MichaelMacade said:
Thanks for the responses so far. I have a few questions. Is installing and setting up 2 video cards much more difficult than 1? Is the liquid cooling necessary because I have concerns with installing that as well?
1. It's twice as hard ....1st ya gotta plug one in, then the other
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.... 3/4 of the builds I have done w/ folks in the last 3 years were either SLI from the getgo or were planned for a later addition of a 2nd card.
2. Essentially it means:
a) Pop the extra card in the slot
b) Connect the two extra cables
c) Connect the SLI Bridge in the MoBo box
As for the water cooling I should state that there is not a single CLC (closed loop cooler) that I would recommend. This is an AIO (All-in-one) but it is an open loop cooler. Installation is extremely simple and far less dangerous than say a Hyper 212 where it is very easy to over tighten the hold down screws and damage the CPU or MoBo.
Install goes like this .....
1. Affix the 8 fan screws to the top of the case ... no different fro screwing in 2 fans
2. Aply the TIM and tighten down the four screws on the cooler just like you would on any air cooler except it's just about impossible to over tighten the screws and damage anything and there's no big bulky hunk of aluminum getting then the way.
3. Connect the Pump to CPU header on MoBo
4. Connect the two fans to the provided splitter....connect the splitter to the CPU_OPT header on MoBo, thatz it
http://www.hitechlegion.com/reviews/cooling/liquid/4087...
Quote:
While the H220X is an
obvious choice for the novice, it also has some incredible benefits for the enthusiast looking to do a smaller loop. When you break it down, the H220X is a collection of excellent components that simply happen to come in one box. The included Apogee XL is top notch, and recently took home a Hi Tech Legion Gold Award. The MCP30 pump has a head pressure of over 2 meters, with over 1GPM flow and PWM control, making it a perfect choice for a 3-4 component loop. The radiator is an excellent quality copper/brass piece that delivers excellent low rpm performance, and the attached reservoir is easily accessible. 3/8” ID tubing is used throughout, and there is plenty of length to simply make one cut to add a GPU in most builds. In other words, you have a small loop in a box with every component being top quality, and may be the same components you would have been looking at in the first place.
Installation of the H220X was very easy, probably the easiest liquid cooler I have ever done. A huge part of this is thanks to the use of the Apogee XL block, which is a flagship top tier block and has a mounting system fitting of that stature.
I had noted just how easy the install was when I reviewed the block alone, and comparing it to the Asetek/CoolIt/etc. kits, it is absolutely a world better. The radiator/pump/reservoir assembly go in simply with fan screws to your desired location in the case. The PWM splitter is as easy as it gets, and takes absolutely all of the guesswork out of the wiring setup.
In terms of performance, well….we could simply leave it at the fact that the H220X is simply the best performing out-of-the-box cooler you can buy today. Period. ..... The NZXT X60/61 comes close in terms of performance, but at the expense of far more noise and far less compatibility. 240mm CLCs can’t touch the H220X in all out performance, and at tolerable noise levels the H220X flat out embarrasses them. The Cryorig R1 and Noctua NH-D15 come closest in matching the H220X in terms of performance and noise, but fall short. What more can you say? We put the best out of the box solutions up against the H220X, and the H220X walked away a clear winner and did so with absolutely astonishing performance to noise. With all of this performance the H220X never topped 40 dB at full speed.
.....There is not a 240mm CLC or air cooler that can beat it, and it does it at 20+ dB quieter than the competing CLCs. To sum it up; the H220X offers better performance, lower noise, better aesthetics, flawless design and build, better components and the option of expandability when compared to a CLC. Putting it gently, choosing any CLC over the H220X would be doing yourself a huge disservice. If you are looking to step into liquid cooling, or looking to start a small loop, the H220X is the obvious choice and comes with our highest recommendation and Hi Tech Legion Editor’s Choice Award.