Beginner i7 WC Setup

[jdogg707]

I have decided to put together a new system with the following components:

Intel Core i7 920 Processor
Asus P6T X58 Motherboard
6GB G.Skill 8-8-8-21 DDR3 1600
2 x BFG 1GB GTX280 OC Video Cards
Creative X-Fi PCIe Sound Card
300GB Western Digital Velociraptor
640GB Western Digital Black Edition
LG 6X Blu-ray Burner/HD-DVD ROM
Antec Twelve Hundred Full Tower Case
Antec Quattro 1000W PSU

I will be using this system for 70% gaming, 30% video encoding. I would like to water cool these components mainly to try and keep things cool, but also to be able to maintain moderate overclocks without a ton of stability issues due to heat. These are my questions:

1. I would like to watercool the CPU, Northbridge, and both my GPU's. I am assuming I will need two different Radiators for two loops, one for the GPU's and the other for the CPU/Northbridge. Is this correct? What size radiators would I need for each loop?

2. Obviously, what equipment do I need? Which blocks? Radiators? Pumps? Reservoirs? Tubing? Fittings? Am I missing anything? I'm not too concerned about the cost as long as I can justify the performance.

3. Will the performance/quiet justify the cost of water over quality air cooling?

4. What type of maintenance am I looking at?

5. Anything else I need to know? Where is the best place to buy the equipment at?

I appreciate all your help and advice guys!

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: jdogg707
1. I would like to watercool the CPU, Northbridge, and both my GPU's. I am assuming I will need two different Radiators for two loops, one for the GPU's and the other for the CPU/Northbridge. Is this correct? What size radiators would I need for each loop?

2. Obviously, what equipment do I need? Which blocks? Radiators? Pumps? Reservoirs? Tubing? Fittings? Am I missing anything? I'm not too concerned about the cost as long as I can justify the performance.

3. Will the performance/quiet justify the cost of water over quality air cooling?

4. What type of maintenance am I looking at?

5. Anything else I need to know? Where is the best place to buy the equipment at?

I appreciate all your help and advice guys!

0. Uhhh... this is gonna require a fairly large case...

1. Depends on how heavy your gonna overclock and how low you want your fans turn downed. Rule of thumb is get the largest rads you can fit.

2. Ummm... once again, what case is this going inside?

3. A lot of veteran watercooling people cant tollerate the temps associated with air. Water spoils you fast. If your built your system right, and with good planning, yes you can achieve very quiet and have uber performance.

4. Depends on your parts and coolant.

5. have you read my sticky on the basics?

 

[dajeepster]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
3. A lot of veteran watercooling people cant tollerate the temps associated with air. Water spoils you fast. If your built your system right, and with good planning, yes you can achieve very quiet and have uber performance.

so true.... i wasn't happy with my i7 at 70C under load... so I put it on water... now it's at 43C.

 

[jdogg707]

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Originally posted by: jdogg707
1. I would like to watercool the CPU, Northbridge, and both my GPU's. I am assuming I will need two different Radiators for two loops, one for the GPU's and the other for the CPU/Northbridge. Is this correct? What size radiators would I need for each loop?

2. Obviously, what equipment do I need? Which blocks? Radiators? Pumps? Reservoirs? Tubing? Fittings? Am I missing anything? I'm not too concerned about the cost as long as I can justify the performance.

3. Will the performance/quiet justify the cost of water over quality air cooling?

4. What type of maintenance am I looking at?

5. Anything else I need to know? Where is the best place to buy the equipment at?

I appreciate all your help and advice guys!

0. Uhhh... this is gonna require a fairly large case...

1. Depends on how heavy your gonna overclock and how low you want your fans turn downed. Rule of thumb is get the largest rads you can fit.

2. Ummm... once again, what case is this going inside?

3. A lot of veteran watercooling people cant tollerate the temps associated with air. Water spoils you fast. If your built your system right, and with good planning, yes you can achieve very quiet and have uber performance.

4. Depends on your parts and coolant.

5. have you read my sticky on the basics?

I appreciate your help. I did check out the sticky and it is loaded with great info about what to do once I get the equipment and start the build process. Since some things are very dependent on the equipment you purchase, I was hoping to get some info related to the specific equipment for my rig.

As far as the case goes, it is going into the Antec Twelve Hundred case.

Thanks again!

 

[yh125d]

Unless you've ruled out AC, you could fill the case with quiet 120mm fans, get a good tower cooler for your cpu and should have no problems with moderate overclocks

Or you could forge ahead with WC

 

[Billb2]

Here's the drill:
Determine how much heat you have to remove. The online PSU calculators can be helpful here.
Pick rad(s) that dissipate that much heat with the fans you want to use. Note the flow rate required to do that.
Pick waterblocks that will remove the amount of heat from the components you want to WC, Note the flow rate required to do that.
Pick a pump that will give you the flow rate you need, considering the restriction of the rad(s), block(s), rezevoir or T-line, hose, and fittings. You'll need to look at pump curves to do this, as pumps only deliver their rated output into zero restriction. As you add restriction, the flow rate goes down.

Here's the kind of data you'll need.

 

[jdogg707]

So this is what I put together from my research. The only thing I am still confused on is what barbs I need to buy. I know compression nozzles are the best, but I'm not sure what to get. Is anything else missing? Do I really need to drop this much on a good water cooling setup? Could I do everything on a single loop with a quad Feser rad?

2 x Swiftech MCP355 12v DC Pump - 127.90
2 x XSPC Acrylic Reservoir for Laing DDC - 77.90
Swiftech Apogee GTZ Extreme Performance Waterblock - 64.95
Swiftech Apogee-GTZ-Ci7 for Intel® Core® i7 Compatibility - 10.95
2 x EK Waterblocks EK-FC280 GTX SLI - Acetal - 259.90
2 x EK Waterblocks EK-FC280 GTX RAM Backplate - 35.90
Feser X-Changer Triple 360 mm Extreme Performance Radiator - 134.95 <--GPU Loop
Feser X-Changer Dual 240mm Extreme Performance Radiator - 109.95 <--CPU Loop
10' Tygon R3400 1/2in. ID 3/4in. OD Laboratory Tubing # AAE00038 - 32.00 <--I prefer the black
2 x Feser One F1 Cooling Fluid - UV Clear / Blue - 1 Liter - 35.90
20 x Breeze Miniature Hose Clamp 7/32 in. to 5/8 in. - 7.20 <--Do I even need these with compression fittings?

Total: $897.50 (All from Sidewinder right now)

 

[aigomorla]

i wouldnt recomend EK as of this moment.

EK's are lacking the quality it once had, and also there notorious for warping your videocard.

Blocks now a days use something called standoff's which help ease tension and warpage.

I would look at dangerden, Koolance, XSPC as of this moment, and not look at EK for GPU blocks.

Eddie also said he would make new designs with standoff's and we have yet to see them.


Here is my little rant / documentary when people close to me started borking there videocards...

And these arent watercooling noobs either..

http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...howthread.php?t=205033

 

[jdogg707]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
i wouldnt recomend EK as of this moment.

EK's are lacking the quality it once had, and also there notorious for warping your videocard.

Blocks now a days use something called standoff's which help ease tension and warpage.

I would look at dangerden, Koolance, XSPC as of this moment, and not look at EK for GPU blocks.

Eddie also said he would make new designs with standoff's and we have yet to see them.


Here is my little rant / documentary when people close to me started borking there videocards...

And these arent watercooling noobs either..

http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...howthread.php?t=205033

Thanks for the heads up. I remember reading some articles showing issues with some of the EK blocks not cooling as well as they should because of a design flaw. They said they fixed it but I didn't read much further than that.