Water Cooling Build help

[GTXJackBauer]

With fans, fittings and tubing, sure it can get close to $500 but not just tubing and fittings alone. I think I spend over $200 on fittings and still have extras which you always end up having if you know exactly which fittings you need etc. I went with the Helix120 cause I didn't have almost $300 to buy all new Noiseblockers eLoop B12 PWM fans.

If you want, buy the Maestrom reservoir and tuck them underneath it. You could buy that reservoir plus the dual pumps if you'd like. Just don't run them on full power cause they'll suck up that liquid fast. lol

 

[BruceUSA]

Single loop with 2x 290x oc 1200/1500 radiator 120.10 temp change only seeing 2-4c at most.

 

[RnRollie]

yeah well, W/C is a bit of a money sink.. there's always a point where one asks "is this worth it?" Its an individual question... like ....
One doesn't *need* a Bentley Mulsanne when a Tata Nano gets you from A to B also.

However, the ride is not quite the same


PS: while W/C comes with a cost, it could be worse : TEC cooling tends to become expensive rather fast

.

 

[gkline]

SuperMiguel, I have been following this thread and I'll will give you my observations of what I did.

I started with a 3930k in a Asus Sabertooth X79 mb with a single gpu (6970) and then replaced that with dual GTX670 FTWs. I had used an AIO cooler for the cpu (first a Thermal Take Extreme 2 then a Kraken 60). That's when the "incurable" disease called custom water cooling took over (ha!ha!). I had my rig in a CM HAF 932 Adv which I thought was a big case. Not for water cooling. I started with a RX360 rad (still have it), a XSPC single D5 bay/res (using it in another rig now) and a Swiftech Apogee HD cpu block. It was enough for the cpu but when I decided on water cooling the 2 670s the 360 fell short. I made the mistake of adding a single 120 rad internally but it really didn't add the capacity I wanted. The problem was the size of my case. I should have bit the bullet and bought a Caselabs case. Instead I mounted a EX360 rad externally in series with the RX360 and suddenly had good rad capacity. HOWEVER, this incurable disease works on you in funny ways. Especially when you see an add for a brand new Watercool MO RA3-420 Pro with pedestal feet and fan enclosure. Needless to say the seller took my offer and now I have a RX360 internally with an external MO RA3-420 (huge sucker!) I bought 9 new 140mm fans along with connectors for the MO RA3-420 (It has the rad capacity of 3-420 rads!). Being a worry wort that the flow rate might be on the slow side with the external MONSTER rad, I replaced the single D5 with an XSPC Twin D5 bay res (bought 2 new D5s as I wanted to keep the original one with the single bay/res. I bought Koolance Quickrelease connectors for the external rad. Custom water cooling doesn't come cheap!

Here's what I've learned. Buy as much rad space as you can afford and then some. In the long run, it's cheaper than the incremental bigger and bigger rads. You have a 900D. It's a BIG case. Unless you move to the Caselabs, it will serve you well. At present you have 2 R9 290X gpus. If you are going to add a 3rd for sure and you have a bad mb, get a new MB. I like my Sabertooth but never ran more than 2 gpus with it so I have no experience with 3 gpus.

I'd spend the $$ for a mb that will run 4 gpus.

Next as to rads, add all the rads you can. definitely 2 480s plus a 240. If the 900D will also support a 240 in the front, do it all at once. Tearing down and adding is probably more costly. Even if you only run the 2 gpus water cooled now the extra rad space plumbed in now will be better.

A single D5 will push the water but my Twin D5 bay/res is amazing. The pumps run in series so the flowrate is impressive.

Finally, be prepared to spend some serious $$$ to custom water cool. I'm not a "bling" guy. No disrespect to those that are. Performance comes before the pretty factor with me. However, adding rads to the loop entails not just the rad, but more fans, fittings and perhaps pumps.

Good luck.

 

[SuperMiguel]

Thanks for all the replies..

So i just ordered the radiators:

Radiator upper: alphacool ut60 480
Radiator lower non psu side: alphacool ut60 480
Radiator lower psu side or front: alphacool st30 240

The case should arrive within the next few days.. I decided to keep my mobo for now, and keep 2 cards for now... Will update when i get something in!

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Thanks for all the replies..

So i just ordered the radiators:

Radiator upper: alphacool ut60 480
Radiator lower non psu side: alphacool ut60 480
Radiator lower psu side or front: alphacool st30 240

The case should arrive within the next few days.. I decided to keep my mobo for now, and keep 2 cards for now... Will update when i get something in!

Very nice. 240 will end up going to the PSU side and the 480 across from it while having the other 480 up top. I'd advise going intake on all fronts and exhaust the back. The positive pressure will naturally push the air out where it is least resistant, the back.

What fans are you looking to purchase? I'd also advise on going push configuration. Push and pull will be too tight for the bottom, me thinks. They'll be blowing right next to each other if you did.


Nonetheless, keep us updated.

 

[gkline]

Nice setup. Lots of rad space.

 

[SuperMiguel]

Very nice. 240 will end up going to the PSU side and the 480 across from it while having the other 480 up top. I'd advise going intake on all fronts and exhaust the back. The positive pressure will naturally push the air out where it is least resistant, the back.

What fans are you looking to purchase? I'd also advise on going push configuration. Push and pull will be too tight for the bottom, me thinks. They'll be blowing right next to each other if you did.


Nonetheless, keep us updated.

not sure on the fans, but i **think** i can still use push/pull on all the radiators

 

[SuperMiguel]

So yes if you look a this pictures:

and


This guy is using a UT60 480 and a Monsta 240, in my case ill be using a ut60 480 and a st30, so i should be able to use push/pull

Also as far as the fans ago... whats you guys opinion on the Corsair CO-9050008-WW SP120 Performance Edition 120mm fans?

 

[SuperMiguel]

a better picture:


So this has 2 SR1 radiators which are 54mm each and using SP120 fans (25mm)

So both radiators = to 108mm
and the fans 4 x (25mm each fan) = 100

So Total is 108mm and still a good 10mm in there.. so the bottom space of the 900d is 220mm

So my UT60 480 + 2 SP120 = 50mm + 60mm = 110mm
My other radiator if using 2 fans it will be 110mm + 50mm = 160mm so i have about 60mm left in total with out the small 240 radiator

If i keep the already order st30 240 it will be 160mm+30mm = 190mm leaving me with 30mm between fans

now im wondering if i should return my st30 and get a 45mm radiator like the (Alphacool XT45 240) which is 46mm so total size would be 160mm+46mm= 206mm leaving me with 14mm between fans...

Opinions?

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Why not just match them up all as 60mm rads? I thought they originally were. More heat surface = If you did go 60mm on all which I thought you originally were, than p/p wouldn't work well so much. In this case it will work with the amount of space left in between.

Its up to you and your decision on how you want to do this.

 

[SuperMiguel]

if i use a ut60 480 and a ut60 240 with those same fans, the fans will be touching each other.. sp i wont be able to use p/p, if i change one of them to 30mm i'll be able to use p/p

so not sure whats a better solution... i mean if i dont do p/p that means i will have 50mm more to play with i can even use a monsta radiator and a ut60

 

[GTXJackBauer]

i mean if i dont do p/p that means i will have 50mm more to play with i can even use a monstra radiator and a ut60

I believe you'll see a performance increase in more heat surface than opposed to a smaller rad with more fans on it. I mean I could be biting my tongue on this one but I feel more heat surface is better, especially if you're goal is to have a nice silent system. In this case, you'll just need to pay the premium on some nice fans that can push.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

I would also vote for thicker rads with good fans over thinner rads with p/p.

 

[SuperMiguel]

I guess if i wanted to push it i could run swap the ut60 480 for a monsta 480 and the st30 240 for a ut60 240, which will give me the same as before: 80mm(mosta480)+60mm(ut60 240)+50mm(fans in push or pull configuration) = 190mm leaving 30mm between rads

In this case, you'll just need to pay the premium on some nice fans that can push.

ill be buying half as many fans so shouldnt be a big deal price wise

For now i had performance-pc hold the order ultil monday, i guess to figure this out..

 

[SuperMiguel]

another options will be to just get 2 480 monsta radiators, and instead of the 240 :O

wait for it....


put my pumps there so it would look cleaner

 

[ATMINSIDE]

I'd just run the UT60 rads and call it a day.

Edit: The dual Monsta idea sounds pretty nice too.

 

[SuperMiguel]

it would look like this:

 

[SuperMiguel]

So this guys uses 2 monsta (80mm) 480mm which im not sure if im doing this math if the height is the same between all rads then we get

85x480 = 40800*2 = 81600mm^2 if using 2 monsta 480

My current order has

2x60x480 = 57600
1x30x240 = 7200
Total = 64800mm^2

So 81600mm^2 > 64800mm^2

so im guessing i would get more area on using 2 monsta instead of 3 radiators... but they will be push only where the 3 would be push and pull

 

[ATMINSIDE]

The Monsta is fairly low fpi, so good fans will have zero issues getting good airflow through them.

My recommendation would be the Noctua industrialPPC 3000RPM PWM with a Swiftech PWM Splitter.
Then you can run all of them off one software controlled automatic fan curve.