Water cooling CPU + GPU $400 budget?

1234Shawn

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Sep 27, 2015
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I've always wanted to try over clocking and watercooling. Since my gpu fans are starting to go bad, now seems like a good time to pull the trigger on this idea. I have only casually browsed material related to this until today. I started by reading this, and acknowledge I need to increase my knowledge base before I'm ready to start buying stuff.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/277130-29-read-first-watercooling-sticky

I would like to build a cpu/gpu watercooling system. I mainly want to cool my gpu and oc my cpu. After a brief investigation, I found a few forum posts stating I could watercool both for $400. Due to this, I agreed on a $400 budget with my wife. After my innitial browsing of parts, I'm not certain this is really possible. Would I be able to oc much if it is? Being my first atempt at overclocking and watercooling I would like to do it at a modest price Is $400 realistic? I have been looking at stuff from frozencpu.com Any thoughts as I start to explore this project?
 


First off frozencpu is out of business with a lot of past customers who have been ripped off by them and merchandise that was paid for, and not received! Myself included! :pfff:

I'm sure you do not want to end up like that as well!

I suggest www.performance-pcs.com now $400 is a tight budget since most full coverage GPU water blocks cost in the $100 range and a solid workhorse of a pump usually around $80, but you do not memtion the specs you are running so can we start by you listing the CPU and GPU we're talking about?

Additionally when overclocking is brought into the picture more is needed radiator wise to get the job done and many are determined to fit everything inside their case, so if that is your situation list the case as well.

I have also bought from Aquatuning.US, no problems and a great company, also Sidewindercomputers.com, no problems there.



 

1234Shawn

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Sep 27, 2015
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Thanks for warning me about frozencpu.com, sorry they ripped you off. My budget is not firm, I can go up if need be. I have a 3570K CPU and Sapphire 7970 vapor x 3gb GPU. I have this case.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051U1XMI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02.

The details for this case states:
Radiator Configurations: (Optional)
Front:
1 x 120mm or 1 x 240mm
Top:
2x 120mm or 2x 240mm
1x 140mm or 1x 280mm
Rear:
1x 120mm or 1x 140mm

I did not realize I had so many places for radiators. I was following the guide linked above, which I think you are referenced, and started filling out the excel sheet there for TDP.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/33awqsqyaql20sd/radiators.xlsx?dl=0

Is this how I will determine what radiator I will need, and if I can do a single or double loop?