Need help on water setup part selection

[geoffchad]

I was looking at the EK motherboard kit HERE as a possibility for my i7 build. I know I don't need to cool the mobo, but it means I might not need to worry about any fans or tall heatsinks on the motherboard. The X58 extreme uses an aluminum water block, so its a no-go.

How would people feel about that motherboard block going into a loop with an i7 and a 4870x2 (possibly two of them in crossfire)? I have not selected any water blocks yet (though I plan on using 1/2" ID hose), as I know flow is going to be a big deal. I've got an XSPC RX480 (outside on a vertically rotating front door) and RX240 (inside on the back) in my Antec 1200 so far, and I could fit another RX360 in there if I had to as most of my 5" bays are open. 450ml res in the case as well. I can either run two loops with MCP355's or a single with an MCP655.

The machine can make a ton of noise at full bore, but I'd like it to be very quiet at idle. All the fans on it so far are Yate Loon high speed fans on a controller.

 

[hokiealumnus]

I'd separate the CPU/NB and the 2xGPUs/MOSFETs into two loops, split like that. i7's run HOT and putting four GPU cores in the same loop won't help matters much, even with all of those rads. Adding a NB/SB block won't hurt the CPU too much, but if you crunch, those MOSFETs could heat up significantly, which is why I suggest putting it with the GPUs. My $.02.

 

[Conumdrum]

Those two rads and two pumps. A problem I see is the 240 is too small for a CPU/NB loop, or two 4870x2. The 480 would be awesome for the CPU/NB or the GPU's.

I'd put the 480 on the CPU/NB and the 240 on the GPU, when you buy a second GPU, your gonna need a bigger rad.

And for sure TWO loops, no doubt about that.

 

[doublejack]

Yeah, I also suggest the 480 be used for the CPU/NB/SB, with the 240 going into a loop with your GPU & MOSFETs. If / when you add a second video card, then you can add another radiator to that loop to handle the extra load.

 

[QuietIce]

I'm seldom a fan of double loops but in this case I think the general consensus is right. A 480 on the CPU and chipsets should make a good loop. If you're lucky you can lower the fan speeds too ...

 

[jokers_greg]

I was looking at the EK motherboard kit HERE as a possibility for my i7 build. I know I don't need to cool the mobo, but it means I might not need to worry about any fans or tall heatsinks on the motherboard. The X58 extreme uses an aluminum water block, so its a no-go.

How would people feel about that motherboard block going into a loop with an i7 and a 4870x2 (possibly two of them in crossfire)? I have not selected any water blocks yet (though I plan on using 1/2" ID hose), as I know flow is going to be a big deal. I've got an XSPC RX480 (outside on a vertically rotating front door) and RX240 (inside on the back) in my Antec 1200 so far, and I could fit another RX360 in there if I had to as most of my 5" bays are open. 450ml res in the case as well. I can either run two loops with MCP355's or a single with an MCP655.

The machine can make a ton of noise at full bore, but I'd like it to be very quiet at idle. All the fans on it so far are Yate Loon high speed fans on a controller.

Any specific reason you wanna throw $140 @ cooling your NB/SB/Mosfets?

Aftermarket cooling and a large fan nearby will do the trick imo. Keep your CPU/GPU watercooled though

 

[geoffchad]

I thought about the motherboard blocks "just because".

I was originally thinking of getting the X58 extreme, but found out the water block was aluminum so I had also gotten the idea of water cooling the motherboard into my mind and it just went downhill from there. Its how it goes I guess!

I guess as time goes I can always juggle components around to see what works the best with the two loops. I cant help but think a 480 for chipset and CPU is a bit overkill (only temps will tell in the end!) as I manged to get my Q6600 to 3.6GHz and stable on just a thermalright Ex120 (though I leave it at 3.2GHz normally cause I'm paranoid).