Building new system, thinking of WCing.. need feedback

[Jeffro]

Hi everyone,

I'm about one hour from ordering this system:

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
ABS Tagan BZ Series BZ700 ATX12V / EPS12V 700W Patent Piperock Modular Power Supply - Retail
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
2x Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail
2x Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DRW-2014L1T - Retail
Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack - OEM
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM


OK so.. I'm thinking of watercooling, never done it and havent build a PC in 5 years.. I'm pretty knowledgeable though. I'm thinking of trying to get my E8400 to 4.2-4.3GHz and was planning to go with Tuniq Tower 120 route but I've got some extra money and am really interested in watercooling so I'm thinking I might buy a Zulman Reserator XT. From everything I read this is an awesome, awesome unit.. and seems pretty easy to install.

So, say I had 350.00 sitting around should I bite the bullet and get the Zulman and try to push this E8400 to the max?

 

[Evilonigiri]

Are you sure you want to go WC? The Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme is more than enough to get you past 4GHz.

I really don't recommend people getting WC, unless they are a hardcore hardware enthusiast.

 

[Silverion77]

Truthfully if you were going water, I would go with the real thing.
A custom loop. Its cheaper and will more likely perform better/quieter/ and be more fun to build.

I'm considering WCing but I'm not sure yet. I gotta look at prices

 

[phreejak]

Well, alot should be considered before you make the leap into watercooling. I am, of course, speaking largely about o'clocking and if you intend on doing any. If so - alot perhaps? Also, what would you intend on w'cooling - just the CPU or the GPU as well?

With a $350 budget you could have a nice w'cooling setup if you went the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) route. Initially, I would only consider w'cooling the CPU and/or the GPU - everything else is really just not needed.

 

[Jeffro]

Yeah, I was really thinking of just starting small and going just to CPU. I havent really looked at many DIY kits because I have to admit I'm a little nervous thats why I was thinking Zulman, they seem to have good intructions, good reviews, its an external unit and has external temp readings.

I'd entertain any suggestions if you have some links and stuff, like I said, I just would be more comfortable if I didnt have to do any type of custom mounting.

What do you think you could get a E8400 to on WC stable with the above equipement?

 

[phreejak]

I'm not familiar with the Zalman kits but I do know that they have a company with a solid rep behind them. Of course they won't perform as well as the DIY kits might but, Zalman isn't a bad place to begin. The Reserator 2 looks especially nice and the review I read of it shows that it does a nice job and is very easy to work with.

 

[ouch1]

I do not recommend Zalman. They are only slightly better than Thermaltake's water cooling kits. If you want to water cool don't do it halfway. If you just want to cool the CPU them buy the following:
Dd MC-TDX CPU water block ($59.95) http://www.dangerden.com/store/home.php?cat=92
Dd Single 5 1/4" Bay Reservoir ($29.95)
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=52&cat=27&page=1
Thermochill PA120.2 Radiator ($119.99)
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=204&cat=5&page=1
Dd DD12V-D5 Pump Fixed Speed ($76.95)
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=274&cat=23&page=1
Tygon 3603 Tubing 1/2" ID 3/4" OD ($2.80/foot)
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=172&cat=33&page=1
2x Yate Loon Medium Speed Fan: D12SM-12 ($6.99 each)
http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=283&cat=78&page=1

Total= $314.82 (plus shipping since there is no sales tax if you buy directly from Dd)

This will bring your CPU down to within 1 decgree C of ambient, and allow for some serious overclocking. Plus if you want to you can always add a GPU block or other Dd blocks later down the road. And all of the components are copper, so there will be minimal chance of Galvanic Corrosion.

-ouch1