What liquid cooler to get for my build? Reliability being the most important factor. (details below)

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https://pcpartpicker.com/user/KillSwitch87/saved/xWyJxr

Those are the parts I already got, CPU will be running on turbo. The PC will be used for both gaming and work so I can't really afford to have it down for weeks on end because my cooler failed and shot everything to Hell (I know there's always a small risk but I really want to minimize it as much as humanly possible)

Atm I'm using a Corsair H-something on an i7 3770, have been for over 4 years without problems but I've heard Corsair got sued and is now using a different pump design more prone to failure. I've never been entirely sold on the safety of liquid coolers to begin with but this puts me on the fence even more.

Any advice on choosing a cooler for this build and\or about liquid coolers in general would be greatly appreciated. Price/noise is not a concern (I'll probably get Noctua fans anyway), reliability is the most important factor - as in even if the unit fails, it won't ruin the other components.
Are there any coolant fluids to look out for that are safer/safest? Any brands aside from Corsair with a good track record and warranty? Anything to steer clear of? Also I'm in Japan, availability here might be an issue, is it safe to have these things shipped from overseas?

I've actually been eyeing Swiftech's H240 Prestige mainly because of the possibility to change the coolant color. Is it a good company to buy from? If not, any other suggestions?

I love the way custom loops look but I wouldn't be comfortable putting one together and frankly I'm a pig so maintenance would be a huge issue :/

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!
 
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if you are not sure if you are going to directly attach the res to pump or separate them, get the pump top i linked earlier. it is the only universal one that allows both applications. the one you chose, is attached directly to the pump.
both pump and res should come with mounting gear. you either attach them to the case or on fans/rads.
also, for better performance, put the rad in front as intake.
I use noctua NF-F12 fans everywhere. they are the best in all around (both AF and SP).

noahhefner

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EK has some damn good pre assembled loops. I've never bought a water cooling loop, AIO or custom, but I do know that EK is top of the line when it comes to water cooling. All of their products are high quality and built to last.
 
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I was looking at those but then Google'd reviews and turns out a lot of people had trouble with those units leaking. I know people with bad experiences have a tendency to review more often than people with good ones but still, it's alarming so I scratched it off the list :/

 

noahhefner

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Honestly, I think you are being overly paranoid. If you buy a solid loop, chances are you won't have any problems with it. That being said, you will always have to live with the possibility of a leak no matter what you get. Let's face facts here, you're putting water inside your computer. If you can't accept that, you probably shouldn't be water cooling in the first place. I guess I would recommend the H100i V2 just because I see everyone else using it. It's a solid cooler and you will more than likely never have a leak.

 
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I agree, I am paranoid when it comes to my computers lol But, and don't take this the wrong way, I'm that way precisely because I know what I put in them and know the risks however small they may be. This just leads to me doing my research and trying to find the safest solution under the circumstances instead of nilly willy picking up the first thing I come across. For the record what the majority uses is no indication of quality from what I've observed. That being said I have to agree with you, Corsair still seems like the safest bet unless I wanna assemble my own loop, but I'm kooking at the h110i gtx. . .overkill?
 

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The Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3. It brings the performance of 240 rad AIO's like corsairs H110 and such without the worries of leaking while also being pretty quiet thanks to Be Quiet's fans. i doubt you would even need to replace em for noctua fans.
 

Tamaskan

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I wouldn't say H110i gtx is overkill. I myself use the h110i because is larger and therefore runs at lower speed = quitter when compared to h100. Is does get pretty loud at higher rpms though. I also heard that corsair covers damage to your pc part if it get damaged from the cooler leaking(due to manufacturing defect).
 
Most of the AiOs (corsair, nzxt, tt, Arctic and many others) are overpriced crap mostly maid by asetek and coolit.
Swiftech and EK are standout from the crowd simply because they are pre assembled custom loops. you can do with them whatever you want (expand, replace parts, add components, customize etc). but you have to treat them with care - pulling the tubes with too much force will cause the tubes to pop out. you might need to add/replace liquid over time.
the main question is why you want to go liquid - performance wise, there is no practical benefit over air coolers that will justify the cost.
 
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Aesthetics mainly. I can't stand air coolers, especially towers that's why I got the Corsair AIO I'm currently using and now my new case has a side window to top it off. Cost is...somewhat of a factor but I'm ok with dishing out more for a safer, better quality solution.

That being said I did look into EK's Predator and the H240 from Swiftech - leaned more toward the later because of see through tubes so I could add red coolant to fit the build otherwise - but then read user reviews and according to those found both to actually be less reliable and more leak prone than Corsair's cheap AIO units o_O I don't know if it's due to faulty installation or what - because it's hard to believe a higher grade product would perform worse - but that kinda scared me away... I7ve admittedly looked into custom loops too but that really seems like overkill - on the personal labor front - for cooling just a CPU.

 
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Maybe it brings the performance but it would be a horribly ugly thing to look at in an otherwise sleek build :/
 
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Yep, Corsair has great warranty but that wouldn't matter to me much because if their AIO soaked my system I'd have to buy new parts within a couple of days anyway and not wait for a month or more until they verify my claim and reimburse me. Of course, getting money back at any point is great but wouldn't help me out in a pinch.

How loud are we talking? I always read people talk about how loud these units are but honestly both me and my flatmate use them - he has the h100 I think - and I haven't ever heard either of them. Now my front fan on the case though....ugh that nasty thing... >.<
 

Decends

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Did i just read this right? Be Quiet! dark rock pro 3 being refered to as ugly? I think you are confused for the Shadow Rock 2 (which that one i admit isnt the best on the eyes) but the dark rock pro 3 comes with sleek black fans, black heat sink towers, nickel plated heat pipes. It would look far better than something with noctua fans added to it but thats just me :l
 
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Lemme rephrase that: I personally don't find any fan based solution appealing is all :D It's not ugly for what it is - unlike Noctua *shudder* - and I wouldn't throw it out if it came with the CPU but since it didn't I'm looking for something I'll actually like to look at. Plus with that massive thing I wouldn't be afraid of leaks sure but I'd be afraid of it ripping out the whole socket and smashing my GPU every time I move the case XD OK just kidding about the last part but I'm almost certain I'd have to take out at least 32Gb of RAM if I wanted to install something like that.
 


EK Predator is EOL anyway. They supposed to release a replacement in a form of EK MLC product line at some point later this year.
As I already mentioned, you have to handle those (EK, Swiftech) with care, since tubes are connected with compression/barb fittings - it's strong enough to hold any liquid pressure, but if pulled, can pop out. If i was to get one, I'd make sure all tubes are properly sitting on their fittings both before installation and after.
Anyway, on any of them you can replace the tubing and even go with hard line - all you have to do is to replace fittings and tubing. You can do it at any point in time and it will cost under 50$.
you might want to look at https://www.ekfluidgaming.com/ek-kit-a240. Reasonably priced and decent performing custom loop kit. the only downside is that it's made of aluminum - for now there are no spare parts to customize or expand the loop. though EK do promise to make spare parts available soon.

P.S.
in my experience, red dies are the worst enemy of the loop. no matter how good it is, eventually they stain the parts (especially tubes) and have a residue that blocks the flow (it likes the micro fins in blocks) and even kill the pump.
So unless you are prepared to flush the loop every 6-12 months, don't go with red.
 

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Now that is a fair statement.
 
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Well both the Ek predator 1.0 revision and then the 1.1 was prone to leaks so after that I don't trust them with pre-assembled systems tbh. Ooooh no, no aluminium because it's bendy and I want the under side of the water block to be copper, read that aluminium doesn't mix well with other metals in a loop. I've looked into custom parts today since once messed with the kits are basically just like custom loops in that they do need to be refilled and serviced from time to time...or that's my understanding. I've been recommended the Koolance 380i for water block and any variant of the laing d5 pump, would you second those?

No dies then, just distilled water with silver coil, would that work? How about colored tubing? XD And sorry for harassing you with so many questions :p
 

noahhefner

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Look, if you are really this freaked out about liquid cooling, consider getting an air cooler. And I get it, your PC is important to you and you want to protect your hard earned money at all costs. I feel the same way about my own PC. But there is really no point in trying to find the "absolute most reliable" cooler. There is always a chance, no matter what you get, of a factory defect. Chances are, if you buy a cooler from a trusted manufacturer, like Corsair or NZXT or Cooler Master, you will not have any issues with it if you take care of it and install it correctly. Additionally, there are some really solid air coolers that can withstand a little OC. I hope you find a solution and best of luck.
 
No worries, that's the kind of questions I like to answer :)

I'll kinda reject/object :)
D5 for CPU only (and even for +GPU) is an expensive overkill. i like the D5 due to reliability, versatility, power and (lack of) noise. DDC will do the same at lower price and more compact form factor.
with custom loop you are facing 200-300$ bill for parts.
CPU block - AquaComputer Kryos Cuplex NEXT https://shop.aquacomputer.de/index.php?cPath=7_11_12_2694 they are so much better.
Radiator - i prefer the XFlow ones for the convenience of installation, tube routing and fill/drain process ease. Alphacool ST30 or HWLabs GTS IMO
pump - DDC or D5 with singularity computers top - i like the frosted model the most. it's also the only universal one that allows direct res mounting or using a tube.
tubing - i like clear tubes to be able to see what's going on inside. i'm a fun of hard line acrylic and even more glass tubes. but EK's or primochill's flex tubing is also good idea.
there is nothing wrong with distilled water + biocide like mayhem's extreme or PTNuke. adding metals (silver) to loop is not my thing. though a non red die or UV or pastel is also fine.
 
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Cool, then I'll pick your brain a little more and you can just tell me to f. off when it gets annoying XD

https://shop.aquacomputer.de/product_info.php?products_id=3531&XTCsid=bs68rt8dcfohrjueu9v7v7ev7m6tklio
https://shop.aquacomputer.de/product_info.php?products_id=3495&XTCsid=bs68rt8dcfohrjueu9v7v7ev7m6tklio
Does either of those 2 look alright? (my socket is 1151 but I'm not sure whether nickel plating is good or not.)

If you say there's not much of a performance difference I'm going with the D5 simply because I like the looks more. (I assume I won't have to replace it yearly?)
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2128/ex-pmp-27/Swiftech_MCP655-B_12v_Water_Pump_w_38_Conversion_Kit_317_GPH.html?tl=g30c107s1802
Would that model be good? Ooooor is there any chance you could link me to that frosted model? I didn't find it.

For the radiator you mean something like this http://www.frozencpu.com/products/23905/ex-rad-693/Black_Ice_Nemesis_GT_Stealth_240_X-Flow_Radiator_-_Black.html right? I'll have to double check the measurements of my case. Would you get one or 2? I was originally thinking one on top but now I'm leaning toward a big one in the front in a push-pull config, setting the rear fan to higher RPM and leaving the top alone. Thoughts?
Btw what's a 'radiator top'? Do I need one of those? And what does "with singularity computers top" mean? Sorry English isn't my native language so I might be missing something 0.o

Aren't stiff tubes difficult to deal with? Just curious, I'll go with flex because I have a heavy hand and break stuff easily XD Plus I think flexible would be easier to nudge out of the way if adding/removing parts or even dusting. (I won't yank on them)
Would getting colored tubing be a really bad thing though? I really want red (or well the wanted blue but the ROG cert on my case is red and it would kill my OCD to not match up) but not willing to deal with red die if it clogs everything up :/ Oh, how much tubing should I get, so that I'll have spare in case I mess something up and waste some?

Do I need a reservoir?

And lastly, the dreaded fittings, those things confuse the Hell out of me. Barbed? Compression? Quick disconnects? Which one's the safest bet and which one would I use for the stuff I'm getting? Or can all kinds of fitting be used with all the parts? The sizing is same ID/OD as tube size right?







 
nickel plating is great :)
since you are not going for vario (the more expensive ones with adjustable geometry) don't you want the clear top version to see the fluid or/and mount some LED (there are 3mm holes for leds)

that pump you linked is an original liang D5 with it's original top. you can buy motor only and combine it with top. this particular one will allow only flex tubes of certain size.
what i ment is:
https://www.singularitycomputers.com/shop/watercooling/protium-ddc-mod-kit-frosted-acrylic-black/
https://www.singularitycomputers.com/shop/watercooling/protium-d5-pump-top-frosted-acrylic/
i guess you can find a D5 for much less. I have bought one for ~65$ motor only. still laying in a box :) no, you don't need to replace it yearly. it can work for decades without problems. the manual speed control is less convenient than PWM, but a bit more reliable and a bit quieter I'm annoyed by PWM clicking in a silent room.

Radiator - you linked my second choice. It's probably the best looking rad (very good finish). But practically, i prefer this one http://www.performance-pcs.com/alphacool-nexxxos-st30-full-copper-x-flow-280mm-radiator.html
it has ports on both sides so you can flip it if you want ports on other side. I even use one of them as a fill port as the rad is mounted on top of the case. I just made a small hole on top of my case http://imgur.com/klhUWzG
Your case support up to 280 /320 at front and up to 280/320 on top. the rad size for the CPU only, 240 is enough. 280 is exceptionally good as you can run the fans on low RPM and keep things quiet. 280 rad has the same surface area as 320 rad but with less dead spots. so i'd put a 280 in front as intake and no push pull needed. it's a waste of money on fans. I usually do pull as it's much easier to maintain and no performance difference on sane RPM.
you do not need two rads for the CPU only. If and when you add a GPU, you can easily add another rad on top. i guess i'd go with 320 on top to avoid any interference with MB or RAM. but you can easily check if 280 fits on top when you get one. just try to put it on top with fans

my default fans to go with are:
1. 120mm http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a12x15-pwm
2. 120mm if you have to have black http://noctua.at/en/products/product-line-industrial/nf-f12-industrialppc-2000-pwm
3. 140mm http://noctua.at/en/products/product-line-industrial/nf-a14-industrialppc-2000-pwm
there are those http://noctua.at/en/products/accessories/chromax to match your colors :)

the res is a reservoir - no top for radiators needed (there is actually no such thing as far as i know) and we discussed res top above :)

hard tubes allow shorter tube routes as you either bend (need a heat gun) or use fittings. flex tubing cant have sharp bends so it requires longer tubes paths. but it's totally ok to go with flex. i used flex tubing for a decade or so, but once i went to a small build on my desk, i went to hard line as it remains clean and shinny. the flex tubing gets clouded and scratched easily. keep in mind that hard line tubes usually requires more fittings - much more money.
1.5-2 meters will be more than enough. and there is nothing wrong with colored tubes - i just don't like it :)

technically, you don't need the reservoir, but your life will be much easier with one :) without res, it's so much harder to remove the all air from the loop.

and lastly - fittings:
for flex tubes, you can go with either barb or compression fittings. just make sure that id/od matches tubes.
bonus 1 - you will be better with one spare barb fitting. you can use it with a piece of tube for filling/draining the loop more conveniently
bonus 2 - a ball valve + some T splitter is very useful to be able easily drain the loop. and it is recommended to do so at least once in 24 months. this is probably the most expensive fitting :)

chose any brand you like. my choice is alphacool fittings as they are reasonably priced and a good quality. bitspower is the best, but seriously overpriced.

when you are done with the list, post again, i'll go over it to make sure we have not missed anything and that everything is compatible.
according to your choices, you are going to 350+ $ loop. the good thing, is that you can reuse it like forever. tubes and liquid are cheap.
 
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Hey, I'm back XD

CPU block
cuplex kryos NEXT with VISION 1156/1155/1151/1150, acetal/nickel


Rad
Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper X-Flow 280mm radiator x1 (or should I get 2? I can’t get away with anything over 30mm thickness in this case)

Pump, will either of these fit and which one’s better?
http://www.performance-pcs.com/swiftech-mcp655-pwm-12v-water-d5-pump-module-pwm-enabled-single-version.html
http://www.performance-pcs.com/swiftech-mcp655-series-12-vdc-d5-water-pumps-bare.html

Res: http://www.performance-pcs.com/aquacomputer-aqualis-d5-150-ml-with-nano-coating-g1-4.html#Details

Fittings
CPU block to res and rad: http://www.performance-pcs.com/bitspower-g1-4-matte-black-dual-rotary-90-degree-compression-fitting-ultimate-id-3-8-od-5-8.htmlx1 x2 (will these fitting have clearance on the Vision?)

Res to cpu block and rad: : http://www.performance-pcs.com/bitspower-g1-4-matte-black-dual-rotary-90-degree-compression-fitting-ultimate-id-3-8-od-5-8.htmlx1 x2

Rad to CPU block and res: http://www.performance-pcs.com/bitspower-g1-4-matte-black-dual-rotary-90-degree-compression-fitting-ultimate-id-3-8-od-5-8.htmlx1 x2

Draining: www.performance-pcs.com/bitspower-matte-black-dual-rotary-mini-valve-with-inner-g1-4-extender.html x 1 + http://www.performance-pcs.com/bitspower-g1-4-carbon-black-low-profile-stop-fitting-v2.html x 1 (plug just in case)

Tubing: PrimoFlex Advanced LRT 10ft Tubing - 3/8in. ID X 5/8in. OD - Bloodshed Red

Would keeping the top 2 3.5 bays for HDD’s, taking out the rest and putting the res/pump combo ‘down’ there be a very bad idea? I don’t want to put the hard disks directly under the res, those have all my data on them.
I put this together kind of on the fly and really tired, the only time I have between school and work is pretty much midnight. Please check if everything seems ok and if not what should I change? I thought about using angled fittings for the joints for a cleaner look but I’m not sure if it would help and how much it would impede water flow.

As for fans, I'd prefer to use Vardar simply because I find Noctua's hideous...maybe the black versions would be fine though, we'll see. And thanks for taking the time to help with this :)
 
Looks nice. and one such rad is more than enough :)
few comments. are you really want to pay 40$ for the bitspower ? http://www.performance-pcs.com/alphacool-eiszapfen-2-way-ball-valve-g1-4-deep-black.html
also, you don't need a cap (you can have it if you want to - black ones available for 1-3$), but you probably do need some spliter fitting.
I'd recommend to take a paper and draw the loop. what connected to what and how. you will see what are your options and what parts you need.
there is nothing wrong in placing the pump and res at lowest part. in addition, check the size of every component you are going to buy and check that it will fit in your case (measure it).
and last question:
it's the same pump. you pay the 3$ for the included housing. other one is just a motor :)
 
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OK I tried to draw this loop and came to the conclusion that I'm confused with the reservoir/pump attachment. Does the reservoir directly feed the liquid into the pump through those attachments or is there a need to route a tube from the res to the pump?
I don't want to buy a combo because I may or may not put the res on top of the pump. I did measure the space in my casing and everything should be fine but just in case, depending on the available space after all the hardware is installed, I want the option to put the res on one side and the pump maybe somewhere else...possibly even outside the case.
On that note, for the rad high sp fans but what about the front 3 fans and the rear exhaust? Should I use SP or high airflow ones?https://pasteboard.co/GBOHh64.jpg
I just got that image off the net but the loop would hopefully work something like that functionality wise. That being said I want it to look much more clean - similar to hard tubing without the extra effort - would xdegree fittings help with that? (x being any angle depending on the part). The PC in your picture has hardline tubing? It looks really good.
And how/where do people normally secure the res and pump? To the casing somehow I suppose...but how?
 
if you are not sure if you are going to directly attach the res to pump or separate them, get the pump top i linked earlier. it is the only universal one that allows both applications. the one you chose, is attached directly to the pump.
both pump and res should come with mounting gear. you either attach them to the case or on fans/rads.
also, for better performance, put the rad in front as intake.
I use noctua NF-F12 fans everywhere. they are the best in all around (both AF and SP).
 
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