Watercooling an X99 Build (need help)

Hello Guys

I am in the final stages of building my x99 build and I am having issues with choosing a water-cooling setup. My original plan was to buy the EK-KIT X360 (from EK), but seeing how I really want to have either a 420mm or a 480mm radiator, I am thinking of not buying the kit and instead buying most of the components that come with the kit and just buying separately the radiator and the fans that I really want. (I hope that makes sense)

That being said, I need some help with the radiator and fans. Mainly, which one is better for quietness and performance given my case and the PC build (see below)… a 420mm or a 480mm? Are there any fans that are better for quietness and performance compared to others?

Another question that I have is that I plan to buy the EK-DDC 3.2 PWM Elite Edition, Water Pump (the one that comes with the kit) and I wanted to know if it be able to handle the larger radiator (and a 2nd radiator if I install one) without problems?

Lastly, which parts would I need to be able to fill and drain the system without problems? (This is also something that the kit doesn’t come with )

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!


Here is my x99 Build: (I plan to overclock it)

PHANTEKS Enthoo Primo
MSI X99A SLI Plus
Intel Core i7 5820K
Corsair Vengeance LPX schwarz DIMM Kit 16GB, DDR4-2666
Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti G1 Gaming 6 GB (possible SLI in the future)
Samsung SSD SM951 256GB, M.2 - PCIe
Samsung SSD 850 Evo 500GB, SATA (possible Raid setup in the future)
EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 Power Supply

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Are you planning on putting your gpu under water our just the cpu.

to OCFs.

I'm going to go by you having a dual GPU and a CPU overclocked setup.

If you're looking for the best delta's possible and low audibles, I'd slap a 480mm on the bottom and top of the case along with a push or pull fan configuration.

My personal preference for quality and low to mid fan running radiators are the BlackIce SR2 and the Alphacool STxx or UTxx series.

As for premium rad fans, AP-53s, EK Vardars, eLoop B12s (PWM).

Its always best to go push and pull the data has shown but since if go by x2 480mm as some will say its complete overkill, push or pull is justifiable in my book.

The pump chosen is fine but have a look at the MCP-35x, MCP-50x (Cheapest of them all and one of the most powerful), D5 pumps.

As for the SM951, I'd change that to a Samsung 950 PRO (NVMe) and if I recall correctly, this is a actual retail version and not a OEM like the XP941 or SM951 where a 3rd party warranty needs to be purchased.

Lochekey said:

Are you planning on putting your gpu under water our just the cpu.

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At first I will just be cooling the CPU and in the future, I plan on cooling the GPU(s). The reason that I won't be cooling the GPU(s) in the beginning is simply, I don't have the extra money to buy though parts.

Wolfen2 said:

At first I will just be cooling the CPU and in the future, I plan on cooling the GPU(s). The reason that I won't be cooling the GPU(s) in teh beginnign is simply, I don't have the extra money to buy though parts.

Click to expand...

In that case, just grab a single 480mm and add w/e you need later on. Its overkill but buying it now so you don't have to later OR you could just purchase a 240mm now and purchase a 480mm down the road when the funds are there to add the GPUs to the mix.

I agree on preparing for the future, a little overkill now could be just right when you add your next piece. Regarding the push/pull setup, what factors should be considered when choosing the radiator (FPI, Thickness) that will warrant the push/pull?

Well most rads are low to mid FPI nowadays. Gone are the 30FPI rads. There might be a few out there but most are anywhere from 8-20 FPI which is good enough for low to mid RPM fans. The more surface the rad has is always better. Think of it as a air cooling heatsink. The bigger the heatsink, the better the heat dissipation with the right fans. Data has shown that push and pull is usually the way to go if you'd like but its not a must or a deal breaker.

Again, it all depends on where you'll be placing the radiator in your case. Your case should handle any radiator really. You could go with 50-60mm rads or try the monsta 80mm but since its a big one so you'll have to make sure the added 25mm or 50mm (Push and Pull) fans will fit.

agreed^

GTXJackBauer said:

Well most rads are low to mid FPI nowadays. Gone are the 30FPI rads. There might be a few out there but most are anywhere from 8-20 FPI which is good enough for low to mid RPM fans. The more surface the rad has is always better. Think of it as a air cooling heatsink. The bigger the heatsink, the better the heat dissipation with the right fans. Data has shown that push and pull is usually the way to go if you'd like but its not a must or a deal breaker.

Again, it all depends on where you'll be placing the radiator in your case. Your case should handle any radiator really. You could go with 50-60mm rads or try the monsta 80mm but since its a big one so you'll have to make sure the added 25mm or 50mm (Push and Pull) fans will fit.

Click to expand...

Since I have the Primo, I plan to have the radiator on the top with a pull config for at least the beginning. It seems like a waste not to have it on the top. Later on, I might look at adding another raditor on the bottom. Size-wise I am thinking of a 45mm (maybe a 60mm). However I want to make sure that if I upgrade in the future and go push/pull, that I will have room on the top with whatever radiator I currently have.

In reality push / pull configs make very little difference. considering the extra noise and expense push/pull usually makes only around 1c differential

That depends on the radiator fruit... check out some reviews.

you can do a 60mm in the roof of the primo in push/pull or push or pull for that matter easily. I had a 420mm 60mm thick UT60 in mine when I had it.

Running a 60mm in a push/pull takes up a bit of real estate.

not really iirc the upper fans go on the outside of the case under the top mesh panel leaving you all the 95mm of room before mobo to put 60mm rad + 25mm fans = 85mm

I used Gentle Typhoon 1850s in a push/pull config and it worked flawlessly! And they're pretty quiet, I had them on a fan controller too and just surfing I kept them at 1/2 speed and they was almost silent. They're a little pricey but well worth the money.
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/scge120mmsic2.html