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Luxe, Swiftech/Corsair and EVGA hybrid setup help - going insane, please help!

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adambean

Registered
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Hey all,

Building my first rig in over 6 years and new to the world of water cooling. Have several questions I could use some help with. I'm constantly buying and returning that I just want to build my computer already.

I have a Phanteks Enthoo Luxe, Swiftech 240x/Corsair 110 GTX (TBD) and an EVGA 980ti Hybrid.

- CPU Cooler. I had a Swiftech, returned it in favor of the H110i GTX 280mm for two reasons:
1) I read that the Swiftech will need it's reservoir replenished every couple years
2) The ability to swap fans and radiator (to allow for LED fans on the inside of the case)

Yet, now I'm debating going back to the Swiftech after finding out that you're supposed to intake vs. exhaust. I was swapping to the Corsair so that I could switch the fans and radiator (the swiftech doesn't allow for this due to the reservoir and cables). This was really only done to have the fans on the inside of the case and replace the fans with Thermaltake Riing's for the aesthetics.

Anyway, a few questions ...
1) Does the Swiftech truly require this maintenance? How do you know when? Is it difficult/worth it?
2) What orientation of the fans should you use when putting a radiator on the top of the case? Does it really matter if you push or pull?
3) With a radiator at the top of the case, should it be an intake or exhaust?
3a) I've read so far that it should be an intake (cool air over the radiator); however does that mean you're blowing hot air into the middle of the computer ... doesn't sound ideal?
4) Is it ok to change the direction of the fan on the Hybrid to exhaust over it vs. intake?
4a) I say this because of the Luxe. The back exhaust spot is the ideal location for this radiator/fan
5) Would it be ill advised to change the fans on both of these to the Thermaltake Riing RGB's?

Overall, can I get the optimal layout of how to setup the Luxe in regards to intake vs. exhaust? My naive view says this:
- Front/bottom/top = intake
- Back = exhaust
This just doesn't feel like enough exhaust, but not sure how else to do it, if indeed the CPU cooler has to be an intake.

Please help me figure this out, I'm just exhausted trying to just buy the right stuff so I can actually build!

Thank you so much
 
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Welcome to the forums Adam. I wont be able to answer all of your questions but I'll answer what I can.

1) Does the Swiftech truly require this maintenance? How do you know when? Is it difficult/worth it? Per the Swiftech website they recommend replenishing the water every three years. What does that entail? Simply flushing the system with distilled water and replacing with distilled water and a biocide. I would recommend to do this everyyear with any water loop that is not a closed loop.
2) What orientation of the fans should you use when putting a radiator on the top of the case? Does it really matter if you push or pull? It makes little difference if it's in push or pull but the general concensus here is that air flow should always be front to back and bottom to top. So in your case a top mounted rad would be exhaust.
3) With a radiator at the top of the case, should it be an intake or exhaust? See above. Exhaust
3a) I've read so far that it should be an intake (cool air over the radiator); however does that mean you're blowing hot air into the middle of the computer ... doesn't sound ideal? It's really a minor issue and can be configured either way. For instance a front or bottom mounted rad should intake "fresh" air while a top or rear rad would exhaust "warmed" air. With adequate case ventilation the air flowing through the case should only be 2-3c higher than the room ambient temperature. If not than I would recommend increased case air flow.
4) Is it ok to change the direction of the fan on the Hybrid to exhaust over it vs. intake? So long as there is air flowing over the rad it'll be happy.
4a) I say this because of the Luxe. The back exhaust spot is the ideal location for this radiator/fan ***:thup:***
5) Would it be ill advised to change the fans on both of these to the Thermaltake Riing RGB's? So long as the Riing fans have a high static pressure then it would be ok. Static pressure is boss when talking radiator fans. That said the Swiftech fans are fairly decent but I'm not sure of the corsairs. hopefully someone else will reply on that.


I hope this helps a little.

- - - Updated - - -

This is what I was thinking I was supposed to do having the top as an exhaust: http://s968.photobucket.com/user/CTguy1955/media/threefansforradiator_zps87d1a7e5.jpg.html

But from what I'm gathering, that's wrong? You don't want to blow existing case air over the radiator?

I'm confused ...

No that's what you want to do, however if you're going to do push/pull I would eliminate the existing case fan and get matching fans.
 
Welcome to the forums Adam. I wont be able to answer all of your questions but I'll answer what I can.

1) Does the Swiftech truly require this maintenance? How do you know when? Is it difficult/worth it? Per the Swiftech website they recommend replenishing the water every three years. What does that entail? Simply flushing the system with distilled water and replacing with distilled water and a biocide. I would recommend to do this everyyear with any water loop that is not a closed loop.
2) What orientation of the fans should you use when putting a radiator on the top of the case? Does it really matter if you push or pull? It makes little difference if it's in push or pull but the general concensus here is that air flow should always be front to back and bottom to top. So in your case a top mounted rad would be exhaust.
3) With a radiator at the top of the case, should it be an intake or exhaust? See above. Exhaust
3a) I've read so far that it should be an intake (cool air over the radiator); however does that mean you're blowing hot air into the middle of the computer ... doesn't sound ideal? It's really a minor issue and can be configured either way. For instance a front or bottom mounted rad should intake "fresh" air while a top or rear rad would exhaust "warmed" air. With adequate case ventilation the air flowing through the case should only be 2-3c higher than the room ambient temperature. If not than I would recommend increased case air flow.
4) Is it ok to change the direction of the fan on the Hybrid to exhaust over it vs. intake? So long as there is air flowing over the rad it'll be happy.
4a) I say this because of the Luxe. The back exhaust spot is the ideal location for this radiator/fan ***:thup:***
5) Would it be ill advised to change the fans on both of these to the Thermaltake Riing RGB's? So long as the Riing fans have a high static pressure then it would be ok. Static pressure is boss when talking radiator fans. That said the Swiftech fans are fairly decent but I'm not sure of the corsairs. hopefully someone else will reply on that.


I hope this helps a little.

- - - Updated - - -



No that's what you want to do, however if you're going to do push/pull I would eliminate the existing case fan and get matching fans.

+1 :thup:

In a general case by case, it all depends. In most cases, Front/Bottom = Intake and Top/Back = Exhaust. In my case because I have a massive filtered case, I use the massive unfiltered rear as exhaust.

Are you looking for a AIO solution with no maintenance or a custom water cooling kit? Are you looking for a fun hobby that requires to keep an eye on it or plug and play? If you aren't for all that than stick with the AIO.

Also, what are your system specs and what are you cooling?

Before you go on, on buying things, I would take a deep breath and read up on our water cooling stickies. You'll need the general information on how to maintain a loop, etc.

Btw, :welcome: to OCFs.
 
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Thanks for the welcome and responses!

@Blaylock
1) How much of a PITA is that though (replacing the water). Is it really worth it?
3) By default though, most are set to be an intake right? I haven't hooked any up yet, but based on pictures of what I've seen, aren't they all blowing into the case by default? The air flow goes in the direction of the fan sticker yeah? It's been a long time since I've done this :)
5) These are the TT Riings: http://thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002742 - they say "high static pressure", so these should be fine yeah? Both for rad's + intake/exhaust? Still in debate about where all I can leverage them, and/or if they'll look dumb. Won't know till I get it all in place.

@GTXJackBauer
Well, I really do like the look of the swiftech; however due to the reservoir, the fans can only sit on top. Not a problem for my case, but in regards to the aesthetics (using TT Riing fans), this doesn't work well. Granted, I doubt you'll be able to see the fans with the panel on, it will still shine some cool light into the middle of the case (reality is, this is probably stupid and I should not bother with LED fans on the CPU rad). That and yeah, after further reading up on this, I think the AIO, no maintenance is what I'm after here. While I don't foresee maintaining the swiftech as an issue, it's just another thing to worry about that I'd probably rather not. In time I'd love to move to a custom water cooling setup, but at this juncture, not ready for it.

I'm returning and buying new every day at this rate; however here's the latest build (pending the CPU cooler and missing the 140mm TT Riings) [yes, I realize this is crazy overkill; however it's also replacing my work machine as well]:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5930K 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($399.99)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H240-X 90.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.99)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($7.54)
Motherboard: Asus RAMPAGE V EXTREME/U3 EATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($469.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($169.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($169.99)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra II 960GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.99)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card ($699.99)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe ATX Full Tower Case ($149.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($155.16)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($42.37)
Case Fan: Thermaltake CL-F042-PL12SW-A 40.6 CFM 120mm Fan ($25.45)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Chroma Wired Gaming Keyboard ($169.99)
Mouse: Razer Mamba Tournament Edition Wired Laser Mouse ($66.30)
UPS: CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS ($149.99)
Other: LED Strips ($24.99)
Other: ASUS ROG Front Base ($68.24)
 
Adam said:
@Blaylock
1) How much of a PITA is that though (replacing the water). Is it really worth it?
3) By default though, most are set to be an intake right? I haven't hooked any up yet, but based on pictures of what I've seen, aren't they all blowing into the case by default? The air flow goes in the direction of the fan sticker yeah? It's been a long time since I've done this :)

1. It's not really a PITA at all. I can have my custom loop rinsed and refilled in about a half hour. The PITA is just remembering to do it. If you're looking for low or no maintenance than I would look at one of the top air coolers. Results are very similar to AIO coolers. We can recommend some of those to if you decide to go that route. But AIO and expandable AIO like swiftech are not a PITA IMHO.

2. Whay happened to #2?

3. If you're talking about the fans being mounted on the rads I'm not sure how "most" are set up. I can say the H240-X is set that way but there is no issue with turning them around. There will be 2 arrows on the side of the fan. One will show the blade rotation and the other will show the direction of air flow. Since some fans have stickers on the front and back this isn't a great way to describe which direction. A better way is to look for the Frame of the fan. Air will always flow towards the frame.

Also, Something that hasn't been mentioned yet is noise. I don't know how loud the Riing fans are but you can compair their dB rating to the swiftech and corsair fans. Some high speed high pressure fans can be God awful loud. Just something to note.
 
The other major thing I'm struggling with ... Luxe vs. Primo. The Luxe I truly do enjoy because of the exterior ambient lighting; however obviously the Primo has much more room. I highly doubt I'll ever need it, but one of those "better safe than sorry" kind of mentalities ya know? I'm also coming from a Coolmaster HAF X - which is HUGE. So going to a Luxe will be a welcome change; however I think the Primo is still slightly smaller than the HAF X?
 
Thanks again Blaylock!

1) Well, If I go AIO, seems like the Kraken x61 and 110i GTX are the best bets yeah? I ordered the latter for now, but can always return.
2) haha, I think I got my answer, no follow up needed :)
3) Yeah, the 220/240, the fans are on top; whereas the NZXT/Corsair, they're on the bottom. Based on what you've said, it doesn't matter which side they're on, nor which way they're facing. I could be wrong, haven't had one in person yet, but I thought the NZXT/Corsair's by default were pulling (meaning, intaking from the outside, over the rad, and blowing warm air into the case).

Hrm, yeah, didn't think about the sound. I was more focused on the look than anything. Those Riing's are just silly cool looking. From their site:
pic3d.jpg


Good/bad?

So need to analyze and determine the whole case setup. This is what I was planning on ...

- Front of case comes with a giant 200m fan (Phanteks), planned on replacing with 2x 140mm RGB Riing's
- There's an additional spot on the bottom of the case for either a 120 or 140, if I remove one of the HDD cages, I don't think this is neccessary
- Top of the case is where the 2x 140mm rad will be mounted for the CPU - again, was going to replace these fans with 2x 140mm RGB Riing's
- Pending on the fit, I should have room for another 140mm up top if needed
- The back of the case will house the EVGA Hybrid's 1x 120mm rad - yep, another RGB Riing
 
Before you go on, on buying things, I would take a deep breath and read up on our water cooling stickies. You'll need the general information on how to maintain a loop, etc.

I know you're eager to get your feet wet (bad example) in water cooling... take some time and look around at what others are doing before you make up your mind. I did a lot of reading for months before I purchased my first piece. Maintenance for these loops are very simple and basic as long as you setup your rig correctly... like adding a drain plug. Watch running the fancy fluids, as this requires you to do your maintenance more frequently. In regards to fans, I like the Corsair SP120's as they have the high static pressure and they're not that loud.
 
@ProgramGuy - Understood, but in the event of going with the basic AIO's, there's really not much to know/do at this point outside of making sure the proper intake/exhaust yeah?
 
I don't think a drain/fill port is necessary for an AIO but I do agree that reading up on W/C is a great idea.

Adam's so eager to pull the trigger. I love the enthusiasm. LOL Seriously though you really should do some research. do some comparisons of the different coolers. Check out skinnielabs and martinsliquidlab before deciding. they're a little older but should still be relevant. I couldn't say which AIO is better as I jumped in feet first and went custom.

28dB isn't bad. Swiftech Helix is listed at 33dB and Corsair SP120's are at 35dB's. Keep in mind though that's without the rad. It makes a big difference in noise once it's bolted on.

I like all of the Phanteks cases so it really boils down to preference and needs.
 
Well, it's tough when you have half the stuff sitting on your table right now. I started the build on Saturday and then switched case, mobo's (twice), cooler and fans. So it's killing me that I was done and now have a half assembled machine taunting me.

All things considered, I think I'm in a good spot, pending case fans and how it all looks when done. Now that I have the answers I was seeking on the intake/exhaust/orientation, I think I'm ok with the exception of knowing which is the best bet for my needs.

The H110i GTX seems like a solid move right? I read that basically all of these are based on the same tech and there is little gain between vendors. Obviously Swiftech appears to be the fan favorite; however with opting to avoid any form of maintenance, I think the AIO's are better suited for me (for now). So unless you guys say avoid the H110i GTX, I think I'm going to roll with it for now.
 
Looks like a powerhouse build that will last for years. It looks like you may be overspending in a few areas though. If you don't mind me asking, what do you do that requires 64GB of memory? That's about 4 times what's considered "usable" for gaming (if that's what this rig is for). Also 1000W PSU is overkill unless you plan on adding a second 980ti in the furture. I'm sure you could get away with a 750W unit and save some green. I know some of this is bought already and there is certainly nothing wrong with these aside from the cost.
 
Looks like a powerhouse build that will last for years. It looks like you may be overspending in a few areas though. If you don't mind me asking, what do you do that requires 64GB of memory? That's about 4 times what's considered "usable" for gaming (if that's what this rig is for). Also 1000W PSU is overkill unless you plan on adding a second 980ti in the furture. I'm sure you could get away with a 750W unit and save some green. I know some of this is bought already and there is certainly nothing wrong with these aside from the cost.

Agreed on the PSU.

The memory is for work more than anything. I need to spin up many a VM's from time to time. I probably only needed 32gb; however it was a great cyber monday sale!
 
So in regards to the AIO's ... is that 110i GTX a solid choice or should I be looking elsewhere? From what I've read, they seem to be all pretty similar. Any specific reasons of one over another?

Also, if I can pull it off ... go with 140mm over 120mm fans yeah? I can do either, but 140's should move more air and be more quiet right?

Thanks
 
Well crap ... so you think I should cancel the H110i GTX 280mm and move to the H100i GTX 240mm?

- - - Updated - - -

Also, the side of the radiator (height) is typically the same size as the fan's height yeah? Trying to find this now ... but thinking through my case (Luxe) to ensure I can put the radiator up top with the fans below ... It should be fine and technically, I should have enough room to put fans on both sides - this is a "push/pull" right? Something worth exploring?
 
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