Watercooling New PC

Okay, so my dad wants to build a new computer. A good one. We're thinking an i7 at 4.0 and a 5870. He wants to watercool the CPU, Chipset, and GPU. The board is the MSI Bigbang xPower. I've never done watercooling, and neither has he. I think we'd be better off to build a system, as they tend to work better.

I have no clue where to start though. It needs it to be internal, case is the HAF 932. Where do we start?

These links by Conumdrum are a good place to start http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6489396&postcount=3 plus the sticky http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=628092

a HAF 930?

do you mean had 932?

Step 1 is to ask for help. -check
Step 2 is reading those invaluable guides.
Step 3 is determining where and what size radiators you can fit in the planned case.
Step 4 is researching and deciding what blocks to use for your hardware.
Step 5 is to go to bed and rethink the entire scenario in the morning, when you're sober.
Step 6 is to ask for help, and provide in-depth details about what you'd like to do.

Yeah, HAF 932. Sorry.

I gave my dad the list He's going to start on the research. and i sent him all the guides

I have written up a little 12-step program for your dad, to expand on my previous post. Here ya go:

Step 1 is to ask for help.
Step 2 is reading those invaluable guides.
Step 3 is determining where and what size radiators you can fit in the planned case, if going internal.
Step 4 is researching and deciding what blocks to use for your hardware.
Step 5 is to go to bed and rethink the entire scenario in the morning, when you're sober.
Step 6 is to ask for help, and provide in-depth details about what you'd like to do.
Step 7 is to go get drunk after seeing what it all costs.
Step 8 is waking up, looking into the mirror, telling yourself, "I can do this!" until you actually believe it. (helps to wave your fist in the air for emphasis)
Step 9 is getting all the hardware together in one place, and building the beast.
Step 10 is to build the beast, for really-reals this time, not just saying it.
Step 11 is to brag to your friends, family, and half the online world about the mighty beast that you now command, while laughing at all the scurrying mortals down there at your feet with their pathetic little dust-trap "computers".
Step 12 is seeing a new case, realizing the potential, getting a bunch of bad ideas, calling the bank about a "home improvement" loan, and starting all over again.

Hah, you had to reach for those last few didn't you!

Ilden said:

Step 12 is seeing a new case, realizing the potential, getting a bunch of bad ideas, calling the bank about a "home improvement" loan, and starting all over again.

Click to expand...

Computer Room Improvement to be specific?

I would go with a different main board if you want to w/c the chipset. Not that its impossible to do on the one you are talking about, but no one makes full coverage blocks for it(that I can find anyway). What you would have to do is get individual generic blocks for the NB, SB and VREGs. Mounting and dealing with that kind of setup is not always straight forward, sometimes requiring special modifications to make everything fit. I would go through the different block manufacturers and look at what boards they support and which have the features/price you want. Also with the x58 chipset there is no real reason to W/C it other than wanting to.. well I guess no airflow through the case but that will cause many other things problems too..

Make sure that you figure out what version of the 5870 PCB you have because you need to match that up with the full coverage block. If you get a non standard PCB unique to a particular manufacturer your chances of finding a block that will fit are very low. That not to say that revised PCBs are never supported but that its just much safer to go with one that is a copy of the reference card PCB.

If this all needs to be internal you have to think VERY hard about case selection because the components you have selected are going to require quite a bit of rad to have decent temps with the kind of OC you mentioned.

If you intend to do this you cant be concerned at all about cost because your talking about lots of individual components and none come cheap. Be prepared for your cooling system price including case to overrun the cost of the rest of your PC.

Oh and run the thing on air for a bit before you go voiding the warranties of everything you just bough. I have gotten a number of DOA components over the years and it also gives you the opportunity to bench everything on air, so you can see the benefits of the W/C system.

No need to cool the chipset... save your money there for sure.