extreme cooling ready setup <$250

[TerroH8er]

hey guys.. in a couple months, I think i'm going to be building a watercooling in a couple weeks, so I'm trying to get a list of parts ready. I'd like to make sure that in case I want to add a pelt or two (mainly for the NB and GFX card), or a water chiller, the blocks would be compatible with it. I'm a n00b to watercooling I guess you could say, so I'm not sure if there is such thing as being "pelt ready" or not. I guess I know a little about watercooling, but nothing drastic. I prefer not to make my own blocks yet because I only have a dremel, maybe next school year as I will taking a metal class where we can do whatever we want .

Anyway, here's what I've gathered so far.

Pump: Hydor L30 - $50
Tubing: 10 ft (i reckon this is enough?) ClearFlex or Tygon? $15-25
CPU Block: Coppertop Maze3 AMD - $46
GPU Block: Swiftech MCW50 - $42
NB Block: looking for an alternative to the Z-chipset block, as i don't feel comfortable with a lucite top $40-55
Radiator: '86 Chevette heatercore w/ Comair/Rotron Partiot $30
Fittings: Do i need to buy these? do they come with the blocks?
Resevior: build one myself?

Total: about $250

Also, how would I run this? I was thinking of running it as
Res > Pump > Rad > CPU > GPU > NB
but wouldn't the water be heated up by the time it reaches the NB.. GPU even?

BTW - i realize that to run a pelt, I'd probally need to run another loop because it would heat up the water pretty quickly.

my specs are:
Athlon 2100+ @ 2.4GHz
SLK-800 w/ 50cfm YS Tech
Abit NF7-S Rev1.2.... 206fsb (so NB gets pretty hot)
Sapphire Radeon 9700 Pro w/ Zalman heatpipe cooler

Thanks a lot,
Terro

 

[GodCandy]

You seem to have a pretty good grasp on what you think you need. I am a newbe to the forum but have been playing with watercooling for a while now. The fittings are on all of the blocks. you may want to buy a "T" for the lines so that you can run to each device separately. Some people like this and others don’t. most of the time the water is traveling so fast that the temperature change through the entire loop is less than 3° Celsius. If your resevior is big enough the water will be back to ambiant temps before it is pumped out again and will add to the cooling ability of the system.
Hope this helps,
Godcandy

 

[Doomer87]

Dtek has a Al topped northbridge block:

http://www.dtekcustoms.com/product.asp?3=92

 

[Giblet Plus!]

Tubing: 10 ft (i reckon this is enough?) ClearFlex or Tygon? $15-25

www.mcmaster.com sells Clearflex60 for .65 cents a foot under as PVC Chemical Tubing. Get the 1/2" ID, 3/4" OD variety - mine is great.

I would go with a Danner Mag 3 for $40 instead of the Hydor. The Danner is a more powerful pump.

What case is this all going in? You might be able to fit in a bigger heatercore.

 

[TerroH8er]

You seem to have a pretty good grasp on what you think you need. I am a newbe to the forum but have been playing with watercooling for a while now. The fittings are on all of the blocks. you may want to buy a "T" for the lines so that you can run to each device separately. Some people like this and others don’t. most of the time the water is traveling so fast that the temperature change through the entire loop is less than 3° Celsius. If your resevior is big enough the water will be back to ambiant temps before it is pumped out again and will add to the cooling ability of the system.
Hope this helps,
Godcandy

Thanks for the info

Dtek has a Al topped northbridge block:

http://www.dtekcustoms.com/product.asp?3=92

Yeah, I saw that one.. Is it any good? I don't see any reviews anywhere on it..

www.mcmaster.com sells Clearflex60 for .65 cents a foot under as PVC Chemical Tubing. Get the 1/2" ID, 3/4" OD variety - mine is great.

I would go with a Danner Mag 3 for $40 instead of the Hydor. The Danner is a more powerful pump.

What case is this all going in? You might be able to fit in a bigger heatercore.

oooo thanks for that site, it looks like a good deal. Is the Danner pump as good quality as Eheim and Hydor Pumps?

My case is a Chieftec Dragon Mid-tower, but I think I'm going to be running this setup open air, because it's gonna be pretty hard to fit everything in there I think.. or maybe I'll get a full tower.

BTW - does anyone have an estimate on when Cathar's White White block will be sold by Dtek? Like in a month, 6 months, a year, etc..

 

[Giblet Plus!]

My stuff fits just fine:

I've been very happy with my Danner. I'd get the 3 instead of the 5 - it's more efficient.

Cathar's WWR should be at Dtek in a couple of weeks, I'd think.

 

[Joe_Atlanta]

Beautiful, clean setup. What did you make that shroud out of, Giblet?

 

[Giblet Plus!]

The shroud is made out of plastic sheet I got at a hobby store. I just cut out the pieces, taped them on the outside, glued them on the inside, took the tape off and painted it. It's really easy - I should make another one and take pics for a guide.

 

[anvil82]

The shroud is made out of plastic sheet I got at a hobby store. I just cut out the pieces, taped them on the outside, glued them on the inside, took the tape off and painted it. It's really easy - I should make another one and take pics for a guide.

Are there any fans in the front of the heater core, or is the top exhaust, and the bottom intake?

 

[Giblet Plus!]

No fans in front. The bottom is intake, and the only exhaust ATM is the psu and empty fan grills. I'll probably add a 120mm blowhole on top and two 92s in back once I get a less crappy power supply.

 

[TerroH8er]

Thanks everyone, especially Giblet for the suggestions I think I have a general idea of what I want. I'll probably wait until Dtek releases the White Water block, all I need to know now is a good chipset block.

 

[TerroH8er]

one last question, is 10ft enough for tubing? Or should I get more just in case? Cause 10ft seems like an awful lot, but then again I don't wanna be a couple feet short when I'm ready to build it

 

[lazyart]

10 ft will give plenty of margin for error.

 

[Giblet Plus!]

My system has exactly 5' of tubing in it, counting the fill line. 10' is fine.

 

[SiGmA_X]

IMO, get more tubing then you need, so if you make the tubes too long/short the first time around, you can clean them up to fit perfectually

That rad that you want will fit in the case as long as you remove the internal hdd rack. Fits easily, in fact

 

[TerroH8er]

My system has exactly 5' of tubing in it, counting the fill line. 10' is fine.

but mine will have a NB and GPU block on it.. i'll just order 25', just in case the neighbors want some

oh yeah.. last question, i promise do I need any "barbs" or "hose-clamps"..

and why do you say get the danner mag 3 instead of the 5? Isn't the 5 more powerful? I'm going for the most powerful..

 

[poMONKey]

...and why do you say get the danner mag 3 instead of the 5? Isn't the 5 more powerful? I'm going for the most powerful..

to requote Giblet - "I'd get the 3 instead of the 5 - [ because ] it's more efficient."

power is one thing, efficiency is another...

BTW: nice f#@kin rig man!!! will be a model for my first try...

thanks for the info

 

[TerroH8er]

but what kind of efficiency are we talking about? Power efficient?