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Few Questions

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DontKnow

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Apr 25, 2009
I have been reading the fantastic guides that have been posted here and on a few other forums, and most of my questions have been addressed. However, there was one major question I still have that has been keeping me from even attempting to plan out what parts I was thinking about buying. If I was not planning on overclocking my cpu very high, could I get away with only haveing one radiator in a loop with my cpu + gpu? Mostly I would only be putting a large load on this computer when I am gaming, otherwise it would be shut off or used for random excel/word school work. I know that some may tell me to just go air cooling, but I like having a quiet pc that doesnt leave me with a headache after using it. Also, I really look forward to trying to build a water cooling setup because it has been something that has interested me for awhile. As far as the computer specs go I was planning on using:

Case: Cosmos S
CPU: Core i7 940
GPU: EVGA GTX 295 (only one)
Mobo: EVGA Intel x58

Summary: Do I really need two loops, one for the gpu and one for the cpu, or can I get away with a good triple 120mm radiator?
 
You don't need two loops. But you need a big rad for that. A 120x3 isn't big enough. You have to go a 120x4 size rad.

That CPU needs a 120x2 minumum size. That GPU needs a 120x2 size. So you could go two 120x2 rads, but don't get a high flow restriction CPU block.

Your temps on the CPU won't be as good as a solo CPU loop, but they will be okay since your not going for massive overclocks.
 
as long as there isn't that much overclocking i say your fine with 2 doubles or a quad, black ice GTX, thermochill, feser, or XSPC RX series.

i think you should go with push pull (6 fans for a triple) so you can get away with a bit quieter fans.

your temps won't be the greatest but they will be fine IMO and gives you a taste of water.
 
Wow, talk about a fast reply, thanks! I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Cosmos S case but in the specs it says it has room for 3x120 radiator on the top. Any idea if this large 4x120 radiator would be able to fit in the same spot with a little modding? If not is there any convenient place for a radiator as large as a 4x120 to go inside of a cosmos, or would it have to be external? Once again, thanks for the answers!
 
Spawn-Inc said:
as long as there isn't that much overclocking i say your fine with 2 doubles or a quad, black ice GTX, thermochill, feser, or XSPC RX series.

i think you should go with push pull (6 fans for a triple) so you can get away with a bit quieter fans.

your temps won't be the greatest but they will be fine IMO and gives you a taste of water.
Click to expand...

Yah I really am just looking for a taste hah, couldnt have put it better. How bad would my temperatures be if I just went with the 6 fan setup on the 3x120 radiator? Because if it is going to be really bad even I wouldnt think that it would be worth it.
 
Last edited:
It will take a good bit of modding as that case has a pre-cut holes for a 3x120 and probably is not long enough.

Have you considered two 2x120's, maybe one on the bottom or standing in the front drive bays and one up top?
 
Fx-53 said:
It will take a good bit of modding as that case has a pre-cut holes for a 3x120 and probably is not long enough.

Have you considered two 2x120's, maybe one on the bottom or standing in the front drive bays and one up top?
Click to expand...

How would the water flow through the system then? I thought that it would have to go from one radiator to the other radiator and then through the components. I read that it was important to try to make the tubing as short as possible, so wouldn't having the radiators on opposite sides of the case be counter intuitive?
 
Order of the loop doesn't really matter aside from making sure the reservoir is directly before the pump. Aside from that, after about 10 or so minutes, water temperatures in the loop will reach equilibrium, so for the "optimal" setup with radiators directly before the blocks, you might see a 1c difference in temps tops vs. a shortest tubing setup. Here's how I have mine set up for reference and I get excellent temperatures:

IMG_1892.jpg
 
Pictures sure do speak a thousand words, thanks for the post. I'll start looking for parts today and see if I come up with anything good.
 
You know, you might be able to get away with a 3x120mm, but you would certainly want a push/pull configuration to make sure you're getting as much air through as possible.

I hear what you're saying about only really loading it when you play games, but that's sort of the problem. The watercooling needs to be able to handle the peak heat output of your computer. When you're playing a game, the CPU and GPU are working their hardest - even if things are fine during the rest of your use, it'll crash in games if it overheats.

Any chance of modding the case to add stackable 3x120mm radiators? That should give you enough surface area for sure, though I think the jury is still out on the stackables.
 
Think I am just going to go with a 3x120 up top and a 2x120 in the front. I'm trying to stay optimistic that this will work fine for what I am trying to do. But hey even if it doesn't, at least I will already have the radiator and a little bit of experience going into building a second loop in it. So far I am looking at getting:

CPU Block: D-Tek fuzion V2 - $60 + $15 mount
http://www.jab-tech.com/D-tek-Fuzion-V2-pr-4155.html

GPU Block: Any suggestions?

Pump: Swiftech MCP655 - $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...le-_-Water+Cooling-_-Swiftech+Inc.-_-35108082

Reservoir: Swiftech MCRES - Micro - $25
http://www.petrastechshop.com/swmcmirere.html

Radiators:
Stealth GTS 360 and 240 Black Ice - $60 + $50
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=221&cat=86&page=1
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=222&cat=86&page=1

What do you guys think? Little bit more expensive than I was hopeing for, any ideas on how I can cut down on the cost?
 
DontKnow said:
Think I am just going to go with a 3x120 up top and a 2x120 in the front. I'm trying to stay optimistic that this will work fine for what I am trying to do. But hey even if it doesn't, at least I will already have the radiator and a little bit of experience going into building a second loop in it. So far I am looking at getting:

CPU Block: D-Tek fuzion V2 - $60 + $15 mount
http://www.jab-tech.com/D-tek-Fuzion-V2-pr-4155.html

GPU Block: Any suggestions?

Pump: Swiftech MCP655 - $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...le-_-Water+Cooling-_-Swiftech+Inc.-_-35108082

Reservoir: Swiftech MCRES - Micro - $25
http://www.petrastechshop.com/swmcmirere.html

Radiators:
Stealth GTS 360 and 240 Black Ice - $60 + $50
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=221&cat=86&page=1
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=222&cat=86&page=1

What do you guys think? Little bit more expensive than I was hopeing for, any ideas on how I can cut down on the cost?
Click to expand...
With that much radiator space, you should be able to run your fans at pretty low speeds and keep things nice and quiet. I think that'll work well.

You can drop the Swiftech MicroRes and just put in a T-line. That'll keep your case cleaner and save you a bit of money.

As for GPU blocks - yikes, those are pricey. And don't they become outdated once you get a new graphics card? I've had the same GPU block for like four years. Is it possible to get something like a Swiftech MCW60 and passive ramsinks instead of a full-card setup? That would be cheaper, and you could use the sinks and the waterblock on whatever you might upgrade to.
 
You can't run MCW60s on the double-GPU NVidia solutions, you have to get one of these full cover setups (as far as I know).

For radiators, I'd get the Swiftech MCR series, I think they perform better than the Stealths and are a little cheaper (someone correct me if they cool better than the MCR series).
 
Yea, a double wide GPU card needs a full cover block. No other choice.

For rads, the MCR series is the best bang for the buck. Can run rather quiet fans too.
For the best low noise situation (but beware they are THICK and may not fit inside)
The Thermochill, Feser, or XSPC are best for low noise and great cooling.

Saving a few $$ on a res vs a Tline is great. But a res is easier to work with.
 
also note the thermochill has different fan spacing and may not line up with the cosmos precut triple spot.
 
Conumdrum said:
Yea, a double wide GPU card needs a full cover block. No other choice.

For rads, the MCR series is the best bang for the buck. Can run rather quiet fans too.
For the best low noise situation (but beware they are THICK and may not fit inside)
The Thermochill, Feser, or XSPC are best for low noise and great cooling.

Saving a few $$ on a res vs a Tline is great. But a res is easier to work with.
Click to expand...

I just looked into the Thermochill / Feser / XSPC and they were all very expensive. Maybe I was just looking at the wrong ones. I did find some nice MCR series radiators though, have a look.

3x1200 MCR radiator - $50
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR320-QP-K-Triple-120mm-Radiator-pr-3320.html

2x120 MCR radiator - $40
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR-220-Radiator-Black-pr-3199.html

I was planning on using a reservoir because I did not want to have to fuss around with bleeding a T line. Seeing as this will be my first venture into water cooling I am opting for ease of installation on the reservoir vs T line. Interestingly enough, the MCR radiators (each one) has an optional built in reservoir. Anyone think that it would be worth a buy, or is it just easier to have a reservoir separate from a radiator?
 
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