I have ~$150. [I Know, I Know]

I know you guys probably dont like these types of threads but i stopped following water cooling for a while..

What do you think I could get with 150 dollars, Id like to keep it under 100, but I dont think that is realistic

Pump: ViaAqua 1300? $25?
Block: TC-4? $50?
Tubing: ClearFlex or whatever its called? $10?
HC: D-Tek HC? $40?
Fittings and Accesorries: Whatever? $5?
Fans: Two 120 mm Fans? $20?
Shroud: Plastic Tubberware Thing? $5?

155....

hmm, anything i could substitute?

Heatercore= $17 at auto zone + $3 worth of fittings and $2 worth of JBWELD~
No via aqua~ get a Maxjet for $20 at a pet shop
Theres better waterblocks out there such as neo's micro channel for the same price (lower mabey)

Don't get a via aqua pump, they suck.

spyder- how do you know Neo's block is better than the TC-4?

if you would like a better explanation of via aqua pump performance then do a forum search and read atleast one positive thread and one negative thread. before you buy anything you want an opinion on it is a good idea to try to do this.

could save like $2 going with a maxi jet, better pump too

i would get a maxijet, i got mine of ebay for 17 bux shipped and its silent much more reliable than the via from what ive herd

JML said:

spyder- how do you know Neo's block is better than the TC-4?

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I dont, but i was just offering a similar block in his price range
Better choose my words a little more carefully with how tossed up this forum is, eh?
Spyder

I wouldn't say the forum is so "tossed up" just because someone asks for proof when someone makes a claim. I think people just like to throw around "Product X is better than Product Y" type statements especially when the Evo has had little to no comparitive testing, and in turn the questioned person becomes defensive. (I'm not saying you did, I'm just saying thats what normally happens). I woudn't have said anything except for the fact that I think the EVO prob performs about the same as a Maze 3 or TC-4 give or take 1-2c. My reasoning for this is that most waterblocks (except the white water of course) perform within this same temp range. If thats the case, he might as well save some on shipping. It is only an assumption of course, but I've stated my reasoning.

There's a difference between stating an opinion, and stating a fact. And again, I'm not saying that's what you were doing, this is something I'm saying to everyone on this forum.

You could save a few bucks by not buying fittings for the heatercore and just slipping the tubing over the piped ends and hose clamping it. This worked fine for me with 1/2 ID Tygon, so it would probably work fine with clearflex. It's easier if you dip the tubing in hot water first.

I cut my shroud from a big piece of plastic sheeting. This way is more flexible to different case and heatercore arrangements, and the plastic can be hot-glued (on the inside - looks nicer) together and painted.

I would get either the Maxijet or a Danner Mag 2 or 3. The Danner Mag series has more flow and head for a slight price increase.

Which model MaxiJet is comparable to the Via Aqua? The only 2 MaxiJet pumps I found were the MaxiJet 1000 (265 GPH) and the MiniJet (108 GPH). The Via Aqua pushes 370 GPH.

It also puts out more heat than either of them

Maybe so, but wouldn't the higer flow rate keep your temps cooler? Theres a couple posts here saying how the MaxiJet pumps get pretty hot too.

I'm one of the people here who have had good results with a Via Aqua. I had one for about 4 months without any problems. Yes, it was a little warm to the touch, but it never seemed to cause any problems. I cannot tell you that it's the best pump to get, or it's the best buy, but it's not a terrible pump, either. If you're looking for the best quality pump, I think the general consenus is to go with an Eheim, but you'll pay a little more for them.

Joker76 said:

Maybe so, but wouldn't the higer flow rate keep your temps cooler? Theres a couple posts here saying how the MaxiJet pumps get pretty hot too.

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Higher flow rate WILL provide better cooling, but only if the pump doesn't add anymore heat. The added heat and higher flowrate negate each other. If you had a choice between two pumps, the first being able to do 150GPH @ 10 watts, and one that did 270GPH @22 watts, you would most likely get about the same temps, give or take a degree. If the second pump I mentioned did 270GPH @ 10 watts (the same wattage as the first), you would see an improvement.

I think an Ehiem 1048 is the ideal pump (I'm saving my pennies for one) . High quality, low vibration, low heat output, virtually no noise. I think the only bad thing about it is that I've heard its bigger than via aqua's or maxi's