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How's this watercooling setup?

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Patrick_

Registered
Joined
May 15, 2005
Hey all. I was going to buy a Thermaltake BigWater (I'm a n00b to watercooling) when, after more research, I found and heard that you can get much better cooling performance at the same price, possibly lower. So I've put together parts. My budget is about $100, give or take $10 bucks. Please give me ANY suggestions on better parts (remember my budget) and where to find them cheap. :)

First: Do you recommend I get 1/2" OD fittings or 3/8"? I heard 3/8" is more common...

Tell me what you think, and how I should change:

Waterblock: DangerDen TDX

Radiator: Double Heater Core

Pump: ViaAqua 1800

Tubing: Clearflex 60

T-Line: DangerDen

and I think that's it. Total, not including shipping: $108.94 (still looking for 120mm fans)

Thanks a lot guys.
 
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personally, i like eheim pumps but thats probably just fine. Setup looks good to me! :)

I never knew newegg sold watercooling stuff. :shrug:

Good luck with your setup!
 
millhouse said:
personally, i like eheim pumps but thats probably just fine. Setup looks good to me! :)

I never knew newegg sold watercooling stuff. :shrug:

Good luck with your setup!

Hey, thanks man. Yeah, I've heard great things about eheim pumps too, but I'm on a budget and I've also heard good things about ViaAqua.

And neither did I, but, it's in their "cooling" category for HSF's, and the waterblock is technically a HSF.

Oh, and do you think this setup will give me better results than a Thermaltake BigWater? The radiator for that sucker is aluminum...

And do you think I should go with 1/2" tubing? I'd think it'd give me better performance... Anyways that waterblock thats 1/2" tubing.

:)
 
Usually, any custom setup will beat a kit. As long as there are good components in the setup. So yes, your setup should beat the crap out of the bigwater.

Ive read around the forums alot, and i guess 1/2 inch tubing will increase the flow of the water.

7/16 in tubing is similar size to 1/2 but has thinner tube wall or something like that. Personally i would do 7/16 because it doesnt have a "bulky" look to it. The 7/16 would probably fit over 1/2 barbs but im not exactly sure.

i think there was a poll about it somewhere, i will look around and see if i can find it.

Hope that helps... :) :) :)
 
There's no reason to not go 1/2" since it all costs the same, so you might as well.

The pump is probably something you shouldn't skimp on. I was able to snag an Eheim 1048 for $35 off of someone here, and I couldn't be more pleased. It may not flow too well, but it runs cool (largely negating the difference in flow rate/head), is virtually silent, and is extremely reliable. I'd say that's worth the extra $10. These $20ish pumps aren't known for good quality. A friend of mine (Gautam on these forums) went with a Maxijet for his setup, and it was an absolute nightmare for him.

edit: If you're short on money, you don't really need a res. Use a T-line or better yet, nothing at all and just run your system sealed. It's a pain to bleed but runs flawlessly after that.
 
If you're short on money, you don't really need a res. Use a T-line or better yet, nothing at all and just run your system sealed. It's a pain to bleed but runs flawlessly after that.

or, you could do what he said (t-line) and get an eheim pump. There are many ways to approach this. Its up to you. :)
 
don't waste your time/money on WC stuff from newegg
and also notice that the maze 4 block you chose was the chipset block, not the CPU block

for a decent budget setup that'll kick pure *** for an introductory loop, heres my recommendation:

CPU block: Danger Den TDX
http://www.dangerdenstore.com/home.php?cat=21

Radiator/Heatercore: D-Tek Pro-120 Combo (HC w/ shrouds)
http://www.dtekcustoms.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=18

Pump: Danger Den 12vDC D4
http://www.dangerdenstore.com/product.php?productid=36&cat=0&page=1

Resivoir/T-Line: Danger Den HDPE 5.25 bay Reservoir
http://www.dangerdenstore.com/product.php?productid=51&cat=6&page=1

Tubing: 7ft Clearflex60 1/2" ID x 3/4" OD (1/8" wall) tubing
http://www.jab-tech.com/customer/product.php?productid=2431&cat=65&page=1
 
Hey, thanks for all of your input guys! I don't have much time, but...

1) Doesn't the resivior add too the cooling? And trap air bubbles? If I won't suffer any major cooling, I'll be glad to rid of it and get a better water block

2) What is T-lining?

Also, I didn't notice that was a chipset block, thanks. I will get the TDX probably.
 
t-lining is another way to fill your loop. here a pic.

You always want to place it before the pump so that when you fill it the pump wont go dry.
 

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a t-line is basically another way to fill your system - its a "T" fitting that you fill through in place of the reservoir

a res. is often more desirable for new-comers due to the ease of use though
 
i still cant get over when people shop for p.c. water cooling parts they go to pet stores, lol. im sure they work great from what i hear about the eheim pumps, just something i probably wont be able to get over lololololol.
 
Ok thanks. And I won't lose any temperature cooling performance by not having one?

And about the ViaAqua 1800... is that the right kind of pump I can use? It says it's fully submersible...

I'll have to look on eBay or something for an Eheim. Though, the gph flowrate is much lower than the ViaAqua.
 
It's lower, but the pump runs cooler and thus doesn't put as much heat into the water, largely negating the difference.
 
The Via Aqua is good. With the Eheim you're going to pay for the name somewhat.

The TDX works well, no doubt about it. I have the Swiftech MCW6002 and I like it because its fairly cheap, about $45, works well, and if you switch from a P4 to a AMD or vice versa all you have to do is buy a different retention mechanism and voila! it'll work. The retention mechanisms are all $10 except for the socket 478, which is $5. Of course when you buy one it'll come with one retention mechanism of your choice.

The res might be a good idea your first time, not because it helps cooling but just because its easier to remove the bubbles in your line with one.

Everything else looks good. Don't forget to add in the cost of a couple of 120mm fans for your rad.

If you really want to go with cheap good perfromance you might consider a bong. Read this. In fact read throughout this whole section for good DIY ideas.
 
Ok thanks guys for your input.

Now, in this thread the guy said that the Dtek Whitewater, which is roughly the same price as the DangerDen TDX, is better performing. Is this true, and if so, do you think I should get it instead?
 
Get the TDX blox, dump the res, go with a T line (save yo about $15-20). With the money you save on the res you could look into getting a more powerful pump.

Other wise, I think your set, minus fans.
 
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