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Recommended first CPU water cooler.

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  • CPUs
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April 20, 2014 6:46:17 PM

Hi guys,

I'm looking to purchase a water/liquid cooler for my CPU - an i7-4770K. My motherboard is an MSI MPower Max Z87.

I'm looking for some advice and recommendations for a 1150 socket cooler. I'm new to water cooling as I'm currently using a Phanteks PH-TC14PE air cooler and wondered if switching to water/liquid will provide a noticeable reduction in temperatures.

I must point out that as I am new to this sort of cooling I am looking for a ready made cooler like the Corsair H series. My case is the Corsair 730T - http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/graphite-series-730t-full-...

Any help is appreciated.

Paul

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April 20, 2014 7:04:15 PM

The Corsair H100i is an excellent closed loop system that will be compatible with your setup. The NZXT Kraken x60 is slightly better, but sold out virtually everywhere. I've read that the Kraken is a little quieter as well.

Personally, I have the H100i, and I love it. The software that comes with it is great, where you can monitor everything and modify your cooler's fan speeds. The NZXT one has software, too, but I've read that it isn't as user friendly... yet. Upgrades are always possible.

Unless you're doing some crazy over clocking, either of these 2 will be perfect for you.

FYI, the H100i is 240mm (120mm x2), and the Kraken x60 is 280mm (140mm x2)
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April 20, 2014 7:17:14 PM

Calvin3200 said:
The Corsair H100i is an excellent closed loop system that will be compatible with your setup. The NZXT Kraken x60 is slightly better, but sold out virtually everywhere. I've read that the Kraken is a little quieter as well.

Personally, I have the H100i, and I love it. The software that comes with it is great, where you can monitor everything and modify your cooler's fan speeds. The NZXT one has software, too, but I've read that it isn't as user friendly... yet. Upgrades are always possible.

Unless you're doing some crazy over clocking, either of these 2 will be perfect for you.

FYI, the H100i is 240mm (120mm x2), and the Kraken x60 is 280mm (140mm x2)


Will getting a larger radiator provide large benefits over say, a H80i?
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April 20, 2014 7:17:45 PM

yes
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April 20, 2014 7:56:31 PM

That air cooler you have is really good. You're not going to see much temperature difference between that and a closed loop cooler.
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April 20, 2014 9:17:18 PM

I recommend a Noctua NH-D14 instead of the Corsair H105. No large temperature differences but ~$20 cheaper.
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April 20, 2014 9:24:14 PM

Nuclear101 said:
I recommend a Noctua NH-D14 instead of the Corsair H105. No large temperature differences but ~$20 cheaper.


I already have a very good air cooler.

I want to change to liquid cooled to save space around my motherboard and (hopefully) have a quieter PC.
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April 21, 2014 4:23:35 AM

H100i or NZXT Kraken X60... you will be very happy with either. Personally, I would go with the Kraken X60, however my case doesn't support it.
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April 21, 2014 4:29:59 AM

trawetSluaP said:
Nuclear101 said:
I recommend a Noctua NH-D14 instead of the Corsair H105. No large temperature differences but ~$20 cheaper.


I already have a very good air cooler.

I want to change to liquid cooled to save space around my motherboard and (hopefully) have a quieter PC.


Noctua air coolers beats almost everything when it is about quiet operation.
Maybe slapping some noctua fans on a h105 will be a great setup.
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April 21, 2014 5:12:31 AM

FunkyFeatures said:
trawetSluaP said:
Nuclear101 said:
I recommend a Noctua NH-D14 instead of the Corsair H105. No large temperature differences but ~$20 cheaper.


I already have a very good air cooler.

I want to change to liquid cooled to save space around my motherboard and (hopefully) have a quieter PC.


Noctua air coolers beats almost everything when it is about quiet operation.
Maybe slapping some noctua fans on a h105 will be a great setup.


I like your thinking! I have been looking at the H105. I also have just realised I have 2 x 120mm be quiet! Silent Wings 2 PWM fans I can replace the stock ones with. This seems to be the way to go for me.

With regards to mounting, what is the best way to attach the radiator and fans? I was thinking of mounting the radiator directly to my case and having the fans underneath sucking air into the radiator and out of the case. Is that ok, or a bad idea?
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April 21, 2014 5:52:46 AM

Sounds like a good idea. Thats very normal. Either pushing air through rad(more dust) and out of the case, or pulling air through rad out of the case.
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April 21, 2014 8:33:03 AM

You want the fans set as intake - push or pull won't make much of a difference, if any. You can always add 2 more fans and do push/pull as well.
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April 21, 2014 9:49:03 AM

Calvin3200 said:
You want the fans set as intake - push or pull won't make much of a difference, if any. You can always add 2 more fans and do push/pull as well.

Isnt intake bad? Pulls air through rad, making it hot, and then into the case. Right?
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April 21, 2014 1:02:41 PM

no, it pulls in cold air from outside the case to cool the radiator. Otherwise you would be using hot air from inside the case to "cool" the radiator, which would create hotter CPU temps.
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April 21, 2014 9:56:42 PM

I am just thinking that the cool air will turn hot through the rad, giving worse gpu and or vrm temps.
I would never make the top an intake, and never with a rad.
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April 21, 2014 10:04:53 PM

I would get the Swiftech H220 available HERE.

It gives you the ability to replace the coolant as well as add to the waterloop. You can add more radiators, blocks, pumps etc. So its a simple closed loop system to start with but then can be the beginning of a full custom water loop as you upgrade and become more adept and knowledgeable. Just a suggestion.
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April 21, 2014 10:27:31 PM

FunkyFeatures said:
I am just thinking that the cool air will turn hot through the rad, giving worse gpu and or vrm temps.
I would never make the top an intake, and never with a rad.


It doesn't.

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April 22, 2014 4:41:57 AM

It's forums like these when people who don't know what they're talking about give advice when problems happen.
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April 22, 2014 5:42:22 AM

You may run warm air through the hot rad, making the hot air spew out of the case, but running cool air through a hot rad, still making it hot and spewing it into the case makes no sense. One of the points of watercooling is to keep the hot air out.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=827986
Tells that it impacts ram, hdd and other stuff because of dumping heat into them.
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April 22, 2014 6:43:45 AM

Let's keep the personal attacks down...
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April 22, 2014 9:46:13 AM

FunkyFeatures said:
You may run warm air through the hot rad, making the hot air spew out of the case, but running cool air through a hot rad, still making it hot and spewing it into the case makes no sense. One of the points of watercooling is to keep the hot air out.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=827986
Tells that it impacts ram, hdd and other stuff because of dumping heat into them.


Used as an intake, the "hot" air coming out of the rad is maybe 3 degrees warmer than it was before it went through the rad. The difference is negligible. As someone else alluded to, this is the problem with this advice section, people give advice not based on what they know or have done but based on something they think they may have heard from a someone somewhere, and pass it off as fact.

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April 22, 2014 10:38:06 AM

I know we are on the intake/exhaust right now, but i think it will end soon hopefully :) 
http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100675
Not really much difference. I guess it is most personal preference.

trawetSluaP said:
FunkyFeatures said:
trawetSluaP said:
Nuclear101 said:
I recommend a Noctua NH-D14 instead of the Corsair H105. No large temperature differences but ~$20 cheaper.


I already have a very good air cooler.

I want to change to liquid cooled to save space around my motherboard and (hopefully) have a quieter PC.


Noctua air coolers beats almost everything when it is about quiet operation.
Maybe slapping some noctua fans on a h105 will be a great setup.


I like your thinking! I have been looking at the H105. I also have just realised I have 2 x 120mm be quiet! Silent Wings 2 PWM fans I can replace the stock ones with. This seems to be the way to go for me.

With regards to mounting, what is the best way to attach the radiator and fans? I was thinking of mounting the radiator directly to my case and having the fans underneath sucking air into the radiator and out of the case. Is that ok, or a bad idea?


You asked if it was ok or a bad idea to do exhaust. There is no real answer to it(although i still am on the exhaust team), and you would probably be fine with either intake or exhaust.
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April 22, 2014 2:29:50 PM

Right guys! I have reached a decision. I am going for a Corsair H110 and am gonna get 4 Akasa Viper 140mm fans for it to use in a push-pull configuration. I've read these fans are brilliant and will go nicely with the Black/Yellow system colour I am implicating. I will definitely be mounting the cooler in an exhaust position as this seems more logical to me.

Thanks for everyone's help!!!
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April 22, 2014 3:27:01 PM

FunkyFeatures said:
I know we are on the intake/exhaust right now, but i think it will end soon hopefully :) 
http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100675
Not really much difference. I guess it is most personal preference.

trawetSluaP said:
FunkyFeatures said:
trawetSluaP said:
Nuclear101 said:
I recommend a Noctua NH-D14 instead of the Corsair H105. No large temperature differences but ~$20 cheaper.


I already have a very good air cooler.

I want to change to liquid cooled to save space around my motherboard and (hopefully) have a quieter PC.


Noctua air coolers beats almost everything when it is about quiet operation.
Maybe slapping some noctua fans on a h105 will be a great setup.


I like your thinking! I have been looking at the H105. I also have just realised I have 2 x 120mm be quiet! Silent Wings 2 PWM fans I can replace the stock ones with. This seems to be the way to go for me.

With regards to mounting, what is the best way to attach the radiator and fans? I was thinking of mounting the radiator directly to my case and having the fans underneath sucking air into the radiator and out of the case. Is that ok, or a bad idea?


You asked if it was ok or a bad idea to do exhaust. There is no real answer to it(although i still am on the exhaust team), and you would probably be fine with either intake or exhaust.


There is a real answer, and your answer is wrong. This is not an opinion based thing, the air is either hot or it's not.
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April 22, 2014 4:26:11 PM

Funky, please do not take this the wrong way, but you are very inaccurate in your statements. In this particular case, your opinion is leading someone to make a purchase and configuration based upon what you think, and not what is accurate.

TrawetSluaP, you want your radiatior fans set as intake to pull cool air into your case and thusly cool your radiatior. If you are going to use different fans than what come with the cooler, make sure they are very high in static pressure, so that they are capable of pushing or pulling the air through obstructions (such as a radiator in this case). If you go with high airflow, but low pressure, the fans will not be productive and you will have much higher CPU temperatures.

These are facts.
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April 22, 2014 8:34:59 PM

Both ways are frequently done, and both have their upsides and downsides.

Intake (generally done at the front, not top, so you keep convection) gives better CPU temps, at the expense of GPU/VRM cooling. Higher OCs, but higher temps on everything else.

Exhaust tends to be more common, and gives better GPU/VRM cooling at the cost of lower OCs.

Please don't try to call someone 'very inaccurate' without reputable sources, especially if the person you're calling wrong is similarly reputable on the site to you.
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April 23, 2014 1:50:06 AM

Someone Somewhere said:
Both ways are frequently done, and both have their upsides and downsides.

Intake (generally done at the front, not top, so you keep convection) gives better CPU temps, at the expense of GPU/VRM cooling. Higher OCs, but higher temps on everything else.

Exhaust tends to be more common, and gives better GPU/VRM cooling at the cost of lower OCs.

Please don't try to call someone 'very inaccurate' without reputable sources, especially if the person you're calling wrong is similarly reputable on the site to you.


This is simply wrong though. I'm looking at my thermometers right now. The air going into the rad is 31.9c (it's warm in here) and the air coming out of the rad is 29.2c. There is no difference. The air inside the case itself is 34.3c so it makes literally no difference at all in the temperature of the GPU, VRM, or anything else involved. Doing it as an intake lowers temps on the cpu by several degrees vs as an exhaust and doesn't affect anything else in the system at all. This is simply a fact, and no amount of opinion will change it.

I will say it again, all too often on here we see this, where people who quite frankly don't have any real idea what they are talking about (or the more polite version, have no experience with it) give opinions as if they were fact, and then it gets taken up as if it IS a fact. I wouldn't care except now the guy in the OP who has a perfectly nice setup is going to screw it up because you have a bunch of people here who have obviously never run a water cooling setup in their life are giving him bad advice that is factually wrong, based on nothing more then something they read somewhere (also probably written by someone with no experience, possibly on here) and what they think their common sense says should be true.

A wc rad does not exhaust hot air. It can't; the water itself that is "heating" the rad is only going to be 5-10c above ambient to begin with!
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April 23, 2014 3:20:10 AM

I think the best think I can do at this point is try both ways and come back with my findings.

What you're saying Deuce, makes a lot of sense.
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April 23, 2014 4:42:02 AM

The air coming out of the rad should (basic physics) be slighty warmer than the air going in. If not, you're getting confused by either mis-calibrated thermometers, insufficient heat, or wind chill.

I'm not certain what a common temp for water in the loop is, but are you testing it at idle or load?

EDIT: It's not going to be a big difference. <5C is certain. But that can still be a difference.
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April 23, 2014 4:50:02 AM

Just because I'm new to this site, doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm talking about. Spewing an opinion, repeatedly, that is factually inaccurate is a demonstration of a lack of knowledge.

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April 23, 2014 4:54:55 AM

Perhaps we need to sort something out...

Do not call other people's opinions 'factually inaccurate' without proof. You can say you think they are, but unless you can provide some evidence, their statements hold just as much water as yours.

I'm definitely wiling to accept that having the fans as intake won't raise the case temps much, but there's a difference between no change and a small change.
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April 23, 2014 5:08:25 AM

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Is this proof enough? From the Corsair manual...
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April 23, 2014 5:15:04 AM

For best performance. CPU performance.
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April 23, 2014 12:39:37 PM

Whether you're using Warm air or Cooler air is irrelevant in this case. Physics has the answer and the answer is simple. Warm air is lighter than cooler air. As a result Warm air rises. Any fans installed on the rear of the case (or the TOP) ought to be exhaust fans. Radiator or not. The idea is to get the warm air out of the case while sucking in cool air into the case from intake fans on the bottom, sides and/or front of the case.

If you install your radiator at the top of the case, set it to exhaust heat not intake heat. Same thing goes if you install your radiator on the rear of the case. It may sound "intelligent" to set it to intake air but the whole point of those intake/exhaust points, in your case, is to utilise the laws of Physics and allow rising warm air to escape while bring in cooler air.

If you install you radiator on the front of the case, then it should intake air. Same with the bottom or side. The point is to not only cool the components connected to the water-loop but also all of the other components in the case.

If you want the best performance set the radiator on the front of the case as an intake.
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April 23, 2014 1:36:25 PM

Someone Somewhere said:
The air coming out of the rad should (basic physics) be slighty warmer than the air going in. If not, you're getting confused by either mis-calibrated thermometers, insufficient heat, or wind chill.

I'm not certain what a common temp for water in the loop is, but are you testing it at idle or load?

EDIT: It's not going to be a big difference. <5C is certain. But that can still be a difference.


This. This right here. You freely admit you don't water cool. So why are you answering? You don't do it, you have no experience with it, so why do you present information that you really don't know anything about? You say you want facts, but when I present facts you ignore them. When the other guys shows you in the manual what the manufacturer themself recommends you ignore that. Because you, who have never done it, know better.
Whatever I'm done with this thread, do whatever you want.
OP, good idea. Do it both ways and see the difference. I guarantee you 100 percent temps will be better with it as an intake, all else being equal.

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April 23, 2014 2:01:49 PM

^

Couldn't have said it any better.
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April 24, 2014 12:15:20 AM

Deuce65 said:
Someone Somewhere said:
The air coming out of the rad should (basic physics) be slighty warmer than the air going in. If not, you're getting confused by either mis-calibrated thermometers, insufficient heat, or wind chill.

I'm not certain what a common temp for water in the loop is, but are you testing it at idle or load?

EDIT: It's not going to be a big difference. <5C is certain. But that can still be a difference.


This. This right here. You freely admit you don't water cool. So why are you answering? You don't do it, you have no experience with it, so why do you present information that you really don't know anything about? You say you want facts, but when I present facts you ignore them. When the other guys shows you in the manual what the manufacturer themself recommends you ignore that. Because you, who have never done it, know better.
Whatever I'm done with this thread, do whatever you want.
OP, good idea. Do it both ways and see the difference. I guarantee you 100 percent temps will be better with it as an intake, all else being equal.



To be fair... none of you watercool per-say. You install these nifty-looking plastic components that pump some liquid across cheaply and quickly made copper surfaces in most plastic waterblocks.

That's not what is mean't by owning a watercooled PC. My watercooled PC easily beats any air cooler on the market by a long shot. That's not the case with most pre-fabbed all in one kits.

I honestly couldn't give a rats ass what Corsair thinks about watercooling considering they're selling people a piece of junk that will stop working in a year or so.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest... The rear of your case is an exhaust. Your case is designed that way. The top of your case also likely has one or more exhaust placements for fans. The front, bottom and sides are generally spots for intake.

The logic is simple... As I stated above... warm air rises. Bring in cool air in the lower areas of the case and exhaust it out the warmer areas of the case. This allows for a natural air flow and reduces dead spots. It also helps keep the static pressure in check.

So if you want to get the best performance out of that Corsair thing you just bought. Install it in the front of the case. As an intake. If you put it in the back of your case then install it as an exhaust.

Reason being is that you've got heatsinks on those components in your motherboard. You've got a Graphics card too. All of them need to be cooled. If you mess with the natural flow of air you will create dead spots over your motherboards VRM heatsinks.

That's it. That's how you install one of these things taking all variables into consideration.
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