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Black Ice GTX M160 Radiator: Will it be enough?

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No way. Wayy too much heat and way to littile radiator.

12800 surface area for that teeny rad.

A rad size that you'll need is like a 120x2 rad, a square area of 28800, way more than double the size of that odd small one
 
You're going to waste a lot of money for 'good enough'...you'll be looking at performance equivalent of a high-end air cooler for the price of a full custom loop.
 
Is that radiator really that small? It is virtually the same size as a single 120mm radiator. Wouldn't a high quality CPU block, pump, and this radiator be better than high-end air? I'd have two of the most powerful fans I could find in a push-pull setup on the radiator.

I understand it is going to cost more, but I'm willing to overlook that for now.
 
Your performance will be about equivalent to high end air. Period. Look at how the h80 performs. You will see performance in that realm. If money is no object, do what you want, but IMO, you might as well just burn the money.
 
But the H80 is also coupled with a so-so CPU block and weak pump. I would be using a 750 lph pump.
 
But the H80 is also coupled with a so-so CPU block and weak pump. I would be using a 750 lph pump.

The small rad will be very restrictive, making them about the same, performance wise, no matter which pump you use.
 
If you want to do it, then do it, I don't know why you bothered asking if you were already convinced it was the best option.
 
Really? This test shows the Corsair H80 to be good enough for the i7-3960x overclocked:

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cooling/2011/12/15/corsair-h80-review/2

The H80 is only slightly larger than the GTX M160.

The sandybridge CPUs produce ALOT less heat than bloomfield chips do.

Is that radiator really that small? It is virtually the same size as a single 120mm radiator. Wouldn't a high quality CPU block, pump, and this radiator be better than high-end air? I'd have two of the most powerful fans I could find in a push-pull setup on the radiator.

I understand it is going to cost more, but I'm willing to overlook that for now.

The X20 is a decent pump combo but not even in the same league as something like a DDC or D5.


The bottom line is that if your absolutely set on this then it will cool the chip but dont expect miracles from it. You really should be looking at a 2x120mm solution or atleast a 1x140mm if you have space for it. The radiator is your #1 most important component to a liquid cooling loop. The pump is 2ndary flow rate is alot less important than reliable operation. This is why its important to have a quality pump, regardless of its flowrating.

If you dont want to spend a terrible amount of cash check out the XSPC rasa kit. Same pump/res but with a 2x120 rad and a CPU block. For its price it dominates the cost/performance ratio compared to a H100
 
The LGA1155 Sandy Bridge procs put out a lot less heat than Bloomfield, but the SB-E LGA2011 variety are rated at 130 watt TDP, just like Bloomfield and my 980X. With that said, my 980X is easier to cool than the 930 in my test system, but not as easy to cool as either of the 2600k procs or the 2500k proc in my sig. So don't plan to do more than moderate overclocking (like as high as you can get at stock vcore or maybe just a tad farther) with that little rad. The 980X is easier to cool than Bloomfield, but not by too much.

And that Noctua you linked to; don't expect high performance out of it. I presently have a similar Noctua heatsink that's a little taller than that one I just finished running tests on for a review, and don't expect miracles out of 4 heatpipes and 1 fin stack. Couldn't handle my 930 at all at 4.0 and could only handle 3.8 with high performance, noisy fans.

What are you trying to install this in, BTW? Are you space limited? If so, what is the purpose of shoving a high end proc in a small case where you can't take advantage of the power of it because you are limited in cooling choices?
 
Well, I wanted to get this done in a slim PC form factor just because I don't have enough space on my desk. But I do want some good overclocking, so I am considering getting a bigger case.

Here is my question for you:
If I use that high-flow pump with a 3x120mm radiator, would it be okay to connect the CPU and GPU inline with no radiator between them? Or is it best to place another radiator after the CPU so that the GPU doesn't get totally warm water?

I wasn't considering a GPU cooler, but with the bigger radiator, I might as well.
 
I had very good temps when I had my old vid card in my loop with my 980X (GTX260/216) but I never have bought a block to put my 570 back in the loop. But I am sure my radiator area is plenty to still give decent temps even if I had my 570GTX back in the loop. Right now I am seriously over-radded on the 980X system in my sig, with a PA120.3 and a Bonneville heater core (HC functionally equivalent to a MCR320 at least). I would say that a similar setup would be plenty to cool off your 980X and a high end vid card, all in a single loop. Go with a high end pump such as a MCP35X or a MCP355 with either an XSPC res top or something like the XSPC BayRes1, which has the MCP355 mount to it. As far as radiator area, I think you will need at least 120.5 worth of rad if you throw a vid card into the loop.
 
A high flow pump really means little. If a pump is rated like the one you mentioned at 750 LPH, you do understand that restrictions reduce that rate to a MUCH MUCH lower amount. It's a common misunderstanding and can easily be overcome with Skinneelabs.com and the basic physics understanding that the LPH rating is no restriction.

For example, my pump is rated at 264 LPM. With restrictions I'm at 1.4 GPM per minute, a HUGE restriction..........

There is tons of info in our stickies and here so you get the basics about heat, watts, Dt, etc. You NEED to have a basic understanding.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6489396&postcount=3

And thanks for telling us it's for a slim factor PC, now maybe we can work with you for a solution..
 
It looks like your aiming for that size for your case, what kinda case do you have BTW? i might be able to find you something that will fit
 
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