Reciently i am getting a lot of request in helping people piece out a custom.
I think it would be easier if i just wrote down the basics in how you select what type of setup is best for you.
The first and foremost question you have to ask yourself is OBJECTIVE.
Why are you watercooling?
Are you going after an overclock aspect or you going in for the quiet computing factor?
Can you get both? :sneaky:
Yes you can... but it will cost you.
The Basic Loop. (Cpu only)
This is where most people take there first steps into water.
The Basic Cpu loop will consist of:
1. Cpu block
2. Radiator
3. Pump
4. Reservoir or T-Line
5. Tubing.
6. Fans
The average Loop will cost anywhere between 200-300 dollars depending on fittings, and "accessories" you wish to add.
Recommended CPU Package: (Pieced out @ SidewinderComputers.com)
(Shipping was set to USPS 2nd Day, i should of done UPS tho.)
If you substitute the res, you will need to get an after market top or change your loop to 3/8ths, as the stock is not 1/2 native
Consist of:
1. ApogeeXT - Reason i am recomending this block is because the company is great in providing mount upgrades on future platforms.
That means, you wont have to worry much on if this block will work from LGA775 -> LGA 1156 -> LGA 1366 -> AM2
You just need to buy the mounts.
The block is also ranked in the top 5 category as of 6/26/2010.
You can substitute it with a EK HF which is currently 1, or you can get a Koolance - 360. As you enter the top 5, they only separate themselves out by a range of 2C from fifith place to first place.
http://skinneelabs.com/koolance-cpu-360.html?page=4
2. Swiftech MCR320
I tell people you get the largest rad you can possibly fit.
The Swiftech MCR line is the best budget / performance rad you can get.
Its NOT the best performing, but they are something not to be ignored when your tight on budget.
3. DDC-3.2
Lets face it.. i personally hate the D5.. its Big.. doesnt work in a lot of projects.
The DDC is Small, Has a Ton of Options on them as well.
The DDC-3.2 is also a great pump, and has been showing good numbers since they came out.
4. XSPC Dual res for Liang DDC.
Why did i pick this?
To make your life easier when you route.
Chances are you will have 2 5 1/4 bays free... what better spot to put your res and pump?
This will take care of 2 objectives in 1 package.
1. Increase DDC performance.. yes these guys tweak your DDC to perform better.
2. Integrated res... means less time bleeding... also means u have a cool front object to look at.
5. Tubing.
Get the one i listed.. its cheap.. chances are if your starting to water, you will take apart your loop once within the first month to "play" more.
Water is addicting... More becomes a need then a want later on.
Save your money for expensive tubing once u realized how you finally want it set up.
6. Silver Plated Barbs.
Bling bling Barbs + Antimicrob from silver.
Can you ask for more?
7. Fans... I would recomend Yate Loon DSH if your on a budget.
The last things you will need to finish your build here is:
1. Distilled water... 1 gallon jug.... Thats IT for coolant. You dont need anything else, unless you live in the polar hemisphere and leave your computer outside where your water can freeze.
The water must be DISTILLED... and not DRINKING.
2. Zipties as clamps.
Yes im being dead serious.... the tubing i listed + barbs will allow zipties to be used as clamps.
Make sure you have your zipties set so when you tighten it, it doesnt loosen your barbs... meaning make sure they tighten in the same direction as your barbs tighten.
(some advice on getting the tubing over barbs... boil water... put it in a thermos... and then dip the tubing inside the water for 30 seconds... pull out.... then the tubing should fit over almost anything.)
Have Both Build:
When i said you can have both silence and performance i was not kidding.
The upgrade will be in the Radiator.
The Radiator upgrade can also cost as much as 2x the MCR.
Now you see why i was saying the MCR series is the best in budget / performance catigory.
Here is the Adjusted Cart with the Radiator Upgrade:
You will need to get g3/8 barbs for the Thermochill Rad, Credit goes to Nickle for the reminder
You see how that 1 radiator can make a big difference in price.
It doesnt end there, while you can use Yates on these rads, they really beg to have Scythe Gentle Typhoons. Those are the fans i would recommend to pair up with Quiet series radiators.
Mediums should be enough to keep any processor in check with a 120x3 Quiet series rad.
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/scge120mmsic1.html
Why is the quiet radiator more expensive?
The reason is in the materials used, and company.
If we take a look at the rad from a front point, they dont look much different.
Look at them from the side, you notice the quiet rads are almost 2x thicker.
Also on some rads such as the Feser Line, they are made completely out of copper instead of Brass / Copper.
Can i Add a GPU onto my loop as a future upgrade?
This is best answered by what current radiator you have.
My rule of thumb is this:
1. Add up all theoretical TDP's to 1 big number.
Cpu Only Loop:
Cpu - 100-250W (overclocked)
(do you have the board connected to cpu loop? then add the board as well)
Total: 100-250W
Multiblock loop: Cpu + Gpu
Cpu: 100-250W
Gpu: 100-300W lets assume X2's
http://www.techspot.com/review/263-nvidia-geforce-gtx-480/page13.html
Total: 250W + 300W
So now your total is 550W.
150W per 120x1 radiator Surface area is my golden rule.
Why? This usually maintains a 7C delta from coolant to ambient across the radiator @ 1600rpm Fans.
This means if your radiator is taking 20C air with yates running @ 1600rpms you will hold a coolant level of 27C should everything on your system load up. (this usually doesnt happen unless your a folder or a cruncher or encoder who plays games while encoding... meaning u rarely load up both gpu and cpu.)
On the cpu only you will most likely hit max on the multiblock loop not really unless you are the exclusions.
So on the cpu only loop your max is about 250W.
120x1 + 120x1 = 120x2
But you have now whats called excess. 120x2 =300 which gives you a 50W excess. This means, you can add 50W more, or you can run your fans a bit quieter then 1600rpms to maintain that 7C delta.
in a 120x3 radiator you have 450W.
450-250 = 200W excess.
You can now run your fans a lot quieter because of that excess.
Second scenario gave you 550W.
You would need 120x3 + 120x1 or a 120x4 to hold the required delta.
If your a not in the exclusion, then you can get away with a 120x3 rad fine with 1 cpu + 1 gpu. As i said rarely should BOTH load up, and if it does, it wont be for prolong periods of time.
But if your paranoid, the 120x4 rad would guarantee that your loop doesn't exceed that 7C during both load up times...
What about Multi Loops... (meaning more then 1 loop)
This is where the true hobbist comes in.
In most scenario's its best to try a single loop before you venture off into multi loops.
The only exclusions i would list in when you should go multi loops is when your scaling your gpus.
Add 3 x 285GTX, or 2-3 fermi's or 3 5870's or 2 X2's... these guys drop a TON of heat in idle regardless of load.
This added heat will effect your cpu temps if your an overclocker.
This is a scenario where i would recomend you splitting the loops. This way your cpu would be independant of what your gpus were doing to its loop.
What kind of benifits will i see from water cooling?
If you followed my recommendations...
Typically the benefits seen on water is more towards the upper area.
Meaning if your a low overclocker, you wont see much benifit unless your after that whisper quiet build.
If your a high end overclocker then you will see a significant benifit from water. The benifits can be as big as 10-15C from top ranked air sinks.
This being a typical scenario on a i7 @ 4ghz. 70C load ups will typically drop to 60C load ups depending on ambient conditions.
On Gpu's... you will notice the biggest benifit here.
The average reduction is 1/2. Your asking me half what?
Half your current load temps. So 80C -> 40C and so on depending on block.
The wonderful thing about water also, is you'll notice a small rises on cards temps as they are loaded as well.
There isnt anyone yet who hasnt said omg after watching load temps on there gpu for the first time. :sneaky:
How can water get more expensive?
There are Full Board Blocks, Temp probes, Flow meters, Controllers...
You can also go fitting happy, with quick disconnects.
Example of Optional Fittings:
Last bit of Advice:
1. Take things Slow the first time. It can take up to 5 hours for you to assemble a loop for the first time, and 24 hours for a full leak test, and up to 48 hours to fully bleed. If patience is not in your vocabulary, DONT WATERCOOL. You wont make it past the first 5 builds.
2. If you leak or spill... if the system wasnt on, its OK.
Dont panic and start beating up your dog. Wipe it dry, and let it sit outside in the sun for a few hours so all the residual water evaps.
If your system was on... imediately turn your system off.
Dont panic... after you finished drying off what you leaked, while its drying come onto the forums, and ask for advice.
Trust me, almost everyone has leaked at least once, so dont freak out.
3. It is best to ask a dumb question, and get laughed at, while told the correct answer, then to think you arent dumb, and make a mistake which will lead to you crying.
Usually we wont laugh at you, well i wont laugh at you, so ask the dumb question if in doubt to be reassured.
After you finished your build you should think: "I am fairly confident i did this correct, so it is going to be all right." vs "i hope this is what they meant.. oh wells lets see and pray.."
Stores:
Sidewindercomputers.com
Shoppts.com
Jab-tech.com
Performance-pcs.com
Frozencpu.com
I think it would be easier if i just wrote down the basics in how you select what type of setup is best for you.
The first and foremost question you have to ask yourself is OBJECTIVE.
Why are you watercooling?
Are you going after an overclock aspect or you going in for the quiet computing factor?
Can you get both? :sneaky:
Yes you can... but it will cost you.
The Basic Loop. (Cpu only)
This is where most people take there first steps into water.
The Basic Cpu loop will consist of:
1. Cpu block
2. Radiator
3. Pump
4. Reservoir or T-Line
5. Tubing.
6. Fans
The average Loop will cost anywhere between 200-300 dollars depending on fittings, and "accessories" you wish to add.
Recommended CPU Package: (Pieced out @ SidewinderComputers.com)
(Shipping was set to USPS 2nd Day, i should of done UPS tho.)
If you substitute the res, you will need to get an after market top or change your loop to 3/8ths, as the stock is not 1/2 native
Consist of:
1. ApogeeXT - Reason i am recomending this block is because the company is great in providing mount upgrades on future platforms.
That means, you wont have to worry much on if this block will work from LGA775 -> LGA 1156 -> LGA 1366 -> AM2
You just need to buy the mounts.
The block is also ranked in the top 5 category as of 6/26/2010.
You can substitute it with a EK HF which is currently 1, or you can get a Koolance - 360. As you enter the top 5, they only separate themselves out by a range of 2C from fifith place to first place.
http://skinneelabs.com/koolance-cpu-360.html?page=4
2. Swiftech MCR320
I tell people you get the largest rad you can possibly fit.
The Swiftech MCR line is the best budget / performance rad you can get.
Its NOT the best performing, but they are something not to be ignored when your tight on budget.
3. DDC-3.2
Lets face it.. i personally hate the D5.. its Big.. doesnt work in a lot of projects.
The DDC is Small, Has a Ton of Options on them as well.
The DDC-3.2 is also a great pump, and has been showing good numbers since they came out.
4. XSPC Dual res for Liang DDC.
Why did i pick this?
To make your life easier when you route.
Chances are you will have 2 5 1/4 bays free... what better spot to put your res and pump?
This will take care of 2 objectives in 1 package.
1. Increase DDC performance.. yes these guys tweak your DDC to perform better.
2. Integrated res... means less time bleeding... also means u have a cool front object to look at.
5. Tubing.
Get the one i listed.. its cheap.. chances are if your starting to water, you will take apart your loop once within the first month to "play" more.
Water is addicting... More becomes a need then a want later on.
Save your money for expensive tubing once u realized how you finally want it set up.
6. Silver Plated Barbs.
Bling bling Barbs + Antimicrob from silver.
Can you ask for more?
7. Fans... I would recomend Yate Loon DSH if your on a budget.
The last things you will need to finish your build here is:
1. Distilled water... 1 gallon jug.... Thats IT for coolant. You dont need anything else, unless you live in the polar hemisphere and leave your computer outside where your water can freeze.
The water must be DISTILLED... and not DRINKING.
2. Zipties as clamps.
Yes im being dead serious.... the tubing i listed + barbs will allow zipties to be used as clamps.
Make sure you have your zipties set so when you tighten it, it doesnt loosen your barbs... meaning make sure they tighten in the same direction as your barbs tighten.
(some advice on getting the tubing over barbs... boil water... put it in a thermos... and then dip the tubing inside the water for 30 seconds... pull out.... then the tubing should fit over almost anything.)
Have Both Build:
When i said you can have both silence and performance i was not kidding.
The upgrade will be in the Radiator.
The Radiator upgrade can also cost as much as 2x the MCR.
Now you see why i was saying the MCR series is the best in budget / performance catigory.
Here is the Adjusted Cart with the Radiator Upgrade:
You will need to get g3/8 barbs for the Thermochill Rad, Credit goes to Nickle for the reminder
You see how that 1 radiator can make a big difference in price.
It doesnt end there, while you can use Yates on these rads, they really beg to have Scythe Gentle Typhoons. Those are the fans i would recommend to pair up with Quiet series radiators.
Mediums should be enough to keep any processor in check with a 120x3 Quiet series rad.
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/scge120mmsic1.html
Why is the quiet radiator more expensive?
The reason is in the materials used, and company.
If we take a look at the rad from a front point, they dont look much different.
Look at them from the side, you notice the quiet rads are almost 2x thicker.
Also on some rads such as the Feser Line, they are made completely out of copper instead of Brass / Copper.
Can i Add a GPU onto my loop as a future upgrade?
This is best answered by what current radiator you have.
My rule of thumb is this:
1. Add up all theoretical TDP's to 1 big number.
Cpu Only Loop:
Cpu - 100-250W (overclocked)
(do you have the board connected to cpu loop? then add the board as well)
Total: 100-250W
Multiblock loop: Cpu + Gpu
Cpu: 100-250W
Gpu: 100-300W lets assume X2's
http://www.techspot.com/review/263-nvidia-geforce-gtx-480/page13.html
Total: 250W + 300W
So now your total is 550W.
150W per 120x1 radiator Surface area is my golden rule.
Why? This usually maintains a 7C delta from coolant to ambient across the radiator @ 1600rpm Fans.
This means if your radiator is taking 20C air with yates running @ 1600rpms you will hold a coolant level of 27C should everything on your system load up. (this usually doesnt happen unless your a folder or a cruncher or encoder who plays games while encoding... meaning u rarely load up both gpu and cpu.)
On the cpu only you will most likely hit max on the multiblock loop not really unless you are the exclusions.
So on the cpu only loop your max is about 250W.
120x1 + 120x1 = 120x2
But you have now whats called excess. 120x2 =300 which gives you a 50W excess. This means, you can add 50W more, or you can run your fans a bit quieter then 1600rpms to maintain that 7C delta.
in a 120x3 radiator you have 450W.
450-250 = 200W excess.
You can now run your fans a lot quieter because of that excess.
Second scenario gave you 550W.
You would need 120x3 + 120x1 or a 120x4 to hold the required delta.
If your a not in the exclusion, then you can get away with a 120x3 rad fine with 1 cpu + 1 gpu. As i said rarely should BOTH load up, and if it does, it wont be for prolong periods of time.
But if your paranoid, the 120x4 rad would guarantee that your loop doesn't exceed that 7C during both load up times...
What about Multi Loops... (meaning more then 1 loop)
This is where the true hobbist comes in.
In most scenario's its best to try a single loop before you venture off into multi loops.
The only exclusions i would list in when you should go multi loops is when your scaling your gpus.
Add 3 x 285GTX, or 2-3 fermi's or 3 5870's or 2 X2's... these guys drop a TON of heat in idle regardless of load.
This added heat will effect your cpu temps if your an overclocker.
This is a scenario where i would recomend you splitting the loops. This way your cpu would be independant of what your gpus were doing to its loop.
What kind of benifits will i see from water cooling?
If you followed my recommendations...
Typically the benefits seen on water is more towards the upper area.
Meaning if your a low overclocker, you wont see much benifit unless your after that whisper quiet build.
If your a high end overclocker then you will see a significant benifit from water. The benifits can be as big as 10-15C from top ranked air sinks.
This being a typical scenario on a i7 @ 4ghz. 70C load ups will typically drop to 60C load ups depending on ambient conditions.
On Gpu's... you will notice the biggest benifit here.
The average reduction is 1/2. Your asking me half what?
Half your current load temps. So 80C -> 40C and so on depending on block.
The wonderful thing about water also, is you'll notice a small rises on cards temps as they are loaded as well.
There isnt anyone yet who hasnt said omg after watching load temps on there gpu for the first time. :sneaky:
How can water get more expensive?
There are Full Board Blocks, Temp probes, Flow meters, Controllers...
You can also go fitting happy, with quick disconnects.
Example of Optional Fittings:
Last bit of Advice:
1. Take things Slow the first time. It can take up to 5 hours for you to assemble a loop for the first time, and 24 hours for a full leak test, and up to 48 hours to fully bleed. If patience is not in your vocabulary, DONT WATERCOOL. You wont make it past the first 5 builds.
2. If you leak or spill... if the system wasnt on, its OK.
Dont panic and start beating up your dog. Wipe it dry, and let it sit outside in the sun for a few hours so all the residual water evaps.
If your system was on... imediately turn your system off.
Dont panic... after you finished drying off what you leaked, while its drying come onto the forums, and ask for advice.
Trust me, almost everyone has leaked at least once, so dont freak out.
3. It is best to ask a dumb question, and get laughed at, while told the correct answer, then to think you arent dumb, and make a mistake which will lead to you crying.
Usually we wont laugh at you, well i wont laugh at you, so ask the dumb question if in doubt to be reassured.
After you finished your build you should think: "I am fairly confident i did this correct, so it is going to be all right." vs "i hope this is what they meant.. oh wells lets see and pray.."
Stores:
Sidewindercomputers.com
Shoppts.com
Jab-tech.com
Performance-pcs.com
Frozencpu.com
Last edited: