A Water Cooling Noob Asking for some Help!

[HumbleWanderer]

Hi guys, well as the title suggests I need some help concerning water cooling:

First off I'm planning to water cool my pc, because I wish to overclock both my CPU and my GPU, and I have a few questions.
First off, what's the difference between a cooling set up as shown in here: http://www.overclockers.com/beginners-guide-water-cooling/ , and something like Corsair's H100i, or a CoolerMaster Seidon 240M. Which is better? Which is cheaper? Which is easier?
Secondly, if I were to go for a water cooler like Corsair's, which one would you recommend? A few I've looked at are the Seidon 240M, the H100i, the Swiftech H240X, and the Noctua NH-D14.
Thirdly: If anyone has anything else to add about water cooling and overclocking in general I'd love some advice here, any at all would be great
Lastly, my specs:
Case: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-039-IW&groupid=2362&catid=2277&subcat=0
Motherboard: AsRock Killer Z87
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 770

Thanks in advance for any help guys

 

[Dlaw]

The differences between the water cooling setup in the beginner's thread and the AIO units (the NH-D14 is not a water unit, BTW) are that the performance will be significantly better, and you can pick the parts to look and perform how you want on your budget.

In general, AIO units will edge out custom ones in the price category, and hands down are easier to install than a custom loop. But I'd be willing to bet that you could piece together a budget minded loop that outperforms AIOs in both price and performance.

 

[HumbleWanderer]

The differences between the water cooling setup in the beginner's thread and the AIO units (the NH-D14 is not a water unit, BTW) are that the performance will be significantly better, and you can pick the parts to look and perform how you want on your budget.

In general, AIO units will edge out custom ones in the price category, and hands down are easier to install than a custom loop. But I'd be willing to bet that you could piece together a budget minded loop that outperforms AIOs in both price and performance.

Will the AIO units leak, or are they prone to leaking?

 

[Dlaw]

Will the AIO units leak, or are they prone to leaking?

Not that I'm aware of, though nothing is perfect.

 

[Blaylock]

Welcome Humble Wanderer. Some of the AIO's are very good but will never be as good as a custom loop. Advantages of AIO's are basic plug and play functionality. They good for mild overclocking and are perfect for gamers who want a little bit more from their rigs. Custom loops are for the true enthusiasts who expect the absolute lowest temps with the highest overclocks. Custom loops are best for elite gamers and those who are serious about benchmarking. Custom loops have really started becoming more mainstream as more and more people feel comfortable with adding water to their rigs. You'll definitely want to read the stickies before buying ANYTHING.

If you decide to go AIO, I would suggest something like the Swiftech H220X or H240X for its expandability and add a 360 or 420mm rad to the loop for the Gpu heat.

If you decide to go custom I would look into the kits by EKWB. They are full custom loops with preselected components. 100% expandable and completely customizable.

Either way read the stickies in the water cooling section and post any questions you have. Happy hunting.

P.S. the Noctua NH-D14 is an air cooler and works as well as most AIO coolers.


Edit: you ask if AIO'S leak. No loop should ever leak. Custom or otherwise. That said you should always do a leak test before leaving you rig running unattended.

 

[HumbleWanderer]

Blaylock, if no loop should ever leak, does that mean I won't have to perform maintenance, on either a custom loop, or an AIO unit?

 

[Blaylock]

No, maintenance is necessary for all loops. Clean everything out every 6 months to a year is recommended. But as long as everything is clamped down properly it should never leak. Think of radiator hoses. If maintained and replaced when there's signs of wear they will never leak. And they take ALOT of abuse. Here's the sticky I was refering to. It will explain all of this.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Blaylock, if no loop should ever leak, does that mean I won't have to perform maintenance, on either a custom loop, or an AIO unit?

Any loop is prone to leaking but AIOs are sealed. Very rare occasion has AIOs leaked, plus you would be under warranty. If the right steps are taken, you could truly lessen the chances of that happening, leak test etc.

Nonetheless, maintenance is necessary for custom loops but not AIOs. AIOs as stated are plug and play.