Fans, Airflow, Radiator placement and much confusion. Advice & guidance please!!

[thepurser]

Fans, Airflow, Radiator placement and much confusion. Advice & guidance please!!

Hello everyone,
I'm building a replacement PC and have a few questions that I am having difficulty finding satisfactory answers for.
I have already purchased a case, (that was going to be a straight transplant of my old system) but have since decided to go the whole hog.
So far I have .....
Corsair 730t case
Asus X99 deluxe mobo
i7 5930k processor
32gb HyperX DDR4 266 ram
2x Asus GTX 980 graphics cards.
XFX Pro850w modular psu
A random collection of SSD's HDD's Optical drives to complete the build with, (or be upgraded / replaced as necessary).

I want to water cool the CPU and GPU's but with my budget and experience I have decided to go with AIO options for both.
Due to the position of my tower, (under my desk and against a bookshelf in the corner of the room) I am going to be fitting an extractor fan exhaust in the back corner, (and on one shelf of the bookshelf just under the desk) to help with airflow and keep temperatures down.
I will be using one of the HDD racks supplied with the case for at least 2 3.5 hdd.

So my questions are as follows.

1: I am looking to use a Corsair H110i or H90 for the CPU and two EVGA hybrid 980 kits for the GPU's.
What is the best solution for mounting them please?
I have considered the following.
H110i in the roof of the case, EVGA hybrids in the front behind the 140mm fans.
H110i in the roof of the case, EVGA hybrids one front and one bottom.
H110i in the roof of the case, EVA hybrids one front one rear exhaust position.
H90 in the rear exhaust position and the EVGA's in the roof of the case.

2: I have never operated SLI before. Will these 980's operate ok in adjacent PCI slots with the hybrid coolers or is it best to leave a slots width between them and use a longer SLI bridge?

3: FANS!!!!!!!!! God it gets confusing. Do I need extra fans? Layout? SP or AF? Where?

4: Do the fans need grouping so I can control the airflow balance and reduce noise? If so what is the best way to control them all individually?

5: I want to control the Extractor fan from the PC as it will be practically inaccessible once installed and the computer is in place.
I am aiming to use a high cfm 140 to 180mm fan and would like to control it via pwm and a temperature switch so that it comes on only when needed and doesn't cause a gale around my legs when not.
Is there a suitable single fan controller out there that would work alongside all the other fans?

Sorry for all the questions.
I realise they may seem annoying to some of you but i have spent a couple of weeks googling, read many forums, heard many opinions but been unable to relate them all to each other or my personal requirements.
Some experienced advice or pointers would be incredibly useful, (especially if someone lives near and would like a free coffee for a chat and some advice).

Things I can't really change.
Position of the computer.
Major components, (they work for my budget and needs).
The case is a possible swap but it will need to remain less than 560mm deep , 700mm tall, and around the £100 mark so I can balance the sale of the 730t if needed.
Many thanks to you all.!!!!!

 

[EarthDog]

Im not going to lie... stopped reading after this:

I have decided to go with AIO options for both.

You are going to be 2/3 of the way to a custom loop with the cost of 3 AIOs really. Someone else here wants to do that and we are all trying to talk him down off the ledge... let me get that thread...Its just, not clean, and tubing length can become a concern for proper mounting, etc.

EDIT: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...cooling-project!-Double-GPU-CPU-water-cooling

EDIT2: With 2 980s and that CPU, you are looking at cooling around 450W at stock and 500W or so overclocked. I would get nothing less than a total of 5x120mm worth of radiator.

As far as experience... we all start somewhere! There are plenty of guides here in this section you can look at to educate yourself (we will help) on the premise and how to. chekc out the beginners guide.

 

[thepurser]

I've had a read through and will keep an eye on it.
Aesthetics are not a concern for me. the case is windowless and the face of the mobo is toward the wall anyway.
I'm just after something that works and is relatively maintenance free. Not to say that I am discounting a custom loop but it does seem like a much more expensive option than I really need.
The 3 AIO's would cost me £270, (about $413). Just doing a rough price up for a custom loop with fairly basic components, (no fans, tube, fluid or connector fittings) is already at around £460!
I shan't be overclocking to any great extent unless I find I really need the extra grunt for video work.
Is it that AIO's are really that bad or is it a bit like asking advice on a Fiat in a Ferrari forum?

 

[EarthDog]

They aren't bad... but using 3 AIOs is, to some of us at least, 'rigging' things. YOu will really need to pay attention to the length of tubes in the AIO's and make sure with your planned placement, they will reach the component.

If you aren't overclocking to a great extent, why bother with AIO cooling in the first place... particularly on the GPUs.

This is a Ferrari forum, but we welcome Yugo's too!!!

To answer your questions directly..

1. It doens't look like you can fit 3x 2x120mm radiators in that case (according to the website its a 3x120 up top, 2x120 up front and 1x120 on the bottom and rear). You would have to run an H90 to make things work.
2. That depends on the board and how the PCIe speeds break down. But seeing as how you have X99 and a 5930K there are plenty of lanes. Just follow what the mobo manual says in regards to placement for two cards.
3. There are several threads here on fans, I would check those out (fans are not my forte, sorry). I do know that on radiators you would want the SP (Static Pressure) models though to push more air through the radiator.
4. You should have matching fans if you are using a push/pull setup on a radiator, but it really doesn't matter too much on that front. Just don't put a 5K RPM one on one side and a slug on the other! As far as how to control fans... a fan controller is likely the easiest way. I prefer to combine fans on a rad and use one channel for each.
5. Extractor fan? Is that the same as exhaust? Really, you want airFLOW inside the case. You don't want fans off in the first place.
5a. Yes, a fan controller.

 

[oldiron]

I'd really have to + 1 to what ED just said, and speaking from experience, he said it to me not that long ago and I really wish I had taken his advice.
I have a large case(haf-x) and it was a total pain getting all 3 aio's in there without the hoses/tubes pulling and twisting something they werent supposed to. Also the results were marginal compared to a full block. GPU temps were good but vrm temps not a real big difference. So total gain was marginal in my opinion and for the effort I so wish I would have gone full loop.

Edit- I used h55's on the GPU's and those hoses are short.Maybe 8-10 inches from cooler to rad after mounting.Was a huge pain.

 

[thepurser]

Cheers Earthdog and Oldiron,
AIO route would end up with 1 2x140 in the top. (which does have the mounting holes and space honest) and then two single 120 rads. One each for the gpu's.
There is 15" total between block and Rad but that is reduced to 14" once the shroud is on.
I shall spend some time and look at the cost properly of a custom loop to see if that is going to be practical at all.
Is the cheapest, (component wise) custom loop going to be worth having or is it a waste of effort and cash?

With regard to 5:, the extractor is a room extractor, (like a bathroom extractor fan) but I would like to use a decent CFM pc fan so I can control it from the PC itself. So it is external to the system but internally controlled.
Hopefully I will be able to get some sort of temperature monitoring of the exhaust buildup under the desk to control the speed as this will help stop the heat buildup in my room by venting it outside!!!

 

[EarthDog]

Not sure you will be pleased with a single 120 on the 980 honestly... you will potentially get 'closer to air than water' temperatures unless you put some beefy fans on it... which also defeats a purpose of water cooling (quiet).

Is the cheapest, (component wise) custom loop going to be worth having or is it a waste of effort and cash?

You are undoubtedly going to pay more for custom water. But I really say you should save up and 'do it right' instead of shoe horning AIOs in your case.

Oh, ok, a room exhaust fan... gotcha. Not sure most 140mm fans will be able to do what that kind of fan does (its A LOT bigger and moves A LOT more air - they run off 120/220v not 12v, ).


EDIT: If you are thinking custom, look at a 3x120mm for up top, and a 2x120mm for the front. Blocks for the CPU and GPUs are your choice, as are the fittings. Sorry though, I keep getting hung up on wondering what the point is for an AIO 'system' or custom water when you don't plan to overclock (much). A $30 CPU cooler (Hyper 212+ for example) will allow that CPU to reach 4Ghz+. And I assume your GPUs are not reference so they are already likely really quiet. I just don't see a point (for giggles is OK of course).

 

[oldiron]

I shall spend some time and look at the cost properly of a custom loop to see if that is going to be practical at all.
Is the cheapest, (component wise) custom loop going to be worth having or is it a waste of effort and cash?

I'm a noob, and learning, but I learn from my mistakes. So this may be somewhat biased. I have done a 3 aio setup in my gaming rig and have done a full custom loop for my sons rig. My sons loop was easy to plan and set up and execute with only very minor issues to install all aesthetic really. My 3 aio was a complete pain, changed layout 3 times,remember when your looking at hose length on the aio's if they are pulled out straight and measure 14" your gonna loose some in radius thats what kiiled my initial gameplans.
Also, when you compare the 2 you really are comparing a Fiat to a Ferrari. My sons mcp655 pump is like a small garden hose and my h80i pump I can pee harder than it pumps and I'm old. Plus the ability to add or remove anything from the loop and service it. AOI's can and will have issues, buildup in the pump, leaks, ect and not serviceable. You can always start small, do the CPU and add the GPU's later. In my noob opinion you'd almost be better off doing that and leaving the GPU's on air as its not going to be as substantial a difference as you may think vs the aio.
I'm sure you'll get better responses and I know theres way more water cooling knowledge here than I can give you. I saw the post and just wanted to pass my not so great experience along. Good luck man, and show us some of the build.
PS- I only spent 110.00 more on my sons loop than mine and in frustration relief alone was worth 2 times that.

EDIT- we call that a fart fan here in the states

 

[thepurser]

Hello again. Been away planning, mulling and chewing things over.
Sooooo, you have recommended 5x120 worth or rad to cool an i7 5930k and two GTX 980s.
I have a Corsair 730t case and cramming all that in along with HDDs and Opticals is tight.
Will 4x140rad do the same trick for me? One up front and one up top?
Any recommendations?
I have looked at the clearance 280 rads on UCUK. SR! 280's seem reasonable
Or Phobya G-Changer V1.2 280mm? A bit more pricy.
As for tubing is 13/19mm to big or a sensible choice for flow rates etc?
Finally for now, what are you verdicts on the monsoon compression fittings? They seem good value.
Cheers.

 

[Conumdrum]

Value for fittings. You can use barbs and hose clamps. I did for years. Looked fine and worked fine.