Advice for an experienced overclocker new to watercooling

[Surfrider77]

Right, so I might finally take the big punge into watercooling... haha pun.

The last couple days have been spent reading stickies from a couple forums for watercooling. Sadly, our stickies seem a bit dated so I am here to ask some questions. I am looking to start off with CPU only loop and possibly later add NB. Much later, I may add a GPU block but I have no plans to as of right now. Price really isnt an issue with me, I am just looking for the best and to have "room to grow" to add blocks later. With that in mind I have come to these parts:

Preliminary setup:

RAD: TFC X-Changer Triple Radiator 360
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=337&cat=99&page=1
These are supposedly better than the Thermochill PA120.3 and use copper for the water chambers for better heat dissipation. I had been torn over the 120.2 vs 120.3 version for a cooling capability / bulk size hassle standpoint. Open to suggestions for 120.2 vs 120.3 for cooling capacity / mounting advice.

PUMP: MCP355 /w Laing Res attachment or MCP655
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7...Pump_Attachment_w_MCP-350355_No_Fittings.html
or
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6...38_Conversion_Kit_317_GPH.html?tl=g30c107s154
I have read that basically the MCP355 is sufficient and with the Laing Acrylic Res attachment is even better. Others say the MCP655 is king, but it dumps a lot of heat into your loop. Advice?

CPU Block: D-Tek Fuzion v2 /w quad insert
http://www.jab-tech.com/D-tek-Fuzion-V2-pr-4155.html
http://www.jab-tech.com/D-tek-Fuzion-V2-Quad-Core-Insert-pr-4154.html
Basically most reviews I have read says this is the best Quad cooling block available. I think the only competition is the Apogee GTX, but I am fairly sold on the Fuzion v2.

RES: Need input.
So far the Laing Acrylic attachment in combination with the MCP355 seems the cleanest I have seen.
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7...Pump_Attachment_w_MCP-350355_No_Fittings.html
I have reservations with the res being mounted on the pump, basically making it at the lowest point of the entire loop. The CPU block and Rad would be higher elevated. Isn't this an issue?

TUBING: Tygon R-3603 7/16" ID 5/8" OD
http://www.jab-tech.com/Tygon-R-3603-7-16-ID-5-8-OD-Chemical-Tubing-AAC00033-pr-3957.html
This stuff seems to be what everyone recommends. Less prone to clouding etc. My loop will be all 1/2" ID so they say this tubing size fits tighter and doesnt restrict flow.


I think that about covers the parts. My biggest concern is over the Rad. I plan on placing it externally, but really am at a loss on how to accomplish this. Where / how can I safely mount a 120.3 radiator. Would I really lose much performance using a 120.2? I am sure it would be a lot less hassle finding a place for it.

Next, I really couldnt see any posts about. Does anyone need or use PTFE tape? (Plumber's tape / Teflon tape) This sounds like it would ensure better seals on the barb attachments. I dont really see PTFE tape listed on most watercooling vendor sites, so I guess the o-rings work just fine? Just a bit concerned putting a non-taped loop into a few $k system.

Finally, hose clamps. Do the Herbie clip nylon ones hold well? I dont want to damage the tubing with the metal worm-drive types. Advice?

I basically want to take my QX9650 to the next level. I know my CPU has a lot left in it, but I feel really held back by the lack of heat dissipation in my Air cooling. It would be nice to see 4.2GHz-4.4GHz 24/7 use. Am I underestimating / overestimating? Am I crazy spending ~$400 for just a few hundred MHz more?

Any advice is welcome!

 

[phil178821]

rad..

if you want will be doing gpu/cpu/NB in the future, then i wouldnt go less than a 3x120. As for which to go for, I'd recommend the thermochill pa 120.3 of course (a little biased ) i am not sure where you read that the above mentioned performs better than the 120.3, but that could be true, idk. i just know that for sub 100 cfm fans, the thermochills really are the best. during my medium yate loons from high to low (they are 73cfm of so at high) i see minimal temp change; thats with cpu/gpu/NB on the loop.

cpu block:
thats probably the most popular and probably the best there is. good choice.

pump:
stock top, the D5 beats the DDC hands down. some after market tops will, however, push the DDC as the better performer. All in all, the D5, unlike the DDC (unless you palce it on a controller) comes with a pontentiometer which allows you to decrease noise output.

res:
personally, i wouldnt get one. too prone to leaking. while some never have issues, others have disaster stories. I would go with a t-line. its cheap, and less a risk of leaking. it is a little bit more difficult to bleed the line than a res, however, it wasnt too bad.

tubings:
looks good. tygon is the best. 7/16" ID is become the most popular (replacing 1/2"ID)

clamps:
worm drives shouldnt be a problem if you dont over tighten. i currently use herbie clips ( i had to buy all my parts of the internet because at school, where i did my build, i dont have access to a hardware store and worm drives were too expensive online) they hold fine but they are not very easy to tighten using just your fingers, you will need some pliers. the only time i would be cautious with them is if you are moving your case around a lot (ie traveling in a car with it). i have heard they loosen in time but that 5 or 6 weeks this setup has been running, i havent see anything. i'd say, liek everything else that could possibly cause leaks, i would check them (just like i would worm drive) periodically. i also think they are more visually appealing than big worm d rive.

tape:
some use it, some don't. its just an extra precautionary thing. i personally dont. as long as you have a recessed o ring, you should be fine

as for your overclock:
i dont know what the track record is for the QX9650, but it may be possible. it could depend on your board and just luck of the draw with it and your proc. maybe not. i would recommend WCing your NB though if you want to clock up that hi. I see you have an X38? I am still using an P965, but i would assume, liek others, that northbridge will heat to high heaven with high FSB.

oh and mounting.
i currently use the swiftech rad box, which strains a lot when supporting the big thermochill 120.3, which as a whole, are wider than your average rad. i also have six fans and a shroud on it. now it will probably hold well but i am going to do a little extra to support mine. another one of the reasons it is straining is also that the rad box, which is 120mm in size, attached to an 80mm fan holes on the rear of my case, subsequently focusing the strain more. that will be fixed when i get home.
others make brackets and others used hollowed out 120mm fan frames to position there rad of the back of the case.

you can take a look at my thread to see how i mounted. click here

also, in your reading, dont just limit yourself to stickies. tons of info is in the regular posts.

g-luck

-Phil

 

[phil178821]

oh and the "am i spending $400 more for a few mhz?" i would say definitely not.

one. we all are geeks we enjoy the build. so thats part of the fun.
two. with temps not being the issue, i was never able to hit 3.6 stable on air. went to water, and it was not a problem.
three. you can go into silent mode! lol. thats what i like to call it. i currently have 2 80mm intakes, 2 80mm exhaust (one rear one top), on tiny fan over my ram made by CoolIT, and then 2x120 mm below my 8800 to cool of the ram, mosfet, i/o sinks. i then have 6 medium yate loons out back on the rad. if i turn my D5 pump down to 2 instead of 5 and all of my fans on low, the loudest i hear is the low clicks of my HDDs. this is with my pc up on my desk. on the floor, probably here nothing. with that, i am OC'd now at 3.2 (8x400) with a vcore of 1.296 and with fans on high, i idle at room temp and while in silent mode, i idle a couple of degrees higher.

what current OC's are you getting with your setup on air?

 

[Surfrider77]

I have a fairly silent setup right now. I have a Thermalright Ultra 120 Ex sandwiched between two 120mm Sycthe S Flex 73CFM fans, which run ~28db. Then I have 4 more Scythe S Flex 49CFM @20db for various case fans. I have a very small fan I placed on my NB cooler.

I have no issues running 400x10, but I get Prime load temps upwards of 65c. I have benchmarked upwards of 4.2GHz, but I dare not run that 24/7. I am currently tweaking trying to get 450x9, which is stressing the crap out of my NB with 4x2G ram sticks populated.

I think 440x10 sounds great, but I know my CPU temp would be completely unrealistic with my current air setup.

 

[phil178821]

my goodness. reading through your sig again, you dumped some serious cash in tho that system. how does your 4x16g SSD raid 0 run?

on topic,i would definitely WC the NB and cpu. (but also, i did get an extra 40mhz with out vmod when going from stock to water on the gpu).

as for what else you get out of your cpu. thats hard to tell. someone with more experience on that proc might have a better answer. you will definitely see better temps, especially with the hardware you are looking at. if it seems liek there is some ocing room left, then water will give you your best shot at that (besides LN2 or dry ice)

 

[Surfrider77]

my goodness. reading through your sig again, you dumped some serious cash in tho that system. how does your 4x16g SSD raid 0 run?

http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php?p=5423850&postcount=165

 

[meionm]

I didn't even know that there was even more expensive triple rad than triple thermochill.

 

[Surfrider77]

Its also known as a Feser X if you wanted to google the articles about it. Main notes are:

After a very long development period - The Feser Company has finished the creation of a new line of high performance liquid cooling radiators - the Xchanger!

The fins and water channels use a high-grade copper (e-Cu), and the water chambers consist of a brass alloy. The protective paint layer has been made as thin as possible to allow the best heat-air transfer rates. The radiators are fitted with the favorite standardized G1/4" thread allowing fittings for any tubing size. Every single radiator is fully tested by The Feser Company before shipping - only then does it get the holographic certification label with its unique serial number.

Features
- Water Channels and Fins made out of ECu Copper Material
- Brass Water Chambers
- Black Finish (5µm)
- G1/4" Threads
- Mounting Screws for Case (4/8/12)
- Mounting Screws for Fan (4/8/12)
- Silicon Pads (1/2/3)
- Bleed Valve Screw
- Stamped TFC – Xchanger Logo
- ColorBox Packaging
- Warranty Card
- Serial Number with Holographic Sticker
- Sealed in VCI Bag - 5 Years Corrosion Protection
- 3 Years Warranty
- Compatible with all available Waterooling Systems

http://www.martinsliquidlab.com/Feser-X-Changer-120_3-Review.html

 

[lokitexas]

As far as the 120.2 vs. 120.3, Id say whatever suits your needs. I went with the PA 120.2 even though my case can mount the 3 inside. From the reviews I read, and for the fact that I still wanted one open fan in the case (was using passive HR-03's on my old SLI cards) it was pretty damn close. Of course this was with a Themrochill...but I do believe it should ring true with that rad as well.

More than 3 componets....then maybe a 3...but for only 2, you should be just fine with the 2. If nothing else...add another 120.2 later like I plan do to and run 2 loops