Picking new parts and water cooling.

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iamcacao

iamcacao

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Aug 7, 2012
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Hey everyone, last summer I built my first computer and it all went pretty well, however I did make some stupid decisions since it was my first time building a PC so I'm deciding to rebuild almost the whole thing this summer and I would also like to make my own water cooling system.
So these are my current specs:
Motherboard: ASUS RAMPAGE IV EXTREME - LGA2011 - X79 - 8x DIMM - PCIe 3.0
CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2Ghz LGA 2011 6-Core
Cooler: Intel LGA 2011 Liquid Cooler
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8x4gb (Total 32gb) DDR3 1600Mhz
GPU: GTX 680 Direct CU II Top (2x) SLI
PSU: Corsair Professional Series Gold 1200-Watt 80 Plus Gold
SSD: Crucial 256gb SATA 6Gb/s
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Green 2 TB
Optical Drive: LG GH22NS DVD burner
Case: Aerocool XPredator Black Edition
Sound Card: Asus Xonar D2X

Now what I have planned is to change everything except the Mobo, CPU and PSU, here what I'm planning on getting:

RAM: 16gb (4x4) Corsair Dominator 2400mhz
GPU: 2x GTX 780 (Upon release)
PSU corsair individually threaded red cables.
Case: Corsair 800d
SSD: samsung 840, 500gb

So my first question is: are these the best upgrades I can make or is there something else I should be getting?

Next about the water cooling (I want to cool CPU and 2 GPUs), could someone help me put together a list of parts I need so that I'm sure I don't miss anything? I really like the look of this build http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmn2Ogytqxo&list=FL6pmZM1-_B3d7v_PboKFdwQ&index=3
So I definitely want to use the same kind of cooling liquid and reservoir setup, just I will probably need some different stuff to fit my future specs.

Also will waterblocks be released together with the GTX 780s because I'm planning on getting them within a short time of their release?

Thanks so much if you can help!

P.S. please spare me the overkill, you don't need all of this blah blah blah comments, thanks :)
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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May 11, 2012
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I know, spare the overkill bit.
But that Dominator RAM is truly pointless, your paying more for less here, and the 800Mhz speed bump equates to nil performance.

Upgrades, well your machine is already top of the line, so hardware wise there's nothing you can really do.
From here, upgrade your peripherals (monitors, mouse, keyboard, speaker/headphones, desk and chair even) or go for cosmetic upgrades. Possibly a case upgrade, something like a Corsair 900D or Caselabs M8. If your truly insane, the Cross Desk by Red Harbringer.
If you arent running a triple monitor setup, I suggest you do to get the full worth of those SLI cards.

Now, onto the water-cooling :p.
First thing I suggest you do is read the water-cooling sticky, will give you the info needed to get a general idea of what your doing.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/277130-29-read-first-watercooling-sticky

Since you only want to include GPU's later on when the 780's drop, I suggest getting an overkill CPU loop and just expanding from there when the time comes.
Waterblocks with the cards will release, though dont know how quickly. But rest assured there will be water-blocks, you might just have to live with reference design coolers for a bit.
 
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iamcacao

iamcacao

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Thanks a lot for your answer, but what I'm looking for is for someone to help me pick out the best water cooling components I can get and more importantly the best ones for my config! As I said I would like it to look somewhat like the video above just with parts that would suit my (future) build. Also I will be doing all of this at once when the 780 comes out, I don't want to have to mess with it too much once I have it built. I have read the sticky and have done lots of research, so I don't think actually building it will be a problem, I just really want to be sure I'm getting the best parts I can (for my rig). Once again, thanks to anyone who could help me with this!
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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I can help you with picking out parts (I have my own loop and am fairly active in the WC community around here), just I think water-cooling is one aspect where we shouldn't just give out a shopping list.
You'v read the sticky, so you know generally what to be looking for. Pull together a loop that you think will work and I will give feedback on it. But I wont just tell you what to get, I consider my job is to make this a smooth experience for you, not do it for you.
 
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iamcacao

iamcacao

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Sure, that's fair. I just want to make sure I don't pick any wrong parts or any parts that could be better, since I have no experience with custom loops! Well I guess I'll try and put together a list myself then and post it here. Thanks for your help!
 
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amuffin

amuffin

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Jul 29, 2011
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Since you've got no experience read the sticky multiple times!

I used to be a WC noob like you many months ago, but I've learned so much from my forum members/buddies.

Step 1: Read the sticky
Step 2: Repeat Step 1

Seriously, it helps to read the sticky. :p

Once you have a basic understanding of watercooling and what a custom loop is. You can begin figuring out what parts will go into your loop based on the amount of money you have.
 
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iamcacao

iamcacao

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Ok so do you guys think these upgrades + water cooling parts to my existing build will work?

Case: http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Obsidian-Series-Computer-CC800DW/dp/B002JLAU58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367781721&sr=8-1&keywords=corsair+800d

SSD: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-SATAIII-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TD500BW/dp/B009NHAF3I/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367781749&sr=1-2&keywords=500gb+ssd

GPUs 2x (please don't buy it, only 2 left in stock :p ): http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-HydroCopper-Signature-Dual-Link-06G-P4-2795-KR/dp/B00CBB5E2A/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367781847&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=EVGA+06G-P4-2795-KR+GeForce+GTX+TITAN+6GB+384-bit+GDDR5+PCI+Express+3.0+x16+SLI+Support+Video+Card

RAM (I'm kind of on the fence about this): http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Dominator-Platinum-Desktop-CMD16GX3M4A2400C9/dp/B0089GLPR4/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367781910&sr=1-4&keywords=corsair+dominator+2400mhz

PSU sleeved cables: http://www.corsair.com/en/power-supply-units/psu-accessories-1/professional-individually-sleeved-dc-cable-kit-type-3-generation-2-red.html

So those are pretty much the upgrades, now for the water cooling parts (once again this layout is really what I'm going for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmn2Ogytqxo&list=FL6pmZM1-_B3d7v_PboKFdwQ&index=4):

Coolant: http://www.aquatuning.us/product_info.php/info/p12758_Mayhems--Aurora----Tharsis-Red-Coolant-1000ml.html

Radiator: http://www.amazon.com/XSPC-RX360-Performance-Radiator-5060175580795/dp/B0028AI89U/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367782202&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=3x+120mm+radiotor

Fans x3: http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-120mm-Case-R4-L2R-20CR-GP/dp/B0026ZPFBG/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367782270&sr=1-2&keywords=120mm+red+led+fan

CPU Block: http://www.amazon.com/XSPC-Raystorm-Block-Intel-Socket/dp/B005T01B54/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_img_z

And this is where I don't know how to go forward, I'm not sure what kind of pump, fittings, tubing or various other things would fit me best. So could someone let me know if what I got so far is good and help me pick out everything else I need after this?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks!


 
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amuffin

amuffin

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Jul 29, 2011
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Ok....

Buy blocks for your 680 DCUII
Either full cover or universals with ram sinks.

That is way too much money for ram, and that's not really an upgrade either.

Use distilled water instead of coolant.

Get high static pressure fans like Scythe Gentle Typhoons.


I think you should get an XSPC Raystorm kit with the D5 pump and at least another 240mm rad.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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May 11, 2012
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The Titans are good performers, but wouldnt say their worth it considering that youv already got dual 680's. Just get water-blocks for them, there isnt much two 680's couldnt do.
Dont bother with that Dominator RAM, I can understand shelling out a bit extra for aesthetics, but they are truly a ripoff. Especially since in this case you would be getting less RAM afterward.

Mayhems Aurora is a dye, not coolant.
And it is not recommended for daily use, and this comes from Mayhem themselves.
Aurora is "NOT" made for use in a home system. It has been developed for show System's (modding) and Photo work.
Click to expand...
http://mayhems-aurora.wikispaces.com/

Go for plain Distilled water, and if you want colour in the loop do it through tubing and lighting effects. Using a dye just increases the maintenance of a loop tenfold, really not worth it.
You will need more rad space than that to deal with your loop. At a round guess, at least another 240mm on top of that RX360, though do the TDP calculations to be sure.
Those Coolermaster fans are pretty horrible for rad usage. If you want good red LED fans, look into the Silverstone AP121's, I believe they have a red LED version.
The Raystorm CPU block is a good choice.

Pump, if in doubt go for a D5, cant go wrong with them. Be aware that you may require two for a loop like this.
Fittings, barb or compressions dont really matter, they do the same job just as well. Compressions just look better for a few dollars more.
Tubing is tubing, pick a good brand in the colour you want. I personally use Primochill Primoflex Advanced LRT. Make sure its the same size as your fittings.
 
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