, it has been performing much better than I expected.