can air cooled be doable with 2x295x2 in crossfire and a 3770k cpu

[XxRubyxX]

Well title says it all, there probably a answer around but wanted fresh responses. I am currently in the process of very soon once i get money upgrading my computer, with new gpu's and ram and psu. I have heard the 295x2 is a really needy gpu as far as power and heat dissipation, and have been debating on a liquid cooling. I have never did liquid cooling and am new to this so that's why i want fresh responses and advice from people who water cools, on parts to get, best places to get them and just advice in general. I have heard the terrors of water cooled and well im a bit weary on it and don't know where to turn

Current specs that might need to be changed

intel i7 3770k 1155 socket

Corsair 750 or 800 watt psu

Cooler Master Elite 430 - Mid Tower Computer Case with All-Black Interior and Windowed Side Panel

Ram cant remember know it 1333mhz

Nvidia gtx 680

 

[EarthDog]

Where to start........

1. A 295x2 is the most power hungry GPU out. It is not good for power, nor heat dissipation. Each 295x2 is 500W, that is 1,000W total just for the GPUs. You want to cool them and the CPU? You will want AT LEAST 8x120mm worth of rad, likely more.
2. You will need a new PSU if you go 2 295x2.
3. WHY 2 295x2? Are you going 4K? Multi monitor 4k? that would be about the only reason to do so.
4. Read the water cooling stickies if you want to water cool.
5. What is the purpose of this PC? Let's help save you a bit of money and reach your goals through assistance and education.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

#4 is the most pertinent question on the list.

What's the use of the computer? Gaming? If so, what resolution?

 

[Janus67]

You will need a bigger power supply. A single 295x2 can take 450-500W IIRC (the TDP of a single 290x is either 225 or 250W, x2 = ~500W x2 = 1000W just for GPUs).

Real question - do you really need dual 295x2s? What will you be doing to need more than 2 GPUs? What resolution, etc?

With regard to the air cooling, I would say it is possible but you will need a TON of air flow to make sure that you get enough cool air in take and a lot of exhause to get that hot air out. Ultimately water cooling may be the better solution, but will require a ton of raddage to accomplish.

 

[XxRubyxX]

as far as psu i was planning on a 1200 watt and i am doing rendering and gaming and will do multi monitor not 4k yet but it will be a goal of mine. and i was very idk about the liquid cooling, i have heard the terrors of liquid cooling and screwing your rig over and that's what makes me scared of it, ik the 295x2 have a closed loop water cooling but i really not sure if that gonna be enough. and ik stickies about the cooling section but i want to get a idea of what components i would need, and another reason i think a custom loop would be good for the fact i want to liquid cool my cpu also but don't know if that's possible or what case would be able house all of that.

 

[XxRubyxX]

but like i say i am new to water cooling and wanna get all the facts straight before i dive into it

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Ah man that's a lot of GPU..... A GTX 980 by itself air cooled is probably the same horse power as 2x 295x2's.

Your going to need like 1300w PSU or bigger..... Liquid cooling all of that is going to be a nightmare.

I run a Silverstone TJ07 case. Very Big, very expensive, can house anything really.

But man, I'm trying to wrap my brain about running those old arse cards in SLI and watch the electric bill hit the roof.

WHY?

 

[XxRubyxX]

i mean true but idk im sitting on the line.

 

[Waza]

Gaming wise GTX 980 is probably much better to a point. Theres is no question that 295x2 has more raw power. It really comes down to the software and drivers.
You will have hard time cooling those GPUs and they do need a serious PSU.
That being said why not wait for the R300 series cards.. They are very likely to launch within the next 6 months and more likely in the first half of that timeline and who knows maybe get announced next week.
If I had to buy GPU right now and I don't game at 4k I would get the 980 or two of them.

 

[Janus67]

Ah man that's a lot of GPU..... A GTX 980 by itself air cooled is probably the same horse power as 2x 295x2's.

Your going to need like 1300w PSU or bigger..... Liquid cooling all of that is going to be a nightmare.

I run a Silverstone TJ07 case. Very Big, very expensive, can house anything really.

But man, I'm trying to wrap my brain about running those old arse cards in SLI and watch the electric bill hit the roof.

WHY?

How would a single 980 outperform 4 290x gpus?

 

[EarthDog]

I'm wondering if be thinks it's the old nividia card, GTX 295, and not the 'just released last year' dual 290x on a stick...

 

[Witchdoctor]

How would a single 980 outperform 4 290x gpus?

Think Shrimp is thinking nVidia GTX295 , not AMD 295x2 ......... lol

Regardless he brings up a valid point as do the others, why would you go this way.

first off you will need to use a 1600 watt power unit and you will be handcuffed with that if you really start pounding on it.

@ the OP

you really need to take a step back and educate yourself on water cooling and hardware

Once you have the basics on water cooling then you can start setting up a specification for this build

Anyone can go spend a lot of cash on parts, the key is to buy the best combination for the the money you intend to spend.

Good luck

 

[EarthDog]

I run a 295x2 and 5820k on 750w psu. I need 800 when I overclock them both to the max, lol. 1300-1500w is plenty assuming he isn't benching. The 295x2 power delivery is MEH (reference) so you can't get too far on those...

 

[ATMINSIDE]

What rendering software?
What resolution of multi monitors?
Gaming on one or three?

We need details dude........

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Yes my mistake. A buddy of mine just upgrade from 3 295 NV gpu's to 2 980's. There's a big big difference there!! lol.

I really hate that AMD follows part numbers and ****.

K series desktop APUs and stuff. Very confusing.

Yea, still though. It would be a massive killer gaming set up yes, for sure for sure!

 

[Witchdoctor]

yep, the memory is the first thing to go .....






jk/ing of course

 

[XxRubyxX]

What rendering software?
What resolution of multi monitors?
Gaming on one or three?

We need details dude........

Want to do 4k soon and as for multi monitor

i want to have maybe 4 set up at one point

rendering after effects cinima 4d and photoshop

im sitting on this at this point getting a single r9 295x2 and getting a huge case and such and gonna get a high rated psu for when i want to run 2 r9295x2 and a full water loop. even tho people say titan x would be good but thats a whole other debate that in it self

 

[ATMINSIDE]

So... are you trying to run multiple 4K monitors or a 4K monitor and another resolution for the other three?
Details dude, details...

IIRC Cinema 4D responds much better to nVidia than AMD GPU's.

 

[XxRubyxX]

im thinking im gonna decide on running 2 way sli 980's i think thats gonna be good enough, still gonna water cool but i think thats gonna be the best option but it may change when theres more info on the titan x is released and more tests are shown, i think sli 980's will be able to do what i need it to do, with the heat issue and power usage that the r9 295x2 suffers from

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Two 980's sounds like a much smarter option to me.
Grab a SuperNova G2 750W or 850W if you're buying a new PSU, they're the top models for that wattage range.

Also, for rendering, some faster RAM might not be a terrible idea. Can you confirm the speed and timings of your current RAM for us?

As for general watercooling knowledge, we have a TON of stickies up in our watercooling section.
Read them through a few times, there's literally a decade (or more) of knowledge in that section.