Watercooling and Me? The great debate.

Skippman · Post by **Skippman** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:16 pm

See above post! LOL

kenc51 · Post by **kenc51** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:32 pm

Skippman wrote:See above post! LOL

We both posted @ the same time, great minds think alike LOL

Skippman wrote:Ok, I know many of you who are reading this are tired of my asking questions but the only way I'm going to get any better at this is to do so. Here's my idea for a water cooled setup. Give me your input PLEASE!

HWLabs Black Ice Micro II Radiator $24.99

HWLabs Black Ice Micro Radiator $14.99

Koolance VGA Water Block VID-200-L06 $69.99

Swiftech MCRES-1000P Reservoir/Pump assembly $99.00

All that I need now is to figure out what CPU waterblock to use. Here's how I picture my waterflow:

Reservoir/Pump 3/8" tubing to T connector > 3/8" tubing to CPU / 1/4" tubing GPU > GPU to Micro Rad / CPU to Micro Rad II > back to pump.

There are other members here with ALOT more experience than me with watercooling....but I wouldn't use a T or Y to split the flow....not unless you have 2 pumps. I thing that the restriction on the loop with the larger rad would mean that loop got less flow.......I'm not certain of this....

I'd run it as, Pump/Res => Large rad => CPU => small rad => GFX => Pump/Res.

myself from last post wrote:You should get the Swiftech APOGEE block, as it's prolly the best performing block you can get........the Storm is (a bit) better but more expensive, and the Alphacool block is prolly too hard to get and uses thinner tubing.....(3/8")

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:20 pm

Skippman wrote:Ok, I know many of you who are reading this are tired of my asking questions but the only way I'm going to get any better at this is to do so. Here's my idea for a water cooled setup. Give me your input PLEASE!

HWLabs Black Ice Micro II Radiator $24.99

HWLabs Black Ice Micro Radiator $14.99

Koolance VGA Water Block VID-200-L06 $69.99

Swiftech MCRES-1000P Reservoir/Pump assembly $99.00

All that I need now is to figure out what CPU waterblock to use. Here's how I picture my waterflow:

Reservoir/Pump 3/8" tubing to T connector > 3/8" tubing to CPU / 1/4" tubing GPU > GPU to Micro Rad / CPU to Micro Rad II > back to pump.

First off get a 120 rad eitehr a 1x120 or a 2x120, the run better and quieter.

The pump+res... not a fan i think your better off using that pump alone with a T line

the way i would set up a basic water loop is:
Pump out > CPU WB > NB WB > GFX WB > RAD IN > RAD OUT > T Line > Pump in.

a T line lets you save $$ and presure drop on your loop by working like a drain/fill as well as res all in one.

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==T==

Skippman · Post by **Skippman** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:28 pm

<sigh> I CANNOT fit a 120mm fan in my case. Nor a dual 120mm fan setup. There's not enough room. As much as I would like there to be, it just won't work.

North bridge cooling is something I'm waiting on until I get my new board. So you also recommend I abandon the second radiator?

As for the pump/res combo, everyone was telling me to get the Swifttech kit. I assumed it was due to the kits pump. Was that a mistake?

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Tue May 23, 2006 3:01 pm

are you kidding? there is plenty of room in your case. I have built 2 systems in your exact style case and its a decent one. All you need is a jigsaw, some files, painters tape and some balls

Dont ever run two rads.. it just adds to flow restriction and ends up hurting your performance more than a single larger rad would.

Its ok in the kit if thats what your getting, but if your going to part it out... then dont bother just get that pump MCP350 and use a T line, it works much better IMO and is much cheaper.

Skippman · Post by **Skippman** » Tue May 23, 2006 3:20 pm

OK, lets say I "sound of like I gotta pair". Where did you mount the bigger radiator?

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Tue May 23, 2006 3:25 pm

top of your case, drop your dvd/cdrw drive to the lowest 5 1/4" slot and cut a hole in the top.

Like such

Skippman · Post by **Skippman** » Tue May 23, 2006 3:43 pm

Does it matter that there's already a Lexan window there? Wish I had mad dremil skillz.

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Tue May 23, 2006 3:46 pm

that may make its simpler... the version i used did not...

/me hits the link agian for more ideas.

Skippman · Post by **Skippman** » Tue May 23, 2006 6:27 pm

Wish I had someone in town who knew this junk. I'm still not thrilled about cutting a hole in the top of my case.

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:07 pm

get me a pic of the top of your case if you can... i can send you a guide to cut it out if you need and if it will fit.

Post by **Apoptosis** » Tue May 23, 2006 10:02 pm

All depends on what you want to do... Bring your case over and I'll cut a hole in it with my dremel tool ;)

You could also go the easy route and use a Black Ice Pro Radiator ($24) , which is like the radiator found in the Nautilus 500. Here is a review on the Black Ice Pro.

This rad is 172 x 133 x 25 mm (we can make it fit by cutting it out a bit or something... it should easily fit in an ATX case.

You can also fit the...

Black Ice Xtreme ($42)
Black Ice Xtreme Xflow ($48)

Bio-Hazard · Post by **Bio-Hazard** » Tue May 23, 2006 10:18 pm

Come on out to my place, I can hook you up with all sorts of second hand stuff. I must have 2 or 3 systems around the house. But only high flow stuff....................

Here's a few of the things I have extra, not in the pic is 2 more heater cores and a few different Alphacool parts..............

Skippman · Post by **Skippman** » Wed May 24, 2006 7:09 am

I'm trying to learn to pick this stuff out visually as I go along. Looking at the picture there I see two CPU waterblocks, a dual 80mm radiator, a dual 120mm radiator, and two of what appear to be either North Bridge or GPU coolers. Not to mention the two pumps.

Thanks guys for being so helpful!

So Apop, you don't like the Black Ice radiator I linked to? It's a dual 80mm and appears as if it will fit in my case nicely.

kenc51 · Post by **kenc51** » Wed May 24, 2006 7:32 am

The dual 80mm rad would do fine!!! It's made by the same people as the 12mm fan, just designed to fit smaller cases..........
The HX (heat exchanger) on the right in Bio's pic is a heatercore from a car if I'm not mistaken.....they are cheaper but can give better performance.....

If it was me, I'd get a dual 80mm rad like the one you linked to.....then a second single 80mm rad aswell, or another dual 80mm rad ;)

In theory Infinite is right, you want 1 Rad and 1 pump, short tubing lenghts etc.
BUT the Laing pump which your getting has alot of Head (power), plenty to push the coolant around your system (even with a RES and multiple Rads!) You should get what works for you.......you don't want to mod the case, so don't ! The last thing you want to do is slip and ruin the case, and for what? A chance to lower temps by ~1-2C !!!

My suggestion
Swiftech Res/Pump
Swiftech APOGEE cpu block
dual 80mm rad & additional single or dual 80mm rad
For GFX block I'd still go with Swiftech's --> Bios has moved from
a polar flow block to Swiftech's and got lower temps for GFX and also CPU!!!

All this would fit inside your case and still give good performance....
The only thing is that you'll be using 80mm fans, which can make noise, so get good fans from Papst etc.

Nice thread you got going here here Skippman!

Bio-Hazard · Post by **Bio-Hazard** » Wed May 24, 2006 7:52 am

The radiator on the top is a BI 2 Extreme (dual 120), it should fit in the top of your case (pull out the window and replace with mesh). Dual 80 should also work, but maybe a few C differance in temps than the 120. It all pretty much depends on how high you plan on OC'ing and what you are looking for in terms of temps. Either way you go you should get respectable performance, with water cooling radiators, bigger is almost always better.
By the way, I also have the mesh (heavy guage powder coated steel) to replace your top window with.................

Bio-Hazard · Post by **Bio-Hazard** » Wed May 24, 2006 7:59 am

Here's a pic of a little more stuff I have sitting around the shop.............

Post by **Apoptosis** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:24 am

Skippman wrote:So Apop, you don't like the Black Ice radiator I linked to? It's a dual 80mm and appears as if it will fit in my case nicely.

No I do... since space is of concern I thought you'd want a single... either will work just fine.

Skippman · Post by **Skippman** » Wed May 24, 2006 11:50 am

Cool. Dang Bio, got enough gear there to choke a mule.

Do you have a spare parts list/manifest that you could post? Also, what days work for you to get together? I'd really like to avoid chopping up my case. I don't actually plan on overclocking anything. I just want to switch to watercooling as it'll be more effective than my passive ThermalTake heatsink I'm using right now. As far as fan noise, I was planning in taking the two 80mm fans that are already there and just bolting them to the radiator.

My overall goal with water cooling at this point is three fold.
1.) It's about the only computer technique I've not learned yet.
2.) It will help me cool upcoming processors and my new GPU more efficently.
3.) It will look sweet with all my windows.

Bio-Hazard · Post by **Bio-Hazard** » Wed May 24, 2006 1:08 pm

Just about any time works for me, I'm retired and spend most of my time here at home playing with computers. You'd have to plan a day to spend out in the country as I live out in the middle of nowhere about halfway between De Soto and Potosi off of highway 21, it's about a hour southwest of St Louis.
Something else you could think about would be a external system like the Corsair or something like that, just disconnect and go when you wnat to go to a Lan or sometning. You could even build one yourself like I did for maximum performance...............

http://www.systemcooling.com/waterbox-01.html